JP2002333265A - Reservoir and refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reservoir and a refrigerator which can sterilize floating germs efficiently. SOLUTION: The chill air within a cold storage room 2 is taken in an ion generating room 45 provided behind the cold storage room 2 from a chill air return port 10, and the vanishment of ions caused by the collision with a wall face is reduced by discharging plus ions and minus ions in roughly parallel with the chill air circulating in the direction of an arrow B2 by the corona discharge by applying voltage to a needle-shaped electrode 11a arranged at the upper part of the ion generating room 45, and also the contact period of the chill air with the ions is elongated by the ions reaching a wide range thereby improving the sterilizing function.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a storage provided with sterilizing means for sterilizing airborne bacteria in cold air in a storage room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional refrigerator is disclosed in JP-A-8-14554.
No. 5 discloses this. According to the publication, a negative direct current high voltage is applied to an electrode to generate negative ions by an ion generator provided in a refrigerator and having a counter electrode for attracting electric charge. The negative ions are sent out into the storage room, and the growth of airborne bacteria in the storage room is suppressed to maintain the freshness of the food.

In the above-mentioned conventional refrigerator, a counter electrode facing the needle electrode is provided in the ion generator. Ions emitted from the needle electrode in a narrow region between the needle electrode and the counter electrode are attracted to the counter electrode. Therefore, a large-sized blower having a high blowing capacity is required to send a desired amount of ions required for sterilization into a room. For this reason, there was a problem that the ion generator was complicated and large-sized by the counter electrode and the large blower.

When a negative voltage is applied to the needle electrode in order to selectively generate a large amount of negative ions, a positive charge is applied to the electric circuit. For this reason, a malfunction of the circuit due to the charging and a decrease in the amount of generated negative ions due to the charging of the positive charge occur. In order to avoid these problems, it is necessary to connect the ground directly to the ground in order to release the positive charge, and it is difficult for all households to connect the ground to the ground for home refrigerators due to construction conditions. There were also problems.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage and a refrigerator which can sterilize floating bacteria efficiently. In addition, the present invention does not require earthing with the ground, and can be easily installed in a home. In addition, the storage can easily improve the sterilization efficiency by easily bringing ions into contact with floating bacteria without complicating the apparatus. And a refrigerator.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, according to the solution to ## reservoir and a refrigerator of the present invention, the positive ions such as H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n by applying a high voltage, O ₂ ^- (H ₂ O) An electrode for generating negative ions such as _m is provided, and positive and negative ions are emitted from the electrode to an air flow path through which air flows. The air circulation path includes a storage room and a duct provided behind the storage room.

In the present invention, a positive voltage such as H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and O ₂
^- (H ₂ O) and negative ions generated such _m, characterized by releasing positive and negative ions in the air flow route through which air flows.

Further, the present invention comprises an ion generator which is not grounded, and applies a high voltage to the electrodes of the ion generator to generate H.
⁺ And (H ₂ O) _n positive ions such _{^{as, O 2 - (H 2 O}} ) and negative ions generated such _m, to release positive and negative ions in the air flow route through which air flows Features.

[0010] The present invention comprises an ion generating device having no grounded electrode, and positive ions such as H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n by applying a high voltage to the electrodes of the ion generating device, O ₂ ^- ( H ₂ O)
It is characterized by generating negative ions such as _m .

The present invention also provides a storage having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein the storage has at least one storage chamber, the air circulation path includes at least one of the storage chambers, and positive ions and negative ions are discharged into the storage chamber. It is characterized by being performed.

[0012] Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the storage having the above-mentioned constitution, floating bacteria in the air flow path are sterilized by active species generated from positive ions and negative ions.

[0013] Further, the present invention provides a storage having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein at least one storage room is provided, and a duct for guiding air is provided in at least one of the storage rooms, and the electrodes are arranged in the duct. Features.

Further, according to the present invention, in the storage having the above-mentioned configuration, the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a needle-like projection is provided on a part of the flat plate. A plurality of needle-like protrusions may be provided, and it is more preferable that the needle-like protrusions are arranged in different directions.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the storage having the above-mentioned configuration, more negative ions are discharged into the air circulation path than positive ions.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the storage having the above-described configuration, an alternating voltage is applied to the electrodes to generate positive ions and negative ions alternately. The absolute value of the peak voltage of the AC voltage is preferably 1.8 kV or more, and the voltage width is more preferably between 3.6 kVp-p and 5 kVp-p. Further, the continuous application time of the AC voltage was shorter than the time when the sterilization rate reached the equilibrium state.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the storage having the above-mentioned configuration has a plurality of the electrodes, and applies a positive voltage to one electrode and a negative voltage to another electrode.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that positive ions and negative ions are emitted in a direction reverse to the flow of the cool air, in a forward direction, or in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the cool air in the storage having the above-mentioned configuration.

Further, according to the present invention, in the storage having the above-mentioned structure, at least an electrode of an ion generator for generating positive ions and negative ions and at least one of odorous substances and ozone are decomposed or adsorbed in an air circulation path. A deposition device was placed. It is further preferable that the deposition device is provided in the discharge effective area of the electrode.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage having each of the above configurations, wherein the storage includes at least one storage room,
Control means for controlling the generation of ions in synchronization with the control of the operation of air flow to the two storage chambers is provided.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein at least one storage room is provided, and the at least one storage room is provided.
Control means for turning on and off the generation of ions in synchronization with turning on and off the flow of air to the two storage chambers is provided.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein the storage comprises at least one storage room,
A cooling means for cooling the two storage chambers, and a control means for controlling the generation of ions in synchronization with the cooling operation of the storage chambers.

Further, according to the present invention, in the storage of each of the above structures, at least one storage room is provided, and the at least one storage room is provided.
One storage chamber is provided with a temperature detecting means, and a control means for controlling the generation of ions based on the temperature detection of the temperature detecting means is provided.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the storage having the above-mentioned respective structures, a control means for controlling the generation of ions in synchronization with opening and closing of a damper for controlling the flow of air is provided.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the storage of each of the above structures, control means for controlling the generation of ions based on the detection of the opening and closing of a damper for controlling the flow of air is provided.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein the storage comprises at least one storage room,
A cooling means for cooling the two storage chambers, and a control means for controlling the generation of ions in synchronization with the driving of a compressor constituting a part of the cooling means.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage having each of the above-mentioned structures, comprising at least one storage room and cooling means for cooling the at least one storage room, and a drive time of a compressor constituting a part of the cooling means. And a control means for controlling the generation of ions based on the number of times of driving or the operation rate.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein at least one storage room is provided, and the at least one storage room is provided.
Control means is provided for controlling the generation of ions based on the detection result of the opening or closing operation of at least one door that opens and closes one storage chamber.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage having the above-mentioned configuration, wherein at least one storage room is provided, and the at least one storage room is provided.
A control means is provided for controlling the generation of ions when the opening time of at least one door for opening and closing the two storage chambers exceeds a predetermined time.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that a control means for controlling the generation of ions based on the outside air temperature is provided in the storage of each of the above structures.

Further, according to the present invention, in each of the above-mentioned storages, at least one storage room, cooling means for cooling the at least one storage room, and temperature for detecting the temperature in the storage room cooled by the cooling means. Comprising a detecting means, when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, in synchronization with a cooling operation for cooling the storage chamber,
A voltage is applied to the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that each of the storages is a refrigerator.

[0033]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. The refrigerator main body 1 is provided with a refrigerating room 2, a freezing room 3, and a vegetable room 4 from above, and these refrigerating room 2, freezing room 3, and vegetable room 4 are partitioned by partitioning portions 6a and 6b. An isolation chamber 5 is provided below the refrigerator compartment 2 and houses a case 7 movable in the front-rear direction. Also, the refrigerator compartment 2 is provided with placing shelves 8a to 8d for placing foods and the like,
The ceiling of the isolation room 5 is formed by the mounting shelf 8d.

The refrigerator compartment 2 has a refrigerator compartment door 19 pivotally supported at the front.
Can be opened and closed. Door pockets 21 a to 21 d are provided on the rear side of the refrigerator compartment door 19. The freezer compartment 3 can be opened and closed by a drawer-type freezer compartment door 22. The freezing case 23 is detachably attached to the freezing room door 22 and is drawn out integrally with the freezing room door 22. The freezing case 24 disposed above the freezing case 23 is provided so as to be able to be pulled out independently of the freezing compartment door 22.

The vegetable compartment 4 can be opened and closed by a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 25. Vegetable case 26 is vegetable room door 2
5 and is pulled out integrally with the vegetable room door 25. An accessory case 27 is arranged above the vegetable case 26. The upper surface of the vegetable case 26 is covered with a vegetable case cover 28, and the vegetable case 26 and the accessory case 2
7 is kept at a predetermined humidity.

A cool air passage 38 is provided at the rear of the freezing room 3, and a cooler 29 for generating cool air by driving a compressor 46 is arranged in the cool air passage 38. Below the cooler 29, a heater 33 for defrosting the cooler 29 is arranged. The defrost water generated by the defrost of the heater 33 is supplied to the drain pipe 37.
Through the evaporating dish 39.

Above the cooler 29, a blower 30 for sending cold air to the refrigerator compartment 2, the freezing compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, and the isolation compartment 5 is provided. A pressure chamber 32 is provided on the discharge side of the blower 30, and cool air is discharged into the freezing chamber 3 from discharge ports 31 a, 31 b, and 31 c provided in a duct 31 communicating with the pressure chamber 32. Then, the cold air in the freezer compartment 3 returns to the cold air return port 3.
The air returns to the cooler 29 in the cool air passage 38 via the air passage 5.

The cold air distribution chamber 17 communicates with the pressure chamber 32 via a damper 17a. The cool air distribution chamber 17 communicates with a cool air passage 41 arranged behind the refrigerator compartment 2. The cool air passage 41 includes a passage assembly 40 having a heat insulating material 42 and a passage cover 43 on the front side. Incidentally, 47
Is an electric circuit assembly for control necessary for operation of the refrigerator and operation of the apparatus, and the like.
7a.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the refrigerator compartment 2. The cool air passage 41 includes an ascending passage 41a disposed substantially at the center of the refrigerator compartment 2 and a descending passage 41b provided outside the ascending passage 41a. The ascending passage 41a and the descending passage 41b communicate with each other at the upper end. The cool air guided to the cool air passage 41 discharges the cool air from the discharge port 14 into the isolation chamber 5.

