JP2001355958A - Refrigerator and deodorization device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator that obtains strong deodorization operation by a deodorization device and at the same time does not require any special handling in disposal. SOLUTION: A space discharge mechanism 73, a photocatalyst module 74, and an ozone decomposition catalyst 75 are arranged in a blowing path 71 of a deodorization device 11 that is arranged in the cold air passage of this refrigerator, the photocatalyst module 74 is allowed to perform a photocatalyst action by ultraviolet rays being generated by the high-voltage discharge of the space discharge mechanism 73, and a foul constituent and a harmful constituent contained in cold air in the refrigerator are oxidized and decomposed by an ozone decomposition action by ozone being generated by the high-voltage discharge and the ozone decomposition catalyst 75.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a deodorizing device for deodorizing a refrigerator in a circulation path of cool air, and a deodorizing device used in the refrigerator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to deodorize a refrigerator, a platinum catalyst is arranged near a defrost heater to adsorb odorous substances contained in air in the refrigerator, and the heater is heated at the time of defrost to heat the odor. This was done by thermally decomposing the substance. However,
In order to remove the anxious odor in the refrigerator and to sufficiently prevent the odor from being transferred to other foods, it is required to have a stronger deodorizing effect.

Further, recent refrigerators have been designed to improve the effect of maintaining the freshness of food by setting the humidity in the refrigerator compartment higher by using a dedicated cooler in the refrigerator compartment or the freezer compartment, respectively. There is. As described above, when the humidity in the refrigerator compartment becomes higher, the odor becomes more easily perceived, and the germs in the refrigerator compartment become more easily proliferated.

[0004] Under such circumstances, a deodorizing apparatus utilizing the oxidizing power of ozone has been introduced into refrigerators as a more powerful deodorizing method. However, the odorous component cannot be completely decomposed even with the oxidizing power of ozone, and only an intermediate product may be generated.

[0005]

Further, there is a system in which a photocatalytic material such as titanium oxide is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to oxidize and decompose odor components by utilizing a photocatalytic action. According to this method, a stronger oxidizing power than ozone can be obtained, but a fluorescent tube lamp is required to irradiate ultraviolet rays. Since the fluorescent lamp contains mercury, it is necessary to take care not to increase the environmental load at the time of disposal. Therefore, handling at the time of disposal becomes a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a refrigerator which do not require a special handling at the time of disposal while obtaining a strong deodorizing action by a deodorizing device. An object of the present invention is to provide a deodorizing device used for a vehicle.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator in which a deodorizing device for deodorizing the inside of a refrigerator is arranged in a circulation path of cool air, wherein the deodorizing device has a high degree. It is characterized by comprising discharge means for generating ozone and ultraviolet rays by voltage discharge, and a photocatalyst module for decomposing odor components and harmful substances contained in air by photocatalysis.

With this configuration, when cool air circulates in the refrigerator, ultraviolet rays are generated by high-voltage discharge in the discharge means of the deodorizing device disposed in the circulation path. Then, in the photocatalytic module, the photocatalytic reaction can be acted upon receiving the ultraviolet rays, so that the odor component contained in the circulating cool air is oxidatively decomposed and removed. That is, since ultraviolet rays can be generated without using a fluorescent tube lamp, it is not necessary to consider special handling at the time of disposal.

Further, since ozone is simultaneously generated by the high-voltage discharge, the odor component is oxidized and decomposed by the oxidizing power of the ozone. In addition, the generated ozone is diffused into the refrigerator by the circulating cool air to form an ozone atmosphere, so that an antibacterial effect can be exerted on foods and the like in the refrigerator, which is also effective in maintaining the freshness of the food.

In this case, as described in claim 2, it is preferable that the ozone decomposing means for decomposing ozone generated in the discharging means is arranged at least downstream of the discharging means and the photocatalyst module. With such a configuration, ozone generated by the high-voltage discharge is decomposed by the ozone decomposition means, so that the ozone concentration in the refrigerator excessively increases,
It is possible to prevent the user from feeling an ozone smell when the door is opened. Further, when ozone is decomposed, active oxygen is more easily generated, so that a stronger oxidizing power is obtained and the deodorizing efficiency is further improved.

Further, as described in claim 3, it is preferable that the ozone decomposing means is arranged at the cold air inlet of the heat exchanger. That is, when the ozone generated in the deodorizing device is circulated in the refrigerator as it is, the ozone may be adversely affected on the cooler itself, piping, and the like. Therefore,
Placing the ozone decomposing means at the cold air inlet of the heat exchanger ensures that ozone is decomposed at a stage before the circulating cold air is taken into the heat exchanger, adversely affecting internal components. Is prevented.

Further, the photocatalyst module may be disposed on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the discharging means, and the utilization efficiency of the ultraviolet light generated in the discharging means may be improved. Can be further increased.

Further, as described in claim 5, the photocatalyst module is preferably configured to be detachable from the deodorizing device main body. With such a configuration, contaminants such as inorganic substances adhere to the surface of the photocatalyst module. In such a case, for example, the photocatalyst module can be taken out of the apparatus main body to remove attached contaminants.

As described in claim 6, it is preferable that the photocatalyst module is configured to be mountable on the main body by exchanging the surface facing the discharge means and the surface located on the opposite side. In other words, on the surface facing the discharge means, the photocatalytic reaction is active and contaminants are likely to adhere. Therefore, if the surface facing the discharge means and the surface located on the opposite side are replaced at a stage where the adhesion of the contaminants has progressed to some extent,
The photocatalytic reaction can be satisfactorily promoted by using the surface on the opposite side where little contaminants adhere.

