JP6727652B2 - Duct member and refrigerator equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a duct member used in a forced circulation type refrigerator and a refrigerator including the duct member.

Conventionally, the air cooled by the cooler in the cooling chamber, in the refrigerator configured to supply to the storage chamber via the supply air passage, by adjusting the amount of air supplied to the storage chamber by the damper or shutter, It is known to control the temperature of a storage room.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator in which a damper for a refrigerating room, a damper for a switching room, a damper for a vegetable room, and a damper for an ice making room are provided in the air passage, and the temperature of each storage room is adjusted by each damper. There is. In the refrigerator of the document, the inflow amount of cold air from the air passage can be adjusted by controlling the opening/closing of each damper. In the description of the present application, this type of refrigerator in which the flow rate of cold air is adjusted by a damper is referred to as a “damper refrigerator”.

Further, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a refrigerator in which a shutter is provided at the communication port of the storage chamber and the temperature of the storage chamber is adjusted by the shutter. The shutter of the same document covers a part of the communication opening of the storage chamber from above or below to adjust the opening area of the communication opening of the storage chamber to adjust the inflow amount of the air flowing into the refrigerating chamber. In the following description of the present application, this type of refrigerator in which the flow rate of cold air is adjusted by a shutter is referred to as a “shutter-type refrigerator”.

JP, 2013-061126, A JP, 2014-142079, A

However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has a problem in that it is necessary to design a dedicated supply air passage for each of the damper refrigerator and the shutter refrigerator, and it is not possible to use a common duct member.

For example, if the duct member used to form the supply air passage in the damper type refrigerator is used as it is as the duct member of the shutter type refrigerator, the temperature of the storage chamber may not be appropriately adjusted within a desired range. was there. On the contrary, even if the duct member used in the shutter-type refrigerator is used as it is in the damper-type refrigerator, the same problem may occur.

Specifically, if the supply air passage is not appropriate, the amount of air supplied to the storage chamber may change significantly with a slight operation amount of the shutter or damper. If the flow loss in the supply air passage is too large, the flow rate of air will be insufficient even if the shutter or duct is fully opened, and the storage chamber cannot be cooled to a desired temperature.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a duct member that can be commonly used for a shutter-type refrigerator and a damper-type refrigerator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shutter-type refrigerator that includes a duct member that is common with a duct member used in a damper-type refrigerator and that can appropriately adjust the amount of air supplied to the storage chamber. To provide.

The duct member of the present invention is a duct member used in a forced circulation type refrigerator that supplies air cooled by a cooler in a cooling chamber to a storage chamber via a supply air passage, and a part of the supply air passage. As a first supply air passage connected to the first storage chamber of the storage chamber and a second supply air passage connected to the second storage chamber of the storage chamber. A partition mounting portion to which a partition member for partitioning the supply air passage and the second supply air passage can be mounted, the partition mounting portion instead of the partition member, the first supply air passage and the The drive unit of the damper device capable of adjusting the flow passage area of at least one of the second supply air passages can be attached.

Further, in the duct member of the present invention, an adjusting member attachment portion capable of attaching an air volume adjusting member that reduces the flow passage area of the second supply air passage is formed inside the second supply air passage. It is characterized by being

Further, the duct member of the present invention is characterized in that a shutter member for opening and closing a blowout port connected to the second storage chamber can be attached to the second supply air passage.

Further, the duct member of the present invention includes a front member that is integrally molded and forms a partition wall that is a front side when attached to the refrigerator of the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage. A partition member that is integrally molded to form a partition wall on the rear side when the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage are attached to the refrigerator. The drive unit is sandwiched between the front member and the rear member.

A refrigerator according to the present invention includes a storage chamber partitioned into at least a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, a cooling chamber provided with a cooler for cooling air supplied to the storage chamber, and the cooling chamber. A first supply air passage connecting the chamber and the first storage chamber and through which the air cooled by the cooler flows, and connecting the cooling chamber and the second storage chamber through the air cooled by the cooler A second supply air passage, a duct member forming the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage, the first supply air passage and the second supply air attached to the duct member. A partition member that divides the passage, an air volume adjusting member that is provided in the second supply air passage to reduce the flow passage area of the second supply air passage, the second supply air passage, and the second supply air passage. And a shutter member that opens and closes an outlet that connects the storage chambers, and the partition attachment portion of the duct member to which the partition member is attached includes the first supply air passage and the first air passage instead of the partition member. The drive unit of the damper device capable of adjusting the flow passage area of at least one of the two supply air passages can be attached.