On the other hand, the remaining cool air rises in the ascending passage 41a, and discharges the cool air from the discharge port 15 into the refrigerator compartment 2 through the descending passage 41b. A cool air return port 10 having a plurality of holes in a lattice shape is provided at the lower right of the refrigerator compartment 2 in the drawing when viewed from the front, so that the cool air in the refrigerator compartment 2 flows in.

In FIG. 1, an ion generation chamber 45 for generating ions (sterilizing substance) by corona discharge is provided behind the cool air return port 10. Ion generation chamber 45
The cold air passage 16 whose periphery is covered with a heat insulating material 16a
Are provided in communication. Although the ion generating chamber 45 and the cold air passage 38 are shown in the same plane for convenience in the drawing, the cold air passage 16 is actually arranged in parallel with the cold air passage 38, and the cold air passage 16 and the ion generating chamber 45 are actually provided. Are arranged in substantially the same plane.

The discharge port 13 at the lower end of the cool air passage 16 faces the inside of the vegetable room 4, and cool air passing through the cool air passage 16 is discharged into the vegetable room 4. The cool air in the vegetable compartment 4 is guided to the cooler 29 in the cool air passage 38 through the cool air return port 34.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are a side sectional view and a rear view showing the ion generating chamber 45, respectively. In the ion generation chamber 45, an ion generator 11 (sterilizing unit) having the needle-shaped electrode 11a is provided. The needle-like electrode 11a is a flat plate-like portion 11
b and is connected to a power supply 11e via a lead 11d covered with an insulating film. The lead portion 11d is supported by a resin support portion 10a integrally formed with a grill 10b forming the cool air return port 10.

The flat portion 11b is arranged parallel to the vertical surface, and when no corona discharge is occurring, the needle electrode 1
Dust is prevented from being deposited on the electrode portion 11c including the first portion 1a and the flat portion 11b. Also, the flat portion 11b
Is substantially parallel to the grill 10b forming the cold air return port 10. For this reason, the cold air return port 10 which is an opening
Can be made the same distance to each of the plurality of needle electrodes 11a. Therefore, safety against electric shock can be ensured without using any unnecessary space.

When a high voltage is applied to the needle electrode 11a from the power supply 11e via the lead 11d, the needle electrode 11a
The electric field is concentrated at the tip of the electrode a, and the cold air taken in from the cold air return port 10 causes a local dielectric breakdown at the electrode tip, thereby generating a corona discharge. The length of the lead portion 11d is set to 200 mm so that a reduction in discharge efficiency can be suppressed and wiring can be easily performed.
It is as follows. The length of the lead part 11d is 100 mm
The following makes it possible to further suppress a decrease in discharge efficiency. Further, it is more preferable that the thickness be 50 mm or less, because the electrodes can be connected without substantially lowering the discharge efficiency.

[0046] applied by the corona discharge voltage in the case of a positive voltage is generated positive ions consisting mainly ^{_{H + (H 2 O) n}} , primarily in the case of negative voltage O ₂ ^- (H ₂ O) minus consisting _m ion Is generated. H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and O ₂ ^- (H ₂
O) _m aggregates on the surface of microorganisms and surrounds suspended bacteria such as microorganisms in the air. Then, as shown in the formulas (1) to (3), the active species [.OH] (hydroxyl radical) and H ₂ O ₂ (hydrogen peroxide) are generated and suspended on the surface of microorganisms or the like by collision. Sterilize bacteria.

[0047] ^{_{H + (H 2 O) n}} + O 2 - (H 2 O) m → · OH + 1 / 2O 2 + (n + m) H 2 O ··· (1) H + (H 2 O) n + H ^{_{+ (H 2 O) n '}} + O 2 - (H 2 O) m + O 2 - (H 2 O) m' → 2 · OH + O 2 + (n + n '+ m + m') H 2 O ··· _{^{(2) H + (H 2}} O) n + H + (H 2 O) n '+ O 2 - (H 2 O) m + O 2 - (H 2 O) m' → H 2 O 2 + O 2 + (n + _{n '+ m + m')} H 2 O ··· (3)

In the present embodiment, the floating bacteria in the cold air can be sterilized by the positive ions and the negative ions, so that the damage of the stored material can be suppressed more than before. Further, since no counter electrode facing the needle electrode 11a or a collecting electrode for collecting positive ions is provided, ions are attracted to these electrodes by a potential difference as in the related art, or the needle electrode and the counter electrode are not provided. There is no generation of ions in a narrow area between them.

For this reason, even if there is no strong ventilation, the ions can be diffused in the cold air passage and the bacteria floating in the cold air can be captured and sterilized in a wide range. Therefore, the sterilization ability can be further improved. Furthermore, since the ion generator 11 is simplified, the size of the ion generator 11 can be reduced.

Since a positive voltage and a negative voltage are applied to the needle electrode 11a, the electric circuit is not charged even if there is no ground potential. For this reason, the refrigerator 1 can be easily installed in the home without the need for a ground connected to the ground.
Therefore, the ion generator 11 can be simplified and downsized.

According to the above formulas (1) to (3), the generation of active species requires equal amounts of positive ions and negative ions. In the present embodiment, the amount of generated positive ions is smaller than the amount of generated negative ions because the positive ions alone have the function of aging cells when they come into contact with food or the like. As a result, positive ions and negative ions aggregate on the surface of the microorganisms to form active species and sterilize the floating bacteria, while preventing the growth of the floating bacteria by surplus negative ions, and allowing the floating bacteria to flow into the vegetable compartment. Can be prevented.

At this time, if the amount of generated positive ions is less than 3% of the amount of generated negative ions, the amount of generated [.OH] will be reduced and the sterilizing power will be reduced. For this reason, the amount of generated positive ions is set to 3% or more of the amount of generated negative ions. Further, by setting the amount of generated positive ions to 5000 or more per 1 cm ³ , a sufficient sterilizing ability can be obtained.

The amount of each ion generated can be varied by changing the application time of the positive voltage and the negative voltage. Further, the amount of generated ions may be controlled by performing duty control for varying the on / off time of voltage application.

Also, ozone generated simultaneously with ions by corona discharge has an oxidizing power, so that the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4
At high concentrations, it oxidizes and degrades food at high concentrations. For this reason, the voltage applied to the needle-shaped electrode 11a is reduced (for example, an AC voltage of +1.8 kV to -1.8 kV), and the amount of ozone generated by corona discharge is suppressed to an extremely small amount. In addition, it is more desirable to repeat the on / off of the applied voltage at short time intervals during the duty control, because the generation of ozone can be suppressed.

The needle electrode 11a is arranged in a cold air passage (ion generation chamber 45) communicating with the refrigerator compartment 2. Thereby, the outflow of ozone to the refrigerator compartment 2 is suppressed by the cool air flowing into the cool air return port 10, and the oxidation of food can be prevented by removing ozone in the cool air passage as described later.

Further, for example, 4
By disposing the needle-shaped electrodes 11a in the cold air passage at intervals of 0 mm or more, it is not necessary to cover the needle-shaped electrodes 11a with an insulating case in order to secure safety.
1 can be constructed at low cost. In addition, the flow of ozone generated at the time of ion generation by the cool air flowing into the cool air return port 10 to the refrigerator compartment 2 is suppressed, and as described later, ozone is removed in the cool air passage to prevent the food from being oxidized. be able to.

The needle electrode 11a may be constituted by a plurality of needle conductors having the same potential. At this time, since a large amount of ions are emitted from the tip of the needle-shaped conductor in an extended manner, by arranging a plurality of conductors in different directions, ions can be emitted to a wide range around the needle-shaped electrode 11a, Sterilization ability can be improved. Note that the released ions are further dispersed to the surroundings thereafter.

If the distance L between the support portion 10a and the electrode portion 11c is small, high pressure may be applied to the support portion 10a when dew condensation occurs on the support portion 10a. Therefore, the distance L is set to 3.5 mm or more (for example, 5 mm), more preferably 10 mm or more, and the support 10a is separated from the needle electrode 11a, whereby the support 10a is reliably insulated. In addition, the region where ions are released by corona discharge can be widened, and the sterilization ability can be improved.
Incidentally, it is desirable that the support portion 10a is formed of an insulating material.

When positive ions and negative ions are generated by one needle-like electrode 11a, a part thereof is canceled in the vicinity of the electrode, and the substantial amount of generated ions is reduced. Therefore, if two needle-shaped electrodes 11a are provided and positive and negative ions are generated by different electrodes, the substantial amount of generated ions can be increased. This also gives
The amount of generation of each ion can be easily changed.

The two electrodes can be easily varied in ion generation balance by making the circuit configuration, applied voltage, electrode shape, electrode material and the like different. Further, when the two electrodes are arranged at least 10 mm or more apart (preferably 30 mm or more), the positive ions and the negative ions from the respective electrodes hardly cancel each other, and the ions can be effectively used for sterilization. .

Below the needle electrode 11a (downwind side), a deodorizing device 12 for removing odorous substances is arranged. As shown in FIG. 5, the deodorizing device 12 has a low-temperature deodorizing catalyst and an adsorbent coated on a substance formed in a corrugated honeycomb shape. The deodorizing device 12 may be composed of a filter or a nonwoven fabric carrying a low-temperature deodorizing catalyst and an adsorbent, but is more preferably formed in a honeycomb shape because the pressure loss can be reduced.

In addition, floating bacteria can be captured in the deodorizing device 12 by the low-temperature deodorizing catalyst and the adsorbent. Therefore, the deodorizing device 12
When is located close to the ion generator 11, a large amount of the suspended bacteria caught by the deodorizer 12 can be sterilized, and the sterilizing effect can be improved. At this time, it is desirable to secure a distance of at least 10 mm between the needle-shaped electrode 11a for corona discharge and the surface of the deodorizing device 12.