As described in claim 7, it is preferable that the photocatalyst module is constituted by fixing a photocatalyst material on the surface of a base made of porous ceramic. With such a configuration, even if the photocatalyst module is arranged in the ventilation path,
It does not obstruct the circulation of cold air as much as possible. Further, since the area for fixing the photocatalyst material to the substrate can be increased, the photocatalytic reaction can be performed with high efficiency, and the harmful substances can be efficiently decomposed and removed.

[0016] As described in claim 8, it is preferable to provide a control means for controlling the discharge means of the deodorizing device to perform the discharge at the same time as the cool air circulation in the refrigerator is performed. That is, if the cool air circulation is performed, the cool air containing the odor flows through the inside of the deodorizing device to perform the deodorizing, so that the deodorizing can be performed efficiently.

[0017] As described in claim 9, in the deodorizing device,
It is preferable to provide a fan for blowing air to the discharge means and the photocatalyst module. With such a configuration, the deodorizing device can independently blow air to the discharging means and the photocatalyst module to perform deodorization regardless of whether the refrigerator circulates cool air.

Preferably, the discharging means is configured to directly discharge between the two electrodes and is configured to be detachable from the deodorizing apparatus main body. With such a configuration, it is possible to take more space for the deodorization treatment as compared with the creeping discharge method in which the discharge is performed via the insulator. In the case where a contaminant adheres to the electrode, the discharging means can be taken out of the apparatus body to remove the contaminant.

According to the eleventh aspect, if the discharge is performed by applying a negative high voltage between the electrodes of the discharge means, the amount of generated ozone can be increased and the deodorization can be achieved. Efficiency is improved.

It is preferable to provide a voltage changing means for changing the discharge voltage of the discharging means. With such a configuration, for example, the rotation speed of the fan is low and the amount of air blow is reduced. By changing the applied voltage so as to increase, it is possible to compensate for a decrease in the deodorizing efficiency due to a decrease in the amount of blown air.

As set forth in claim 13, it is preferable to provide a control means for controlling the discharge by the discharge means to be stopped when the door is opened. With this configuration, when the user opens the door, it is possible to prevent high-voltage discharge from being performed.

The photocatalyst module may be disposed between the electrodes of the discharging means. With this configuration, the photocatalyst module is efficiently irradiated with the ultraviolet rays generated in the discharging means. Can be
The photocatalytic reaction can be further enhanced.

[0023] As described in claim 15, the deodorizing device is preferably configured to be detachable from the refrigerator body. With such a configuration, maintenance such as removing the deodorizing device from the refrigerator and removing the substance decomposed by the deodorizing action and attached to each part can be easily performed.

It is preferable that the deodorizing device is configured to be operable by a battery. With such a configuration, the deodorizing device is completely independent of the refrigerator, and can be arranged at an arbitrary position in the refrigerator.

According to the deodorizing device of the present invention, it is possible to perform deodorizing by disposing the device inside a refrigerator having no deodorizing function.

[0026]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 2 showing a longitudinal side view of the refrigerator, the refrigerator main body 1 is in the form of a rectangular box having a front opening, and an inner box 3 is disposed in an outer box 2. Insulation material 4 such as urethane foam between
Is formed based on filling. A horizontal synthetic resin partition plate (refrigerator bottom plate) is provided on the inner surface of the inner box 3.
5 is fixed. The partition plate 5 forms a refrigerator compartment (storage compartment) 6 in the upper part of the refrigerator main body 1, and an R door 7 is rotatably mounted at the front end of the refrigerator compartment 6.

A plurality of protrusions (not shown) are formed on the upper surface of the partition plate 5, and a chilled case 8 is mounted on the plurality of protrusions. The chilled case 8 has a container shape having an open upper surface and a front surface.
A cold air passage 9 is formed between the lower surface of the partition plate 5 and the upper surface of the partition plate 5. Reference numeral 10 denotes a lid for opening and closing the front of the chilled case 8.

A support plate 100 is fixed below the partition plate 5 at a predetermined interval. The front end side of the partition plate 5 is open, and cool air is guided from the refrigerator compartment 6 side to a cool air passage (circulation path) 101 formed between the partition plate 5 and the support plate 100. And cold air passage 1
In 01, a deodorizing device 11 is provided. FIG. 3 shows this portion in an enlarged manner. The detailed configuration of the deodorizing device 11 will be described later.

The rear end side of the support plate 100 is open to the vegetable compartment 13, and the circulating cold air introduced into the cool air passage 101 from the refrigerator compartment 6 passes through the deodorizing device 11 and then to the vegetable compartment 13. Has been reached.

A heat insulating partition plate 12 is fixed in the inner box 3 below the partition plate 5. The heat insulating partition plate 12 is made by storing styrofoam in a synthetic resin case, and a vegetable room (storage room) 13 is formed between the heat insulating partition plate 12 and the partition plate 5. The vegetable compartment 13 communicates with the refrigerator compartment 6 via the deodorizing device 11 disposed in the cool air passage 101 (functions as a part of the refrigerator compartment 6). The door 14 is slidably mounted in the front-rear direction.

