JP7540942B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Refrigerators are known that have a chilled compartment that is cooled to a lower temperature than the refrigerator compartment. Storing food in the chilled compartment helps keep the food fresh for longer. In recent years, refrigeration controls have been developed that bring out the best flavor in food.

JP 2019-011932 A JP 2019-138616 A

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a refrigerator that can perform more appropriate refrigeration control.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment has a housing, a cooling unit, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The housing includes a storage unit. The cooling unit cools the storage unit. The receiving unit receives, as a control mode for cooling or heating the storage unit, one of a plurality of control modes including a resistant starch increasing mode for increasing resistant starch contained in starch in food. When the receiving unit receives the resistant starch increasing mode, the control unit controls the cooling unit in the resistant starch increasing mode, which includes cooling the storage unit for a first hour in a first temperature zone for freezing food, cooling the storage unit for a second hour in a predetermined second temperature zone for maintaining the food in a thawed state , and then cooling or heating the storage unit in a third temperature zone according to a purpose of use of the food.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 taken along line F2-F2. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a refrigeration cycle device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a part of a configuration related to control of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. The first figure showing the change in chilled chamber temperature when the "resistant starch increase" control mode of the first embodiment is implemented. The second figure showing the change in chilled chamber temperature when the "resistant starch increase" control mode of the first embodiment is implemented. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the effect of the “resistant starch increase” control mode of the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of control by a control unit according to the first embodiment. The third figure showing the change in chilled chamber temperature when the "resistant starch increase" control mode of the first embodiment is implemented. The fourth figure showing the change in chilled chamber temperature when the "resistant starch increase" control mode of the first embodiment is implemented. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of control by a control unit according to a second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a flow of control by a control unit according to a third embodiment.

Below, a refrigerator according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be given the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of these components may be omitted. In this specification, left and right are defined based on the direction in which the refrigerator is viewed from a user standing in front of the refrigerator, and the side closer to the user standing in front of the refrigerator as viewed from the refrigerator is defined as the "front" and the side furthest from the user is defined as the "rear."

"Based on XX" means "based on at least XX" and may include cases where it is based on other elements in addition to XX. "Based on XX" is not limited to the direct use of XX, but may also include cases where it is based on XX that has been calculated or processed. "XX or YY" is not limited to either XX or YY, but may include both XX and YY. "XX" and "YY" are any element (e.g. any information).

In the following explanation, "average temperature" may be read as "core temperature." The "core temperature" is the sum of the maximum value (or upper limit) and the minimum value (or lower limit) of the target temperature range, and then divided by two. However, the "core temperature" may be calculated excluding outliers that may occur when switching between the cooling control of the refrigerator compartment and the cooling control of the freezer compartment, as described below.

First Embodiment
[1. Overall configuration of the refrigerator]
A refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 9. First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described. Fig. 1 is a front view showing the refrigerator 1. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F2-F2 of the refrigerator 1 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a housing 10, a plurality of doors 20, an operation panel 30, a flow path forming component 40, a cooling unit 50, and a control board 100.

The housing 10 has an upper wall 11, a lower wall 12, left and right side walls 13, 14, and a rear wall 15. The upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12 extend approximately horizontally. The left and right side walls 13, 14 rise upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 12 and are connected to the left and right ends of the upper wall 11. The rear wall 15 rises upward from the rear end of the lower wall 12 and is connected to the rear end of the upper wall 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 10 has, for example, an inner box 10a, an outer box 10b, and a heat insulating section 10c. The inner box 10a is a member that forms the inner surface of the housing 10. The outer box 10b is a member that forms the outer surface of the housing 10. The outer box 10b is formed to be slightly larger than the inner box 10a, and is disposed outside the inner box 10a. The heat insulating section 10c, which includes a foamed heat insulating material such as urethane foam, is provided between the inner box 10a and the outer box 10b.

The housing 10 has a plurality of storage compartments 17 inside. The plurality of storage compartments 17 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 17A, a chilled compartment 17B, a vegetable compartment 17C, an ice-making compartment 17D, a small freezer compartment 17E, and a main freezer compartment 17F. For example, the refrigerator compartment 17A is located at the top, the vegetable compartment 17C is located below the refrigerator compartment 17A, the ice-making compartment 17D and the small freezer compartment 17E are located below the vegetable compartment 17C, and the main freezer compartment 17F is located below the ice-making compartment 17D and the small freezer compartment 17E. However, the arrangement of the storage compartments 17 is not limited to the above example. The housing 10 has an opening on the front side of each storage compartment 17 that allows food to be put in and taken out of each storage compartment 17.

The chilled compartment 17B is provided below a part of the refrigerator compartment 17A. The chilled compartment 17B is at least partially partitioned from the refrigerator compartment 17A by, for example, a shelf or a wall. The chilled compartment 17B is cooled to a lower temperature than the refrigerator compartment 17A because it is located lower than the refrigerator compartment 17A and cold air can easily flow into it, and because it is located closer to the refrigerator cooler 61 (described later) than the refrigerator compartment 17A. The chilled compartment 17B is an example of a "storage section." Note that, instead of the chilled compartment 17B, the refrigerator 1 may have a partial compartment that is cooled to a partial temperature zone (approximately -4°C to -2°C) or a temperature-switchable compartment whose temperature can be switched between multiple temperature zones. In this case, the partial compartment and the temperature-switchable compartment are examples of a "storage section."

The housing 10 has a first partition wall 18 and a second partition wall 19. The first partition wall 18 and the second partition wall 19 are partition walls that are approximately horizontal. The first partition wall 18 is located between the refrigerator compartment 17A (chilled compartment 17B) and the vegetable compartment 17C, and separates the refrigerator compartment 17A (chilled compartment 17B) and the vegetable compartment 17C. On the other hand, the second partition wall 19 is located between the vegetable compartment 17C and the ice making compartment 17D and the small freezer compartment 17E, and separates the vegetable compartment 17C from the ice making compartment 17D and the small freezer compartment 17E. The second partition wall 19 contains, for example, a foam insulation material and has thermal insulation properties. The first partition wall 18 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin, and has lower thermal insulation properties than the second partition wall 19. Each of the ice making compartment 17D, the small freezer compartment 17E, and the main freezer compartment 17F is an example of a "storage section."

The openings of the storage compartments 17 are closed by the doors 20. The doors 20 include, for example, left and right refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa and 20Ab that close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 17A, a chilled compartment door 20B that closes the opening of the chilled compartment 17B, a vegetable compartment door 20C that closes the opening of the vegetable compartment 17C, an ice-making compartment door 20D that closes the opening of the ice-making compartment 17D, a small freezer compartment door 20E that closes the opening of the small freezer compartment 17E, and a main freezer compartment door 20F that closes the opening of the main freezer compartment 17F. The chilled compartment door 20B is located inside the refrigerator compartment 17A more than the refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa and 20Ab (see FIG. 2). The chilled compartment door 20B may be, for example, a type that is integral with the chilled compartment container 36B (described below) and is pulled forward integrally with the chilled compartment container 36B, or a type that is opened by rotating around a hinge that is provided adjacent to the chilled compartment 17B.