That is, if the distance between the needle electrode 11a and the deodorizing device 12 is too close, the deodorizing device 12 is regarded as a counter electrode and the electric field becomes strong. For this reason, a low applied voltage (for example,
Even when the discharge power is increased from about +1.8 kV to -1.8 kV (3.6 kVp-p, about 90 kHz AC voltage), the state becomes equivalent to that when the discharge output is increased.
2 is remarkably deteriorated. Therefore, when the distance is set to 10 mm or more, the deterioration of the deodorizing device 12 can be prevented. still,
If the deodorizer 12 contains a large amount of carbon and metal components (for example, activated carbon particles, carbon fibers, platinum powder, nickel, etc.), the deterioration becomes more remarkable.

The discharge from the needle-shaped electrode 11a is performed mainly forward in a range of a solid angle of 2πsr with its tip as a center.
A hemispherical discharge effective area is formed. For example, at the above-mentioned applied voltage (3.6 kVp-p), a discharge effective region having a radius of 100 mm (100,000 or more negative ions per cm ^{3 in a} windless state) can be obtained.

For this reason, the deodorizing device 12 is provided in the discharge effective area.
Is provided, an effective sterilizing action in the deodorizing device 12 is obtained, and the sterilizing efficiency is improved. Therefore, the amount of ozone generated can be reduced by suppressing the applied voltage.

The results of an experiment in which ions were delivered by an ion generator having only one needle-shaped electrode 11a assuming a refrigerator having a total volume of 400 L in which cool air circulates were as follows. Here, the sterilization rate is the amount of suspended bacteria per unit volume after ion delivery with respect to the amount of suspended bacteria per unit volume before ion delivery.

Experiment No. Applied voltage Applied time Sterilization rate 1 -1.8 kV to +1.8 kV 10 minutes 25% 2 -2.5 kV to +2.5 kV 45 minutes 80%

Experiment No. In 1, the sterilization rate becomes 25%,
In the results of the sensory test, almost no ozone odor was felt after the experiment. Therefore, if the absolute value of the applied voltage is an AC voltage of 1.8 kV or more, a refrigerator having a certain sterilizing effect and no discomfort can be obtained. In addition, for corona discharge effective for sterilization, an AC voltage having an absolute value of a peak value of an applied voltage of 1.8 kV is required.

Experiment No. In No. 2, the sterilization rate was 80%. The amount of generated ozone was about 0.15 mg, and the results of the sensory test showed that the user could not say that he or she smelled ozone when the door was opened. Therefore, when the absolute value of the peak value of the applied voltage is an AC voltage of 2.5 kV, it is possible to obtain a refrigerator having a sufficient sterilizing effect in ordinary use in ordinary households and less discomfort.

When the application time exceeds 45 minutes, the sterilization rate gradually becomes equilibrium, and only the amount of generated ozone increases.
Sterilization efficiency deteriorates. Therefore, one application time is 45
Minutes or less. Therefore, 3.6 kVp-p
When sterilization is performed by applying an applied voltage of 5 kVp-p to the needle electrode 11a in a range of 10 minutes to 45 minutes, a refrigerator having a desired disinfection effect and less discomfort due to ozone odor in a normal use condition is obtained. Can be

The amount of generation of positive ions and negative ions can be adjusted by adjusting the absolute values of the applied positive voltage and negative voltage. Therefore, each ion can be adjusted by varying the absolute values of the positive voltage and the negative voltage so as to have a peak value of 1.8 kV or more in the range of 3.6 kVp-p to 5 kVp-p.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4 described above, by forming the electrode shape of the three needle-like electrodes 11a, the amount of generated ions can be maintained or increased even at a low applied voltage.
It is possible to further improve the sterilizing effect and reduce ozone. That is, 3.6 kVp-p is applied to each needle electrode 11a.
An applied voltage of ５5 kVp-p is applied within a range of 15 minutes to 20 minutes, and ions are delivered to a 400 L storage chamber in the same manner as described above. As a result, the sterilization rate is 50% and the ozone generation amount is about 0.05 mg. Therefore, according to the sensory test results, the user hardly feels any discomfort due to the ozone odor when the door is opened, and a refrigerator having a high sterilizing effect can be obtained.

In addition, if the ion generator 11 is not restarted for a predetermined time after the operation, the remaining amount of ozone is further reduced. For example, after the ion generator 11 has been driven for 30 minutes, 30 minutes with the damper 17a opened.
After a minute stoppage, the residual ratio of ozone becomes approximately 0%. Therefore,
Discomfort caused by ozone can be further reduced.

When the ion generator 11 is operated in synchronization with the operation of the compressor 46, the compressor 46
When is stopped, ozone is reduced, and discomfort can be further reduced. At this time, if the opening of the damper 17a is synchronized with the operations of the ion generator 11 and the blower 30, ions are sent out into the refrigerator, and the sterilizing effect can be further improved. An operation switch (not shown) for driving the ion generator 11 is provided, for example, on the outer surface of the refrigerator compartment door 19. Thus, the user can drive the ion generator 11 at a desired time to perform sterilization.

In order to improve the sterilization rate, the electrode portion 11c
Should be increased. For this reason, in general household refrigerators, in order to secure the distance between the electrodes and to limit the space in the device, usually, one to five needle-shaped electrodes 11a are provided with one to five electrode portions 11c. It is desirable.

Next, the low-temperature deodorizing catalyst is made of a copper-manganese oxide, and oxidatively decomposes odorous substances such as amine-based or thiol-based volatile substances and hydrogen sulfide. In addition, copper
The manganese-based oxide also functions as an ozone decomposition catalyst and can decompose ozone.

For this reason, it is possible to suppress the outflow of ozone without separately providing an ozone removing device, and together with the drive control of the ion generator described later, the ozone concentration in the refrigerator compartment or the vegetable compartment can be ignored without harm to the human body. To a degree. Further, since the ozone removing device is not provided, the cost of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced. Since the deodorizing device 12 is provided around the ion generating device 11, the generated ozone is quickly decomposed, so that it does not easily affect other members, the refrigerator compartment 2, and the like.

When the deodorizing effect can be obtained by another method such as heating and deodorizing, an ozone decomposing catalyst having excellent ozone decomposing ability may be supported on the deodorizing device 12. As such an ozone decomposition catalyst, for example, manganese dioxide, platinum powder, lead dioxide, copper (II) oxide, nickel or the like is used.

The adsorbent is carried to adsorb odorous substances, ozone and airborne bacteria, and for example, silica gel, activated carbon, zeolite, sepiolite and the like can be used. A granular or powdery adsorbent may be separately provided. If the deodorizing device 12 is detachably provided, it can be replaced or cleaned, and the inside of the refrigerator can be kept clean.

When the deodorizing device 12 is provided on the windward side of the ion generating device 11, the ions do not come into contact with the low-temperature deodorizing catalyst or the adsorbent, so that the ionicity is not lost. Can be improved. Therefore,
The deodorizing device 12 can be arranged according to the purpose.

In the refrigerator having the above configuration, the cool air cooled by the cooler 29 is sent to the pressure chamber 32 through the cool air passage 38 by the blower 30. The cool air is discharged from the pressure chamber 32 through the duct 31 to the freezing chamber 3 through the discharge ports 31a, 31b, 31c. Thereby, the inside of the freezer compartment 3 is cooled,
Cold air is supplied from the front of the freezing cases 23 and 24 to the freezing case 24.
, And is returned to the cooler 29 from the cool air return port 35.

When it is detected by the refrigerator temperature sensor 48 (see FIG. 2) provided in the refrigerator 2 that the room temperature of the refrigerator 2 is higher than the predetermined temperature, the damper 17a of the cold air distribution chamber 17 is opened. It is. The cool air in the pressure chamber 32 is led to the cool air passage 41 through the cool air distribution chamber 17.

A part of the cool air passing through the cool air passage 41 is sent from the discharge port 14 to the case 7 of the isolation chamber 5 to cool the storage in the case 7, and the space between the front upper end of the case 7 and the mounting shelf 8 is formed. It flows out to the refrigerator compartment 2 from between. The amount of cool air sent from the discharge port 14 to the case 7 is adjusted so that the temperature in the case 7 is kept lower than the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2.
Is adjusted according to the opening area of the device.

The other cool air passing through the cool air passage 41 rises in the rising passage 41a, descends in the descending passage 41b, and
Is discharged into the refrigerating room 2. The cool air descends while cooling the storage items mounted on the mounting shelf 8 and the door pockets 21a to 21d. Then, together with the cool air flowing out of the isolation chamber 5, the cool air flows into the ion generation chamber 45 from the cool air return port 10 through the space between the bottom surface of the case 7 and the partition 6 a.

A guide may be provided in front of the cool air return port 10 to cover the cool air return port 10 and open below the case 7. In this way, a short circuit from the discharge port 14 to the cool air return port 10 is prevented, and cool air is sucked from a wide range below the case 7 in the left-right direction to obtain a uniform cool air flow. Thereby, the cooling efficiency in the refrigerator compartment 2 can be improved.

The cool air flowing into the ion generation chamber 45 reaches the vicinity of the needle electrode 11a of the ion generator 11. Positive ions and negative ions generated by corona discharge from the needle electrode 11a aggregate and surround the floating bacteria floating in the cool air. Then, sterilization of the suspended bacteria is performed using active species such as [.OH] or H ₂ O ₂ . Thereafter, the deodorizing device 12 removes odorous substances generated from the storage in the isolation chamber 5 and the refrigerator compartment 2 and ozone generated in a trace amount by corona discharge by decomposition or adsorption.

The cool air circulated in the isolation chamber 5 and the refrigeration room 2 passes through the cool air return port 10 and passes around the needle electrode 11 a close to the cool air return port 10 and the deodorizing device 12. For this reason, the strong odor of the fish etc. put in the isolation room 5 can be quickly deodorized, and a large amount of odor emitted from the storage in the refrigerator room 2 having a relatively high room temperature can be efficiently deodorized near the source. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the odor of the isolation room 5 and the refrigerator room 2 to be transferred to the other.