A lower case 15 is housed in the vegetable compartment 13. The lower case 15 has a container shape with an open upper surface, and an upper case 16 is mounted on the lower case 15. The upper case 16 covers a portion of the upper surface of the lower case 15 except for the front end, and has a container shape with an open upper surface. On the upper surface of the upper case 16, the lid 1
7 is mounted to be openable and closable.

A freezing compartment 19 is formed below the heat insulating partition plate 12. The freezer compartment 19 is thermally isolated from the upper vegetable compartment 13 and the refrigerator compartment 6, and an upper door 20 and a lower door 21 are slidably attached to the front end of the freezer compartment 19 in the front-rear direction. In the freezer compartment 19, the freezing case 2
2 and 23 are accommodated in upper and lower tiers.

A machine room 24 is formed at the lower end of the refrigerator main body 1, and a compressor 25 of a refrigeration cycle is disposed in the machine room 24. The compressor 25 is of a reciprocating type using a comp motor 26 as a driving source. The comp motor 26 is controlled by a control device (control means, voltage changing means) 28 via a driving circuit 27 as shown in FIG.
Is electrically connected to The control device 28 mainly includes a microcomputer, and is provided in the refrigerator main body 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the discharge port of the compressor 25 is connected to the input port of the flow path valve 30 through the condenser 29 of the refrigeration cycle. The flow path valve 30 is configured to selectively open the RF output port and the F output port based on the forward / reverse rotation of the valve motor 31 (see FIG. 4). And is electrically connected to the control device 28.

The RF output port of the flow path valve 30 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the RF evaporator 33 is connected to the inlet of the R evaporator 33 via the RF capillary tube 32, and the outlet of the R evaporator (heat exchanger) 33 is connected to the F evaporator 34.
Entrance is connected. The outlet of the F evaporator 34 is connected to the suction port of the compressor 25,
When the output port is opened, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 25 is supplied to both the R evaporator 33 and the F evaporator 34.

The inlet of the F capillary tube 35 is connected to the F output port of the flow path valve 30. This F
The exit of the capillary tube 35 is the R evaporator 33
The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 25 is supplied only to the F evaporator 34 when the F output port is open.

Referring again to FIG. 2, an R cool air generating chamber 36 is formed at the rear of the vegetable room 13, and the R evaporator 33 is housed in the R cool air generating chamber 36. This R
The cool air generation chamber 36 has a cylindrical cool air discharge port 37 and a cool air suction port 38, and the cool air discharge port 37 is inserted into the upper case 16.

In the refrigerator compartment 6, a substantially L-shaped duct cover 3 is provided.
9 is fixed. The duct cover 39 is made of synthetic resin. The duct cover 39 has a plurality of cool air discharge holes 40 that open into the refrigerator compartment 6. The duct cover 39 cooperates with the rear plate of the inner box 3 to form an L-shaped passage-shaped cold air duct 41.
The upper end of the cool air duct 41 opens into the refrigerator compartment 6, and the lower end of the cool air duct 41 communicates with the inside of the R cool air generating chamber 36.

An R fan motor 4 is provided in the R cool air generation chamber 36.
2, and the R fan motor 42 is electrically connected to the control device 28 via the drive circuit 27.
An R fan (blowing fan) 43 is connected to the rotation shaft of the R fan motor 42, and when the R fan 43 rotates, cool air circulates through the following route. Reference numeral 44 denotes an R fan device including the R fan motor 42 and the R fan 43. The R fan device 44 constitutes an R cooling device 45 together with the R evaporator 33.

<Circulation Route of Cold Air in Refrigerator Room 6 and Vegetable Room 13> A part of the air is discharged from the inside of the R cold air generation chamber 36 into the upper case 16 through the cool air discharge port 37 and formed at the front end of the lid 17. The air is discharged to the front of the upper case 16 through the cooled outflow hole 46. Then, it flows downward along the front surface of the lower case 15, flows backward along the lower surface of the lower case 15, and flows through the cool air suction port 38 into the R cold air generation chamber 36.
Will be returned within. At this time, the air is cooled by the R evaporator 33 to cool the air, and the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 is cooled.

The remainder of the air is discharged from the R-cooled air generation chamber 36 through the plurality of cool air discharge holes 40 and the upper end of the cool air duct 41 into the refrigerator chamber 6 and flows into the cool air passage 9 below the chilled case 8. Then, it flows into the vegetable compartment 13 through the deodorizing device 11 and the cool air passage 101, and the cool air outlet 46
Through the upper case 16. Thereafter, the air flows downward along the front surface of the lower case 15, flows rearward along the lower surface of the lower case 15, and is returned into the R-cool air generation chamber 36 through the cool air suction port 38. At this time, the R evaporator 33
Cools the air based on cooling the air, and cools the inside of the refrigerator compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 13. That is, the deodorizing device 11 is arranged on the return path side of the circulating cool air.

An F cold air generation chamber 47 is formed at the rear of the freezing chamber 19, and a cool air discharge port 48 and a cool air suction port 49 are provided at an upper end and a lower end of the F cool air generation chamber 47. The F evaporator 34 and the F fan motor 50 are housed in the F cold air generation chamber 47, and the F fan motor 50 is electrically connected to the control device 28 via the drive circuit 27.

An F fan 51 is connected to a rotating shaft of the F fan motor 50. When the F fan 51 rotates, cool air circulates through the following path. Reference numeral 52 indicates an F fan device including the F fan motor 50 and the F fan 51. This F fan device 52 constitutes an F cooling device 53 together with the F evaporator 34.