The operation panel 30 is provided on the door 20 (e.g., the left refrigerator compartment door 20Aa) (see FIG. 1). The operation panel 30 accepts user input operations related to changing the set temperature range of the refrigerator 1 and changing the operating mode. The operation panel 30 is an example of an "operation unit". The operation panel 30 includes, for example, a button 31 for starting and stopping the "resistant starch increase" control mode described below, and a button 32 for selecting various settings in the "resistant starch increase" control mode. However, operations for starting and stopping the control mode and selecting settings may be input from a user's mobile device or smart speaker via a network instead of the operation panel 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, multiple shelves 35 are provided in the refrigerator compartment 17A. Multiple containers 36 include a chilled compartment container 36B provided in the chilled compartment 17B, first and second vegetable compartment containers 36Ca, 36Cb provided in the vegetable compartment 17C, an ice-making compartment container (not shown) provided in the ice-making compartment 17D, a small freezer container 36E provided in the small freezer compartment 17E, and first and second main freezer containers 36Fa, 36Fb provided in the main freezer compartment 17F. Here, "container" also includes a shallow member such as a tray.

The flow path forming part 40 is disposed within the housing 10. The flow path forming part 40 includes a first duct part 41 and a second duct part 42.

The first duct part 41 is provided along the rear wall 15 of the housing 10 and extends vertically. The first duct part 41 extends, for example, from the rear of the lower end of the vegetable compartment 17C to the rear of the upper end of the refrigerator compartment 17A. Between the first duct part 41 and the rear wall 15 of the housing 10, a first duct space D1 is formed, which is a passage through which cold air (air) flows. The first duct part 41 has a plurality of refrigerator compartment cold air outlets 41a, a chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b, and a cold air return port 41c. The plurality of refrigerator compartment cold air outlets 41a are provided at a plurality of height positions above the chilled compartment 17B. The plurality of refrigerator compartment cold air outlets 41a open to the refrigerator compartment 17A. The cold air flowing through the first duct space D1 is blown out from the refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 41a to the refrigerator compartment 17A. The chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b opens into the chilled compartment 17B. The cold air flowing through the first duct space D1 is blown out from the chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b into the chilled compartment 17B. The cold air return port 41c opens into the vegetable compartment 17C. The cold air that has passed through the vegetable compartment 17C returns to the first duct space D1 from the cold air return port 41c.

The second duct part 42 is provided along the rear wall 15 of the housing 10 and extends vertically. The second duct part 42 extends, for example, from the rear of the main freezer 17F to the rear of the upper ends of the ice-making chamber 17D and the small freezer 17E. Between the second duct part 42 and the rear wall 15 of the housing 10, a second duct space D2 is formed, which is a passage through which cold air (air) flows. The second duct part 42 has a cold air outlet 42a and a cold air return port 42b. The cold air outlet 42a opens into the ice-making chamber 17D and the small freezer 17E. The cold air flowing through the second duct space D2 is blown out from the cold air outlet 42a into the ice-making chamber 17D and the small freezer 17E. The cold air return port 42b opens into the main freezer 17F. The cold air that passes through the main freezer compartment 17F returns to the second duct space D2 through the cold air return port 42b.

The cooling section (cooling unit) 50 cools the multiple storage compartments 17 (refrigerating compartment 17A, chilled compartment 17B, vegetable compartment 17C, ice making compartment 17D, small freezing compartment 17E, and main freezing compartment 17F). The cooling section 50 includes, for example, a first cooling module 60, a second cooling module 70, a compressor 80, and a refrigeration cycle device 90 (FIG. 3). Here, "cooling" means a state in which a refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 80 to a cooler (refrigerating cooler 61 or freezing cooler 71 described later) corresponding to each storage compartment 17. However, "cooling" is not limited to a case in which a refrigerating fan 62 or a freezing fan 72 described later is driven. For example, "cooling" also includes a case in which a refrigerant is sent from the compressor 80 to the refrigerating cooler 61 with the driving of the refrigerating fan 62 stopped, and the temperature of the chilled compartment 17B is reduced by heat transfer between the refrigerating cooler 61 and the chilled compartment 17B.

The first cooling module 60 includes, for example, a refrigeration cooler 61 and a refrigeration fan 62. The refrigeration cooler 61 is arranged in the first duct space D1. The refrigeration cooler 61 is supplied with refrigerant compressed by the compressor 80 and cools the cold air flowing through the first duct space D1. The refrigeration cooler 61 is arranged, for example, at a height corresponding to the chilled chamber 17B.

The refrigeration fan 62 is provided, for example, in the cold air return port 41c of the first duct part 41. When the refrigeration fan 62 is driven, the air in the vegetable compartment 17C flows into the first duct space D1 from the cold air return port 41c. The air that flows into the first duct space D1 flows upward in the first duct space D1 and is cooled by the refrigeration cooler 61. The cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 61 is blown out from the multiple refrigerator compartment cold air outlets 41a into the refrigerator compartment 17A and from the chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b into the chilled compartment 17B. The cold air blown out to the refrigerator compartment 17A and the chilled compartment 17B flows through the refrigerator compartment 17A and the chilled compartment 17B, respectively, and then returns to the cold air return port 41c again via, for example, the vegetable compartment 17C. As a result, the cold air flowing through the refrigerator compartment 17A, chilled compartment 17B, and vegetable compartment 17C is circulated inside the refrigerator 1, cooling the refrigerator compartment 17A, chilled compartment 17B, and vegetable compartment 17C. The chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b is provided with an openable/closable lid 114 (see FIG. 4). When the chilled compartment 17B is heated by the purpose-specific control described below, the chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b is closed by the control of the control unit 101, and the openable/closable lid 114 is closed.

On the other hand, the second cooling module 70 includes, for example, a refrigeration cooler 71 and a refrigeration fan 72. The refrigeration cooler 71 is arranged in the second duct space D2. The refrigeration cooler 71 is supplied with refrigerant compressed by the compressor 80 and cools the cold air flowing through the second duct space D2.

The freezing fan 72 is provided, for example, in the cold air return port 42b of the second duct part 42. When the freezing fan 72 is driven, the air in the main freezing chamber 17F flows into the second duct space D2 from the cold air return port 42b. The air that flows into the second duct space D2 flows upward in the second duct space D2 and is cooled by the freezing cooler 71. The cold air cooled by the freezing cooler 71 flows into the ice making chamber 17D, the small freezing chamber 17E, and the main freezing chamber 17F from the cold air outlet 42a. The cold air that flows into the ice making chamber 17D and the small freezing chamber 17E flows through the ice making chamber 17D and the small freezing chamber 17E, respectively, and then returns to the cold air return port 42b via the main freezing chamber 17F. This causes the cold air flowing through the ice making compartment 17D, the small freezing compartment 17E, and the main freezing compartment 17F to circulate within the refrigerator 1, cooling the ice making compartment 17D, the small freezing compartment 17E, and the main freezing compartment 17F.

The compressor 80 is provided, for example, in a machine room at the bottom of the refrigerator 1. The compressor 80 compresses the refrigerant gas used to cool the storage chamber 17. The refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor 80 is sent to the refrigeration cooler 61 and the freezing cooler 71 via a condenser 91 (described later) and the like.

[2. Refrigeration cycle device]
3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a refrigeration cycle device 90. The refrigeration cycle device 90 includes, in the order of refrigerant flow, a condenser 91, a dryer 92, a three-way valve 93, and capillary tubes 94 and 95. More specifically, the condenser 91 and the dryer 92 are connected in this order to a high-pressure discharge port of the compressor 80 via a connecting pipe 96. The three-way valve 93 is connected to the discharge side of the dryer 92. The three-way valve 93 has one inlet to which the dryer 92 is connected, and two outlets.

One of the two outlets of the three-way valve 93 is connected in turn to a capillary tube 94 on the refrigeration side and a refrigeration cooler 61. The refrigeration cooler 61 is connected to the compressor 80 via a refrigeration side suction pipe 97, which is a connecting pipe. The other of the two outlets of the three-way valve 93 is connected in turn to a capillary tube 95 on the freezing side and a refrigeration cooler 71. The refrigeration cooler 71 is connected to the compressor 80 via a refrigeration side suction pipe 98, which is a connecting pipe. A check valve 99 is provided between the refrigeration cooler 71 and the compressor 80 to prevent the refrigerant from the refrigeration cooler 61 from flowing back to the refrigeration cooler 71.

The refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle device 90 is compressed by the compressor 80 to become a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, which flows through the flow path A. This gaseous refrigerant is dissipated heat by the condenser 91 to become a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant, from which impurities such as dirt and moisture have been removed by passing through the dryer 92, enters the capillary tube 94 (or capillary tube 95) while being throttled and controlled by the three-way valve 93. At this time, the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant in the capillary tube 94 (or capillary tube 95) is depressurized while exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the refrigeration side suction pipe 97 (or the freezing side suction pipe 98). The depressurized refrigerant then evaporates while passing through the refrigeration cooler 61 (or the freezing cooler 71), thereby cooling the refrigeration cooler 61 (or the freezing cooler 71).

Thereafter, the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows into the refrigeration-side suction pipe 97 (or the freezing-side suction pipe 98). The temperature of the refrigerant gas immediately after flowing into the refrigeration-side suction pipe 97 (or the freezing-side suction pipe 98) is low, at around -10°C.
This refrigerant gas exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the capillary tube 94 (or capillary tube 95) while passing through the refrigeration side suction pipe 97 (or the freezing side suction pipe 98), and is finally heated to about room temperature. Then, this refrigerant gas is sucked back into the compressor 80, completing the circulation of the refrigerant.

In the above-mentioned refrigeration cycle device 90, the three-way valve 93 is controlled by the control unit 101 (see FIG. 4) to select, for example, one of flow paths B and C. Flow path B is a flow path that supplies the refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 61. Flow path C is a flow path that supplies the refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 71. These two flow paths B and C merge at a junction D. The refrigerant flows from the junction D in the direction of the arrow E and returns to the compressor 80.

As described above, the control unit 101 alternates between flow path B and flow path C by controlling the three-way valve 93. When the refrigerant flows through flow path B, the storage compartments 17 (refrigerator compartment 17A, chilled compartment 17B, vegetable compartment 17C) in the refrigeration temperature range are cooled. When the refrigerant flows through flow path C, the storage compartments 17 (ice-making compartment 17D, small freezer compartment 17E, main freezer compartment 17F) in the freezing temperature range are cooled. For example, the control unit 101 flows the refrigerant through flow path B for 20 minutes to cool the storage compartments 17 in the refrigeration temperature range (so-called refrigeration operation), and flows the refrigerant through flow path C for 40 minutes to cool the storage compartments 17 in the freezing temperature range (so-called freezing operation).

[3. Control Unit]
[3.1 Configuration related to the control unit]
Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a part of the configuration related to the control of the refrigerator 1. The control board 100 includes a control unit 101 configured by a computer including a microcomputer and a timer 101a for measuring time. The control unit 101 may be a software function unit realized by executing a computer program by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or may be realized by hardware (e.g., a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a PLD (Programmable Logic Device). All or a part of the control unit 101 may be realized by a combination of a software function unit and hardware.

The control unit 101 controls the entire refrigerator 1. The control unit 101 is connected to the refrigeration fan 62, the freezing fan 72, the compressor 80, the three-way valve 93, the operation panel 30, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 111, the chilled compartment temperature sensor 112, the interior camera 113, the opening/closing lid 114, the chilled compartment heater 115, and the memory unit 116.

The refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 111 is exposed, for example, to the refrigerator compartment 17A and detects the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 17A.

The chilled compartment temperature sensor 112 is exposed to the chilled compartment 17B and detects the temperature related to the chilled compartment 17B. The "temperature related to the chilled compartment" is, for example, one or more of the temperature of the food stored in the chilled compartment 17B (for example, the surface temperature of the food), the air temperature of the chilled compartment 17B, or the temperature of a member stored in the chilled compartment 17B (for example, the chilled compartment container 36B). For example, the chilled compartment temperature sensor 112 is a contact-type temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the food stored in the chilled compartment 17B. However, instead of providing the chilled compartment temperature sensor 112, the control unit 101 may estimate the air temperature of the chilled compartment 17B based on the detection result of the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 111 and the correspondence relationship between the air temperature of the refrigerator compartment 17A and the air temperature of the chilled compartment 17B that is determined in advance. In this case, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 111 corresponds to an example of a "sensor that detects the temperature related to the chilled compartment". For the sake of convenience, the air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 17A will be referred to as the "refrigerator compartment temperature," the air temperature in the chilled compartment 17B as the "chilled compartment temperature," the air temperature in the vegetable compartment 17C as the "vegetable compartment temperature," and the air temperature in the main freezer compartment 17F as the "freezer compartment temperature."

The interior camera 113 is provided, for example, in the refrigerator compartment 17A and detects the entry and exit of food into and from the refrigerator compartment 17A or the chilled compartment 17B. The opening and closing of the chilled compartment door 20B may be detected based on an image or video captured by the interior camera 113. In this case, the interior camera 113 is another example of a "detection unit that detects the opening and closing of the chilled compartment door."

The opening/closing lid 114 is provided on the chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b. The opening/closing lid 114 is open or closed under the control of the control unit 101. Specifically, when the chilled compartment 17B is heated, the opening/closing lid 114 is controlled to be closed. When the opening/closing lid 114 is in the closed state, the blowing of cold air from the chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b to the chilled compartment 17B is blocked.

The chilled chamber heater 115 is provided on the bottom or back of the chilled chamber 17B and is energized by the control unit 101 to heat the chilled chamber 17B.

The storage unit 116 is realized by a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a ROM (read-only memory), or a RAM (random access memory), etc. The storage unit 116 stores information (such as setting information for the implementation time and standby time) required to implement each of the control modes, "normal chilling," "rapid chilling," "thawing," and "resistant starch increase," which will be described later.

[3.2 Basic operation]
Next, a basic operation of the refrigerator 1 will be described. The control unit 101 executes a "refrigeration operation" and a "freezing operation" as basic operations of the refrigerator 1. The "refrigeration operation" refers to an operation in which the three-way valve 93 is switched and liquid refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 80 to the refrigeration cooler 61. On the other hand, the "freezing operation" refers to an operation in which the three-way valve 93 is switched and liquid refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 80 to the refrigeration cooler 71.

The control unit 101 controls the cooling unit 50, for example, by alternating between refrigeration operation and freezing operation, so that the storage compartments 17 in the refrigeration temperature zone (refrigeration compartment 17A, chilled compartment 17B, vegetable compartment 17C) and the storage compartments 17 in the freezing temperature zone (ice-making compartment 17D, small freezer compartment 17E, main freezer compartment 17F) are kept at their respective set temperature zones. For example, the control unit 101 alternately cools the storage compartments 17 in the refrigeration temperature zone for a predetermined time (e.g., 20 minutes) and cools the storage compartments 17 in the freezing temperature zone for another predetermined time (e.g., 40 minutes).

The control unit 101 may terminate the refrigeration operation and start the freezing operation even during the above-mentioned predetermined time, for example, when the refrigerator compartment temperature reaches the lower limit of the set temperature range of the refrigerator compartment 17A (or when the chilled compartment temperature reaches the lower limit of the set temperature range of the chilled compartment 17B) or when the freezer compartment temperature reaches the upper limit of the set temperature range of the main freezer compartment 17F during the refrigeration operation. The control unit 101 may terminate the freezing operation and start the refrigeration operation even during the above-mentioned predetermined time, for example, when the freezer compartment temperature reaches the lower limit of the set temperature range of the main freezer compartment 17F during the refrigeration operation or when the refrigerator compartment temperature reaches the upper limit of the set temperature range of the refrigerator compartment 17A (or when the chilled compartment temperature reaches the upper limit of the set temperature range of the chilled compartment 17B).

Here, during refrigeration operation, the air temperature in storage compartment 17 in the refrigeration temperature range drops, but the air temperature in storage compartment 17 in the freezing temperature range rises. On the other hand, during freezing operation, the air temperature in storage compartment 17 in the freezing temperature range drops, but the air temperature in storage compartment 17 in the refrigeration temperature range rises. For this reason, the air temperatures in storage compartment 17 in the refrigeration temperature range and the air temperatures in storage compartment 17 in the freezing temperature range repeatedly rise and fall in a sawtooth pattern (see Figures 5 and 6). Refrigeration operation and freezing operation in the refrigeration cycle device 90 are alternately repeated during the implementation of the "resistant starch increase" control (hereinafter sometimes referred to as RS increase control), which will be described later.

[3.3 Set temperature range]
Next, the "set temperature zone" will be described. The "set temperature zone" refers to a temperature range in which the air temperature of the storage compartment 17 (for example, the refrigerator compartment 17A (or chilled compartment 17B) and the main freezer compartment 17F) that is the main target of temperature management is maintained during refrigeration operation and freezing operation. The "set temperature zone" refers to a temperature range defined by an upper limit value and a lower limit value.

The control unit 101 performs feedback control such as proportional integral differential control (PID control) based on the refrigerator compartment temperature (or chilled compartment temperature) or freezer compartment temperature to keep the air temperature of the storage compartment 17, which is the main target of temperature management, between the upper and lower limits of the set temperature range. For example, when the difference between the refrigerator compartment temperature (or chilled compartment temperature) and the lower limit of the set temperature range is large, the control unit 101 sets the operating frequency (compression capacity) of the compressor 80 high and the rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 62 high. On the other hand, when the difference between the refrigerator compartment temperature (or chilled compartment temperature) and the lower limit of the set temperature range is small, the control unit 101 sets the operating frequency of the compressor 80 low and the rotation speed of the refrigeration fan 62 low.

Here, the "set temperature zone" has multiple stages (multiple levels) for both refrigeration operation and freezing operation. For example, in RS increase control, the set temperature zone for refrigeration operation includes three temperature zones: "freezing temperature zone", "thawing retention temperature zone", and "purpose-specific temperature zone". The "freezing temperature zone" is set to a temperature at which food can be frozen to the inside (for example, to the center). For example, the target temperature for the "freezing temperature zone" is set to a temperature of -2°C or lower (for example, -2°C). The "thawing retention temperature zone" is set to a temperature at which food frozen to the inside is thawed and the food is retained at a temperature suitable for increasing resistant starch. For example, the target temperature for the "thawing retention temperature zone" is set to a temperature of +3°C or higher and lower than +5°C (for example, +4°C). The "purpose-specific temperature zone" is set to a temperature according to the purpose of use of the food. When storing food, the "purpose-specific temperature zone" is set to a temperature of -1°C or higher and lower than +3°C (for example, +2°C). When consuming food, the "purpose-specific temperature zone" is set to, for example, a temperature of +5°C or higher (e.g., +10°C).

4. Control Mode
The control unit 101 can implement several control modes, such as a "normal chilled" control mode in which the average temperature of chilled compartment 17B is kept in the temperature range of +0.5 to +2.0°C, a "rapid chilled" control mode in which the temperature of food newly placed in chilled compartment 17B is quickly lowered to the temperature range of chilled compartment 17B, and a "thawed" control mode in which the temperature in chilled compartment 17B is increased compared to the "normal chilled" control mode. In addition to these, the control unit 101 of this embodiment can also implement a "resistant starch increase" control mode. The "resistant starch increase" control mode is an example of a control pattern.

<Increased resistant starch>
The "resistant starch increase" control mode is a control that increases the resistant starch contained in the starch in the food. Resistant starch is a component that is difficult to digest and absorb in the small intestine. When a user ingests foods that contain a lot of starch, such as rice, bread, and sweets, the components contained in the starch are changed to increase the resistant starch, thereby obtaining effects such as suppressing obesity, preventing diabetes, and relieving constipation. The resistant starch contained in the starch in the food can be increased by freezing the food to the inside (for example, to the center) once, thawing it, and storing it at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time or more (for example, at +4°C for 4 hours or more). In the "resistant starch increase" control mode, the chilled compartment 17B is cooled in the freezing temperature zone. Next, the chilled compartment 17B is cooled in the thawing retention temperature zone. Finally, the chilled compartment 17B is cooled or heated in the purpose-specific temperature zone. In the "resistant starch increase" control mode, for example, the cooling unit 50 is controlled based on the chilled compartment temperature instead of the refrigerator compartment temperature.

The "Resistant Starch Increase" control mode is started when a user operation to start "Resistant Starch Increase" is received via the operation panel 30 or the like. The user can set at least the intended use of the food (e.g., food storage or consumption) before control starts.

Figure 5 is the first diagram showing the change in the chilled compartment temperature when the "resistant starch increase" control mode is implemented. When the "resistant starch increase" control mode is implemented, the control unit 101 implements freezing control to cool the chilled compartment 17B in a freezing temperature range. Next, the control unit 101 implements thawing maintenance control to cool the chilled compartment 17B in a thawing maintenance temperature range. Next, the control unit 101 implements purpose-specific control to cool the chilled compartment 17B in a purpose-specific temperature range. Note that the following explanation is given assuming that the chilled compartment temperature and the internal temperature of the food stored in the chilled compartment are roughly equal, but if there is a difference between the chilled compartment temperature and the temperature of the food when implementing the RS increase control, an offset value that compensates for the difference can be set for the following set temperatures. Also, in the following explanation, "chilled compartment temperature" may be appropriately read as "food temperature".

The average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature zone is, for example, -2°C. The freezing temperature zone is a temperature at which the food in the chilled compartment 17B can be frozen to the inside. The freezing control is performed for a predetermined implementation time Sa (for example, about 350 minutes) required for the food to be completely frozen to the inside. The control unit 101 starts the freezing control at time t0 and performs the freezing control until time t1. For a while after the start of the freezing control, the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) drops rapidly and approaches the average temperature Ta, but it is not until just before time t1 that the average temperature Ta is completely achieved. In this state, the food is completely frozen to the inside. For example, the time until the inside of foodstuffs such as rice or bread are completely frozen is measured in advance, and the measured time is set as the implementation time Sa. When freezing food, if the food is frozen rapidly, the food may freeze before the resistant starch increases. Therefore, it is preferable to freeze the food slowly. For this reason, the average temperature Ta is set to a temperature that, if achieved, will ensure that the food is frozen to its inside, and that will not cause a rapid temperature drop that would prevent the increase in resistant starch. For example, -2°C is such a temperature. Also, in order to increase resistant starch, it is sufficient to freeze the food to its inside once, and there is no need to maintain that state. In the first embodiment, the implementation time Sa is set to the time required to freeze foods that take the longest time to freeze, such as rice and bread, that contain a lot of starch.

