JP2010164284A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator which can be comfortably used soon, by focusing on a VOC diffusion amount from inside of the refrigerator having a characteristic that a large amount of VOC is diffused at an early stage of the operation shortly after opening the package and the diffusion amount is rapidly attenuated thereafter, and by intensively diffusing and removing the VOC after starting use of the refrigerator so as to considerably decrease a diffusion amount there after. <P>SOLUTION: In the refrigerator, cold air produced by a cooler is circulated in a cooling storage room by rotation of a fan. The refrigerator is arranged with a deodorizing device provided with a photocatalyst module for decomposing odorous components and volatile organic compounds contained in the air by a photocatalyst action of ultraviolet rays generated by a high-voltage electric discharge means and an ozone decomposing means for decomposing ozone generated by the high-voltage electric discharge means, in a circulation path of the cold air. During a predetermined time from the first power-on after manufacture and shipment, the fan is driven in rotation speed higher than its normal rotation speed as soon as the deodorizing device is operated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator in which a VOC or the like contained in a main body is removed at an early stage after the start of use and can be used immediately under comfortable conditions.

  VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) is an organic compound that easily volatilizes at room temperature. For example, formaldehyde and toluene are known. In the home appliance industry, solvents such as paints and adhesives or cleaning agents are used. Widely used.

  On the other hand, the so-called sick house that causes poor physical condition such as sensation of the nose and throat due to the VOC emission, along with the demand for air quality improvement in the living space by the progress of airtightness of the house in recent years and steady outdoor air pollution. Syndrome is attracting attention, and efforts are being made to reduce VOC usage by taking measures against VOC, which is one factor in the industry.

  Regarding the VOC, in the refrigerator products, adhesives such as expanded polystyrene used as a heat insulating material and soft sponge tape as a cold air sealing material include regulated substances such as toluene, xylene, DOP (plastic for vinyl chloride resin). Agent) is used, and it has been confirmed that it has diffused from the refrigerator body. The amount of VOC emission in this refrigerator is sufficiently small compared to the indoor concentration guideline value of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, but manufacturers are working to reduce the amount of VOC usage so that they can be used with more peace of mind.

  On the other hand, as a refrigerator technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a deodorizing device is provided in a cold air circulation path to enable removal of aromatic compounds and VOC contained in odorous substances in the warehouse. It is shown.

JP 2008-014572 A

  However, as described above, even if the amount of VOC used in the refrigerator is reduced, it is difficult to completely prevent the dissipation, and the invention of the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a circulation path for cold air. It is an arrangement layout configuration of ozone generating means and ozone decomposition filter of a deodorizing device arranged inside, and is characterized by removing odorous substances in the refrigerator during use of the refrigerator and suppressing pressure loss. After the start of use of a newly purchased refrigerator, the effect of the VOC used as a refrigerator part being diffused was not removed.

  That is, since these VOCs are volatile, they are dissipated into the atmosphere from the refrigerator body () over time, and as described above, the amount of dissipated is relatively small. In the manufacturing process of the refrigerator, it is not completely removed, and is packed in the packaging material together with the closed main body after being packed.

  And after shipment, it is unpacked at the installation site of the refrigerator purchaser's house, and the cooling operation starts when the power is turned on. The VOC is used each time the storage room door is opened in the process of use as a refrigerator. Although it flows out into the outside air, since it is diffused from the inside of the main body, such as in the heat insulating material, it takes a considerable time to complete the radiation. Therefore, in the meantime, there is a problem that the householder suffers from the irritating odor of VOC leaking outside in a high concentration state, and in order to prevent this, the manufacturer is forced to use an expensive material with a low VOC content. There was a need to implement more effective measures.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and attention is paid to the fact that the amount of VOC emission from the refrigerator is dissipated in the initial stage of operation at the initial stage of unpacking and then decays rapidly. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can be used quickly and comfortably by intensively removing VOC emission after the start of use of the refrigerator, thereby significantly reducing the amount of emission thereafter.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention circulates cold air generated by a cooler in a cooling storage chamber by rotation of a fan, and photocatalytic action by ultraviolet rays generated by high voltage discharge means in the cold air circulation path. In the refrigerator provided with a deodorizing device provided with a photocatalyst module for decomposing odor components and volatile organic compounds contained in the air and ozone decomposing means for decomposing ozone generated by the high voltage discharging means, The fan is driven at a higher rotational speed than the normal rotational speed at the same time that the deodorizing device is operated for a predetermined time from the first power-on after the manufacturing and shipping.