<Regarding the Cooling Air Circulation Path in Freezing Room 19> Air is discharged from the inside of the F cold air generating chamber 47 into the freezing room 19 through the cool air discharge port 48, and returned to the inside of the F cold air generating chamber 47 through the cool air suction port 49. . At this time, the air is cooled by the F evaporator 34 cooling the air, and the inside of the freezing compartment 19 is cooled.

As shown in FIG. 4, an R temperature sensor 54 and an F temperature sensor 55 are provided in the refrigerator compartment 6 and the freezer compartment 19, respectively. Each of the R temperature sensor 54 and the F temperature sensor 55 includes a thermistor that outputs a temperature signal Vr having a voltage level corresponding to the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 6 and a temperature signal Vf having a voltage level corresponding to the temperature in the freezer compartment 19. Yes,
It is electrically connected to the control device 28.

An R temperature sensor 56 and an F temperature sensor 57 are electrically connected to the control device 28. The R evaporator temperature sensor 56 and the F evaporator temperature sensor 57 are composed of a thermistor attached to the R evaporator 33 and the F evaporator 34 via a fixture (not shown), and correspond to the surface temperature of the R evaporator 33. A voltage level temperature signal Vfe corresponding to the voltage level temperature signal Vre and the surface temperature of the F evaporator 34 is output.

The R door switch 102 and the V door switch 103 are switches for detecting the opening and closing of the R door 7 and the V door 14, respectively, and their opening / closing detection signals are also output to the control device 28. I have.

An operation control program is recorded in an internal ROM of the control device 28. The control device 28 controls the comp motors 26, based on the temperature signal Vr from the R temperature sensor 54 to the temperature signal Vfe from the F evaluation temperature sensor 57. The cooling operation and the like are executed by controlling the drive of the valve motor 31, the R fan motor 42, and the F fan motor 50. The control device 28 drives and controls the high voltage application unit (voltage changing means) 70 so as to apply a pulsed high voltage of about −several kV to the electrode of the deodorization device 11.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing the structure of a main part of the deodorizing device 11. A pre-filter 72, a space discharge mechanism (discharge means) 7
3. A photocatalyst module 74 and an ozone decomposition catalyst (ozone decomposition means) 75 are provided. Then, when the R fan 43 in the R cool air generation chamber 36 rotates, cool air in the refrigerator flows in from the inflow port 71a on the left end side in FIG. After the deodorizing effect is achieved, the deodorized cool air is caused to flow out into the cool air passage 101 from the outlet 71b on the right end side in FIG.

The pre-filter 72 is arranged at the most upstream side in the air passage 71, and filters the dust contained in the cool air. The space discharge mechanism 73 disposed downstream of the pre-filter 72 includes a plurality of discharge electrodes 76 formed in a wire shape with, for example, tungsten, and two counter electrodes (electrodes) 77 formed in a flat plate shape. It is composed of A plurality of discharge electrodes 76
Are arranged parallel to each other in a row in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 so as to cross the flow direction of the cool air. The two counter electrodes 77 are arranged so as to sandwich the discharge electrodes 76 from front and rear in the flow direction of the cool air. Further, the counter electrode 77 is provided with a slit 77a for flowing cool air. Then, the discharge electrodes 76,
When a high voltage of negative polarity is applied between the counter electrodes 77 and discharge is performed, ultraviolet rays (wavelength of 380 nm or less) and ozone are generated.

The discharge electrode 76 and the counter electrode 77
A photocatalyst module 74 is disposed between the two. In the photocatalyst module 74, a photocatalyst material such as titanium oxide is applied to the surface of a base made of a porous ceramic (for example, alumina, silica, or the like), and the photocatalyst material is fixed to the base surface by drying or sintering. It is configured as something.

The space discharge mechanism 73, together with the photocatalyst module 74, is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the ventilation path 71 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. That is, although not specifically shown, a space discharge mechanism 73 is provided on the tube wall of the blowing path 71.
Openable and closable doors are attached to the positions where are located, and by opening the doors, the space discharge mechanism 73 and the photocatalyst module 74 disposed inside the air flow path 71 can be taken out in the direction of the arrow. It has become.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When the controller 28 determines to perform the cooling operation based on the temperature setting information on the refrigerator compartment 6 and the temperature information of the R temperature sensor 54, the controller 28
0, the RF output port is opened, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 25 is supplied to the R evaporator 33, and the R fan device 45 is driven to drive the refrigerator compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 1
Circulate cool air through 3. Then, the control device 28 starts the operation of the deodorizing device 11. Then, high-voltage discharge is performed between the discharge electrode 76 and the counter electrode 77, and ultraviolet rays and ozone are generated.

At this time, the cool air in the storage containing the odor component is:
With the rotation of the R fan 43, it flows in from the inlet 1a side,
After being filtered by the pre-filter 2, the counter electrode 7
7, the space discharge mechanism 73 is reached via the slit 77a.
In the space discharge mechanism 73, the ultraviolet light generated by the high voltage discharge is applied to the photocatalyst module 74, and the titanium oxide receives the light energy of the ultraviolet light and takes an activity to form a photocatalyst function, which is contained in the circulating cool air. Oxidatively decomposes odor components such as ammonia.