The deodorizing device 12 is connected to the case 7 and the partition wall 6.
b. In this case, although an ozone removing device is separately required, the passage area of the cool air can be widened and the deodorizing effect can be improved.

The cool air that has passed through the deodorizing device 12 is discharged from the outlet 13 to the vegetable compartment 4 through the cool air passage 16. The cold air is returned from the refrigerator compartment 2, but is not deodorized by the ion generator 11 and the deodorizer 12, so that no odor adheres to the storage in the vegetable compartment 4.

Then, the cool air passes under and in front of the vegetable case 26 in the vegetable compartment 4 and flows into the cool air passage 38 through the cool air return port 34 through the upper surface of the vegetable case cover 28. The heater 33 for defrosting is covered with a catalyst film layer carrying a deodorizing catalyst. After the heater 33 removes odorous substances in the cool air passing through the vegetable compartment 2, the cool air is returned to the cooler 29. It is.

It is also conceivable that positive ions and negative ions are directly sent into the cold room 2 or the vegetable room 4 which is a cold air distribution channel. By doing so, the sterilizing effect of floating bacteria can be improved. it can.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the structure of the refrigerator 1. The electric circuit assembly 47 (see FIG. 1) is provided with a control unit 50 including, for example, a microcomputer. The temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 3 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 48 (see FIG. 2) and the freezer compartment temperature sensor 49 are input to the controller 50.

Refrigerator compartment door open / close detection switch 51, vegetable compartment door open / close detection switch 52, freezer compartment door open / close detection switch 53
Detects the opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 19, the vegetable compartment door 25, and the freezer compartment door 22, and inputs the detection result to the control unit 50. Further, the opening / closing of the damper 17 a is detected by the damper opening / closing detection switch 54 and is input to the control unit 50.

The control unit 50 includes a damper 17a,
The compressor 46, the blower 30, the ion generator 11, and the illumination lamp 55 are connected. These drives are controlled based on a signal input to the control unit 50.

Next, the ion generator 11 is connected to the refrigerator compartment door 1.
9. Vegetable compartment door 25, operation of damper 17a and compressor 46
It is driven according to the operating state of the vehicle. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a main routine showing these operations. FIG. 8 shows the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25.
2 shows a door opening / closing monitoring process of a subroutine for constantly monitoring opening / closing of a door.

In FIG. 8, in step # 41, it is determined whether one of the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 is open, and the process stands by until it is opened. When the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 opens, the damper 17a is closed and the timer T
M3 and the ion generator 11 are temporarily stopped. In step # 42, it is determined whether the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 have been closed.

If not closed, step # 43
It is determined whether three seconds have elapsed since the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 was opened. If 3 seconds have not elapsed, the process returns to step # 42, and steps # 42 and # 43 are repeated. If the refrigerating compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed earlier than the lapse of 3 seconds, the process returns to step # 41 and waits until the refrigerating compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 opens.

If three seconds have elapsed after the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 has been opened, the flow proceeds to step # 44. In step # 44, the number of times Ncmp and Nion indicating the number of times the compressor 46 and the ion generator 11 have been driven while the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed are reset, and the refrigerator compartment door 19 or Opening / closing frequency Ndor of vegetable room door 25
Is incremented.

Then, in step # 45, the process stands by until the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed. When the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed, the process returns to step # 41.
Monitor the opening of the. When the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 are closed, the damper 17a is opened, and the ion generator 11 is restarted. The opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 19 and the vegetable compartment door 25 and the determination of the elapse of 3 seconds are performed independently for each door.

As will be described later, the number of times the compressor 46 is driven N
cmp is incremented each time the compressor 46 is driven after the door is opened and closed (see FIG. 7, step # 17). The driving number Nion of the ion generator 11 is incremented each time the ion generator 11 is driven after the door is opened and closed (FIG. 1).
0, see step # 73). Further, the opening / closing operation of other doors such as the freezer compartment door 22 may be added to the determination in the above flowchart. This is the same in the following flowcharts.

There is a risk that ozone accumulated in each storage room such as the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 may increase depending on the values of the number of times Ncmp of the compressor 46, the number of times Nion of the ion generator 11 and the number of times of opening / closing Ndor. The drive of the ion generator 11 is restricted.

Therefore, the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 2
When 5 is opened for 3 seconds or more, it is determined that a part of the air in the storage chamber is replaced with the outside air and a part of the ozone in the storage chamber flows out at the same time, and the number of driving Ncmp and Nion is reset. Thereby, a large amount of ozone is not stored in each storage room, and the discomfort of the user can be reduced.

Next, the driving operation of the compressor 46 and the like will be described with reference to FIG. When the power of the refrigerator 1 is turned on, the control unit 50 is returned to the initial state in step # 11, and variables and a timer described later are initialized. In step # 12, it is determined whether or not a timer TM1 described later has passed 500 hours. In this case, since the time has not elapsed, step # 13
Then, it is determined whether the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 is higher than a predetermined temperature based on the detection result of the refrigerator temperature sensor 48.

If the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 is higher than the predetermined temperature, the damper 17a is opened in step # 31, and
At 32, the temperature of the freezer compartment 3 is detected by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 49. If the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 2 is lower than the predetermined temperature, it is determined in step # 14 whether or not the temperature of the freezing compartment 3 is higher than the predetermined temperature based on the detection result of the freezing compartment temperature sensor 49.

If the temperature of the freezing room 3 is higher than the predetermined temperature, the process proceeds to step # 15. If the temperature of the freezing room 3 is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature, the process returns to step # 12, and the refrigerator room 2 and the freezing room 3
Step # until either of them becomes higher than the predetermined temperature
Steps 12 to # 14 are performed and the operation is on standby.

In Step # 15, the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 3
The operating condition of the compressor 46 is set based on the temperature of the compressor 46.
For example, when the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 2 and the freezer compartment 3 are equal to or higher than a predetermined set temperature, the compressor 46 is operated at the maximum output. In step # 16, the compressor 46 is driven under the set operating conditions, and the refrigeration cycle is operated.

In step # 17, the ion generator driving flag Fion is reset. At this time, the value of the timer TM2 is substituted into the off time Toff to store the off time of the compressor 46 which has been stopped so far, and the compressor 46
Is incremented.

The flag Fion is set to 1 when the ion generator 11 is driven while the compressor 46 is being driven. The off time Toff is used for calculating the operation rate E of the compressor 46. The operation rate E is calculated by the on time Ton and the off time Toff of the compressor 46 as Ton / (Ton + Toff) × 100.
It is expressed in%. Here, since the on-time Ton has not been determined since the start of operation, it cannot be calculated. Step # 1
At 8, the timer TM2 is restarted, and the measurement of the ON time of the compressor 46 is started.

In step # 19, the ion generation processing of FIG. 9 is called. In step # 51 of FIG. 9, it is determined whether or not the ion generator driving flag Fion is 0. If it is 1, the process returns to the main routine of FIG. At step # 52, it is determined whether or not an ion switch (not shown) for permitting the transmission of ions is set to ON by the user. If not, the process returns to the main routine without generating ions.

At step # 53, it is determined whether or not the damper 17a is open. If the damper 17a is closed, no cold air is sent to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, so that no ions are generated and the process returns to the main routine. In step # 54,
It is determined whether the number of times Ncmp of driving the compressor 46 is 0 or an even number. When the driving frequency Ncmp is 0, the refrigerator compartment door 19
Or, after the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened and closed, the compressor 46
Is not driven.

In this embodiment, in principle, ions are generated every time the compressor 46 is driven twice after the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened and closed. Therefore, when the number of times of driving the compressor 46 Ncmp is even, the process proceeds to step # 55, and when it is odd, the process returns to the main routine. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25
In the state where is closed after opening and closing, it is considered that once the floating bacteria are sterilized, the amount of the floating bacteria generated thereafter is small, and the generation of ozone by generating ions more than necessary is suppressed.

Further, generation of ozone can be suppressed even if the compressor 46 generates ions each time it is driven, for example, three times. In this case, in step # 54, when the number of driving Ncmp of the compressor 46 is a multiple of 3, the process may be shifted to step # 55.

In step # 55, the number of times Nio is driven by the ion generator 11 after the refrigerator compartment 2 or the vegetable compartment 4 is opened and closed.
It is determined whether n is smaller than 6. Number of drive Nion
When the number is 6, the ion generator 11 is set to the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4
Has been driven six times with the valve closed, it is determined that the amount of ozone accumulated in the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 has increased, and the process returns to the main routine without generating ions.

When the driving time of the ion generator 11 with the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 closed is longer than a predetermined time, the process may return to the main routine without generating ions. Further, after the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 22 is opened and closed, the door is not opened and closed for a predetermined time (for example, 3 hours).
It may be determined whether or not the time has elapsed, and if the time has elapsed, the process may return to the main routine without generating ions.

At step # 56, it is determined whether or not the cumulative number of times Nttl of driving the ion generator 11 is larger than a predetermined number (for example, 50 times in the present embodiment). If smaller, the process proceeds to step # 59. The cumulative number of driving Nttl is set regardless of whether the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 are open or closed.
Is incremented each time is driven (see FIG. 10, step # 73).

For this reason, the ion generator 11
After being driven 0 times, the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25
Is the predetermined number of times (for example, 10 times here)
If it is not opened or closed, it is determined that the amount of ozone accumulated in the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 has increased, and the process returns to the main routine without generating ions (step # 57).

If the number of opening / closing Ndor is 10 or more, the cumulative number of driving Ntt of the ion generator 11 is determined in step # 58.
l and the number Ndor of opening and closing are reset, and the routine goes to Step # 59. The determination may be made based on the cumulative driving time of the ion generator 11 instead of the cumulative driving number Nttl.

In step # 59, the compressor 46 driven last time is
Is calculated, and it is determined whether the driving rate E is larger than 50%. As described above, the operating rate E is determined by the on time Ton of the compressor 46 at the time of the previous drive and the off time Toff from the end of the previous drive to the current drive, Ton / (Ton
+ Toff) × 100%.

