JP2015045480A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator capable of cooling a refrigerator chamber and a freezing chamber by one cooler with high efficiency, and capable of securing large storage volume.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a storage chamber which is partitioned into at least a refrigerator chamber 3 and freezing chambers 4-6; and a cooling chamber 13 in which a cooler 32 for cooling air supplied to the storage chamber is disposed. In the cooling chamber 13, a first feeding port 14 connected to the freezing chambers 4-6, and a second feeding port 15 connected to the refrigerator chamber 3 are formed. Thereby, the cool air cooled by one cooler 32 can be supplied efficiently to the refrigerator chamber 3 and the freezing chambers 4-6 independently with small pressure loss. Also, the freezing chambers 4-6 are formed below the refrigerator chamber 3, the cooling chamber 13 is formed at the back of it, the first feeding port 14 is formed on the front of the cooling chamber 13 and the second feeding port 15 is formed on the top surface. Thereby, pressure loss of an air passage can be suppressed low, and also large storage volume of each storage chamber can be secured.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator that cools and stores food and the like in a storage chamber, and more particularly, to a refrigerator that can cool a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment with a single cooler with high efficiency.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a refrigerator is known that supplies cold air cooled by a single cooler to a plurality of storage rooms having different cooling temperatures, such as a refrigerator room and a freezer room. In this type of refrigerator, a blower is provided at the outlet of the cooling chamber that houses the cooler, and the cold air sent out by the blower is branched and supplied to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, respectively (for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2).

  In addition, a damper (refrigerator compartment damper) is provided in a supply air passage (refrigeration compartment supply air passage) for flowing cold air sent from the blower to the refrigerator compartment, and the amount of cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment by the refrigerator compartment damper is controlled. A refrigerator that can be used is known (for example, Patent Document 1). Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the refrigerator compartment from being overcooled by closing the refrigerator compartment damper when the refrigerator compartment is not required to be cooled.

  Furthermore, a damper (freezer compartment damper) is also provided at the inlet of a supply air passage (freezer compartment supply air passage) through which the cool air sent from the blower flows to the freezer compartment, and the cool air supplied to the freezer compartment by the freezer compartment damper. It is known to control the amount of (for example, Patent Document 2). In the refrigerator having such a configuration, it is possible to supply cold air only to the refrigerator compartment by performing the cooling operation with the refrigerator compartment damper opened and the freezer compartment damper closed.

  Also known is a refrigerator provided with two coolers, that is, a cooler for cooling the refrigerator compartment (refrigerator for refrigerator) and a cooler for cooling the freezer compartment (refrigerator for refrigerator). (For example, Patent Document 3). In this type of refrigerator, the refrigerant is allowed to flow through one of the coolers to alternately cool the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment.

Japanese Patent No. 4739926 (page 4-5, Fig. 2-3) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2013-2664 (pages 5-6, FIG. 4) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-72577 (page 4-5, FIG. 1)

  However, in the configuration in which the cold air sent from the blower is branched downstream of the blower and supplied to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, there is a problem that it is difficult to cool the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment independently and appropriately. It was.

  For example, in a refrigerator provided with a damper (refrigerating room damper) only in a refrigerating room supply air passage connected from a blower to a refrigerating room as in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1, cold air is supplied only to the refrigerating room. I could not. That is, when a cooling operation for operating the compressor and the blower to cool the refrigerator compartment is performed, the cool air sent from the blower is always supplied to the freezer compartment. For this reason, since cooling air is supplied to the freezing room even in a situation where cooling of the freezing room is unnecessary, efficient cooling operation cannot be performed.

  In the cooler, since cooling is performed to a sufficiently low temperature (freezing temperature) to cool the freezer compartment, there is much frost formation, and heating power for melting the frost is also required. In addition, the low cooling temperature has also caused drying of the refrigerator compartment and vegetable compartment.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator provided with a damper (freezer compartment damper) at the entrance of the freezer supply air passage that supplies the cold air to the freezer compartment as in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 2, the cold air discharged from the blower is collected. Then, since the freezer damper is passed, there is a problem that the pressure loss is large.

  In addition, it is necessary to form an air passage through which cool air discharged from the blower flows, that is, a freezer-refrigeration common air passage upstream of the freezer damper, at the back of the freezer supply air passage. There was a problem of narrowing.

  Further, in the refrigerator provided with two coolers as in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 3, there is a problem that the refrigeration cycle circuit becomes complicated and the component cost and assembly cost increase. Further, since the refrigerant is switched to flow through the two coolers, complicated control is required. In addition, there is a problem in that the cooling efficiency is lowered because thermal loss occurs due to switching of the refrigerant circuit. Furthermore, in order to arrange the refrigeration cooler, it is necessary to form a cooling chamber in the back of the refrigeration chamber, and there is a problem that the storage capacity of the refrigeration chamber is reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to cool the refrigerating room and the freezing room with a single cooler with high efficiency and to ensure a large storage capacity. It is to provide a refrigerator that can.