According to the duct member of the present invention, the duct member used in the forced circulation type refrigerator that supplies the air cooled by the cooler in the cooling chamber to the storage chamber via the supply air passage is provided. As a part, it forms a first supply air passage connected to the first storage chamber of the storage chamber and a second supply air passage connected to the second storage chamber of the storage chamber, and the first supply air passage It has a partition attachment part to which a partition member for partitioning the air passage and the second supply air passage can be attached. With such a configuration, the duct member of the present invention has a damper device that adjusts the flow rate of air in the first supply air passage or the second supply air passage when the partition member is attached to the partition attachment portion. Used in refrigerators that are not provided. For example, the duct member of the present invention can be used in a shutter-type refrigerator.

Further, instead of the partition member, the partition mounting portion can be mounted with a drive unit of a damper device capable of adjusting the flow passage area of at least one of the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage. With such a configuration, the drive unit of the damper device can be attached to the partition attachment portion, and the duct member of the present invention can be used in the damper refrigerator.

As described above, the duct member of the present invention can be used in a shutter-type refrigerator by attaching a partition member, and can be used in a damper-type refrigerator by attaching a damper device. That is, the same duct member can be used in the shutter refrigerator and the damper refrigerator. Therefore, it is not necessary to design a dedicated duct member according to the type of each refrigerator, and it is possible to share parts among different models. Thereby, the productivity of the refrigerator can be improved.

Further, according to the duct member of the present invention, an adjusting member attachment portion to which an air volume adjusting member for reducing the flow passage area of the second supply air passage can be attached is formed inside the second supply air passage. There is. By attaching the air volume adjusting member to the adjusting member attaching portion, the flow passage area of the second supply air passage can be set appropriately. Therefore, by suitably using the duct member common to the refrigerators of different models and appropriately selecting the air volume adjusting member, it is possible to form the supply air passage suitable for each model.

For example, by attaching the air volume adjusting member to the adjusting member attaching portion, the flow passage area of the second supply air passage can be made suitable for the shutter-type refrigerator. Further, by not attaching the air volume adjusting member, the flow passage area of the second supply air passage can be made a size suitable for the damper type refrigerator.

Further, according to the duct member of the present invention, a shutter member that opens and closes the air outlet connected to the second storage chamber can be attached to the second supply air passage. Thus, the amount of air supplied from the second supply air passage to the second storage chamber can be adjusted, and the temperature of the second storage chamber can be adjusted appropriately.

Further, according to the duct member of the present invention, a front member that is integrally molded and forms a partition that is on the front side when attached to the refrigerator of the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage, A rear member that is integrally molded and forms a partition wall that is a rear side when attached to the refrigerator of the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage, and the partition member and the drive unit include: It is sandwiched by the front member and the rear member. Thus, the supply air passage can be easily assembled, and the partition member or the drive unit can be preferably held at a predetermined position.

Further, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, a cooling chamber provided with a storage chamber partitioned into at least a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, and a cooler for cooling air supplied to the storage chamber. A first supply air path connecting the cooling chamber and the first storage chamber and through which the air cooled by the cooler flows, and connecting the cooling chamber and the second storage chamber and cooling by the cooler. A second supply air passage through which air flows, a duct member forming the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage, the first supply air passage attached to the duct member, and the first supply air passage. A partition member that divides the second supply air passage, an air volume adjusting member that is provided in the second supply air passage to reduce the flow passage area of the second supply air passage, and the second supply air passage And a shutter member that opens and closes an air outlet that connects the second storage chamber, and the partition attachment portion of the duct member to which the partition member is attached includes the first supply air instead of the partition member. The drive unit of the damper device capable of adjusting the flow passage area of at least one of the passage and the second supply air passage can be attached. This makes it possible to form a shutter-type refrigerator by using a duct member that is common to the duct member used in the damper-type refrigerator, and to appropriately adjust the temperature of the second storage chamber.

It is a perspective view of the refrigerator concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a side sectional view showing a schematic structure of a refrigerator concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side sectional view showing a schematic structure of a refrigerator concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is the (A) left side view and the (B) front view of the duct member concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the supply air duct of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the rear view of the front member of (A) of the duct member which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the front view of the rear member. It is a perspective view of the front member of the duct member concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the rear member of the duct member concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is (A) front view and (B) rear view of the blower outlet cover of the refrigerator which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is (A) front view of the air volume adjustment member which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (B) AA sectional view taken on the line. It is a disassembled perspective view of the supply air duct of the refrigerator which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the damper device of the refrigerator concerning other embodiments of the present invention. It is the rear view of the front member of (A) of the duct member of the refrigerator which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, and the front view of a rear member.

Hereinafter, a duct member according to an embodiment of the present invention and a refrigerator including the duct member will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator 11 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 11 includes an insulating box body 12 as a main body. A storage chamber for storing food and the like is formed inside the heat insulating box 12. The inside of the storage compartment is divided into a plurality of storage compartments according to the storage temperature and use. The uppermost storage room is the refrigerating room 13 as the first storage room, the lower storage room is the variable greenhouse 14 as the second storage room, and the lowermost storage room is the freezing room 15.

The front surface of the heat-insulating box 12 is open, and heat-insulating doors 16 to 18 are openably and closably provided at the openings corresponding to the storage chambers. Specifically, the heat insulation door 16 closes the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 13, the heat insulation door 17 closes the front surface of the variable temperature chamber 14, and the heat insulation door 18 closes the front surface of the freezer compartment 15. Is. The heat insulating doors 16 to 18 are rotatably supported with respect to the heat insulating box 12 at the upper right lower part.

2 and 3 are side cross-sectional views showing a schematic structure of the refrigerator 11. 2 shows an outline of the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24, and FIG. 3 shows an outline of the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25. In addition, in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the flow of air circulating in the refrigerator is indicated by solid arrows.

As shown in FIG. 2, the heat insulating box 12 which is the main body of the refrigerator 11 has an outer box 19 made of a steel plate having an opening on the front side, and the outer box 19 is arranged with a gap to form each storage chamber. And an inner box 20 made of synthetic resin. A heat insulating material 21 made of foamed polyurethane is filled in a gap between the outer box 19 and the inner box 20. The heat insulating doors 16 to 18 also have the same heat insulating structure as the heat insulating box 12.

The inner box 20 is composed of separate parts divided for each storage chamber. Specifically, the refrigerating compartment 13 is formed by an inner box 20 a provided in the upper part of the outer box 19. The variable greenhouse 14 is formed by an inner box 20b provided below the inner box 20a in the outer box 19. The freezer compartment 15 is formed by the inner box 20c provided below the inner box 20b in the outer box 19. Instead of such a configuration, the inner box 20a and the inner boxes 20b and 20c forming the respective storage chambers may be integrally formed. Storage containers, storage shelves, and the like are provided in the refrigerating room 13, the variable greenhouse 14, and the freezing room 15.

A duct member 41 provided at the rear is connected to the back surface of the inner box 20a forming the refrigerating chamber 13. A duct member 42 is connected to the lower portion of the duct member 41. In this way, the duct member 41 and the duct member 42 are connected to form the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 as the first supply air passage for supplying the cool air to the refrigerating compartment 13. The refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 is formed with an outlet 30 that opens to the refrigerating compartment 13, and the cool air in the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 is supplied from the outlet 30 to the refrigerating compartment 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, a duct member 42 provided at the rear is connected to the back surface of the inner box 20b forming the variable greenhouse 14. In this way, by connecting the duct member 42 to the inner box 20b, the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 as a second supply air passage for supplying cold air to the variable greenhouse 14 is formed. An air outlet 31 that opens to the variable greenhouse 14 is formed in the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25, and the cold air flowing through the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 is supplied from the outlet 31 to the variable greenhouse 14.

On the back surface of the freezing compartment 15, a freezing compartment supply air passage 26 as a supply air passage for supplying cold air to the freezing compartment 15 is formed by a partition member 43 made of synthetic resin. Further, a cooling chamber 22 is formed behind the freezing chamber supply air passage 26 by a partition member 44 made of synthetic resin. Inside the cooling chamber 22, a cooler 37 for cooling the air circulating in the refrigerator is arranged.

The partition member 44 that divides the cooling chamber 22 and the freezing chamber supply air passage 26 is formed with a blower port 45 that is an opening that connects the cooling chamber 22 and the freezing chamber supply air passage 26. The blower port 45 is provided with the blower 23 that blows out the cooled air. The blower 23 is, for example, a rotary propeller fan or the like, is driven by a motor or the like to rotate, and supplies the air cooled in the cooling chamber 22 to the refrigerating chamber 13, the variable greenhouse 14, and the freezing chamber 15.

A return air duct 27 that connects the refrigerating compartment 13 and the lower portion of the cooling compartment 22 is formed behind the storage compartment. The air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 13 is returned to the cooling compartment 22 via the return air duct 27. Further, in the rear of the storage chamber, a return air duct (not shown) for connecting the variable temperature chamber 14 and the lower part of the cooling chamber 22 to return the air in the variable temperature chamber 14 to the cooling chamber 22 is formed. Further, a return air passage 28 that connects the freezing compartment 15 and the lower part of the cooling compartment 22 is formed behind the lower part of the freezing compartment 15. The air supplied to the freezing compartment 15 flows into the cooling compartment 22 via the return air duct 28.

The cooler 37 is connected to a compressor, a radiator, and a capillary tube (not shown) via a refrigerant pipe, and constitutes a refrigerant compression refrigeration cycle circuit. In the refrigerator 11 according to the present embodiment, isobutane, that is, R600a is used as the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle.

A defrost heater 38 is provided below the cooler 37 as a defrosting unit that melts and removes the frost attached to the cooler 37. The defrost heater 38 is an electric resistance heating type heater or the like. As the defrosting means, for example, off-cycle defrosting that does not use an electric heater, or other defrosting method such as hot gas defrosting can be adopted.

FIG. 4A is a left side view of the duct member 42. FIG. 4B is a front view of the duct member 42. As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the duct member 42 extends in the up-down direction and forms the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 shown in FIG. And a variable-greenhouse air duct portion 52 that extends to form the variable-greenhouse supply air duct 25 shown in FIG. The air passage portion 51 for the refrigerating room and the air passage portion 52 for the variable greenhouse are connected at the lower part of the duct member 42.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), the upper portion of the variable greenhouse air duct portion 52 is bent forward at a substantially right angle and is connected to the back surface of the inner box 20b. Further, a blowout port cover 71 is attached to the portion of the variable greenhouse wind passage 52 connected to the inner box 20b from the inside of the inner box 20b. The refrigerating compartment air passage portion 51 extends above the variable greenhouse air passage portion 52, and the upper portion of the refrigerating compartment air passage portion 51 is connected to the duct member 41 provided behind the refrigerating compartment 13. Has been done.

Further, the air passage portion 51 for the refrigerating room and the air passage portion 52 for the variable greenhouse are bent so that their upper portions are located rearward of their lower portions. As a result, the inner box 20b can be made larger than when the refrigerating compartment air passage portion 51 and the variable greenhouse air passage portion 52 are formed in a substantially straight line and substantially vertically. That is, a large storage volume of the variable greenhouse 14 can be secured.

Next, the supply air passage formed by the duct member 42 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 10 show an example in which the refrigerator 11 is a shutter-type refrigerator in which the shutter member 72 adjusts the flow rate of air.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a supply air passage formed behind the inner box 20b shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the duct member 42 includes a front member 42a that is a front side and a rear member 42b that is a rear side when attached to the refrigerator 11.

The front member 42a and the rear member 42b include cold room air ducts 51a and 51b and cold room air duct 52a, which correspond to the cold room air duct 51 and the variable greenhouse air duct 52 shown in FIG. 4, respectively. 52b are formed respectively. The refrigerating compartment air passages 51a and 51b and the variable greenhouse air passages 52a and 52b are each formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section. As a result, the front member 42a and the rear member 42b are combined to form the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 and the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25.

An opening 53 that is open toward the front is formed in the upper part of the variable temperature chamber air passage 52a of the front member 42a. The outlet cover 71 is attached to the opening 53 from the front side. Further, a shutter member 72 for adjusting the amount of air supplied to the variable temperature chamber 14 is provided between the opening 53 and the outlet cover 71.

FIG. 6A is a rear view of the front member 42a in a state where the air volume adjusting member 81 and the partition member 91 are attached. FIG. 6B is a front view of the rear member 42b in a state where the air volume adjusting member 81 and the partition member 91 are attached.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the adjustment member attachment portion 61 formed between the variable greenhouse air passage portion 52a of the front member 42a and the variable greenhouse air passage portion 52b of the rear member 42b has an air volume adjustment A member 81 is attached. The adjustment member attachment portion 61 is formed on the upper portion of the variable greenhouse air passage portions 52a and 52b, and is located behind the opening 53. That is, the air volume adjusting member 81 is attached to the opening 53 from the rear side. The air volume adjusting member 81 has an outer shape corresponding to the shape of the adjusting member attachment portion 61, and an air passage 82 through which the air supplied to the variable temperature chamber 14 flows is formed inside the air volume adjusting member 81.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the air volume adjusting member 81 is fixed to the upper portion in the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 by being sandwiched by the front member 42a and the rear member 42b from the front-rear direction. With such a configuration, the air volume adjusting member 81 can be easily attached. A sealing material or the like may be provided between the air volume adjusting member 81 and the duct member 42. Thereby, the air volume adjusting member 81 can be held appropriately.

Further, as described above, the shutter member 72 is provided between the outlet cover 71 and the opening 53 and in front of the opening 53. That is, the shutter member 72 is provided so as to close the outlet of the air passage 82 of the air volume adjusting member 81 attached to the opening 53.

With such a configuration, the shutter member 72 can be slid to adjust the flow passage area near the outlet of the air passage 82. Thereby, the temperature of the variable greenhouse 14 can be suitably adjusted by adjusting the amount of air supplied to the variable greenhouse 14. The temperature of the variable greenhouse 14 is adjusted within a desired range between about -10°C and 0°C, for example.

A partition attachment portion 58 is formed on the front side of the lower portion of the rear member 42b where the cold room air passage portion 51b and the variable greenhouse air passage portion 52b are connected. As shown in FIG. 6(A), a partition mounting portion 54 is formed on the rear side of the portion where the cooling compartment air passage portion 51a and the variable greenhouse air passage portion 52a under the front member 42a are connected. There is. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, partition members 91 for partitioning the inside of the duct member 42 into the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 and the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 are attached to the partition attachment portions 54 and 58. To be

As shown in FIG. 5, the partition member 91 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by using, for example, expanded polystyrene that serves as a heat insulating material. By forming the partition member 91 from expanded polystyrene, heat transfer via the partition member 91 can be suppressed and dew condensation on the surface of the partition member 91 can be prevented.

As described above, the partition member 91 is attached to the partition mounting portions 54 and 58, so that the interior of the duct member 42 is partitioned by the partition member 91 into the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 and the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24. Therefore, the duct member 42 can be used for the refrigerator 11 or the like of a type in which a damper device or the like is not provided in the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 and the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25.

At the lower part of the front surface of the partition member 91, a convex portion 92 that projects forward is formed. The partition member 91 is fixed by being sandwiched by the front member 42a and the rear member 42b from the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is easy to assemble the supply air passage and attach the partition member 91.

A sealing material or the like may be provided between the partition member 91 and the duct member 42. By doing so, the partition member 91 can be suitably held. In addition, since the sealing property between the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 and the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 is improved, the flow rate of the air flowing through each of them can be adjusted appropriately.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the front member 42a as viewed from the rear. As shown in FIG. 7, below the branching portion of the refrigerating compartment air duct portion 51a and the variable greenhouse air duct portion 52a, that is, in the portion where the refrigerating compartment air duct portion 51a and the variable greenhouse air duct portion 52a are connected. As described above, the partition mounting portion 54 to which the partition member 91 (see FIG. 5) is mounted is formed in substantially the center. The partition mounting portion 54 is formed so as to project forward and contacts the rear surface of the partition member 91.

A pair of locking pieces 55 extending downward from the partition mounting portion 54 is formed at a lower portion of the partition mounting portion 54. The pair of locking pieces 55 are formed in a substantially plate shape and are provided substantially in parallel. The space sandwiched by the pair of locking pieces 55 serves as a fitting portion 62 into which the convex portion 92 (see FIG. 5) of the partition member 91 is inserted and held.

And the convex part 92 of the partition member 91 is inserted in the fitting part 62. That is, the convex portion 92 fits into the fitting portion 62 and is sandwiched by the pair of locking pieces 55. As a result, the partition member 91 is fixed to the front member 42a and its lateral movement is restricted. Further, such a configuration facilitates positioning of the partition member 91.

Further, locking pieces 56 are formed on the inner corners of the front member 42a. The locking piece 56 is formed in a substantially plate shape and is provided substantially horizontally. The locking pieces 56 are formed not only at the corners on the side of the refrigerating compartment air passage 51a but also at the corners on the side of the variable greenhouse air passage 52a. Further, below the locking piece 56, a claw portion 57 protruding rearward from the back surface of the front member 42a is formed.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the rear member 42b as seen from the front. As shown in FIG. 8, the rear surface of the partition member 91 (see FIG. 5) is in contact with the rear surface of the partition member 91 (see FIG. 5) at approximately the center of the lower part of the rear member 42b where the cold room air duct 51b and the variable greenhouse air duct 52b are connected. The partition mounting portion 58 is mounted so as to be in contact with each other.

A pair of locking pieces 59 projecting downward are formed at branch portions of the refrigerating compartment air passage portion 51b of the rear member 42b and the variable greenhouse air passage portion 52b. The pair of locking pieces 59 are formed in a substantially plate shape and are provided substantially in parallel. Thereby, the fitting portion 63 into which the partition member 91 is fitted is formed between the pair of locking pieces 59.

Then, in the fitting portion 63, the vicinity of the rear upper corner of the partition member 91 attached to the partition mounting portion 58 is inserted and fitted, and the vicinity of the corner of the partition member 91 is sandwiched by a pair of locking pieces 59. To be done. Thereby, the partition member 91 is fixed at a predetermined position of the rear member 42b. With such a configuration, the partition member 91 can be easily attached to the duct member 42 at an accurate position, and the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 and the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 can be easily formed.

In addition, locking pieces 60 are provided at the inner right and left corners of the rear member 42b. The locking piece 60 is formed in a substantially plate shape and is provided substantially horizontally. The function of the locking piece 60 will be described later.

FIG. 9A is a front view of the outlet cover 71 with the shutter member 72 attached. FIG. 9B is a rear view of the outlet cover 71. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the shutter member 72 has a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is supported on the back side of the outlet cover 71 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction. The shutter member 72 is provided such that its long sides are substantially horizontal and the main surface thereof is substantially perpendicular to the air flow direction so as to block the air outlet 31.

The shutter member 72 is integrally formed with an operation portion 73 protruding upward. The operation portion 73 is provided so as to be exposed on the front surface side of the outlet cover 71. That is, when the outlet cover 71 and the shutter member 72 are attached to the refrigerator 11, the operation unit 73 projects into the variable temperature chamber 14. Thereby, the shutter member 72 can be slid in the left-right direction by operating the operation portion 73.

The mechanism for sliding the shutter member 72 is not limited to the above. For example, by forming a rack on the shutter member 72, providing a dial or the like on a pinion that meshes with the rack, and operating the dial, The shutter member 72 may be moved.

FIG. 10A is a front view of the air volume adjusting member 81. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG. The air volume adjusting member 81 is formed of expanded polystyrene that serves as a heat insulating material, and as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the air flow adjusting member 81 has an air passage 82 in which the air flowing from below flows forward. Are formed. Since the air volume adjusting member 81 is made of expanded polystyrene, an effect of suppressing dew condensation on the surface of the air volume adjusting member 81 can be obtained.

The air volume adjusting member 81 having the air passage 82 formed therein is attached to the adjusting member attaching portion 61 above the variable greenhouse air passage portions 52a and 52b, as described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. As a result, the flow passage area of the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 becomes smaller than that in the case where the air volume adjusting member 81 is not attached.

Therefore, by providing the air flow rate adjusting member 81 in which the flow passage area of the air passage 82 is set appropriately, the flow loss of the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 can be adjusted appropriately. That is, by appropriately using the duct member 42 common to the refrigerators 11 of different models and selecting the air volume adjusting member 81, the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 suitable for each model can be formed.

Specifically, by attaching the air volume adjusting member 81 to the adjusting member attaching portion 61, the flow passage area of the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 is suitable for the shutter-type refrigerator 11 including the shutter member 72 shown in FIG. 9. Can be sized. Accordingly, the amount of air supplied to the variable temperature chamber 14 by the shutter member 72 can be appropriately adjusted, and the temperature of the variable temperature chamber 14 can be maintained within a desired range.

As shown in FIG. 10(A), the outlet of the air passage 82 opening to the front surface of the air volume adjusting member 81 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. As a result, the amount of air supplied to the variable temperature chamber 14 can be suitably adjusted in combination with the shutter member 72 having a substantially rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction and slides in the left-right direction shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10(B), the rear part and the lower part of the air passage 82 are formed wider than the front part on the outlet side. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, when the air volume adjusting member 81 is attached to the duct member 42, the retention of the air flowing in the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 is suppressed, and the air supplied to the variable greenhouse 14 is suppressed. It can be streamed efficiently.

The outer shape of the air volume adjusting member 81 is bent at a right angle in a side view, and as described above, corresponds to the shape of the adjusting member mounting portion 61 shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the air volume adjusting member 81 is attached to the adjusting member attaching portion 61 formed in the bent portion above the variable temperature chamber air passage portions 52a and 52b, and sandwiched by the front member 42a and the rear member 42b. Has been done.

As described above, the air flow rate adjusting member 81 has a curved shape and is attached to the corresponding bent shape adjustment member attaching portion 61, so that the air flow rate adjusting member 81 can be easily assembled while the air flow rate adjusting member 81 is displaced. Etc. can be suppressed. Therefore, the air volume adjusting member 81 can be appropriately held at a correct position.

Next, with reference to FIG. 11 to FIG. 13, the supply air passage of the damper type refrigerator 111 that adjusts the amount of air supplied to the variable greenhouse 14 using the damper device 121 will be described in detail. Like the refrigerator 11 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the refrigerator 111 has a refrigerating compartment 13, a variable greenhouse 14 and a freezing compartment 15 as a plurality of storage compartments, and a refrigerating compartment supply air duct 24 and a variable greenhouse as supply air passages. The refrigerator has a supply air passage 25.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the supply air passage to which the damper device 121 is attached. As shown in FIG. 11, in the present embodiment, a damper device 121 is provided inside the duct member 42 instead of the partition member 91 shown in FIG.

The damper device 121 is attached to the lower portion of the duct member 42 and is sandwiched by the front member 42a and the rear member 42b from the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the supply air passage including the damper device 121 can be easily assembled.

In the damper type refrigerator 111, the air volume adjusting member 81 shown in FIGS. 5 and 10 is not provided in the adjusting member attachment portion 61 above the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25. Therefore, the flow path area of the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 is formed wider than the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 of the shutter-type refrigerator 11 without being reduced by the air volume adjusting member 81.

As described above, since the air volume adjusting member 81 is not attached to the adjusting member attaching portion 61, the flow passage area of the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 can be set to a size suitable for the damper type refrigerator 111. Accordingly, the damper device 121 can appropriately control the temperature of the variable temperature chamber 14 so as to be within a desired range.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the damper device 121. As shown in FIG. 12, the damper device 121 includes a pair of dampers 125 and a drive unit 122 provided between the pair of dampers 125.

The drive unit 122 has a housing shape that is substantially the same as the shape of the partition member 91 shown in FIG. 5, and is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Inside the drive unit 122, an electric motor, a gear and the like (not shown) for opening and closing the damper 125 are provided.

On the left and right sides of the drive unit 122, a pair of frame bodies 123 having a substantially rectangular tube shape are provided. The inside of the frame 123 serves as an air passage 126 through which air flows, and the frame 123 is arranged so that the air passage 126 opens in the vertical direction.

The damper 125 is provided so as to open and close the air passage 126 of the frame 123. Specifically, a pair of rotary shafts 124 protruding from the side surface of the drive unit 122 are provided on the left and right of the drive unit 122, and the damper 125 is connected to the rotary shaft 124.

The rotating shaft 124 is connected to the electric motor or the like of the drive unit 122, and independently rotates by the power of the electric motor or the like. As a result, the damper 125 is rotated by the rotation of the rotary shaft 124, and the flow passage area of the air passage 126 can be changed.

FIG. 13A is a rear view of the front member 42a with the damper device 121 attached. FIG. 13B is a front view of the rear member 42b with the damper device 121 attached.

As shown in FIGS. 13(A) and 13(B), in the damper device 121, the drive unit 122 has the partition mounting portions 54 and 58 below the duct member 42 instead of the partition member 91 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. It is installed. Then, one damper 125 is arranged in the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24, and the other damper 125 is arranged in the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25.

As described above, the drive unit 122 has an outer shape substantially similar to that of the partition member 91, and is attached to the partition mounting portions 54 and 58 of the duct member 42 in the same manner as the partition member 91. That is, the front surface of the drive unit 122 abuts on the partition mounting portion 54 of the front member 42a, and the rear surface of the drive unit 122 abuts on the partition mounting portion 58 of the rear member 42b. Being pinched by. Like the partition member 91, the drive unit 122 attached in this manner functions as a partition that partitions the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 and the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24.

As shown in FIG. 13A, the upper portion of the frame 123 of the damper device 121 near the left and right ends is in contact with the locking piece 56 formed on the front member 42a. The lower part of the frame 123 is in contact with the upper part of the claw 57. That is, the damper device 121 is vertically sandwiched by the locking piece 56 and the claw portion 57. As a result, the damper device 121 is held at a predetermined position inside the duct member 42.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13B, the upper portion of the frame 123 of the damper device 121 in the vicinity of the left and right ends is in contact with the locking piece 60 formed on the rear member 42b. This allows the damper device 121 to be easily positioned.

The damper 125 arranged in the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 of the damper device 121 attached as described above adjusts the flow rate of the air supplied to the refrigerating compartment 13. On the other hand, the damper 125 arranged in the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25 adjusts the flow rate of the air supplied to the variable greenhouse 14. Accordingly, the damper device 121 can adjust the temperatures of the refrigerating room 13 and the variable temperature chamber 14 within desired ranges. Specifically, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 is adjusted to a desired range within the refrigerating temperature range, and the temperature of the variable greenhouse 14 is adjusted to a desired range between about -20°C and 10°C, respectively. be able to.

In the above example, the dampers 125 are attached to the left and right sides of the drive unit 122, but the damper device 121 is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to employ a damper device in which only one damper 125 is provided, and to adopt the configuration in which the damper 125 is provided only in one of the refrigerating compartment supply air passage 24 and the variable greenhouse supply air passage 25.

As described above, the duct member 42 of the present invention is common to the shutter-type refrigerator 11 that adjusts the flow rate of air by the shutter member 72 and the damper-type refrigerator 111 that adjusts the flow rate of air by the damper device 121. Used. Therefore, it is not necessary to design dedicated duct members for the shutter-type refrigerator 11 and the damper-type refrigerator 111, respectively, and the productivity of the refrigerators 11 and 111 can be improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and other various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

11, 111 Refrigerator 12 Insulation box 13 Refrigerator 14 Variable greenhouse 15 Freezer 20, 20a, 20b, 20c Inner box 22 Cooling chamber 23 Blower 24 Cold room supply air duct 25 Variable greenhouse supply air duct 26 Freezer compartment supply air duct 30 , 31 outlets 41, 42 duct member 42a front member 42b rear members 51, 51a, 51b refrigerating compartment air passage portions 52, 52a, 52b variable greenhouse air passage portion 53 openings 54, 58 partition attachment portion 71 air outlet cover 72 Shutter member 73 Operation part 81 Air volume adjusting member 82 Air passage 91 Partition member 92 Convex portion 121 Damper device 122 Drive unit 123 Frame body 124 Rotating shaft 125 Damper 126 Air passage

Claims (5)

A duct member used in a forced circulation type refrigerator that supplies air cooled by a cooler in a cooling chamber to a storage chamber via a supply air passage,
As a part of the supply air passage, a first supply air passage connected to the first storage chamber of the storage chamber and a second supply air passage connected to the second storage chamber of the storage chamber are formed. And
A partition mounting portion capable of mounting a partition member for partitioning the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage,
The partition mounting portion can be mounted with a drive unit of a damper device capable of adjusting the flow passage area of at least one of the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage, instead of the partition member. A duct member characterized by. An adjusting member attachment portion to which an air volume adjusting member for reducing the flow passage area of the second supply air passage can be attached is formed inside the second supply air passage. The duct member described in. The duct member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a shutter member that opens and closes an outlet connected to the second storage chamber can be attached to the second supply air passage. A front member that is integrally molded to form a partition wall that is on the front side when the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage are attached to the refrigerator;
A rear member that is integrally molded to form a partition wall that is a rear side when the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage are attached to the refrigerator.
The duct member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the partition member and the drive unit are sandwiched by the front member and the rear member. A storage chamber partitioned into at least a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber;
A cooling chamber provided with a cooler for cooling the air supplied to the storage chamber,
A first supply air passage connecting the cooling chamber and the first storage chamber, through which the air cooled by the cooler flows,
A second supply air passage connecting the cooling chamber and the second storage chamber and through which the air cooled by the cooler flows;
A duct member forming the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage,
A partition member that is attached to the duct member and divides the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage;
An air volume adjusting member which is provided in the second supply air passage and reduces the flow passage area of the second supply air passage;
A shutter member that opens and closes an outlet that connects the second supply air passage and the second storage chamber,
The partition mounting portion of the duct member to which the partition member is mounted can adjust the flow passage area of at least one of the first supply air passage and the second supply air passage, instead of the partition member. A refrigerator characterized by being formed so that a drive unit of a damper device can be attached.

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