If the operating rate E of the compressor 46 is larger than, for example, 50%, the flow proceeds to step # 60 where the ion generator 11 is operated.
Is set to 15 minutes. When the operating rate E of the compressor 46 is 50% or less, it is considered that the outside air temperature is low or the load is small, and it is determined that the amount of floating bacteria flowing into the refrigerator compartment 2 or the vegetable compartment 4 is small, and Step # 61 is performed.
Sets the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11 to 10 minutes.

Thus, by setting the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11 to a different time, the amount of generated ions can be adjusted, and the generation of ozone can be suppressed without generating unnecessary ions.

Although the generation of a predetermined amount of ions is adjusted by the predetermined driving time Tion of the ion generator 11 in the above description, the voltage applied to the needle electrode 11a is set to a different value (for example, E> 50% When the applied voltage is 5 kVp-p at 1
0 min, E≤50%, applied voltage is 3.6kVp-
(applied for 10 minutes at p).

In step # 62, steps # 60 and # 6
The ion generator 11 is turned on based on the setting of 1.
In step # 63, 1 is substituted for the flag Fion, and the timer TM3 is restarted. The timer TM3 measures the driving time of the ion generator 11. Then, the process returns to the main routine.

The above operation rate E and the ion generation time Tio
For example, when E <40%, Tion = 7 minutes, 4
By setting several stages such as Tion = 10 minutes when 0% ≦ E <80% and Tion = 15 minutes when E ≧ 80%, more precise sterilization control can be performed.

In the main routine of FIG. 7, step # 21
Then, the damper freeze prevention process shown in FIG. 11 is called. In this embodiment, in order to prevent the damper 17a from freezing, the damper 17a is temporarily closed when a predetermined time (for example, 12 minutes) elapses after the damper 17a is opened.

In step # 81 of the damper freezing prevention process, it is determined whether or not the ion generator 11 is being driven. If it is, the damper 17 is driven in step # 82.
It is determined whether or not a is closed. Damper 17
If a is open, the damper freezing prevention process is not performed, and the process returns to the main routine.

If the damper 17a is closed, the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 83. In step # 84, the timer TM3 is temporarily stopped, and in step # 85, 1 is assigned to a flag Fcon indicating a dew condensation preventing state.

If it is determined in step # 81 that the ion generator 11 is not driven, it is determined in step # 86 whether the damper 17a is open. Damper 1
When 7a is closed, the ion generator 11 can be kept off, and the process returns to the main routine. If the damper 17a is open, it is determined in step # 87 whether or not the flag Fcon is 1.

When the flag Fcon is 0, it indicates that a normal ion generation state is established, and the process returns to the main routine without performing the dew condensation preventing process thereafter. When the flag Fcon is 1, the damper 17a is switched from the damper freeze prevention processing state.
Is opened to complete the damper freezing prevention process, so that the ion generator 11 is driven in step # 88.

In step # 89, the suspension of the timer TM3 is released. In step # 90, the flag Fcon is reset and the damper freezing prevention processing state is released.
As a result, ions that have not reached the predetermined generation amount due to the temporary stop are continuously generated, and the sterilization of floating bacteria can be sufficiently performed.

Returning to the main routine of FIG. 7, step #
At 22, it is determined whether or not the timer TM3 has reached a predetermined drive time Tion. If the timer TM3 has reached the predetermined drive time Tion, a step # 23 in FIG.
The zero ion stop process is called.

If the timer TM3 has not reached the drive time Tion, then in step # 24 the temperature sensor 48 for the refrigerator compartment
Based on the detection result of FIG. 2 (see FIG. 2), it is determined whether or not the refrigerator compartment 2 has been cooled to a predetermined temperature. If the temperature is not lower than the predetermined temperature, the process returns to step # 19, and step # 19
To # 24 are repeated.

When the temperature of the refrigerating room 2 becomes lower than the predetermined temperature, the damper 17a is closed in step # 25. Then, the ion stop process is called in step # 26, and it is determined in step # 27 whether or not the freezing room 3 has been cooled to a predetermined temperature. If the temperature of the freezer compartment 3 is not lower than the predetermined temperature, the process returns to Step # 19, and Steps # 19 to # 2
6 is repeated.

When returning to step # 19, the flag Fio
If n is 1, the process immediately exits in step # 51 in the ion generation process (see FIG. 9). When the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25 is opened and closed, the compressor 4 is opened.
The number of driving Ncmp of No. 6 and the number of driving Nion of the ion generator 11 are reset (see FIG. 8, step # 44).

Therefore, when the flag Fion is 0, the ion generator 11 may be driven in a condition satisfying the conditions in steps # 54 and # 55 in FIG. Therefore, if it is considered that at least a part of the ozone accumulated in the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 has flowed out due to the opening and closing of the refrigerator compartment door 19 or the vegetable compartment door 25, the ion generator 11 is immediately driven to drive the refrigerator compartment. 2 and the bacteria in the vegetable compartment 4 can be sterilized.

In steps # 23 and # 26, the ion stop process of FIG. 10 is called. In step # 71, it is determined whether or not the ions have already been stopped. If the ions have been stopped, the process returns to the main routine. If ions are being generated, the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 72.

In step # 73, the timer TM1 is restarted to start measuring time after the drive of the ion generator 11 is stopped, and the timer TM3 and the ion generator 1 are started.
One predetermined drive time Tion is reset. In addition, the number of driving Nion and the number of cumulative driving Nt of the ion generator 11
tl is incremented and the process returns to the main routine.

If the timer TM3 reaches the predetermined driving time Tion before the refrigerator compartment 2 is cooled to the predetermined temperature, the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 23, and the timer TM
If the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 2 is lowered to a predetermined temperature before the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 2 reaches a predetermined driving time Tion, the ion generating device
1 is stopped.

When the ion generator 11 is stopped in step # 26, the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11 has been reset, and the ion generation is performed after the refrigerator compartment 2 is cooled down to the predetermined temperature. Even if the drive time Tion has not reached the predetermined drive time Tion, the apparatus 11 is stopped without performing the subsequent ion generation.

It is considered that the temperature of the refrigeration compartment 2 is lowered quickly because the outside air temperature is low, and the amount of floating bacteria entering the refrigerator 1 is small. For this reason, even if the ion generator 11 is stopped, sufficient sterilization can be performed, and an increase in ozone can be suppressed.

The ion generator 1 detects the outside air temperature.
1 may be stopped. That is, if control based on the outside air temperature is inserted between step # 82 and step # 83 in FIG. 11 as shown in FIG. 12, subsequent ion generation is not performed even if the predetermined drive time Tion has not been reached. Will be stopped. Thus, similarly to the above, when the outside air temperature is low, it is possible to obtain a refrigerator that does not generate ions more than necessary, suppresses an increase in ozone, and can perform appropriate sterilization.

At step # 91, it is determined whether or not the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature t0. If the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature t0, the process proceeds to step # 83 and the above-described processing is performed. If the outside air temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature t0, the timer TM3 sets the predetermined time T at step # 92.
It is determined whether or not 1 (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed.

If the timer TM3 has not elapsed by the predetermined time T1, the flow shifts to step # 83. If the timer TM3 has elapsed for the predetermined time T1 and a predetermined amount of ions has been generated, the process proceeds to step # 93, and the value of the timer TM3 is substituted for the predetermined drive time Tion of the ion generator 11. You. Then, control goes to a step # 83.

Since the timer TM3 is equal to the drive time Tion, the conditions are satisfied in Step # 22 when returning to the main routine, and the ion stop processing is performed in Step # 23. As a result, the outside air temperature is detected and the predetermined drive time T
Even if ion has not been reached, subsequent ion generation is stopped without being performed.

In addition, a case where the opening / closing command of the damper 17a is based on the temperature of the refrigerator or the outside air and a case where the command is based on the opening / closing of the door and other commands are selected. If it is determined that the ozone generation is performed, ozone generation can be further suppressed, and appropriate sterilization can be performed.

In step # 28 of the main routine, the compressor 46 is stopped because the temperatures of the refrigerating compartment 2 and the freezing compartment 3 have been lowered to predetermined temperatures. In step # 29, the value of the timer TM2 is substituted for the ON time Ton in order to store the ON time of the compressor 46 that has been operating up to now. In step # 30, the timer TM2 is restarted and the compressor 4
6 is started.

Then, returning to step # 12, steps # 12 to # 30 are repeatedly performed. Ion generator 1
If a long period of time (e.g., 500 hours in the present embodiment) has elapsed since the last drive of 1, it is considered that the ozone in the refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 4 has disappeared. Therefore, every time the ion generator 11 is turned off in steps # 72 and # 73 (see FIG. 10), the timer TM1 is restarted. When the timer TM1 becomes 500H, the process proceeds to step # 11 by the judgment of step # 12. The process proceeds and all variables and timers are initialized.

After the initialization in step # 11, the predetermined driving time Tion of the ion generator may be shortened when the ion generator is first driven. For example,
The flag Ffst is set to 1 at the same time when all are initialized. Then, when performing the ion generation processing of step # 19,
Before step # 59 in FIG. 9, it is determined whether the flag Ffst is 1 or not. When the flag Ffst is 1, a predetermined driving time Ti
On is set to, for example, 7 minutes, 0 is substituted for the flag Ffst, and the routine goes to Step # 62. If the flag Ffst is 0, the flow shifts to step # 59.

In this way, even if the refrigerator 1 is purchased and connected to the power supply for the first time, and the ion switch is turned on and the ion generator 11 is driven, the driving time is short and the amount of ozone generated is small. Therefore, when a storage item is put into the storage room after the storage room is cooled, even if there is no masking effect in which the ozone odor is hidden by the odor from the food, the user does not feel the ozone odor, and The refrigerator 1 which does not give a pleasant feeling is obtained.

According to the present embodiment, the cold air in the refrigerator is sterilized by the positive ions and the negative ions.
Damage to stored items can be suppressed with a simple configuration without requiring a collecting electrode or the like for collecting positive ions.