The circulating cool air is mixed with ozone generated by high-voltage discharge when passing through the space discharge mechanism 73, and reaches the ozone decomposition catalyst 75 in the subsequent stage. In the ozone decomposition catalyst 75, active oxygen is generated when ozone mixed with an odor component in cold air is decomposed, and the odor component is oxidatively decomposed by the oxidizing power of the active oxygen. The cool air deodorized as described above flows out of the outlet 71b of the blowing path 71 into the refrigerator.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the results of an experiment conducted by the inventors of the present invention. When ammonia in the refrigerator was decomposed and removed using various types of deodorizers, the residual ammonia rate (%) in the refrigerator over time was measured. The plot with the symbol “△” is the case of the conventional deodorizer configured using the pyrolysis type catalyst, and the plot with the symbol “◇” or “○” is the deodorizer 11 of the present embodiment. Corresponds to the case where discharge is performed in the space discharge mechanism 3 (ON) and the case where discharge is not performed (OFF), respectively.

As is apparent from FIG. 6, the deodorizing device 11 of the present embodiment can be used even when the space discharge mechanism 3 is OFF.
Although the residual ratio of ammonia is greatly reduced as compared with the conventional deodorizing device, when the space discharge mechanism 3 is turned on, more excellent characteristics are shown.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the space discharge mechanism 73, the photocatalyst module 74, and the ozone decomposition catalyst 75 are disposed in the air supply path 71 of the storage / deodorization apparatus 11 disposed in the cool air passage 101 of the refrigerator. Then, the photocatalytic module 74 performs a photocatalytic action by the ultraviolet light generated by the high-voltage discharge of the space discharge mechanism 73, and the ozone decomposing action of the ozone generated by the high-voltage discharge and the ozone decomposition catalyst 75 causes Oxidative and harmful components contained in cold air are decomposed by oxidation.

That is, since odor components and the like can be decomposed and removed by using ozone and ultraviolet rays generated by high-voltage discharge, there is no need to exchange adsorbents for deodorization or replenish drug components. . Further, by combining the photocatalytic action and the ozone decomposing action, it is possible to decompose odor components and the like over a wider range. And since ultraviolet rays can be generated without using a fluorescent tube lamp,
There is no need to consider special handling at the time of disposal.

Further, by decomposing ozone by the ozone decomposing catalyst 75, the ozone concentration in the atmosphere in the refrigerator compartment 6 or the vegetable compartment 13 is excessively increased, and the user is forced to use the R door 7 or V
When the door 14 is opened, an ozone odor is sensed (for example, when the concentration is 0.02 to 0.03 ppm), or each member in the refrigerator can be prevented from being corroded.

Since the space discharge mechanism 73 is configured to be detachable from the air passage 71, the discharge electrode 76 and the counter electrode
7, or when a contaminant adheres to the photocatalyst module 74, the space discharge mechanism 73 can be taken out from the deodorizing device main body, and the contaminant adhering to these can be removed by, for example, washing with water.

Further, since the space discharge mechanism 73 is composed of the wire-shaped discharge electrode 76 and the external flat plate-shaped counter electrode 77,
More deodorizing treatment space can be taken as compared with the creeping discharge method in which discharge is performed via an insulator. And the electrodes 76,
Since a negative high voltage is applied during 77, the amount of generated ozone can be increased and the deodorizing efficiency is improved.

According to the present embodiment, the control device 28
Changes the voltage applied to the space discharge mechanism 73 to the R fan 43
And the voltage applied to the space discharge mechanism 73 is changed in accordance with the amount of air blown by the R fan 43. Therefore, by operating the deodorizing device 11 in conjunction with the case where the cold air flows in the inside of the ventilation path 71, deodorizing can be performed efficiently. Then, by increasing the applied voltage as the rotational speed of the R fan 43 decreases and the flow rate of the cool air decreases, it is possible to compensate for the decrease in the deodorizing efficiency due to the decrease in the flow rate.

Further, since the photocatalyst module 74 is disposed between the electrodes 76 and 77 of the space discharge mechanism 73, the non-directional ultraviolet rays generated in the space discharge mechanism 73 can be efficiently irradiated to the photocatalyst module 74. Can be
The photocatalytic reaction can be further enhanced. Since the photocatalyst module 74 is disposed on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the space discharge mechanism 73 in the blowing path 71, the utilization efficiency of the ultraviolet light generated in the space discharge mechanism 73 can be further improved.

In addition, since the photocatalyst module 74 is formed by fixing titanium oxide on the surface of a base made of porous ceramic, the photocatalyst module 74 is
Even if it arrange | positions in 1, it will not obstruct the distribution | circulation of cold air as much as possible. In addition, since the area for fixing titanium oxide to the base can be increased, the photocatalytic reaction can be performed with high efficiency even when the amount of expensive titanium oxide used is minimized, thereby decomposing harmful substances. Removal can be performed efficiently.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted. Only the different parts will be described below. FIG.
Is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3. In the second embodiment, the deodorizing device 11
Is arranged above the R fan 43 inside the R cool air generation chamber 36 in place of the cool air passage 101 of the first embodiment so that the inflow port 71a is on the R fan 43 side. Further, an ozone decomposition catalyst 78 is disposed in the cold air inlet 38 of the R cold air generation chamber 36. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