  According to the configuration of the refrigerator of the present invention, at the initial stage of operation after unpacking where VOC is dissipated in the largest amount, the VOC contained in the refrigerator main body is intensively sucked into the warehouse and decomposed and removed. As a result, it is possible to promptly shift to a state in which normal refrigeration or frozen storage is performed with less influence on the householder.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the deodorizing apparatus in FIG. It is a control flowchart which shows one Example of this invention. It is a control flowchart which shows the other Example of this invention.

  Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described. The refrigerator main body (1) whose longitudinal cross-sectional view is shown in FIG. 1 is formed by filling a foam heat insulating material (4) between the outer box (2) and the inner box (3) to form a heat insulating box, Is partitioned into an upper refrigerated space (6) and a lower refrigerated space (7) by a heat insulating partition wall (5).

  The front opening of the refrigeration space (6) is closed by a refrigeration room door (8), and the inside is a refrigeration room (10) provided with a plurality of food loading shelves (9), and the lower part is a partition plate ( 11) Partition the drawer-type vegetable container (13) into a vegetable room (12), and at the bottom, cool the room to about 0 to -3 ° C via the bottom partition plate (14) A cryogenic chamber (15) with a cryogenic container is provided.

  The vegetable container (13) is configured to be openable in the front-rear direction with the upper surface open, and the partition plate (11) that forms a ceiling when installed at a predetermined position in the refrigerated space (6). And the front wall form a front opening.

  The freezing space (7) is provided with a relatively small-capacity small freezing chamber (16) and a small-capacity ice making chamber equipped with an automatic ice making device (not shown) immediately below the heat insulating partition wall (5). It is divided into left and right with vertical partition plates, and is placed side by side with a door (17) provided at each front opening, and at the bottom, the front is divided up and down with horizontal partition plates (18), Similarly, a freezer compartment (19) with a drawer door is provided over the entire width of the main body.

  In the freezer compartment (19), a pair of left and right support frames (not shown) are fixed inside a freezer compartment door (20) that closes its front opening so as to be openable and closable, and together with this support frame, the freezer compartment (19) A storage container (21) for storing frozen food is held by rail members arranged on both side wall surfaces of the inside, and the drawer system is slidable back and forth.

  The storage container (21) has a plate-shaped middle container (22) with a relatively shallow bottom. When the freezer compartment door (20) is pulled out, the container (21) and the middle container (22 ) Is pulled out by the rail member, and an upper container (23) that is independently pulled out and stored is installed above the door, regardless of whether the freezer compartment door (20) is opened or closed.

  Refrigerating cooler (24) and freezing cooler (25), and R fan (26) and F corresponding to each cooler are provided on the back of each of refrigerating room (10) and freezing room (19). A fan (27) is provided.

  The refrigeration cooler (24) and the refrigeration cooler (25) are cooled by a refrigeration cycle, and refrigerant discharged from a compressor (28) provided at the lower portion of the refrigerator main body (1), By the switching valve connected downstream of the condenser, the refrigeration cooler (24) side or the refrigeration cooler (25) is alternately switched to evaporate to lower the temperature and generated by each cooler (24) (25). The cooled air is introduced into the respective storage chambers by the fans (26) and (27) through the cold air ducts (29) and (30), and circulated to cool them.

  Then, a cold air duct (29) that circulates from the refrigerator compartment (10) to the vegetable compartment (12) and returns to the refrigerator for cooling (24) and a cold air duct (29) that returns from the freezer compartment (19) to the refrigerator for freezer (25) ( 30) are provided with deodorizing devices (31) and (31 '), respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the deodorizing device (31) (31 ′) includes a photocatalyst module (32) and an ozone decomposition means (33), and circulates in the duct (29) (30). It adsorbs and deodorizes odor molecules and VOC contained in the air.

  In the photocatalyst module (32), two photocatalyst filters (34) in which photocatalyst particles represented by titanium oxide are fixed are adjacent to the surface of a substrate made of a porous ceramic such as alumina or silica. The photocatalyst filter (34) Between (34), a discharge electrode (35) formed as a mesh by etching a thin plate of stainless steel or the like as a discharge portion is erected, and the two photocatalytic filters (34 (34) upwind) On the leeward side, counter electrodes (36) and (36) formed in the same manner as the discharge electrode (35) are arranged.

  (37) is a high-voltage power supply device. By applying a high voltage to the discharge electrode (35) by a high voltage generator (38) such as a transformer, the discharge electrode (35) and the counter electrode (36) (36) Functions as a discharge means for generating ultraviolet rays, generates corona discharge between the counter electrodes (36) and (36) to generate ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 380 nm or less between both electrodes, and the generated ultraviolet rays are photocatalytic filters. (34) The photocatalyst is excited by being irradiated to (34), and the generated active oxygen flows down and is adsorbed on the surface of the photocatalytic filter (34) (34) by the strong oxidizing action of hydroxyl radicals (free radicals). The odor gas component and the VOC bond are decomposed and deodorized and removed.

  Further, when the discharge electrode (35) and the counter electrode (36) are discharged, ozone is generated together with ultraviolet rays. Therefore, the photocatalyst module (32) also functions as an ozone generating means, and air containing an odor component. Odor components and VOCs can be oxidatively decomposed and removed by mixing and reacting with ozone generated.

  On the lee side of the photocatalyst module (32), an ozone decomposition means (33) is installed at a predetermined distance from the photocatalyst module (32). This ozone decomposing means (33) is an ozone decomposing catalyst composed of a honeycomb-shaped sintered body mainly composed of manganese dioxide, and decomposes surplus ozone flowing down without reacting with odorous substances and VOCs.

  Thus, when the refrigerator is manufactured and shipped and then unpacked and installed at the purchaser's house, the expanded polystyrene used as a heat insulating material for the heat insulating partition wall (5) and the horizontal partition plate (8) VOCs such as toluene, xylene, DOP, etc. contained in adhesives such as soft sponge tapes used as joints for components and cold air seals in the refrigerator, together with unpacking, are used in the refrigerator body (1) In the present invention, when the power is first turned on, the R fan (26) and the F fan (27) are driven for a predetermined time, and each fan (26) (27 ) Is driven at a higher rotation speed than the normal rotation speed.

  Each fan (26) (27) and deodorizing device (31) (31 ') is operated only at the first power-on after manufacturing and shipping with a high VOC concentration. Since it is not necessary at the time of resetting the power after the diffusion is almost completed or at the start of re-operation after moving, the operation of the fan or the like at that time is not performed.

  Control upon power-on with the above configuration is executed as shown in the flowchart of FIG. First, when the power to the refrigerator body (1) is turned on, the past power-on history is checked in step 1 (S1). If there is a fact that the power has already been turned on in this check, it is assumed that the VOC has already been completely dissipated, and the normal cooling operation is started immediately. In the next step 2 (S2), the deodorizing device (31) (31 ') is energized and operated, since most VOCs are enclosed in the refrigerator body (1). The compressor (28) is put into a standby state without being activated for a predetermined time by the timer, and only the fans (26) (27) are driven.

  This is because, immediately after turning on the power after unpacking, each storage room remains relatively open for a long time, such as checking the parts in the warehouse, adjusting the installation, and storing a large amount of new food. When the compressor (28) is driven when the door is opened, not only the outside air enters the inside and circulates, but the cooling efficiency is lowered. In addition, each cooler (24 This is to prevent frost formation on (25) from increasing and hindering the subsequent cooling action.

  However, the waiting time as the predetermined time of the compressor (28) in the control is set to about 10 to 20 minutes, and the guaranteed cooling rate set from the viewpoint of product reliability, that is, predetermined from the first power-on. The specified cooling rate up to the temperature, for example, 3 hours is not exceeded, so that the cooling action as a refrigerator is not affected.

  The rotational speed of the fans (26) and (27) at this time is higher than the rotational speed during normal cooling (S3), and at the same time, the high voltage of the deodorizing devices (31) and (31 '). Increase the energization rate to the discharge means (38) within a range that satisfies the safe value of the ozone concentration (S4), and door that the deodorizer (31) (31 ') is in operation to remove VOC A lamp is displayed on the operation panel on the surface (S5). And when predetermined time passes (S6), a compressor (28) other control member is driven and a normal cooling operation is started (S7).

  Note that when the fans (26) and (27) are rotated at a high speed, the VOC suction effect is increased, but on the other hand, the rotational noise is increased. When the internal cooling temperature is stabilized and the internal temperature is stabilized, the temperature may be detected by a temperature sensor or the like, and finally driven at a normal rotational speed.