On the other hand, if the implementation time Sa is set to match foods that take a long time to freeze, and the average temperature Ta is set so that the food freezes slowly, this is advantageous for increasing resistant starch, but it will take longer to control for increasing RS, which may impair user convenience. Therefore, the average temperature Ta may be set to a temperature lower than -2°C to shorten the implementation time Sa. When setting the average temperature Ta to a temperature lower than -2°C to shorten the control time, if the implementation time Sa is not set appropriately, the food will continue to freeze and it will take longer to thaw it, which may actually result in a longer control time. Therefore, when setting the average temperature Ta to a temperature lower than -2°C to shorten the freezing time, the implementation time Sa is set based on a more precise estimate of the time it takes for the food to freeze to the inside. Alternatively, instead of setting the implementation time Sa in advance, the set temperature can be set to, for example, -5°C, and the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) can be lowered more rapidly than when it is -2°C, and the freezing control can be terminated when the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) reaches -2°C (or when a predetermined time has passed since it reached -2°C) (first modified example described below). The freezing temperature zone is an example of the first temperature zone. The implementation time Sa is an example of the first time.

The average temperature Tb of the thawing retention temperature zone is +4°C. The average temperature Tb is set to +4°C, which is an example of a temperature at which food frozen to the inside by freezing control can be thawed and resistant starch can be increased. The thawing retention control is performed for a predetermined implementation time Sb (for example, 400 minutes). The control unit 101 starts the thawing retention control at time t1 and performs the thawing retention control until time t3. To increase resistant starch, it is effective to hold a food that has been frozen once at +4°C for at least 4 hours after thawing it. The implementation time Sb is set to a value obtained by adding the thawing time Sb1, which is the time required for the food to thaw and reach +4°C, and the retention time Sb2 at which the food is held at +4°C. The thawing time Sb1 is, for example, about 160 minutes. The retention time Sb2 is, for example, 240 minutes (4 hours). The execution time Sb is set to a time sufficient for the food to be thawed and then held at +4° C. for four hours, and not to make the entire time of the RS increase control too long. Alternatively, instead of setting the execution time Sb in advance, the thawing hold control may be terminated when four hours (or a time with a little margin over four hours) have elapsed since the temperature measured by the chilled chamber temperature sensor 112 reaches +4° C. (a second modified example in the first to third embodiments described later). The thawing hold temperature zone (in the hold time Sb2) is an example of the second temperature zone and the fourth temperature zone. The hold time Sb2 is an example of the second time. In the RS increase control illustrated in FIG. 5, the temperature at which the food is thawed (the chilled chamber temperature in the thawing time Sb1) and the temperature that is kept constant after thawing (the chilled chamber temperature in the hold time Sb2) are the same temperature, but are not limited to this. For example, the temperature at which the food is thawed may be set to a temperature higher than +4° C. (fourth temperature zone), and the temperature to be kept (second temperature zone) may be set to +4° C. Alternatively, the temperature at which food is thawed may be lower than +4°C (fourth temperature zone), and the temperature at which it is maintained (second temperature zone) may be +4°C.

The average temperature Tc of the purpose-specific temperature zone is, for example, +2°C. The purpose-specific temperature zone is set according to the intended use of the food in which resistant starch has been increased by carrying out freezing control and thawing holding control in that order. When storing the food after the resistant starch has been increased, the average temperature Tc is set to a temperature similar to "normal chilled", for example, +2°C. The purpose-specific control is carried out for a predetermined implementation time Sc. The control unit 101 starts the purpose-specific control at time t3. When the intended use of the food is storage, the purpose-specific control may be carried out without restrictions. The purpose-specific temperature zone is an example of a third temperature zone.

In the case of the RS increase control shown in FIG. 5, when the implementation time Sa is compared with the holding time Sb2, the implementation time Sa is longer than the holding time Sb2. This is to prevent the food from freezing rapidly before the resistant starch increases. When the implementation time Sa is compared with the implementation time Sb, the implementation time Sb is longer than the implementation time Sa. This is because it takes time for the state of the frozen food to change in order to thaw the temperature, and because it is held for at least 4 hours after reaching +4°C. The temperature change illustrated in FIG. 5 is a graph when the average temperature Ta is set to -2°C. If the average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature zone is set to -5°C or -10°C to shorten the control time, it is thought that the implementation time Sa will be even shorter. On the other hand, for food in the same frozen state as when the average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature zone is set to -2°C, the implementation time Sb should not change. Therefore, even if the average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature zone is changed, the implementation time Sb will be longer than the implementation time Sa unless the implementation times Sa and Sb are intentionally set longer. In the example of FIG. 5, the average temperature Tc of the objective-specific temperature zone is +2° C. In this case, when comparing the defrosting time Sb1 with the time Sc1 from the start of the objective-specific control until the average temperature Tc of the objective-specific temperature zone is reached, the defrosting time Sb1 is longer than the time Sc1. Also, when focusing on the temperature change during this period, the gradient of the temperature change during the time Sc1 (for example, the value obtained by dividing the difference between the chilled chamber temperature (food temperature) at the first time and the chilled chamber temperature (food temperature) at the last time in the time Sc1 by the time Sc1) is larger than the gradient of the temperature change during the defrosting time Sb1 (for example, the value obtained by dividing the difference between the chilled chamber temperature (food temperature) at the first time and the chilled chamber temperature (food temperature) at the last time in the defrosting time Sb1 by the defrosting time Sb1). This is because the defrosting time Sb1 involves a change in the state of the food from frozen to defrosted, whereas the time Sc1 does not involve a change in the state of the food. In addition, when comparing the slope of the temperature change during implementation time Sa, for example, from the start of freezing control until the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) reaches 0°C (for example, the slope of the temperature change throughout this period, or the maximum value of the slope of the temperature change for each specified time during this period), with the slope of the temperature change during time Sc1, the slope of the temperature change during implementation time Sa is greater. The slope of the temperature change may also be referred to as the "temperature change rate" or "amount of temperature change per unit time."

Figure 6 shows an example in which the average temperature Tc' of the purpose-specific temperature zone is set to +10°C. Figure 6 is a second diagram showing the change in the chilled compartment temperature when the "resistant starch increase" control mode is implemented. When the resistant starch of rice or bread is increased, it becomes dry and the texture deteriorates. By raising the temperature of the food before ingestion, the texture can be brought closer to the original state without damaging the resistant starch. When the purpose of using the food is ingestion, the average temperature Tc' is set to, for example, +10°C. By raising the temperature of the food to +10°C, the texture is restored and it becomes easier to consume. Since +10°C is not suitable for long-term storage of food, a predetermined time may be set for the implementation time Sc', and the temperature may then be changed to that in the normal "chilled compartment" control mode. In the example of Figure 6, when comparing the defrosting time Sb1 with the time Sc1' from the start of the purpose-specific control until the average temperature Tc' is reached, the defrosting time Sb1 is longer than the time Sc1'. The slope of the temperature change during time Sc1' (for example, the difference between the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) at the first time in time Sc1' and the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) at the last time divided by time Sc1') is greater than the slope of the temperature change during thawing time Sb1. When comparing the slope of the temperature change during implementation time Sa, for example, from the start of freezing control until the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) reaches 0°C, with the slope of the temperature change during time Sc1', the slope of the temperature change during implementation time Sa is greater. The temperature change due to RS increase control shown in Figures 5 and 6 is an example of a case where the first time (implementation time Sa) is longer than the second time (retention time Sb2).

Figure 7 shows the change in resistant starch content due to RS increase control. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the effect of RS increase control in an embodiment. Referring to Figure 7, the amount of resistant starch contained in 100g of rice before implementing RS increase control is 4g, which increases by 7g due to implementation of RS increase control, and is 11g after implementation. Similarly, the amount of resistant starch contained in 100g of bread before implementing RS increase control is 9g, which increases by 5g due to implementation of RS increase control, and is 14g after implementation of RS increase control.

5. Control Flow
8 is a flowchart showing the flow of control of the control unit 101. The memory unit 116 is set with the implementation time Sa (e.g., 350 minutes), the implementation time Sb (e.g., 400 minutes), implementation times Sc and Sc' for each purpose of use, a set value of the average temperature Ta in the freezing temperature zone (e.g., -2°C), a set value of the average temperature Tb in the thawing retention temperature zone (e.g., +4°C), an average temperature Tc in the purpose-specific temperature zone for each purpose of use (e.g., +2°C), and an average temperature Tc' (e.g., +10°C).

The control unit 101 acquires settings related to RS increase control and a command to start the "resistant starch increase" control mode through user operation (S101). The settings related to RS increase control are the intended use of the food in relation to the set temperature in purpose-specific control. The user, for example, operates button 32 to select storage or consumption and input the intended use of the food to the refrigerator 1. The user, for example, operates button 31 to input a command to start the "resistant starch increase" control mode to the refrigerator 1. The control unit 101 acquires these inputs.

The control unit 101 performs freezing control (S102). For example, the control unit 101 sets the set temperature of the storage compartment 17 in the refrigeration temperature range to -2°C, and controls the cooling unit 50. The control unit 101 performs freezing control for the implementation time Sa. When the implementation time Sa has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the freezing control.

Next, the control unit 101 performs the thawing maintenance control (S103). For example, the control unit 101 sets the set temperature of the storage chamber 17 in the refrigeration temperature range to +4°C and controls the cooling unit 50. The control unit 101 performs the thawing maintenance control for the implementation time Sb. When the implementation time Sb has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the thawing maintenance control.

Next, the control unit 101 starts purpose-specific control. The control unit 101 checks the purpose of use in the settings input in S101. If the purpose of use is storage (S104: YES), the control unit 101 performs purpose-specific control for storage (S105). For example, the set temperature of the storage chamber 17 in the refrigeration temperature range is set to +2°C, and the cooling unit 50 is controlled. The control unit 101 performs purpose-specific control for a predetermined time (implementation time Sc). Then, after the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends purpose-specific control for storage.

If the intended use is ingestion (S104: NO), the control unit 101 performs purpose-specific control for ingestion (S106). For example, the control unit 101 closes the opening/closing lid 114 of the chilled compartment cold air outlet 41b and energizes the chilled compartment heater 115. The control unit 101 monitors the chilled compartment temperature and controls the operation of the chilled compartment heater 115 so that the chilled compartment temperature is maintained at +10°C. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the purpose-specific control for ingestion.

6. Advantages
In this embodiment, the control unit 101 performs freezing control for an execution time Sa that is sufficient to completely freeze the inside of the food containing starch, and then performs thawing and holding control to thaw the food and hold it at 4° C. for 4 hours or more. This makes it possible to increase the resistant starch contained in the starch in the food.

In this embodiment, after the thawing maintenance control is performed, control is performed to preserve the food at a temperature suitable for long-term storage of the food (purpose-specific control when the purpose of use is preservation). This allows the food to be preserved in its original state after the resistant starch has been increased.

In this embodiment, after the thawing maintenance control is performed, a control is performed to restore the dryness of the food (purpose-specific control when the intended use is consumption). This makes it possible to improve the texture in preparation for consumption after increasing the resistant starch.

In this embodiment, the food is frozen for an execution time Sa that is longer than the holding time Sb2. This prevents the so-called gelatinization of starch and increases resistant starch (beta starch).

In this embodiment, the temperature can be shifted from the center temperature Tb of the thawing retention temperature zone to the center temperature Tc of the target temperature zone in a time Sc1 that is shorter than the implementation time Sb. This prevents food from spoiling.

(First Modification of the First Embodiment)
In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the control is described as an example in which, when the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) reaches −2° C. as a result of the freezing control, the control immediately transitions to the thawing maintenance control. However, after reaching −2° C., this temperature may be maintained for a while. FIG. 9A shows an example of the change in the chilled compartment temperature when such RS increase control is performed. In FIG. 9A, the control unit 101 starts the freezing control at time t0, and achieves −2° C. at time t1 after time Sa1 (for example, about 350 minutes). However, the control unit 101 continues the freezing control for time Sa2 (for example, about 210 minutes). Then, the control unit 101 performs the freezing control for an implementation time Sa (for example, about 560 minutes), which is the time obtained by adding time Sa2 to time Sa1, and then ends the freezing control and starts the thawing maintenance control at time t1a. In the example of FIG. 9A, the thawing maintenance control and the purpose-specific control are the same as those in the example of FIG. 5. For example, the control unit 101 performs the thawing maintenance control for the implementation time Sb (for example, about 400 minutes). After that, the control unit 101 performs the purpose-specific control for the implementation time Sc. In this way, in the freezing control, a margin time period can be set in which the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) is maintained at -2°C. Even in this case, the implementation time Sa (for example, about 560 minutes) is longer than the maintenance time Sb2 (for example, about 240 minutes). On the other hand, in a comparison between the implementation time Sa and the implementation time Sb, the implementation time Sa (for example, about 560 minutes) is longer than the implementation time Sb (for example, about 400 minutes). The implementation time Sa in the RS increase control illustrated in FIG. 9A is an example of the first time. The temperature change due to the RS increase control illustrated in FIG. 9A is an example of a case in which the first time (implementation time Sa) is longer than the sum of the time to proceed with thawing the food (thawing time Sb1) and the second time (maintenance time Sb2).

(Second Modification of the First Embodiment)
In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the temperature is lowered to -2°C and then held at 4°C for 4 hours or more, but by holding at 4°C for 12 hours or more, the resistant starch can be further increased. FIG. 9B shows an example of the change in the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) when the holding time Sb2 is 12 hours. In FIG. 9B, the control unit 101 starts the freezing control at time t0, ends the freezing control at time t1 after the implementation time Sa, and starts the thawing holding control. When the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) becomes +4°C at time t2, the temperature is held for 12 hours or more. That is, the holding time Sb2 is 720 minutes or more. For example, the control unit 101 performs the thawing holding control for the implementation time Sb (for example, about 880 minutes, Sb1 is about 160 minutes, and Sb2 is about 720 minutes). Then, the control unit 101 performs the purpose-specific control for the implementation time Sc. In this way, in the thawing retention control, the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) may be retained for 12 hours or more after it reaches +4° C. This can further increase the resistant starch compared to, for example, retaining the food for 4 hours at +4° C. The temperature change due to the RS increase control shown in FIG 9B is an example of a case where the second time (retention time Sb2) is longer than the first time (implementation time Sa).

Second Embodiment
Next, the second embodiment will be described. The first embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the implementation time Sa and the implementation time Sb are set according to the type of food. For example, when comparing rice and bread (including sweets), rice takes longer to freeze and thaw. In the second embodiment, when performing RS increase control on rice, the time required to freeze the rice is set as the implementation time Sa to perform freezing control, and the time required to thaw the rice is set as the thawing time Sb1 to perform thawing retention control (the retention time Sb2 is 4 hours or more regardless of the type of food). For example, the implementation time Sa for rice is a sufficient and shortest time that can reliably freeze the rice to the inside. For example, the implementation time Sa for bread and sweets is a sufficient and shortest time that can reliably freeze the bread and sweets to the inside. For example, the implementation time Sb for rice is a sufficient and shortest time that can reliably hold the rice in that state for 4 hours after thawing the rice and allowing it to reach 4°C. For example, the implementation time Sb for breads and sweets is the shortest time sufficient to thaw breads and sweets, allow them to reach 4° C., and then hold them in that state for four hours. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of control by the control unit 101. The memory unit 116 stores the implementation time Sa for rice, the implementation time Sa for bread and sweets, the implementation time Sb for rice, the implementation time Sb for bread and sweets, the implementation times Sc and Sc' for each purpose of use, the set value of the average temperature Ta in the freezing temperature zone (e.g. -2°C), the set value of the average temperature Tb in the thawing retention temperature zone (e.g. +4°C), the average temperature Tc in the purpose-specific temperature zone for each purpose of use (e.g. +2°C) and the average temperature Tc' (e.g. +10°C).

The control unit 101 acquires settings related to RS increase control and a command to start the "resistant starch increase" control mode through user operation (S101a). The settings related to RS increase control include the type of food in addition to the intended use of the food. The user, for example, operates button 32 to select the intended use of the food (e.g., storage or consumption) and the type of food (e.g., rice, bread, or sweets), and inputs the intended use and type of food to the refrigerator 1. The user, for example, operates button 31 to input a command to start the "resistant starch increase" control mode to the refrigerator 1. The control unit 101 acquires these inputs.

The control unit 101 performs freezing control for a time period according to the type of food (S102a). For example, the control unit 101 sets the set temperature of the storage chamber 17 in the refrigeration temperature range to -2°C and controls the cooling unit 50. For example, if rice is input as the type of food, the control unit 101 performs freezing control for the implementation time Sa for rice. When the implementation time Sa has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the freezing control for rice. For example, if bread or sweets is input as the type of food, the control unit 101 performs freezing control for the implementation time Sa' for bread and sweets, which is set to a time shorter than the implementation time Sa. When the implementation time Sa' has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the freezing control for bread and sweets.

Next, the control unit 101 performs thawing retention control (S103a). For example, the control unit 101 sets the set temperature of the storage chamber 17 in the refrigeration temperature range to +4°C and controls the cooling unit 50. For example, if rice is input as the type of food, the control unit 101 performs thawing retention control for the implementation time Sb for rice. When the implementation time Sb has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the thawing retention control for rice. For example, if bread or sweets is input as the type of food, the control unit 101 performs thawing retention control for the implementation time Sb' for bread and sweets, which is set to a time shorter than the implementation time Sb. When the implementation time Sb' has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the thawing retention control for bread and sweets.

The rest of the process is the same as in the first embodiment. If the purpose of use input in S101 is storage (S104: YES), the control unit 101 performs purpose-specific control for storage (S105). If the purpose of use is ingestion (S104: NO), the control unit 101 performs purpose-specific control for ingestion (S106).

According to this embodiment, the control unit 101 performs RS increase control based on the execution time Sa of the freezing control and the execution time Sb of the thawing retention control that are set for each type of food. This allows RS increase control to be performed with a processing time optimized according to the type of food, in addition to the advantages of the first embodiment. In other words, resistant starch can be increased in the shortest time possible according to the food.

Third Embodiment
Next, the third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature zone is set according to the type of food. For example, when comparing rice and bread, rice takes longer to freeze and thaw. In the third embodiment, when performing RS increase control on rice, the average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature zone is set to a lower temperature than when performing RS increase control on bread and sweets, and freezing control is performed. This shortens the control time. The configuration other than that described below is the same as that of the second embodiment.

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of control by the control unit 101. The memory unit 116 stores the implementation time Sa for rice, the implementation time Sa for bread and sweets, the implementation time Sb for rice, the implementation time Sb for bread and sweets, the implementation times Sc and Sc' for each purpose of use, the set value of the average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature zone for rice (e.g. -7°C), the set value of the average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature zone for bread (e.g. -5°C), the set value of the average temperature Tb of the thawing retention temperature zone (e.g. +4°C), the average temperature Tc of the purpose-specific temperature zone for each purpose of use (e.g. +2°C), and the average temperature Tc' (e.g. +10°C).

The control unit 101 acquires settings related to RS increase control and a command to start the "resistant starch increase" control mode through user operation (S101a). The settings related to RS increase control are the intended use of the food and the type of food. The user, for example, operates button 32 to select the intended use of the food and the type of food, and inputs the intended use of the food and the type of food to the refrigerator 1. The user, for example, operates button 31 to input a command to start the "resistant starch increase" control mode to the refrigerator 1. The control unit 101 acquires these inputs.

The control unit 101 performs freezing control based on the set temperature according to the type of food (S102b). For example, when rice is input as the type of food, the control unit 101 sets the set temperature of the storage chamber 17 in the refrigeration temperature range to -7°C and controls the cooling unit 50. The control unit 101 performs freezing control for the implementation time Sa for rice. When the implementation time Sa has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the freezing control for rice. The implementation time Sa for rice in the third embodiment is shorter than the implementation time Sa for rice in the second embodiment. For example, when bread or sweets is input as the type of food, the control unit 101 sets the set temperature of the storage chamber 17 in the refrigeration temperature range to -2°C, and the control unit 101 performs freezing control for the implementation time Sa' for bread and sweets, which is set to a shorter time than the implementation time Sa for rice. When the implementation time Sa' has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the freezing control for bread and sweets.

Next, the control unit 101 performs thawing retention control (S103a). For example, the control unit 101 sets the set temperature of the storage chamber 17 in the refrigeration temperature range to +4°C and controls the cooling unit 50. For example, if rice is input as the type of food, the control unit 101 performs thawing retention control for the implementation time Sb for rice. When the implementation time Sb has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the thawing retention control for rice. For example, if bread or sweets is input as the type of food, the control unit 101 performs thawing retention control for the implementation time Sb' for bread and sweets, which is set to a time shorter than the implementation time Sb for rice. When the implementation time Sb' has elapsed, the control unit 101 ends the thawing retention control for bread and sweets.

The rest of the process is the same as in the first and second embodiments. If the purpose of use input in S101 is storage (S104: YES), the control unit 101 performs purpose-specific control for storage (S105). If the purpose of use is ingestion (S104: NO), the control unit 101 performs purpose-specific control for ingestion (S106).

According to this embodiment, the control unit 101 performs freezing control based on the set temperature (average temperature Ta of the freezing temperature range) set for each type of food. This provides the advantages of the first and second embodiments, and also allows RS increase control to be performed in a shorter time than the second embodiment.

Below, we will explain some modified examples. Note that the configuration of each modified example other than that described below is the same as the above embodiment.

(First Modification of the First to Third Embodiments)
In the embodiment described above, the freezing control is terminated after being performed for the implementation time Sa. Alternatively/in addition, the control unit 101 may terminate the freezing control when the temperature related to the chilled compartment 17B (e.g., the temperature of the food stored in the chilled compartment 17B, the air temperature in the chilled compartment 17B, or the temperature of the members stored in the chilled compartment 17B) reaches a predetermined temperature (average temperature Ta).

(Second Modification of the First to Third Embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment, the thawing maintenance control is terminated after being performed for the implementation time Sb. Alternatively/in addition to this, the control unit 101 may terminate the thawing maintenance control at least four hours after the temperature related to the chilled compartment 17B (e.g., the temperature of the food stored in the chilled compartment 17B, the air temperature in the chilled compartment 17B, or the temperature of the members stored in the chilled compartment 17B) reaches a predetermined temperature (average temperature Tb) (or after a predetermined time has elapsed since the predetermined temperature was reached to allow for some margin).

(Third Modification of the First to Third Embodiments)
In the above embodiment, in order to ensure the increase of resistant starch, the implementation time Sa is set to a time longer than the holding time Sb2 (4 hours) to slowly freeze the food. Alternatively, the average temperature Ta of the freezing control may be set to a temperature lower than -2°C (or -7°C for rice in the third embodiment) to freeze the food to its inside in a short time. This can shorten the control time of the RS increase control. In this case, the implementation time Sa does not necessarily have to be longer than the holding time Sb2 (4 hours). The third modification may also be combined with the first modification. This can prevent the thawing time Sb1 required for thawing from being extended due to excessive freezing of the food. In addition, when the third modification is implemented, the user may select either the normal freezing mode or the quick freezing mode in the control settings (S101, S101a).

(Fourth Modification of the First to Third Embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the average temperature Tb is set to +4° C. throughout the thawing maintenance control. Alternatively, a predetermined period of time may be set to a temperature higher than +4° C. (fourth temperature zone) in the early stages of the thawing maintenance control to promote thawing. The timing for changing the average temperature Tb, which is set to a temperature higher than +4° C., to +4° C. may be changed to +4° C. after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start of the thawing maintenance control, or the chilled compartment temperature may be monitored and changed to +4° C. when the temperature related to chilled compartment 17B reaches +4° C.

(Fifth Modification of the First to Third Embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) during the defrosting time Sb1 and the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) during the holding time Sb2 are set to the same temperature, but these two temperatures may be the same or different. For example, the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) during the defrosting time Sb1 may be set to a temperature higher than +4°C, and the chilled compartment temperature (food temperature) during the holding time Sb2 may be set to +4°C.

(Sixth Modification of the First to Third Embodiments)
In the above embodiment, in the purpose-specific control for storage, the average temperature Tc is set to +2° C., and in the purpose-specific control for intake, the average temperature Tc' is set to +10° C. Alternatively, the average temperatures Tc and Tc' may be set arbitrarily by the user by operating the buttons 31 and 32.

(First Modification of the Second to Third Embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the type of food is input by the user. Alternatively, the control unit 101 may perform image analysis on the image captured by the interior camera 113 to automatically detect the type of food.

(Second Modification of the Second to Third Embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the implementation time Sa, implementation time Sb, and average temperature Ta of the freezing control are changed according to the type of food. Alternatively/in addition, the control unit 101 may set the average temperature Ta of the freezing control according to the amount of food. If the amount of food is large, it takes time to freeze or thaw. For example, in the case of bread or sweets, if the amount is less than a predetermined amount, the average temperature Ta is set to -2°C, and if the amount is equal to or more than the predetermined amount, the average temperature Ta is set to -5°C. For example, in the case of rice, if the amount is less than a predetermined amount, the average temperature Ta is set to -7°C, and if the amount is equal to or more than the predetermined amount, the average temperature Ta is set to -10°C.

(Third Modification of the Second to Third Embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the implementation time Sa, the implementation time Sb, the average temperature Ta of the freezing control, etc. are changed according to the type of food. Alternatively/in addition to this, the control unit 101 may set the implementation time Sa according to the amount of food. If the amount of food is large, it takes time to freeze or thaw. For example, in the case of bread or sweets, if the amount is less than a predetermined amount, the implementation time Sa is set to a predetermined X time, and if the amount is equal to or more than the predetermined amount, a time X1 longer than X time is set. For example, in the case of rice, if the amount is less than a predetermined amount, a time X2 longer than X time is set, and if the amount is equal to or more than the predetermined amount, a time X3 longer than X2 time is set. The same applies to the implementation time Sb.

The above describes an embodiment and some modified examples. However, the embodiment and modified examples are not limited to the above. For example, the above-mentioned control may be performed on storage compartments 17 other than chilled compartment 17B (e.g., ice-making compartment 17D, small freezer compartment 17E, main freezer compartment 17F, partial compartment, or temperature-switching compartment). Furthermore, control unit 101 may perform similar cooling control on two or more storage compartments 17 (e.g., chilled compartment 17B and small freezer compartment 17E) that are preset among the multiple storage compartments 17 provided inside housing 10.

According to at least one of the embodiments described above, the food is completely frozen to the center, then thawed, and then RS increase control is performed, after which the food is cooled to a different temperature range. With this configuration, more appropriate refrigeration control can be performed.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims, as well as the scope and gist of the invention.

1...refrigerator, 10...casing, 17B...chilled compartment, 50...cooling unit, 101...control unit, 115...chilled compartment heater.

Claims (12)

a housing containing a reservoir;
A cooling unit that cools the storage unit;
A reception unit that receives one of a plurality of control modes including a resistant starch increasing mode that increases resistant starch contained in starch in food as a control mode for cooling or heating the storage unit;
a control unit that controls the cooling unit in the resistant starch increasing mode, which includes, when the reception unit receives the resistant starch increasing mode, cooling the storage unit for a first hour in a first temperature range for freezing the food, then cooling the storage unit for a second hour in a predetermined second temperature range for maintaining the food in a thawed state, and then cooling or heating the storage unit in a third temperature range according to the intended use of the food;
Equipped refrigerator. the average temperature of the first temperature zone is −2° C. or lower;
The average temperature of the second temperature zone is greater than or equal to +3°C and less than +5°C;
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1. The first time period is greater than the second time period.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2. The second time period is greater than the first time period.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2. The resistant starch increasing mode includes a period of time during which the thawing of the food is advanced in a fourth temperature zone, which is the same as or different from the second temperature zone, after the storage portion is cooled in the first temperature zone for the first time and before the storage portion is cooled in the second temperature zone for the second time.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4. the first time period is greater than the sum of the time period during which the food product is allowed to thaw and the second time period;
The refrigerator according to claim 5. The second time period is 4 hours or more.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6. a temperature change rate of the storage portion when transitioning from the second temperature zone to the third temperature zone is:
is greater than the temperature change rate of the storage portion when transitioning from the first temperature zone to the second temperature zone,
A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7. a temperature change rate of the storage portion when transitioning from the second temperature zone to the third temperature zone is:
is smaller than the maximum temperature change rate of the storage section when transitioning from a temperature zone higher than 0 ° C. to the first temperature zone at the start of the resistant starch increasing mode ;
A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8. the control unit changes the temperature of the first temperature zone, the length of the first time, the temperature at which the food is thawed, or the length of time for cooling the storage unit at the temperature at which the food is thawed, depending on the type of the food.
A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The third temperature zone is a temperature zone lower than the second temperature zone.
A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The third temperature zone is a temperature zone higher than the second temperature zone.
A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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