According to the second embodiment configured as described above, the ozone decomposing catalyst 75 also decomposes ozone at the cold air suction port 38 as well, so that the R evaporator 33 disposed in the R Corrosion of other piping and the like by the oxidizing power of ozone can be reliably prevented. In this case, in order to prevent corrosion, the ozone concentration may be set to 0.05 ppm or less.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the deodorizing device 11A is configured independently of the refrigerator main body 1 and is detachable from the main body 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the deodorizing device 11A is disposed in a cool air passage 79 formed between the lower case 15 and the heat insulating partition plate 12 in the vegetable compartment 13, and the outlet of the deodorizing device 11A is provided. 71b
Communicates with the cool air suction port 38 of the R cool air generation chamber 36.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the detached state of the deodorizing device 11A with the lower case 15 removed. That is, as shown in FIG. 9A, a power plug 80 for supplying AC 100V extends from the rear end of the right side of the deodorizing device 11A, and as shown in FIG. When the device 11A is mounted, the power plug 80 is inserted into a socket 81 provided beside the cool air suction port 38 to be electrically connected.

According to the third embodiment constructed as described above, since the deodorizing device 11A is configured to be detachable from the refrigerator main body 1, the discharge electrode 76 and the counter electrode 77 are provided as in the first embodiment. Alternatively, when a contaminant adheres to the photocatalyst module 74, the space discharge mechanism 73 can be taken out of the deodorizing device main body, and the contaminant adhering thereto can be removed by, for example, washing with water. And it is suitable for a case where maintenance is required frequently, such as a refrigerator for business use or a vehicle, which has a relatively large volume and contains a lot of odorous substances in the atmosphere inside the refrigerator.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. Only different parts will be described below. In the deodorizing device 11B of the fourth embodiment, the space discharge mechanism 7
A space discharge mechanism (discharge means) 81 is arranged in place of 3. A plurality of (the number of the discharge electrodes 76 +1) counter electrodes (electrodes) 82 constituting the space discharge mechanism 81 are formed in a strip shape, and are arranged alternately with the discharge electrodes 76 in the same arrangement as the discharge electrodes 76. The plane is arranged so as to be parallel to the flow direction of the cool air. The photocatalyst module 74 is arranged on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the space discharge mechanism 81.

The space discharge mechanism 81 is configured to be detachable from the air supply path 71 similarly to the space discharge mechanism 73 of the first embodiment, and is arranged independently of the space discharge mechanism 73. The photocatalyst module 74 is also removable.

The operation relating to the deodorization of the fourth embodiment configured as described above is basically the same as that of the first embodiment.
Since the plane of the counter electrode 82 is arranged so as to be parallel to the flow direction of the cool air, the structure is such that the flow of the cool air in the air flow path 71 is not obstructed as much as possible.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing only the space discharge mechanism 81 and the photocatalyst module 74 at the subsequent stage. In the fourth embodiment, when attaching / detaching the photocatalyst module 74 to / from the air passage 71,
Is configured such that a surface facing the space discharge mechanism 81 side (surface A) and a surface B corresponding to the back thereof can be exchanged.

That is, on the surface A facing the space discharge mechanism 81, a contaminant is liable to adhere because the photocatalytic reaction is active. Therefore, when the adhesion of the contaminants has progressed to some extent, if the A surface and the B surface are exchanged before removing the photocatalyst module 74 and performing cleaning or the like, the provisional use of the B surface on which the contaminants hardly adhere is possible. The photocatalytic reaction can proceed favorably.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the photocatalyst module 74 is replaced by the surface A facing the space discharge mechanism 81 and the surface B located on the opposite side, and the deodorizing device 11 is replaced.
Since it is configured to be attachable to the B main body, even if the adhesion of contaminants progresses to some extent and the photocatalytic reaction decreases, A
If the plane and the plane B are exchanged, the photocatalytic reaction can be activated temporarily. Therefore, the photocatalyst module 7
4 can be used more effectively.

FIG. 12 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. Only different parts will be described below. Fifth
The deodorizing device 11C of the embodiment is configured such that a fan 83 for blowing air is built in the main body of the deodorizing device 11C. Other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

According to the fifth embodiment configured as described above, the fan 83 of the deodorizing device 11C can be operated independently of the R fan 43 of the refrigerator body 1. Therefore,
For example, even when the R fan 43 is stopped during the energy saving operation or the defrosting operation of the refrigerator, the deodorizing device 1
By operating the 1C fan 83, the deodorizing device 11C can perform a deodorizing action. In addition, the present invention can be applied to a direct cooling type refrigerator that does not circulate cool air.

FIG. 13 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first or fifth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Only different parts will be described below. . The deodorizing device 84 according to the sixth embodiment is configured to be driven by a battery, and can operate completely independently of the refrigerator main body 1.

That is, as shown in FIG.
A machine room 86 is formed below the motor room. Inside the machine room 86, a motor (for rotating and driving a high voltage application unit 87 including a step-up transformer 87a, a battery 88, and a fan 83 for blowing air) is formed. DC motor) 91 is built in.
In addition, the outlet 85b of the blowing path 85 is formed so as to face upward in FIG. 13, and the blowing path 85 is substantially L-shaped.

The high voltage application section 87 converts the DC power supplied from the battery 88 into AC once by an AC conversion section (not shown), boosts the voltage with a step-up transformer 87a, and is arranged on the secondary side of the step-up transformer 87a. Is converted into a direct current again by a non-direct current converter, and finally a negative pulse-like high voltage is applied to the discharge electrodes 76 and
The voltage is applied between the counter electrodes 77.