Further, by performing corona discharge from an electrode having substantially no counter electrode, generated positive ions and negative ions are not attracted due to a potential difference. For this reason, even if there is no ventilation, it is diffused in a wide range in the circulation path of the cool air. Then, both ions are aggregated on the surface of the floating bacteria, and the active species generated by the collision can sterilize the floating bacteria in a wide range. Therefore, the sterilizing ability can be improved without increasing the blowing capacity and complicating the apparatus. In addition, since a positive voltage and a negative voltage are applied to the electrodes, the electric circuit is not charged, and a ground connected to the ground is not required, so that the refrigerator can be easily installed in the home.

Further, it is possible to suppress the residual ozone generated at the time of electric discharge, thereby preventing the user from feeling uncomfortable or harming his / her health. Although positive ions and negative ions are generated by corona discharge, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same effect can be obtained by generating ions by another method.

Next, FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the second embodiment. 14 and 15 are a side sectional view and a rear view showing the ion generation chamber of the refrigerator of the present embodiment. For convenience of explanation, FIGS.
The same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The difference from the first embodiment is that the electrode portion 11c
Is formed integrally with the upper portion of the grill 10b, and the needle-shaped electrode 11a is disposed so as to hang down from the upper portion of the ion generation chamber 45. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

As described above, when the distance L between the support portion 10a and the needle electrode 11a is short, a high pressure may be applied to the support portion 10a when dew condensation occurs on the support portion 10a. To ensure that the support portion 10a is insulated, the distance L is set to 3.5.
mm or more, and it is necessary to separate the supporting portion 10a from the needle electrode 11a.

On the other hand, when the needle-shaped electrode 11a is installed close to the support portion 10a, ions are emitted from a position near the upper surface in the ion generation chamber 45, and the contact period between the ions and the cool air is lengthened. Thus, the sterilization ability can be improved. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the distance L is set to 5 mm, the sterilizing ability is secured, and the high voltage is applied to the needle electrode 1.
1a is always added stably, so that corona discharge is reliably performed and stable ions can be emitted.

As shown in FIG. 14, the cool air flowing into the ion chamber 45 from the cool air return port 10 in the direction of arrow B1 is
It is guided to the cold air passage 16 while changing its direction in the direction 2. The ions emitted from the needle electrode 11a are emitted at a high density from the tip of the needle electrode 11a to a region having a radiation angle of about 45 °, as shown in the part A. In the needle-shaped electrode 11a, a region having a high ion density (part A) is in a flow direction of cold air (direction B2).
It is arranged to follow.

Thus, the reduction of ions due to the collision between the emitted ions and the wall surface is suppressed, and the ions are easily transported by the cool air, so that the ions come into contact with the cool air in a wide range in the flow direction of the cool air. Therefore, the sterilization ability can be further improved. It should be noted that low-density ions are also emitted from the tip of the needle-shaped electrode 11a to a region outside the region having a radiation angle of about 45 °.

Further, as shown in FIG.
When a plurality of the needle-shaped portions 11a are formed,
By making the direction of 1c different, it is possible to increase the ion density in a wide angle range while having the highest ion density in the B2 direction. Further, not only in the ion generating chamber 45 but also in a place where there is a cool air flow, the sterilization effect can be similarly improved by discharging ions along the cool air flow.

Further, since the deodorizing device 12 is provided below (toward the leeward side of) the needle-shaped electrode 11a, ions are uniformly applied to the entire upper surface of the deodorizing device 12. Therefore, the floating bacteria caught by the deodorizing device 12 can be surely sterilized, and the sterilizing ability can be further improved.

At this time, the deodorizing device 12 is connected to the ion generator 1
1, the floating bacteria caught by the deodorizing device 12 can be sterilized in a large amount, but ions are released from the needle-shaped electrode 11a along the flow of cool air.
Is disposed away from the ion generator 11, the sterilization ability can be further improved.

That is, the ions can reach farther along the flow of cold air, and the suspended bacteria are sterilized and reduced by contact with the ions for a long time before reaching the deodorizer 12. After that, the floating bacteria are caught by the deodorizing device 12 so that the deodorizing device 1
The number of airborne bacteria passing through 2 is reduced. And the deodorizing device 12
The floating bacteria collected in the deodorizing device 12 are sterilized by the ions that have arrived. When the deodorizing device 12 is subjected to the antibacterial treatment, the sterilizing effect is further improved.

Since the ions generated by the ion generator 11 are irradiated to the deodorizer 12, most of the ions are killed by disinfecting the floating bacteria caught by the deodorizer 12. Therefore, since the generated ions are eliminated in the ion chamber 45, it is possible to prevent the vegetables room 4 and the cool air passage 16 from being deteriorated by the ions. The wall surface of the ion chamber 45 may be provided with a metal coating treatment or an ion-resistant substance coating for preventing ion deterioration. Further, the wall surface of the ion generation chamber 45 may be covered with a metal plate.

If the deodorizing device 12 is provided on the windward side of the ion generating device 11, the ions do not come into contact with the low-temperature deodorizing catalyst or the adsorbent, so that the ionicity is not lost. Can be improved. Therefore,
The deodorizing device 12 can be arranged according to the purpose.

Next, FIG. 16 is a rear view showing the ion generation chamber of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the same parts as those in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the present embodiment, the ion generator 11 is provided with four needle-like electrodes 11p, 11q, 11r, and 11s whose applied voltage is controlled by a power supply unit 11e. Other configurations are the same as those of the second embodiment.

The needle electrodes 11p and 11q are suspended from the upper part of the ion generating chamber 45, as in the second embodiment. The needle electrodes 11r and 11s are attached so as to emit ions upward from the lower part of the ion generation chamber 45. The needle electrodes 11p and 11s generate positive ions, and the needle electrodes 11q and 11r generate negative ions.

An arrow B2 is formed by the needle electrodes 11p and 11q.
The ions are released along the cold air flowing in the direction of, and the floating bacteria contained in the cold air are contacted with the ions for a long period of time and sterilized as in the second embodiment. In addition, the needle electrodes 11r, 11s
As a result, ions are emitted in the direction opposite to the flow of cold air in the direction of arrow B2. Thereby, the ions colliding with the cold air are diffused into the ion chamber 45, and the ions are distributed over a wider area, so that the sterilizing ability can be further improved.

When positive ions and negative ions are generated by one needle electrode 11a (see FIG. 14), a part of the positive ions and negative ions are canceled in the initial stage of generation, and the substantial amount of generated ions is reduced. In the present embodiment, since the electrodes (11p, 11s) that generate positive ions and the electrodes (11q, 11r) that generate negative ions are distinguished, the substantial amount of generated ions can be increased.

The amount of positive ions generated and the amount of negative ions generated can be easily changed. Also,
Since the electrode that generates positive ions and the electrode that generates negative ions are adjacent to each other, the positive ions and negative ions are mixed and uniformly distributed, facilitating aggregation and ensuring sufficient sterilization ability. it can.

Further, adjacent electrodes should be at least 10 mm
When the electrodes are arranged apart from each other (for example, 30 mm), the positive ions and the negative ions from the respective electrodes hardly cancel each other, and the ions can be effectively used for sterilization. When voltage is applied to the needle electrodes 11p and 11s, application of voltage to the needle electrodes 11q and 11r is stopped, and when voltage is applied to the needle electrodes 11q and 11r, the needle is stopped. By stopping the application of the voltage to the shape electrodes 11p and 11s, the offset between the positive ions and the negative ions can be further reduced.

In addition, for example, the needle electrodes 11q and 11p
To the needle electrodes 11r, 1
By stopping the application of the voltage to 1 s for a predetermined period, the amount of generated ions can be easily changed.

The needle electrodes 11p, 11q, 11r, 1
Although only one ion may be generated by 1 s, positive ions and negative ions may be generated at different generation ratios from each. For example, the needle electrode 11
Many positive ions are generated by p and 11s, and many negative ions are generated by the needle electrodes 11q and 11r.

Also in this case, the electrode that mainly generates positive ions and the electrode that mainly generates negative ions are distinguished, so that the cancellation of ions is reduced and the substantial amount of ions generated is increased. be able to. At this time, the ion generation balance can be easily varied by changing the circuit configuration, applied voltage, electrode shape, electrode material, and the like.

According to the second and third embodiments, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, while suppressing the reduction of the ion by the collision of the emitted ion and the wall surface, the ion is easily transported by the cool air, and the ion and the cool air come into contact with each other in a wide range in the flow direction of the cool air. Therefore, the sterilization ability can be further improved.

In the second and third embodiments, a case where a needle-like electrode is not used may be used. For example, when a voltage is applied between electrodes facing each other across an insulator to generate ions, the counter electrode increases the size of the device, but improves the sterilization effect by discharging ions along the flow of cool air. be able to. Further, sterilization may be performed by releasing other sterilizing substances in addition to the ions. As the disinfecting substance, for example, a tangible substance such as a chemical or an intangible substance such as heat or ultraviolet rays which is not physically a substance can be used.

FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing a direct-cooled refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment. In the figure, 131 is a compressor, 132 is a refrigerator cooler disposed in the refrigerator compartment 134, and 133 is a refrigerator cooler disposed in the freezer 135. Reference numeral 136 denotes an ion generator similar to the first to third embodiments, which is provided in a case 138 installed above the refrigerator compartment 134. Reference numeral 137 denotes a fan, and an outlet 139 of the case 138 is provided by rotation of the fan 137.
Then, positive ions and negative ions are discharged into the refrigerator compartment 134. Thereby, similarly to the first to third embodiments, the bacteria floating in the refrigerator compartment 134 are inactivated, and the damage of the stored food is suppressed.

Next, FIG. 18 is a top sectional view showing a food storage box 121 of the fifth embodiment. The food storage 121 can open and close the upper surface to store food. In the figure, reference numeral 122 denotes a partition installed at a predetermined interval from each of the four walls of the food storage box 121. The partition 122 divides the inside of the food storage 121 into a food placement section 123 and a cool air circulation path 124.

Reference numeral 125 denotes an ion generator similar to the first to third embodiments. 126 is a fan, and the fan 12
By the rotation of 6, positive ions and negative ions are sent into the food storage 121. The air in the food storage 121 flows by the fan 126 as shown by arrows in the figure, and positive ions and negative ions flow along this flow. Thereby, similarly to the first to third embodiments, bacteria floating in the air are inactivated, and food damage is suppressed.

Next, FIG. 19 is a schematic sectional view showing a dishwasher / dryer according to a sixth embodiment. The dishwasher / dryer of the present embodiment has the same ion generator 1 as the first to third embodiments.
13 in the circulation path for circulating hot air to the tableware storage room 104 in the drying process.
a is arranged. Then, after the drying step or the drying step is completed, the positive ions and the negative ions are released from the electrode portion 113a, and the positive ions and the negative ions are circulated in the tableware storage room 104. Thereby, the tableware storage room 1
The method is characterized in that deodorization and sterilization of floating bacteria are carried out in the inside of the hopper.

At the front of the tableware storage room 104, an openable front door 101 for taking in and out tableware and the like is provided. A rack 103 for accommodating the tableware 102 is arranged in the tableware storage room 104, and a rotatable washing nozzle 105 is provided below the rack 103 so as to protrude substantially at the center of the tableware storage room 104. A plurality of injection holes 106 are formed in the cleaning nozzle 105, and the cleaning water supplied by the cleaning pump 108 is injected. A heater 107 for heating the cleaning water is provided below the cleaning nozzle 105.

At the lower part of the tableware storage room 104, a drainage pump 110 for discharging washing water to a water pipe 109 is provided. A water supply pipe 111 for supplying washing water is disposed above the tableware storage room 104. A water tap 112 for controlling water supply is provided on the way of the water supply pipe 111. Further, a heat exchange duct 116 is provided to cover the upper surface of the tableware storage room 104, discharge warm air outward from the main body, condense water vapor, and return the water to the tableware storage room 104.

At the rear of the tableware storage room 104, an ion generator 113, a fan 114 and a heater 115 are arranged.
The fan 114 circulates air to clean the dishware 102
Is dried. At this time, the air heated by the heater 115 is sent into the tableware storage room 104. Fan 11
4, positive ions and negative ions released from the electrode portion 113a of the ion generator 113 circulate in the tableware storage room 104. Reference numeral 117 denotes a control device for controlling the entire dishwasher.

The operation of the dishwasher will be described. First, the tableware 10 to be washed by opening the front door 101.
2 and cooking utensils are stored in a predetermined location of the rack 103.
After the rack 103 is placed in the tableware storage room 104, the operation is started by introducing a dedicated detergent.

Then, a predetermined amount of washing water is supplied through the water supply pipe 111 by the “open” operation of the water supply valve 112.
4 Subsequently, the cleaning water pressurized by the operation of the cleaning pump 108 is supplied to the rotary cleaning nozzle 105 together with the detergent.
The washing is performed by injecting into the tableware 102 from the orifice 106 of.

After that, a rinsing step and a drying step are performed. After the drying step, the fan 114 and the ion generator 113 are driven for a predetermined time (about 30 minutes) to drive the electrode unit 11.
Positive ions and negative ions released from 3a are released into the tableware storage room 104 and circulate as indicated by arrows in the figure. The generation of ions may be started from the latter half of the drying step, which is considered to be evaporatively dried with warm air even when water droplets adhere to the electrode portion 113a, to shorten the operation time.

According to the present embodiment, positive ions and negative ions are released and circulated into the tableware storage room 104, so that the tableware storage room 10 is provided similarly to the first to fifth embodiments.
It is possible to perform deodorization and sterilization of floating bacteria in the container 4, and tableware and cooking utensils can be stored cleanly.

In the first to sixth embodiments, the shape of the electrode portion of the ion generator is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 20 to 22 show another shape of the electrode portion 11c, and for convenience of description, the same portions as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The electrode portion 11c shown in FIG.
The plurality of needle-like electrodes 11a protruding from b are formed to have different lengths. In an electrode portion 11c shown in FIG. 21, a plurality of needle-like electrodes 11a protruding from a flat plate portion 11b are formed in the same direction. The electrode portion 11c shown in FIG.
One needle electrode 11a protruding from 1b is formed. In any case, the same effects as in the first to sixth embodiments can be obtained.

In addition, the electrode 11
Not limited to the case where c is arranged substantially in parallel, the electrode portion 11c may be arranged perpendicular to the air flow E flowing through the air circulation path 141 as shown in FIG.

In the first to sixth embodiments, the refrigerator, the food storage, and the dishwasher / dryer are described. However, other storages may be provided with the same ion generator as described above. For example, a freezer, a cupboard, a dish dryer, a dishwasher, a storage room for storing goods at a temperature higher than room temperature, a food storage warehouse, a locker, etc. The same effect can be obtained as long as the storage is separated from other spaces by providing a storage space. Furthermore, the storage may be divided into a plurality of storage rooms depending on the form.

Further, the refrigerator may be a warehouse having a refrigeration function, and the freezer may be a warehouse having a refrigeration function. In addition, storage items such as a storage room of a refrigerator car and a cooling display case are cooled and stored. Everything that has the purpose of doing so is included in the storage of the present invention.

[0191]

As described above, according to the present invention, positive ions and negative ions sterilize the air in a storage such as a refrigerator, so that there is no need for a collecting electrode or the like for collecting the positive ions. With such a configuration, damage to the stored material can be suppressed.

In addition, by performing corona discharge from an electrode having substantially no counter electrode, generated positive ions and negative ions are not attracted by a potential difference. For this reason, even if there is no ventilation, it is diffused in a wide range in the circulation path of the cool air. Then, both ions are aggregated on the surface of the floating bacteria, and the active species generated by the collision can sterilize the floating bacteria in a wide range.

Therefore, the sterilizing ability can be improved without increasing the blowing capacity and complicating the apparatus. In addition, since a positive voltage and a negative voltage are applied to the electrodes, the electric circuit is not charged, and a ground connecting to the ground is not required, so that a storage such as a refrigerator can be easily installed at home. In addition, it is possible to suppress the residual ozone generated at the time of discharge and prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable or harmful to the health.

Further, by releasing a sterilizing substance such as ions along with the flow of cold air, it is possible to suppress the decrease of ions due to collision between the released ions and the wall surface, and to easily transport the ions by the cool air, Ions and cold air come into contact with each other in a wide range of the flow direction of the air. Therefore, the sterilization ability can be further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a refrigerator room of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing an ion generation chamber of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the ion generation chamber of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a deodorizing device of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a door open / close detection process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an ion generation process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an ion stop process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a dew condensation preventing process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating another operation of the dew condensation preventing process of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing an ion generation chamber of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a rear view showing the ion generation chamber of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a rear view showing the ion generation chamber of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a side sectional view showing a food storage according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a side sectional view showing a dishwasher / dryer according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a schematic view showing an electrode unit having another shape of the ion generator mounted on the first to sixth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a schematic view showing an electrode unit having another shape of the ion generator mounted on the first to sixth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a schematic view showing another shape of an electrode portion of the ion generator mounted in the first to sixth embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a schematic view showing another arrangement of the electrode portions of the ion generator mounted on the first to sixth embodiments of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator main body 2 Refrigerator room 3 Freezer room 4 Vegetable room 5 Isolation room 10, 34, 35 Cold air return port 10a Support part 11, 113, 125, 139 Ion generator 11a Needle electrode 11c Electrode part 12 Deodorizer 13-15, 31a-31c Discharge port 16, 38, 41 Cold air passage 17 Cold air distribution chamber 17 17a Damper 29 Cooler 30 Blower 31 Duct 45 Ion generation chamber 46 Compressor

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] April 26, 2002 (2002.4.2.2)
6)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0004

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

When a negative voltage is applied to the needle electrode in order to selectively generate a large amount of negative ions, a positive charge is applied to the electric circuit. For this reason, a malfunction of the circuit due to the charging and a decrease in the amount of generated negative ions due to the charging of the positive charge occur. In order to avoid these, it is necessary to take the ground that connects directly with the ground in order to escape a positive charge, Oite in the refrigerator for home use difficult to take the Ground to the earth in all households from building circumstances, etc. There were also problems.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] FIG.

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Yoshimura 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka City, Osaka F-term (reference) 4B021 LP10 LT03 4B022 LA05 LP01 LT10

Claims (76)

[Claims] 1. A storage comprising an electrode for generating positive ions and negative ions by applying a high voltage, and discharging positive ions and negative ions from the electrodes to an air flow path through which air flows. 2. A high voltage is applied to an electrode having no counter electrode to generate positive ions and negative ions, and the positive ions and negative ions are emitted to an air flow path through which air flows. Storage. 3. An ion generator which is not grounded, generates a positive ion and a negative ion by applying a high voltage to an electrode of the ion generator, and generates a positive ion and a negative ion in an air flow path through which air flows. Storage. 4. A storage, comprising: an ion generator having no ground electrode, wherein a high voltage is applied to an electrode of the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions. 5. A H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n as positive ions by applying a high voltage, O ₂ as negative ions ^- (H ₂ O) _m
Characterized by releasing the (H ₂ O) _m ^- with electrodes for generating the door, from the air flow path through which air flows electrode positive ions H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n and negative ions O ₂ Storage. And H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n as positive ions 6. The high voltage is applied to the electrode without a counter electrode, O ₂ as negative ions ^- (H ₂ O) and _m occurs, the air ⁺ positive ions H to the air flow path that flows (H ₂ O) _n and negative ions O ₂ ^- (H ₂ O) reservoirs, characterized in that to release the _m. 7. An ion generator which is not grounded.
High voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ON generator to generate positive ions.
And H⁺(H_TwoO)_nAnd O as a negative ion_Two ^-(H_TwoO)
_mOccurs in the air flow path through which air flows.
On H⁺(H_TwoO)_nAnd negative ion O_Two ^-(H_TwoO)_mAnd release
A storage characterized by serving. 8. An ion generator without a ground electrode, wherein a high voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ion generator to generate H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n as positive ions and O ₂ ⁻ (H as negative ions. ₂ O) _m . 9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one storage compartment, wherein the air flow path includes at least one of the storage compartments, and positive ions and negative ions are discharged to the storage compartment. The storage according to claim 8. 10. The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein floating bacteria in the air flow path are sterilized by active species generated from positive ions and negative ions. 11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one storage chamber, a duct for guiding air to at least one of the storage chambers, and the electrode disposed in the duct. The storage according to any one of the above. 12. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a needle-like projection is provided at a part thereof.
The storage according to claim 8. 13. The storage according to claim 1, wherein said electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a plurality of needle-like projections are protruded from a part of said flat plate. 14. The storage according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a plurality of needle-like projections are provided on a part of the electrode in different directions. 15. The storage according to claim 1, wherein more negative ions are discharged into said air flow path than positive ions. 16. The storage according to claim 1, wherein an alternating voltage is applied to said electrodes to generate positive ions and negative ions alternately. 17. An absolute value of a peak voltage of an AC voltage is set to 1.
17. The storage according to claim 16, wherein the voltage is set to 8 kV or more. 18. The storage according to claim 17, wherein a voltage width of the AC voltage is set between 3.6 kVp-p and 5 kVp-p. 19. The storage according to claim 16, wherein a continuous application time of the AC voltage is shorter than a time at which the sterilization rate reaches an equilibrium state. 20. The storage according to claim 16, wherein the continuous application time of the AC voltage is set to 45 minutes or less. 21. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the electrodes are provided, and a positive voltage is applied to at least one of the electrodes, and a negative voltage is applied to the other electrodes. Storage. 22. The method according to claim 1, wherein positive ions and negative ions are emitted in the forward direction of the air flow.
A storage according to claim 8. 23. The storage according to claim 1, wherein positive ions and negative ions are released in a direction opposite to the flow of the air. 24. The storage according to claim 1, wherein positive ions and negative ions are emitted in a direction perpendicular to the flow of air. 25. An air flow path, comprising: at least an electrode of an ion generator for generating positive ions and negative ions; and an adhering device for decomposing or adsorbing at least one of an odorant and ozone. The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the storage is provided. 26. The storage according to claim 1, wherein an attachment device for decomposing or adsorbing at least one of an odorant and ozone is provided in a discharge effective area of the electrode. 27. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one storage chamber, and control means for controlling the generation of ions in synchronization with the control of the flow of air to said at least one storage chamber. The storage according to claim 8. 28. At least one storage chamber, and control means for turning on and off the generation of ions in synchronism with the on and off operations of the air flow to said at least one storage chamber are provided. The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the storage is provided. 29. At least one storage room, and cooling means for cooling the at least one storage room,
The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions in synchronization with a cooling operation of the storage chamber. 30. At least one storage room, wherein the at least one storage room is provided with temperature detecting means, and control means for controlling generation of ions based on temperature detection by the temperature detecting means is provided. A storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: 31. The storage according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions in synchronization with opening and closing of a damper for controlling a flow of air. 32. The storage according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions based on detection of opening / closing of a damper for controlling air flow. 33. At least one storage room, and cooling means for cooling the at least one storage room,
The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions in synchronization with driving of a compressor constituting a part of the cooling means. 34. At least one storage chamber, and cooling means for cooling the at least one storage chamber, wherein the ionization is performed based on a driving time, a driving frequency, or a driving rate of a compressor constituting a part of the cooling means. The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising control means for controlling the occurrence of the occurrence. 35. A control device, comprising: at least one storage compartment; and control means for controlling generation of ions based on a detection result of an opening or closing operation of at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment. The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: 36. A control apparatus comprising: at least one storage chamber; and control means for controlling generation of ions when an opening time of at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage chamber has passed a predetermined time. Claim 1 to claim
A storage according to claim 8. 37. The storage according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions based on an outside air temperature. 38. At least one storage room, cooling means for cooling the at least one storage room, and temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature in the storage room cooled by the cooling means, wherein the temperature detecting means When the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the voltage is applied to the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions in synchronization with the cooling operation of cooling the storage chamber. The storage according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the storage is provided. 39. A refrigerator comprising an electrode for generating a positive ion and a negative ion by applying a high voltage, and discharging the positive ion and the negative ion from the electrode to an air flow path through which air flows. 40. A high voltage is applied to an electrode having no counter electrode to generate a positive ion and a negative ion, and the positive ion and the negative ion are discharged to an air circulation path through which air flows. refrigerator. 41. An ion generator which is not grounded, applies a high voltage to an electrode of the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions, and generates positive ions and negative ions in an air flow path through which air flows. Refrigerator. 42. A refrigerator comprising an ion generator without a ground electrode, wherein a high voltage is applied to an electrode of the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions. 43. The application of a high voltage to generate positive ions
And H⁺(H_TwoO)_nAnd O as a negative ion_Two ^-(H_TwoO)
_mAnd an electrode that generates air
Positive ion H from the electrode⁺(H_TwoO)_nAnd minus
Ion O_Two ^-(H_TwoO) _mRefrigeration characterized by releasing
Warehouse. And H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n as positive ions 44. The high voltage is applied to the electrode without a counter electrode, O ₂ as negative ions ^- (H ₂ O) and _m occurs, the air ⁺ positive ions H to the air flow path that flows (H ₂ O) _n and negative ions O ₂ ^- refrigerator, characterized in that to release the (H ₂ O) _m. 45. A comprising an ion generating device, not ground, and H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n as positive ions by applying a high voltage to the electrodes of the ion generating device, O ₂ as negative ions ^- (H ₂
Refrigerator, characterized in that to release the _{^{(H 2 O) m - O}} ) and _m occurs, the air in the air flow route of distribution and positive ions H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n negative ions O _2. 46. An ion generator without a ground electrode, wherein a high voltage is applied to the electrodes of the ion generator to generate H ⁺ (H ₂ O) _n as positive ions and O ₂ ⁻ (H as negative ions. ₂ O) _m . 47. The apparatus according to claim 39, comprising at least one storage compartment, wherein the air flow path includes at least one of the storage compartments, and positive ions and negative ions are discharged into the storage compartment. A refrigerator according to any one of claims 46 to 46. 48. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 39 to 46, wherein floating bacteria in the air flow path are sterilized by active species generated from positive ions and negative ions. 49. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising at least one storage chamber, a duct for guiding air to at least one of the storage chambers, and the electrode disposed in the duct. The refrigerator according to any one of the above. 50. The electrode according to claim 3, wherein the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a needle-like projection is provided at a part thereof.
A refrigerator according to any one of claims 9 to 46. 51. The refrigerator according to claim 39, wherein the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a plurality of needle-like projections are protruded from a part of the flat plate. 52. The refrigerator according to claim 39, wherein the electrode is formed of a flat plate, and a plurality of needle-like projections are provided on a part of the electrode in different directions. 53. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 39 to 46, wherein more negative ions are discharged into the air flow path than positive ions. 54. The refrigerator according to claim 39, wherein an AC voltage is applied to the electrodes to generate positive ions and negative ions alternately. 55. The absolute value of the peak voltage of the AC voltage is 1.
The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the voltage is set to 8 kV or more. 56. The refrigerator according to claim 17, wherein a voltage width of the AC voltage is set between 3.6 kVp-p and 5 kVp-p. 57. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein a continuous application time of the AC voltage is shorter than a time when the sterilization rate reaches an equilibrium state. 58. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the continuous application time of the AC voltage is set to 45 minutes or less. 59. The method according to claim 39, wherein the electrode has a plurality of electrodes, and a positive voltage is applied to at least one of the electrodes, and a negative voltage is applied to the other electrodes. A refrigerator according to claim 1. 60. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein positive ions and negative ions are emitted in the forward direction of the air flow.
The storage according to any one of claims 46 to 46. 61. The storage according to claim 39, wherein the positive ions and the negative ions are released in a direction opposite to the flow of the air. 62. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46, wherein positive ions and negative ions are emitted in a direction perpendicular to the flow of air. 63. At least an electrode of an ion generator for generating a positive ion and a negative ion and an adhesion device for decomposing or adsorbing at least one of an odorant and ozone are arranged in the air circulation path. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46. 64. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein an attachment device for decomposing or adsorbing at least one of an odorant and ozone is provided in the discharge effective area of said electrode.
6. The storage according to any one of 6 above. 65. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising at least one storage chamber, and control means for controlling the generation of ions in synchronization with the control of the flow of air to said at least one storage chamber. The storage according to any one of claims 46 to 46. 66. At least one storage room, and control means for turning on and off the generation of ions in synchronization with the on / off operation of the flow of air to the at least one storage room is provided. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46. 67. At least one storage room, and cooling means for cooling the at least one storage room,
The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions in synchronization with a cooling operation of the storage chamber. 68. At least one storage room, wherein the at least one storage room is provided with temperature detecting means, and control means for controlling generation of ions based on temperature detection by the temperature detecting means is provided. A storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46. 69. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions in synchronization with opening and closing of a damper for controlling the flow of air. 70. The storage according to claim 39, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions based on detection of opening / closing of a damper for controlling air flow. 71. At least one storage compartment, and cooling means for cooling the at least one storage compartment,
47. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46, further comprising control means for controlling generation of ions in synchronization with driving of a compressor constituting a part of the cooling means. 72. At least one storage chamber, and cooling means for cooling the at least one storage chamber, wherein the ionization is performed based on a driving time, a driving frequency, or a driving rate of a compressor which forms a part of the cooling means. 47. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46, further comprising control means for controlling the occurrence of the condition. 73. At least one storage compartment, and control means for controlling the generation of ions based on a result of detecting an opening or closing operation of at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage compartment. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46, characterized in that: 74. A control device comprising: at least one storage chamber; and control means for controlling generation of ions when an opening time of at least one door for opening and closing the at least one storage chamber has passed a predetermined time. Claim 39.
The storage according to any one of claims 46 to 46. 75. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46, further comprising control means for controlling the generation of ions based on the outside air temperature. 76. At least one storage room, cooling means for cooling the at least one storage room, and temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature in the storage room cooled by the cooling means, wherein the temperature detecting means When the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the voltage is applied to the ion generator to generate positive ions and negative ions in synchronization with the cooling operation of cooling the storage chamber. The storage according to any one of claims 39 to 46.