  The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a storage room partitioned into at least a refrigeration room and a freezing room, a cooler for cooling the air supplied to the storage room, and a cooling room in which the cooler is disposed, The cooling chamber is formed with a first feeding port connected to the freezing chamber and a second feeding port connected to the refrigerating chamber.

  According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the first feed port connected to the freezer compartment and the second feed port connected to the refrigerator compartment are formed in the cooling chamber in which the cooler is disposed. Thereby, the cold air cooled by one cooler can be efficiently supplied to the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment independently with a small pressure loss.

  In addition, a freezing chamber is formed below the refrigerating chamber, a cooling chamber is formed behind the freezing chamber, the first feeding port is formed in a partition that partitions the front surface of the cooling chamber, and the second feeding port May be formed on the upper surface of the cooling chamber. Thereby, while being able to suppress the pressure loss of the air path connected to each storage room low, the storage capacity of each storage room can be ensured large.

  A first blower disposed in the first feed port; a movable blower cover that closes the first blower; a second blower provided in a supply air passage that connects the second feed port and the refrigerator compartment; By providing the damper and the control device that controls them, the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment can be suitably cooled according to the respective cooling loads.

  In addition, the controller includes a refrigerator temperature sensor and a freezer temperature sensor for detecting temperatures of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment, respectively, and the controller is configured to control the second blower based on the temperature of the refrigerator compartment detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor. The number of rotations may be controlled, and the number of rotations of the first blower may be controlled based on the temperature of the freezer compartment detected by the freezer temperature sensor. Thereby, an appropriate amount of cold air can be supplied to each of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment.

  Still further, when the controller determines that the cooler has formed frost and the temperature of the refrigerator compartment is higher than a predetermined value, the control device stops the operation of the first blower, and the blower cover covers the first feeding port. The damper may be opened and the second blower may be operated. Thereby, the frost adhering to the cooler can be melted without heating with a defrost heater or the like, and the refrigerator can be cooled using the heat of melting of the frost without operating the compressor. it can. Moreover, since cold air with high humidity can be supplied to a refrigeration room or a vegetable room by defrosting, it is possible to prevent the food stored therein from being dried and enhance the effect of maintaining freshness.

  In addition, the blower cover according to the present invention is provided on the discharge side of the first blower, and moves so as to approach the cooling chamber to block the first feeding port. Therefore, the air at the discharge side of the first blower having a high flow velocity in the rotational radius direction can be flowed into the freezer compartment supply air passage with a small flow resistance.

  In addition, as in a conventional refrigerator having a freezer damper provided at the inlet of the freezer supply air passage, a freezer-refrigeration common airflow into which cool air discharged from the blower flows between the freezer supply air passage and the cooling chamber Therefore, it is possible to secure a wide storage space for the freezer compartment.

It is a front external view of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front schematic diagram explaining the supply air path of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cooling chamber vicinity of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view of the state which closed the (A) air blower cover which shows the structure of the 1st air blower of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and a shielding apparatus, and (B) the same open state. Explanatory drawing which shows the result of having analyzed the air flow around an axial-flow fan on the conditions that (A) the pressure difference of the discharge side and the suction side is 12 Pa, (B) the same pressure difference is 4 Pa, and (C) the same pressure difference is 2 Pa. It is.

  Hereinafter, the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated in detail based on drawing.

  FIG. 1 is a front external view showing a schematic structure of a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment includes a heat insulating box 2 as a main body, and forms a storage room for storing food and the like inside the heat insulating box 2. The interior of the storage room is divided into a plurality of storage rooms 3 to 7 according to the storage temperature and application. The uppermost stage is the refrigeration room 3, the lower left side is the ice making room 4, the right side is the upper freezing room 5, and the lower stage. Is the lower freezer compartment 6, and the bottom is the vegetable compartment 7. The ice making chamber 4, the upper freezing chamber 5, and the lower freezing chamber 6 are all storage chambers in the freezing temperature range, and these are collectively referred to as freezing chambers 4 to 6 as appropriate in the following description.

  The front surface of the heat insulation box 2 is opened, and heat insulation doors 8 to 12 are provided in the opening portions corresponding to the storage chambers 3 to 7 so as to be freely opened and closed. The heat insulating doors 8a and 8b divide and block the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, and the left upper and lower parts of the heat insulating door 8a and the upper right lower part of the heat insulating door 8b are rotatably supported by the heat insulating box 2. Moreover, the heat insulation doors 9-12 are each united with a storage container, and are supported by the heat insulation box 2 so that it can be pulled out to the front of the refrigerator 1.

  FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a schematic structure of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the heat insulation box 2 which is the main body of the refrigerator 1 is arranged with a steel plate outer box 2a having an opening on the front surface and a gap in the outer box 2a. A synthetic resin inner box 2b having an opening, and a polyurethane foam heat insulating material 2c filled and foamed in a gap between the outer box 2a and the inner box 2b. Each of the heat insulating doors 8 to 12 adopts the same heat insulating structure as that of the heat insulating box 2.

  The refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartments 4 to 6 located in the lower stage are partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 28. The ice making chamber 4 and the upper freezing chamber 5 inside the freezing chambers 4 to 6 are partitioned by a partition wall (not shown in the drawing). The ice making chamber 4 and the upper freezing chamber 5 and the lower freezing chamber 6 provided in the lower stage communicate with the cold air in a freely flowing manner. The freezer compartments 4 to 6 and the vegetable compartment 7 are partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 29.

  On the back surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, a refrigerator compartment supply air passage 17 that is partitioned by a synthetic resin partition 54 and supplies cold air to the refrigerator compartment 3 is formed. In the refrigerator compartment supply air passage 17, an air outlet 22 through which cold air flows to the refrigerator compartment 3 is formed. The refrigerator compartment supply air passage 17 is connected to the second feed port 15 of the cooling chamber 13 via the refrigerator compartment damper 51. The refrigerator compartment damper 51 is for controlling the flow rate of the cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 and maintaining the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 3 appropriately.

  Further, a second blower 50 for flowing cold air from the cooling chamber 13 to the refrigerating chamber 3 is provided downstream of the refrigerating chamber damper 51 in the refrigerating chamber supply air passage 17. The second blower 50 is, for example, a centrifugal type blower. Further, the second blower 50 is disposed on the upper back side of the refrigerator compartment 3. Thus, the convenience of food storage can be ensured by adopting a centrifugal blower as the second blower 50 and placing it in the upper back corner of the refrigerator compartment 3 where it is difficult to put food in and out. .

  Moreover, the refrigerator compartment supply air path 17 is formed also in the upper surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, and is extended toward the front. A flap 53 capable of adjusting the direction of the air blown from the refrigerator compartment supply air passage 17 to the refrigerator compartment 3 is disposed at the outlet 22a formed in the upper front portion of the refrigerator compartment 3.

  By appropriately adjusting the angle (opening degree) of the flap 53, a specific portion can be cooled to a pinpoint. Further, by swinging the flap 53, the air inside the refrigerator compartment 3 can be effectively agitated, the temperature can be made uniform, and the cooling efficiency can be increased.

  A freezer compartment supply air passage 18 through which the cold air cooled by the cooler 32 flows to the freezer compartments 4 to 6 is formed on the back side of the freezer compartments 4 to 6. A cooling chamber 13 is formed on the further back side of the freezing chamber supply air passage 18, and a cooler 32 (evaporator) for cooling the air circulating in the warehouse is disposed therein. .

  The cooler 32 is connected to the compressor 31, a radiator (not shown), and an expansion valve (capillary tube) (not shown) via a refrigerant pipe, and constitutes a vapor compression refrigeration cycle circuit. It is. In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, isobutane (R600a) is used as the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle.

  The refrigerator 1 also includes a refrigerating room temperature sensor 61 that detects the temperature inside the refrigerating room 3, a freezing room temperature sensor 62 that detects the temperature inside the freezing rooms 4 to 6, and other temperature sensors (not shown). In addition, the refrigerator 1 includes a door opening / closing sensor 63 that detects opening / closing of the heat insulating door 8 at a hinge portion that supports the heat insulating door 8. As the door opening / closing sensor 63, for example, various switches that are pressed by a part of the heat insulating door 8 to open and close the contacts can be employed.

  Furthermore, the refrigerator 1 includes a control device (not shown), and the control device performs a predetermined calculation process based on the input values from the sensors, and the compressor 31, the first blower 35, and the second Each component apparatus, such as the air blower 50, the shielding apparatus 40, and the refrigerator compartment damper 51, is controlled.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing a schematic configuration of the supply air passage of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigeration chamber supply air passage 17 for supplying cold air to the refrigerating chamber 3 is configured to send the cold air to the top in the central portion of the refrigerating chamber 3 and then descend from both sides. ing. Thereby, cold air can be efficiently supplied to the whole inside of the refrigerator compartment 3.

  The refrigerator 1 includes a return air passage 20 through which air flows from the refrigerator compartment 3 to the cooling compartment 13 (see FIG. 2). A return port 25 that is an opening connected to the return air passage 20 is formed in the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 3. The air in the refrigerator compartment 3 flows to the return air passage 20 through the return port 25 and flows downward of the cooler 32.

  In addition, a vegetable compartment supply air passage 19 is formed in front of the return air passage 20 to flow the air cooled by the cooler 32 to the vegetable compartment 7. The vegetable room supply air passage 19 branches upward from the freezer compartment supply air passage 18 and turns downward through the inside of the heat insulating partition wall 28 (see FIG. 2) above the freezer compartments 4 to 6. It passes through the back of the freezer compartments 4-6. And it penetrates the heat insulation partition wall 29 (refer FIG. 2), and is connected to the vegetable compartment 7. FIG. The vegetable compartment 7 is formed with an air outlet 24 that is an opening for blowing cold air from the vegetable compartment supply air passage 19.