According to the sixth embodiment constructed as described above, the deodorizing device 84 can be operated by the battery 88 by using the step-up transformer 87a, and becomes completely independent of the refrigerator. It is possible to efficiently perform the deodorizing action by arranging it at an arbitrary position in the inside, for example, near a place where a relatively odorous food is stored. Further, even in a refrigerator having no deodorizing function, the deodorizing function can be performed by disposing the deodorizing device 84 inside the refrigerator.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, but can be modified or expanded as follows. Also in the first embodiment, similarly to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to use the photocatalyst module 74 by exchanging the surface A and the surface B. The photocatalyst module 74 may be arranged only on one of the upstream and downstream sides of the space discharge mechanisms 73 and 81. The polarity of the voltage applied to the discharge electrode 76 may be positive. The applied voltage is
The voltage is not limited to a pulsed voltage, but may be a steady AC voltage, a DC voltage, or the like. Further, the applied voltage may be set to be constant irrespective of the air volume of the air flow path 71. Also, the control device 2
In step 8, the operation of the deodorizing device 11 may be stopped when the R door 7 or the V door 14 is opened. With this configuration, when the user opens the door 7 or 14 to take out food or the like in the refrigerator, the high-voltage discharge can be stopped. The discharge mechanism may be a creeping discharge type electrode configuration depending on the setting of the deodorizing ability. The counter electrode 77 may be formed in a mesh shape. The voltage applied to the space discharge mechanism 73 may be changed not only according to the amount of air flow but also simply according to the strength setting of the deodorizing ability.

[0084]

Since the present invention is as described above,
The following effects are obtained. According to the refrigerator of claim 1,
When cool air circulates in the refrigerator, ultraviolet light is generated by high-voltage discharge in the discharge means of the deodorizing device arranged in the circulation path, so that the photocatalyst module receives the ultraviolet light and is activated to activate a photocatalytic reaction, thereby circulating. Odor components contained in the cold air are oxidatively decomposed. That is, since ultraviolet rays can be generated without using a fluorescent tube lamp, it is not necessary to consider special handling at the time of disposal.

Further, since ozone is simultaneously generated by the high-voltage discharge, the odor component is oxidized and decomposed by the oxidizing power of the ozone. Therefore, in addition to the decomposing action by the photocatalyst module, more types of odorous substances are obtained. Can be decomposed and removed. In addition, since the generated ozone is diffused into the refrigerator by the circulating cool air to form an ozone atmosphere, it is possible to exert an antibacterial action on foods in the refrigerator, and thus it is also effective in maintaining the freshness of the food. .

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the ozone decomposing means for decomposing ozone generated in the discharging means is disposed at least on the downstream side of the discharging means and the photocatalyst module. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling the smell of ozone when the door is opened by excessively increasing the ozone concentration in the refrigerator. In addition, since active oxygen is more easily generated by the decomposition of ozone, stronger oxidizing power is obtained, and the deodorizing efficiency is further improved.

According to the refrigerator of the third aspect, the ozone decomposing means is disposed at the cold air inlet of the heat exchanger.
It is possible to prevent ozone from being decomposed at a stage before the circulating cold air is taken into the heat exchanger and adversely affect internal components.

According to the refrigerator of the fourth aspect, since the photocatalyst module is disposed on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the discharging means, the utilization efficiency of the ultraviolet rays generated in the discharging means can be further improved.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the photocatalyst module can be attached to and detached from the main body of the deodorizing device. Therefore, when a contaminant such as an inorganic substance adheres to the surface of the photocatalyst module, the photocatalyst module can be removed. It is possible to remove contaminants from the main body by removing them.

According to the refrigerator of the sixth aspect, the photocatalyst module can be mounted on the main body by exchanging the surface facing the discharge means and the surface located on the opposite side, so that the contaminant adheres to some extent. At the advanced stage, by exchanging the surface facing the discharge means with the surface located on the opposite side, the photocatalytic reaction can be favorably promoted using the opposite surface where there is almost no adhesion of pollutants.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the photocatalyst module is fixed on the surface of the base made of porous ceramic, so that even if the photocatalyst module is arranged in the air blow path, the cool air is cooled. Distribution as much as possible. Further, since the area for fixing the photocatalyst material to the substrate can be increased, the photocatalytic reaction can be performed with high efficiency, and the harmful substances can be efficiently decomposed and removed.

According to the refrigerator of the eighth aspect, the control means causes the discharge means to discharge simultaneously with the circulation of the cool air in the refrigerator, so that the deodorizing action can be performed efficiently. According to the refrigerator of the ninth aspect, since the deodorizing device is provided with the fan for blowing the discharging means and the photocatalyst module, the deodorizing device independently discharges whether or not the refrigerator circulates cool air. Ventilation can be provided to the means and the photocatalytic module.

According to the refrigerator of the tenth aspect, since the discharging means directly discharges between the two electrodes and is detachable from the refrigerator main body, a creeping discharge method for discharging via an insulator is provided. It is possible to take more space for the deodorization treatment than in the case of. In the case where a contaminant adheres to the electrode, the discharging means can be taken out of the apparatus body to remove the contaminant.

According to the refrigerator of the eleventh aspect, since the discharge is performed by applying a high negative voltage between the electrodes of the discharging means, the amount of generated ozone can be increased and the deodorizing efficiency is improved. I do.