  By the above control, the VOC contained in the heat insulating material and the sealing material in the refrigerator main body (1) immediately after unpacking is in the most abundant and high concentration state, but for 10 to 20 minutes as a predetermined time after power-on. In the vegetable room (12), the cold room (15), or the cold room (15), which is sucked out from the main body by the suction force of the fan (26) (27) rotating at a higher speed than usual, and is connected through the cold air circulation path Decomposed and removed by passing through the cold air duct (29) (30) where the deodorizer (31) (31 ') is installed from other cooling storage rooms such as the small freezer room (16) and ice making room It is.

  At this time, the deodorization devices (31) and (31 ') have a higher VOC decomposition performance because the energization rate is increased so as to increase the ozone concentration within a safe range than during normal cooling operation. Even in a short time, the VOC can be removed more quickly and effectively.

  Further, during the VOC removal operation, the fact that the VOC is being removed is displayed on the operation panel installed on the surface of the refrigerator compartment door (8) on the outer surface of the main body with a lamp or the like to notify the fan (26) (27 ) And the deodorizing device (31) (31 ') can be recognized as operating, and even if the driving noise increases due to high rotation of the fan, etc. There is.

  At the end of the predetermined time, the amount of VOC dissipated from the inside of the main body is remarkably reduced. Thereafter, the rotation and deodorization of the fans (26) and (27) are performed during normal cooling operation. The residual VOC is removed by the decomposition action of the devices (31) and (31 ').

  As a result, a VOC with a high concentration with an irritating odor is released into the atmosphere in a short period of time compared to the conventional case, and the odor is quickly put into a state with fewer defects, such as a refrigerator user. Can be placed in a comfortable environment.

  Next, the control when the door of the cooling storage chamber such as the refrigerator door (8) is opened during the VOC removal operation by the first power-on will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the power source to the refrigerator body (1) is turned on and the past power-on history is checked (S1), the energization rate to the high voltage discharging means (31) of the deodorizing device (31) (31 ') is increased ( The steps up to S4) and displaying that the VOC removal operation is in progress (S5) are the same as the flow of the above embodiment.

  When the refrigerator door (8) or the freezer door (20) is opened during the VOC removal operation (S8), the R fan (26) or F fan (27) and the deodorizer (31) (31) ') Is turned off to suppress the generation of ozone and stop the circulation of air (S9). When the door is closed (S10), the R fan (26) or the F fan (27) is driven again to operate the deodorizing devices (31) and (31 ') (S11). When the predetermined time has elapsed (S6 '), the normal cooling operation is started (S7') as in the above embodiment.

  With this control, even if the refrigerator door (8), the freezer door (20), etc. are opened within a predetermined time during the VOC removal operation after the first power-on, the VOC being disassembled or not It is possible to prevent ozone having a high concentration of decomposition from leaking out of the chamber and causing problems such as a strange odor.

1 Refrigerator body 6 Refrigerated space 7 Refrigerated space 8 Refrigerated room door 10 Refrigerated room 12 Vegetable room
19 Freezer 20 Freezer door 24 Refrigerator
25 Refrigeration cooler 26 R fan 27 F fan
29, 30 Cold air duct 31, 31 ′ Deodorizer 32 Photocatalyst module
33 Ozone decomposition means 34 Photocatalytic filter 37 Power supply
38 High voltage generator

Claims (5)

The cool air generated by the cooler is circulated in the cooling storage chamber by the rotation of the fan, and the odor component contained in the air by the photocatalytic action by the ultraviolet rays generated by the high-voltage discharge means in the cool air circulation path. In a refrigerator provided with a deodorizing device provided with a photocatalyst module for decomposing volatile organic compounds and the like, and an ozone decomposing unit for decomposing ozone generated by the high voltage discharging unit,
A refrigerator characterized in that, for a predetermined time after the first power-on after manufacture and shipment, the deodorizing device is operated and at the same time the rotational speed of the fan is driven at a higher rotational speed than the normal rotational speed.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the energization rate to the high voltage discharge means of the deodorizing device is increased within a range satisfying a safe value of ozone concentration simultaneously with the high rotation driving of the fan.   The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooling operation by the compressor is stopped and the deodorizing device and the fan are driven for a predetermined time after the power is turned on.   3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the deodorizer is displayed on the outer surface of the main body by a display means during operation of the deodorizing apparatus.   When the door closing the opening of the cooling storage chamber is opened during a predetermined time from the first power-on, the drive of the fan or the operation of the deodorizing device is stopped. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.

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