  The vegetable room supply air passage 19 is provided with a vegetable room damper 52 that controls the flow of cold air supplied to the vegetable room 7. Thereby, the vegetable compartment 7 can be cooled independently of the cooling of the refrigerator compartment 3, and the temperature of the vegetable compartment 7 can be controlled appropriately.

  In addition, you may comprise the vegetable room supply air path 19 so that it may branch from the side of the freezer compartment supply air path 18, or the downward | lower direction. Thereby, the vegetable compartment supply air path 19 can be shortened, and pressure loss can be reduced.

  Moreover, the vegetable room supply air path 19 can also be connected to the return air path 20 which returns the cold air from the refrigerator compartment 3. Thus, by comprising the vegetable room supply air path 19 so that it branches from the return air path 20, the vegetable room damper 52 can be omitted and cost reduction can be achieved.

  A return opening 27 is formed in the vegetable compartment 7, and the air in the vegetable compartment 7 passes from the return opening 27 through the vegetable compartment return air passage 21 (see FIG. 2) and the return opening 16 (see FIG. 2). And flows to the lower part of the cooling chamber 13.

  FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing the structure near the cooling chamber 13 of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the cooling chamber 13 is provided inside the heat insulating box 2 and on the far side of the freezer compartment supply air passage 18. The cooling chamber 13 and the freezer compartment supply air passage 18 or the freezer compartments 4 to 6 are partitioned by a synthetic resin partition 55. That is, the cooling chamber 13 is a space formed by being sandwiched between the inner box 2 b and the partition 55.

  A second feed port 15 that is an opening connected to the refrigerator compartment 3 is formed on the upper surface of the cooling chamber 13. As described above, the refrigerator compartment supply air passage 17 is connected to the second feed port 15. In this way, by forming the second feed port 15 connected to the refrigeration chamber supply air passage 17 on the upper surface of the cooling chamber 13, the refrigeration chamber supply air passage 17 at the lower rear side of the refrigeration chamber 3 is made to be rearward than before. Can be arranged. Thereby, the storage space of the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be enlarged.

  Moreover, in the structure which branches the air sent out with the air blower and supplies it to a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment like the refrigerator of a prior art, in order to provide a freezer compartment damper, the supply air path and cooling chamber for exclusive use of a freezer compartment It was necessary to form a common air path between the refrigerator and the refrigerator. However, in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, since it is not necessary to provide a freezing / refrigeration common air path between the freezing room supply air path and the cooling room, a wide storage space for the freezing rooms 4 to 6 can be secured. .

  The freezer compartment supply air passage 18 formed in front of the cooling chamber 13 is a space formed between the partition 55 and the front cover 56 made of synthetic resin assembled in front thereof, and is cooled by the cooler 32. It becomes an air passage for flowing cool air. The front cover 56 is formed with an air outlet 23 that is an opening for blowing cool air into the freezer compartments 4 to 6.

  A return port 26 for returning air from the freezer compartments 4 to 6 to the cooling compartment 13 is formed in the lower back surface of the lower freezer compartment 6. A return port 16 is formed below the cooling chamber 13 and is connected to the return port 26 and sucks the return cold air from the storage chamber into the cooling chamber 13.

  A defrost heater 33 is provided below the cooler 32 as defrosting means for melting and removing frost adhering to the cooler 32. The defrost heater 33 is an electric resistance heating type heater. In addition, as a defrosting means, it is also possible to employ | adopt other defrost systems, such as an off-cycle defrost which does not use an electric heater, and a hot gas defrost, for example.

  The partition 55 in the upper part of the cooling chamber 13 is formed with a first feed port 14 that is an opening connected to the freezing chambers 4 to 6. That is, the first feed port 14 is an opening that communicates the cooling chamber 13 and the freezing chamber supply air passage 18. A first blower 35 that sends cold air to the freezer compartments 4 to 6 and the like is disposed at the first outlet 14.

  The first blower 35 is an axial blower that includes a rotary propeller fan 37 and a casing 36 in which a wind tunnel 36a that is a substantially cylindrical opening is formed. The casing 36 is attached to the first feed port 14 of the cooling chamber 13 and is a component that becomes a boundary between the suction side and the discharge side of the first blower 35.

  The casing 36 is provided with a fan 37 coaxially with the wind tunnel 36a. The discharge side end of the fan 37 is disposed so as to be outside the discharge side end of the wind tunnel 36a, that is, the discharge side end surface of the casing 36, that is, the discharge side or the freezer compartment supply air path 18 side. . Thereby, the flow resistance of the discharge air flowing out in the direction of the rotation radius of the fan 37 is reduced, and the cold air can be sent out with a small flow loss.

  A shielding device 40 including a blower cover 41 for closing the first feed port 14 is provided on the outside of the first feed port 14 of the cooling chamber 13, that is, on the discharge side of the first blower 35. The shielding device 40 is attached such that the support base 42 is in close contact with the casing 36 of the first blower 35, for example.

  The blower cover 41 has a concave surface formed on the surface facing the cooling chamber 13, that is, the surface facing the first blower 35 (41b). A contact portion 41 a that contacts the support base 42 is formed at the peripheral edge of the recess 41 b. Thus, the blower cover 41 can contact the support base 42 outside the wind tunnel 36 a and close the first feed port 14 without contacting the fan 37 protruding to the discharge side from the casing 36.

  5 (A) and 5 (B) are perspective views showing structures of the first blower 35 and the shielding device 40 of the refrigerator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 (A) closes the blower cover 41. FIG. 5B shows a state where the blower cover 41 is opened. 5A and 5B, the mechanism for opening and closing the blower cover 41 is not shown.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the first blower 35 includes a fan motor 38 that rotationally drives a fan 37. The fan motor 38 is fixed to the casing 36 by a support frame 39, and a fan 37 is attached to the rotation shaft of the fan motor 38.

  A support base 42 of the shielding device 40 is tightly fixed to the discharge side end face of the casing 36. The support base 42 is a substantially flat plate-like component having an opening through which cool air can flow in a substantially central portion. On the main surface 42a of the support base 42 on the side of the freezer compartments 4 to 6 (see FIG. 4), guide pins 46 are provided that support the blower cover 41 in a reciprocating manner in the rotational axis direction (Z direction) of the fan 37. Yes. That is, the guide pin 46 extending in the rotation axis direction (Z direction) of the fan 37 is slidably fitted in the support hole 41 b formed in the blower cover 41. Thereby, the air blower cover 41 can approach the 1st air blower 35 like FIG. 5 (A), or can leave | separate like FIG. 5 (B).

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the blower cover 41 approaches the first blower 35, the contact portion 41a at the peripheral edge of the blower cover 41 comes into contact with the main surface 42a of the support base 42, and the air flow of the first blower 35 It will block the road. That is, the blower cover 41 closes the first feed port 14 (see FIG. 4) of the cooling chamber 13 (see FIG. 4), and the air flow path is closed. Instead of the configuration in which the blower cover 41 is in contact with the main surface 42a of the support base 42, a configuration in which the blower cover 41 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the support base 42 or the discharge side end surface or outer peripheral surface of the casing 36 may be adopted. Is possible.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the blower cover 41 moves away from the first blower 35, a gap, that is, an opening through which air flows, is formed between the blower cover 41 and the support base 42. The That is, the blower cover 41 is opened. As indicated by an arrow V, the air discharged by the first blower 35 flows out from an opening formed between the blower cover 41 and the support base 42.

  Note that various methods can be adopted as a mechanism and a driving method for opening and closing the blower cover 41. For example, the blower cover 41 can be opened and closed by a motor, a solenoid, or other methods. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a part corresponding to the support base 42 of the shielding device 40 is fixed to the front cover 56 (see FIG. 4) and the blower cover 41 is brought into contact with the casing 36.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 6 (A) thru | or (C), the air flow around the 1st air blower 35 is demonstrated in more detail. FIGS. 6A to 6C are explanatory views showing the results of analyzing the air flow around the axial flow fan as the first blower 35. 6A is an analysis result under the condition that the pressure difference between the discharge side and the suction side is 12 Pa, FIG. 6B is the pressure difference is 4 Pa, and FIG. 6C is the pressure difference is 2 Pa. is there.

  6A to 6C, reference numeral V denotes a wind speed vector distribution on the main surface 42a of the support base 42 (see FIG. 5). When the support base 42 is not attached to the casing 36 (see FIG. 5), the symbol V corresponds to the wind speed vector distribution on the discharge side end face of the casing 36. Reference sign V1 represents the wind speed vector distribution on the surface S1 on the suction side (right side of the paper), and reference sign V2 represents the wind speed vector distribution on the surface S2 on the discharge side (left side of the paper). Each of the wind speed vectors V, V1, and V2 is expressed as a direction in which the direction of the arrow is the direction of each flow, and the length of the arrow is in proportion to the speed of each flow. In each figure, horizontal lines M drawn above and below the fan 37 are used for calculation and can be ignored because they are not used to explain the analysis results.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, when the pressure difference between the discharge side and the suction side of the first blower 35 is 2 Pa, the wind speed vector V on the discharge side of the first blower 35 is slightly higher in the vertical direction in the figure. Although it is slanting, it turns out that it has faced substantially the left side. The wind speed vector V2 on the discharge side surface S2 also protrudes to the left. That is, it can be seen that under the condition of a pressure difference of 2 Pa, the air flow on the discharge side of the blower 35 has a high speed in the rotation axis direction Z of the fan 37 and a low speed in the rotation radius direction R. In other words, the air discharged by the blower 35 mainly flows forward of the blower 35.

  However, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the pressure difference between the discharge side and the suction side of the first blower 35 becomes 4 Pa, the wind speed vector V on the discharge side of the first blower 35 spreads in the vertical direction in the figure. However, the wind speed vector V2 on the discharge-side surface S2 is shortened. That is, when the pressure difference increases to about 4 Pa, the speed of the air flow on the discharge side of the first blower 35 increases in the rotational radius direction R of the fan 37.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), when the pressure difference further increases to 12 Pa, the wind speed vector V on the discharge side of the first blower 35 is directed in the substantially vertical direction in the figure. Further, the wind velocity vector V2 on the discharge side surface S2 is very short. That is, it can be seen that under the condition where the pressure difference is 12 Pa, the flow of air discharged from the first blower 35 has a very low speed in the rotation axis direction Z of the fan 37 and a high speed in the rotation radius direction R. In other words, the air discharged from the first blower 35 does not flow in front of the first blower 35, that is, in the Z direction, but flows out in the rotational radius direction R.

  6A to 6C, the air flow on the discharge side of the first blower 35 forms a swirling flow around the rotation axis of the fan 37.

  As described above, the characteristics of the axial blower as the first blower 35 have been described. However, in the refrigerator in which cold air is forcedly circulated in the closed circuit as in the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the discharge side of the first blower 35 and The pressure difference from the suction side is about 10-12 Pa. That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, the cool air discharged by the first blower 35 spreads in the rotation radius direction R of the fan 37 of the first blower 35 and flows.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the blower cover 41 according to the present embodiment moves away from the cooling chamber 13 during the cooling operation, and cold air flows between the blower cover 41 and the cooling chamber 13. Forming an opening for the purpose. Therefore, as described above, the discharge air from the first blower 35 having a large flow velocity in the rotational radius direction R is supplied to the freezer compartment through the opening with a very small flow resistance along the casing 36 and the partition 55. It flows out into the air passage 18.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), the air flowing from the first blower 35 toward the front is very small from the beginning, so that the blower cover 41 that has moved away from the cooling chamber 13 has an airflow resistance. The effect is very small.

  However, the distance X between the main surface 42a of the support base 42 and the blower 35 side end surface (contact portion 41a) of the blower cover 41 shown in FIG. In order not to increase the pressure loss due to the blower cover 41, it is necessary to ensure a predetermined length. Specifically, the distance X should be 30 mm or more, more preferably 50 mm or more. When the distance X is shorter than 30 mm, the flow loss due to the blower cover 41 becomes large, and it becomes difficult to suppress the pressure loss as compared with the case of using a damper or the like of the prior art.

  On the other hand, if the distance X is secured to 50 mm or more, the increase in pressure loss due to the addition of the blower cover 41 is almost eliminated. Briefly described with reference to FIG. 6A, the discharge-side surface S3 shown in the figure is at a position where the distance X (see FIG. 5B) corresponds to 50 mm. The surface S2 is at a position where the distance X is 80 mm. From this figure, it can be seen that if the opening is secured up to the position of the surface S3, that is, the position where the distance X is 50 mm, most of the air flow can pass through the opening without being obstructed.

  Next, the operation of the refrigerator 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 again.

  First, the operation | movement which cools the refrigerator compartment 3 is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 31 can be cooled by operating the compressor 31, opening the refrigerator compartment damper 51, and operating the second blower 50. That is, the air cooled by the cooler 32 sequentially passes through the second feed port 15 of the cooling chamber 13, the refrigerator compartment damper 51, the refrigerator compartment supply air passage 17 and the air outlet 22, and is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3. . Thereby, the food etc. which were stored in the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be cooled and preserve | saved at appropriate temperature.

  Then, the circulating cold air supplied to the inside of the refrigerating chamber 3 returns from the return port 25 to the inside of the cooling chamber 13 via the return air passage 20 as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is cooled again by the cooler 32.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the cooling chamber 13 is formed with a first feeding port 14 connected to the freezing chambers 4 to 6 and a second feeding port 15 connected to the refrigerating chamber 3. The cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment 3 can be performed independently of the cooling of the chambers 4 to 6. Specifically, with the blower cover 41 closing the first feeding port and stopping the operation of the first blower 35, the refrigerator compartment damper 51 is opened and the second blower 50 is operated, so that only the refrigerator compartment 3 can be operated. Cold air can be supplied.

  Further, by forming the second feed port 15 on the upper surface of the cooling chamber 13, it is possible to form a substantially straight air path from the cooling chamber 13 to the refrigerating chamber supply air path 17. Therefore, like a conventional refrigerator, a single blower provided in front of the cooling chamber 13 discharges cold air from the cooling chamber 13 forward, branches a part of the cold air, and a supply air passage obliquely upward at the rear The flow loss can be reduced as compared with the configuration of flowing through.

  Next, the operation | movement which cools the freezer compartments 4-6 is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 2, the freezer compartments 4 to 6 can be cooled by operating the compressor 31, operating the first blower 35, and opening the blower cover 41. Specifically, the blower cover 41 is in a state separated from the first blower 35 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the air cooled by the cooler 32 is sent out by the first blower 35 disposed in the first feed port 14 of the cooling chamber 13, and sequentially passes through the freezer compartment supply air passage 18 and the outlet 23, It is supplied to the freezer compartments 4-6.

  As a result, food stored in the freezer compartments 4 to 6 can be cooled and stored at an appropriate temperature. Then, the air inside the freezer compartments 4 to 6 flows through the return port 26 formed at the back of the lower freezer compartment 6 and flows into the cooling chamber 13 through the return port 16 of the cooling chamber 13.

  Here, the cooling operation of the freezer compartments 4 to 6 can be performed independently of the cooling of the refrigerator compartment 3. That is, the second blower 50 is stopped, the refrigerator compartment damper 51 is closed, the blower cover 41 is opened, and the first blower 35 is operated, so that cold air can be supplied only to the freezer compartments 4 to 6.

  Next, the supply of cold air to the vegetable compartment 7 will be described. A part of the air sent out to the freezer compartment supply air passage 18 by the first blower flows into the vegetable compartment supply air passage 19 shown in FIG. 3 by opening the vegetable compartment damper 52, and from the outlet 24 to the vegetable compartment 7. And discharged. Thereby, the inside of the vegetable compartment 7 can be cooled. And the cold air which circulated through the vegetable compartment 7 returns to the cooling chamber 13 through the vegetable compartment return air path 21 and the return port 16 of the cooling chamber 13 sequentially from the return port 27 shown in FIG.

  As described above, the refrigerator 1 can efficiently supply the cold air cooled by the single cooler 32 to each of the storage chambers 3 to 7 with little pressure loss. Thereby, the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartments 4-6 can be suitably cooled now according to each cooling load.

  Moreover, according to the refrigerator 1 of the present invention, the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartments 4 to 6 are alternately cooled with only one cooler 32 as in the conventional refrigerator equipped with two coolers. Can do. Here, since the refrigerator 1 does not require a complicated refrigerant circuit or circuit switching control, each of the storage chambers 3 to 7 can be cooled with high heat loss and high efficiency.

  Moreover, since the refrigerator 1 does not require a refrigerator dedicated to refrigeration, the refrigerator compartment 3 can be widened. Further, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle can be further improved by adjusting the cooling temperature (refrigerating temperature of the refrigerant) by the cooler 32 in accordance with the target cold holding temperature of the storage room to which cold air is to be supplied.

  Furthermore, a refrigerating room temperature sensor 61 and a freezing room temperature sensor 62 for detecting the temperatures of the refrigerating room 3 and the freezing rooms 4 to 6 respectively are provided, and the second temperature based on the temperature of the refrigerating room 3 detected by the refrigerating room temperature sensor 61. You may control the rotation speed of the air blower 50, and may control the rotation speed of the 1st air blower 35 based on the temperature of the freezer compartments 4-6 detected by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 62. FIG. Thereby, an appropriate amount of cold air can be supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartments 4 to 6, respectively.

  Next, the operation during the defrosting operation will be described with reference to FIGS. If the cooling operation is continued, frost adheres to the air-side heat transfer surface of the cooler 32, hinders heat transfer and closes the air flow path. Therefore, frost formation is determined from a decrease in the refrigerant evaporation temperature or the like, or a determination is made by a defrost timer or the like, and a defrost cooling operation or a defrost operation for removing frost adhering to the cooler 32 is started.

  First, a defrost cooling operation for cooling the refrigerator compartment 3 using latent heat of frost attached to the cooler 32 will be described. When performing the defrost cooling operation, the operation of the compressor 31 is stopped and the first blower 35 is stopped. Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, the blower cover 41 is closed. And the refrigerator compartment damper 51 is opened and the 2nd air blower 50 is drive | operated.

  Thereby, air can be circulated between the refrigerator compartment 3 and the cooling chamber 13, and the frost adhering to the cooler 32 by this circulating air can be thawed. That is, defrosting can be performed without heating by the defrost heater 33. At the same time, the refrigerator 3 can be cooled using the heat of frost melting without operating the compressor 31.

  That is, according to the refrigerator 1 of the present invention, the heater input for defrosting and the compressor input for cooling can be reduced, the power consumption of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced, and the overall cooling efficiency can be increased. . Moreover, since cold air with high humidity can be supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 by defrosting, the drying of food etc. stored there can be prevented and the effect of maintaining freshness can be enhanced. In addition, by providing a supply air passage for supplying cold air to the vegetable compartment 7 without going through the freezer compartment supply air passage 18, the vegetable compartment 7 can be cooled and replenished with latent heat of defrosting.

  Here, the above-described defrost cooling operation is performed when it is determined that the cooler 32 has formed frost and the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 is higher than a predetermined value. Even if the frost formation of the cooler 32 is detected, if the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 is lower than a predetermined value, the refrigerator compartment 3 is not required to be cooled. A normal defrosting operation using 33 is performed.

  In a normal defrosting operation, the compressor 31 is stopped, the defrosting heater 33 is energized, and the frost attached to the cooler 32 is melted. At this time, the blower cover 41 closes the first feed port 14, and the refrigerator compartment damper 51 closes the second feed port 15. Thereby, the air in the cooling chamber 13 heated by the defrost heater 33 can be prevented from flowing out to the refrigerator compartment supply air passage 17 and the freezer compartment supply air passage 18. As a result, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

  Moreover, when the defrosting of the cooler 32 is completed, energization of the defrosting heater 33 is stopped, the compressor 31 is started, and cooling by the refrigeration circuit is started. Then, after detecting that the cooler 32 and the cooling chamber 13 have been cooled to a predetermined temperature, or after a predetermined time has passed with a timer or the like, the blower cover 41 or the refrigerator compartment damper 51 is opened, and the first blower 35 is opened. Alternatively, the operation of the second blower 50 is started. Thereby, the influence by defrost heat can be suppressed as much as possible, and cooling operation can be restarted.

  Next, an operation for forming an air curtain will be described with reference to FIG. When the user opens the heat insulation door 8, the door opening / closing sensor 63 detects that the heat insulation door 8 has been opened. When the control device of the refrigerator 1 detects the open state of the heat insulating door 8, it opens the refrigerator compartment damper 51, operates the second blower 50, and opens the flap 53.

  As a result, cold air is blown out downward from the air outlet 22 a formed in the front upper portion of the refrigerator compartment 3, and an air curtain is formed in the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 3. Here, by adjusting the angle (opening degree) of the flap 53, it is possible to form a suitable air curtain for preventing cold air from leaking from the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 to the outside of the refrigerator.

  Thereafter, when the user closes the heat insulating door 8, the door opening / closing sensor 63 detects that the heat insulating door 8 is closed. When the closed state of the heat insulating door 8 is detected, the control device of the refrigerator 1 performs the normal cooling operation described above.

  In addition, the operation of the second blower 50 may be continued for a predetermined time after the heat insulating door 8 is closed, and the flap 53 may be swung. Thereby, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 heated by opening the heat insulation door 8, especially the storage pocket 57 inside the heat insulation door 8, can be efficiently cooled.

  As mentioned above, although the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention was demonstrated, this invention is not limited to this, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Heat insulation box 3 Refrigerating room 4 Ice making room (freezer room)
5 Upper freezer room (freezer room)
6 Lower freezer compartment (freezer compartment)
7 Vegetable room 13 Cooling room 14 1st feed port 15 2nd feed port 16 Return port 17 Supply air path (refrigeration room supply air path)
18 Supply air passage (freezer compartment supply air passage)
19 Supply air channel (vegetable room supply air channel)
35 1st blower 40 shielding device 41 blower cover 32 cooler 50 2nd blower 51 damper (refrigerator compartment damper)
55 Partition 61 Cold room temperature sensor 62 Freezer room temperature sensor

Claims (5)

A storage room partitioned into at least a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment,
A cooler for cooling air supplied to the storage chamber;
A cooling chamber in which the cooler is disposed,
The refrigerator, wherein the cooling chamber is formed with a first outlet connected to the freezer compartment and a second outlet connected to the refrigerator compartment. The freezer compartment is formed below the refrigerator compartment,
The cooling chamber is formed behind the freezing chamber,
The first feed port is formed in a partition that partitions the front surface of the cooling chamber,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second feed port is formed on an upper surface of the cooling chamber. A first blower disposed in the first feeding port;
A second blower provided in a supply air passage connecting the second feed port and the refrigerator compartment;
A movable blower cover which is provided on the discharge side of the first blower and closes the first feed port approaching the cooling chamber;
A damper provided in the supply air path upstream of the second blower;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a control device that controls the first blower, the second blower, the blower cover, and the damper. A refrigerator temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerator compartment;
A freezer temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the freezer,
The control device controls the number of rotations of the second blower based on the temperature of the refrigerator compartment detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor, and controls the number of rotations based on the temperature of the freezer compartment detected by the freezer compartment temperature sensor. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the number of rotations of one blower is controlled.   When the controller determines that the cooler has formed frost and the temperature of the refrigerator compartment detected by the refrigerator temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined value, the controller stops the operation of the first blower, The refrigerator according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the blower cover closes the first feeding port, opens the damper, and operates the second blower.

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