According to the refrigerator of the twelfth aspect, since the voltage changing means changes the discharge voltage of the discharging means, for example, the applied voltage is increased as the number of rotations of the fan becomes lower and the air flow becomes smaller. Thus, it is possible to compensate for a decrease in deodorization efficiency due to a decrease in the amount of air blown.

In the refrigerator according to the thirteenth aspect, the control means stops the discharge in the discharge means when the door is opened and closed, so that when the user opens the door, high-voltage discharge is not performed. it can.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the photocatalyst module may be disposed between the electrodes of the discharging means.
According to this structure, the photocatalyst module can be efficiently irradiated with the ultraviolet light generated in the discharge means, and the photocatalytic reaction can be further enhanced.

According to the refrigerator of the fifteenth aspect, since the deodorizing device is detachable from the refrigerator main body, maintenance such as removing the deodorizing device from the refrigerator and removing substances decomposed by the deodorizing action and adhered to the respective parts is performed. Can be easily performed. Therefore, it is suitable for large-capacity refrigerators for business use, vehicle use, and the like.

According to the refrigerator of the sixteenth aspect, the deodorizing device can be operated by a battery.
It becomes possible to efficiently perform the deodorizing effect by arranging it at a place desired by the user.

According to the deodorizing device of the seventeenth aspect, the deodorizing device can be deodorized by disposing the deodorizing device inside a refrigerator having no deodorizing function.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a configuration of a main part of a deodorizing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a refrigerator.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a cold air passage portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a refrigeration cycle.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an experimental result performed by the inventors of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a second embodiment of the present invention, and is an enlarged view showing a vertical side surface of an R cold air generation chamber portion.

FIG. 8 is a third embodiment of the present invention and is an enlarged view showing a vertical side surface of a vegetable compartment.

9 is a perspective view showing a detachable state of the deodorizing device, with a lower case of the vegetable compartment removed, and FIG. 9A shows a state before the deodorizing device is mounted, and FIG. 9B shows a state after the deodorizing device is mounted. Figure

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing only a space discharge mechanism and a photocatalyst module part.

FIG. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 11A, 11B, 11C are deodorizing devices, 28 is a control device (control means, voltage changing means), 33 is an R evaporator (heat exchanger), 38 is a cold air inlet, 43 is an R fan,
70 is a high voltage application unit (voltage changing means), 71 is a blowing path, 73 is a space discharge mechanism (discharge means), 74 is a photocatalyst module, 75 is an ozone decomposition catalyst (ozone decomposition means),
76 is a discharge electrode, 77 is a counter electrode (electrode), 81 is a space discharge mechanism (discharge means), 83 is a fan, 84 is a deodorizer, 8
5 is a ventilation path, 86a is a step-up transformer, 88 is a battery, 1
01 indicates a cool air passage (circulation passage).

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) B01D 53/36 J (72) Inventor Naohiko Shimura 2-4 Suehirocho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Toshiba Inside Keihin Office (72) Takeshi Imamura 2-4-4 Suehirocho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Keihin Office Toshiba Corporation (72) Takao Hattori 1-6 Ota Toshiba-cho, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka Toshiba Corporation Inside the Osaka Plant (72) Inventor Takumi Oikawa 1-6 Ota Toshiba-cho, Ibaraki-shi, Osaka F-term inside the Toshiba Osaka Plant Co., Ltd. AA22 AB01 AB03 AB05 AC07 BA07X BA41X BB09 CC38 CD10 EA01 EA03

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. A refrigerator configured by disposing a deodorizing device for deodorizing an inside of a refrigerator in a circulation path of cool air, wherein the deodorizing device includes a discharge unit that generates ozone and ultraviolet rays by high-voltage discharge. And a photocatalyst module configured to decompose odor components and harmful substances contained in the air by photocatalysis. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ozone decomposing means for decomposing ozone generated in the discharging means is disposed at least downstream of the discharging means and the photocatalyst module. 3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the ozone decomposing means is disposed at a cold air inlet of the heat exchanger. 4. The photocatalyst module according to claim 1, wherein the photocatalyst module is disposed on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the discharging means.
The deodorizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the photocatalyst module is configured to be detachable from the deodorizing device main body. 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the photocatalyst module is configured so that the surface facing the discharging means and the surface located on the opposite side are interchanged and can be mounted on the main body. . 7. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the photocatalyst module is configured by fixing a photocatalyst material on a surface of a base made of porous ceramic. . 8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the discharge unit to perform a discharge in addition to a case where the cool air is circulated in the refrigerator. refrigerator. 9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the deodorizing device includes a discharging unit and a fan for blowing air to the photocatalyst module. 10. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge means is configured to directly discharge between the two electrodes, and is configured to be detachable from the deodorizing device main body. The refrigerator according to any one of the above. 11. A discharge is performed by applying a negative high voltage between the electrodes of the discharge means.
11. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 10 to 10. 12. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising voltage changing means for changing a discharge voltage of the discharging means. 13. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling so as to stop discharging by the discharging means when the door is opened. 14. The deodorizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photocatalyst module is disposed between electrodes of the discharging means. 15. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the deodorizing device is configured to be detachable from the refrigerator main body. 16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the deodorizing device is configured so that at least the operation of the discharging means is enabled by power supply from a battery. 17. A deodorizing device used for the refrigerator according to claim 15. Description: