JP6918848B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a water storage unit and provided with a mist discharge means for mistizing and discharging water in the water storage unit.

In recent years, in household refrigerators, in order to keep the storage room hygienic and to maintain the freshness of food, for example, fine mist is applied to the partition wall portion that divides the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment into upper and lower parts. It is considered to provide a mist generator for generating (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The mist generator includes a water storage case that can be attached and detached by a user, and is configured to mist and discharge the water stored in the water storage case by an electrostatic atomization method or an ultrasonic method. There is.

However, in the case of Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the user must regularly replenish water to the water storage case in order to continuously operate the mist generator. In addition, since the mist generator (water storage case) is arranged at a position visible to the user, there is also a problem that the appearance is not good. Therefore, as another example, Patent Document 2 discloses a refrigerator in which water is automatically supplied to a mist generator by using defrosted water generated from a cooler.

In the refrigerator of Patent Document 2, a duct for circulating cold air is provided on the back side of the refrigerating chamber and the vegetable compartment below the refrigerating chamber, and defrost water is applied to the lower part of the refrigerating cooler installed above the duct. A drain pan for storage is provided, an ultrasonic atomization unit is provided in the lower part (rear side of the vegetable compartment) in the duct, and defrosted water from the drain pan is passed through a water supply pipe to the water tank of the ultrasonic atomization unit. It is configured to supply water. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for the user to supply water to the water tank of the ultrasonic atomization unit.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-57999 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-14508

However, the configuration of Patent Document 2 also has the following drawbacks. That is, in the refrigerator of Patent Document 2, the cold air generated by the cooler is supplied to the refrigerating room from the upper part of the duct by the drive of the blower fan arranged in the upper part of the refrigerating cooler, and further supplied to the vegetable room. After that, it returns to the lower part of the duct, passes through the ultrasonic atomization unit part, and then returns to the cooler part.

At this time, the mist generated by the ultrasonic atomization unit is supplied to the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment together with the circulation of cold air, but when viewed from the flow of cold air, the ultrasonic atomization unit is upstream of the cooler. Since it is located, most of the generated mist may condense (aggregate) at a low temperature when passing through the cooler and adhere to the cooler. Therefore, there is a problem that a sufficient amount of mist corresponding to the amount generated in the ultrasonic atomization unit cannot be supplied to the refrigerating room and the vegetable room.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of effectively supplying a sterilizing component to a storage chamber.

In order to achieve the above object, the refrigerator of the present invention has a refrigerator main body having a refrigerating chamber and a vegetable compartment below the refrigerating chamber, and a refrigerator main body provided in the refrigerator main body for cooling the refrigerating chamber and the vegetable compartment. A cooler, a blower fan for circulating and supplying the cold air generated by the cooler to the refrigerator and the vegetable compartment, and a sterilizing component are generated, and the sterilizing component is refrigerated without passing through the cooler. The room and the vegetable room are provided with an electrostatic atomizer, and the electrostatic atomizer is provided at a height lower than the refrigerator compartment, and the electrostatic atomizer is provided for the refrigerator compartment. It is characterized in that the disinfectant component generated by the conversion device is supplied from the vegetable compartment to the refrigerator compartment via a duct .

In the present invention, the electrostatic atomizer can supply the sterilizing component to the storage chamber, and can maintain the freshness of the stored material in the storage chamber.

According to the refrigerator of the present invention, it has an excellent effect that the sterilizing component can be effectively supplied to the storage chamber.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown, and is a schematic vertical sectional right side view of the refrigerator body. Enlarged vertical section right side view of the electrostatic atomizer part Schematic front view of the electrostatic atomizer part FIG. 2 equivalent diagram showing another embodiment Schematic longitudinal right side of the upper half of the refrigerator body showing other different embodiments

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. First, FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of the main body 1 of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment. The refrigerator main body 1 is configured by providing a plurality of storage chambers in a vertically long rectangular box-shaped heat insulating box body 2 having an open front surface. Specifically, a refrigerating room 3, a vegetable room 4, an ice making room 5, and a freezing room 6 are provided in the heat insulating box 2 in this order from the top. Although not shown, the portion of the heat insulating box 2 where the ice making chamber 5 is provided is divided into two chambers on the left and right, the ice making chamber 5 is provided on the left side, and the second freezing chamber (switching chamber) is provided on the right side. Is provided. A well-known automatic ice making device 7 is provided in the ice making chamber 5.

The refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4 are both storage rooms in a refrigerating temperature range (for example, 1 to 4 ° C.), and are partitioned above and below by a plastic partition wall 8. A hinge-opening / closing type heat insulating door 9 is provided on the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3, and a drawer type heat insulating door 10 is provided on the front surface of the vegetable compartment 4. A storage container 11 is connected to the back surface of the heat insulating door 10. The inside of the refrigerating chamber 3 is divided into a plurality of upper and lower stages by a shelf plate 12 (only a part thereof is shown), and a chilled chamber 13 is provided at the lowermost portion thereof (upper part of the partition wall 8). An interior light 14 is provided on the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 3.

Further, the ice making chamber 5 and the freezing chamber 6 (and the second freezing chamber) are both storage chambers in a freezing temperature range (for example, −10 to −20 ° C.), and the vegetable chamber 4 and the ice making chamber 5 (and the second freezing chamber) 5 (and the second freezing chamber). 2 Freezing room) is partitioned up and down by a heat insulating partition wall 15. A drawer-type heat insulating door 16 is provided on the front surface of the ice making chamber 5, and an ice storage container 17 is connected to the back surface of the heat insulating door 16. A drawer-type heat insulating door 18 to which a storage container 19 is connected is also provided on the front surface of the freezing chamber 6.

Although not shown in detail as a whole, the refrigerator main body 1 is used to cool the refrigerating chamber cooler 20 for cooling the refrigerating chamber 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, and the ice making chamber 5 and the freezing chamber 6. A refrigeration cycle including two coolers with a freezer room cooler 21 is incorporated. A machine room 22 is provided on the back side of the lower end portion of the refrigerator body 1, and although not shown in detail, a compressor 23 and a condenser that constitute a refrigeration cycle are arranged in the machine room 22. , A cooling fan for cooling them, a defrosting water evaporating dish 24, and the like are arranged. A control device 25 equipped with a microcomputer or the like for controlling the entire refrigerator is provided in a portion near the lower part of the back surface of the refrigerator body 1.

A freezing room cooler room 26 is provided on the back wall of the freezing room 6 in the refrigerator body 1. In the freezing room cooler room 26, the freezing room cooler 21, a defrosting heater (not shown) and the like are arranged at the lower part, and a freezing air blower is located at the upper part. A fan 27 is arranged. A cold air outlet 26a is provided in the middle portion of the front surface of the freezer chamber 26, and a return port 26b is provided in the lower end portion.

When the freezing blower fan 27 is driven, the cold air generated by the freezing chamber cooler 21 is supplied from the cold air outlet 26a into the ice making chamber 5 and the freezing chamber 6, and then returns. The circulation is such that the mouth 26b is returned to the freezer chamber 26. A water receiving portion 28 for receiving the defrosted water is provided in the lower portion of the freezer compartment cooler 21, and the defrosted water received by the water receiving portion 28 is the defrosted water in the machine room 22. It is guided to the evaporating dish 24 and evaporates.

Then, on the back wall of the refrigerator main body 1, the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerating room and the cold air generated by the cooler 20 for the refrigerating room are supplied to the refrigerating room 3 (and the vegetable room 4). The blowout duct 29, the blower fan 30 for circulating the cold air, and the like are arranged as follows. That is, on the back wall portion of the refrigerator main body 1, a refrigerator chamber 31 for a refrigerator is provided behind the chilled chamber 13 at the lowermost stage of the refrigerator chamber 3, and the inside of the refrigerator chamber 31 for the refrigerator is provided. A refrigerator 20 for a refrigerator compartment is arranged in the refrigerator.

The front wall portion 31a (rear wall portion of the chilled chamber 13) of the refrigerator chamber 31 for a refrigerator chamber is said to have heat insulating properties. The upper end of the refrigerator chamber 31 for a refrigerator is connected to the lower end of an outlet duct 29 provided so as to extend upward with a certain width from the back wall of the refrigerator 3. The outlet duct 29 is provided with a plurality of outlets 29a that open in the refrigerating chamber 3.

Further, at the bottom of the refrigerator chamber 31 for a refrigerator, a water receiving portion 32 located below the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerator and receiving defrosted water from the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerator is provided. There is. As will be described later, the water receiving unit 32 also serves as a water storage unit of the electrostatic atomizer. At this time, the back wall portion in the heat insulating box 2 is provided with a beam-shaped convex wall portion 33 that is located behind the partition wall 8 and extends horizontally and is convex forward. The portion 32 is provided on the upper surface portion of the convex wall portion 33. The inside of the convex wall portion 33 is filled with a heat insulating material (insulating material).
A blower fan 30 is provided behind the vegetable compartment 4, and a blower duct 34 and a suction duct 35 are provided. Among them, the air duct 34 is located on the back side of the vegetable compartment 4 and communicates with the front side of the lower end portion of the cooler chamber 31 for the refrigerator compartment so that the upper end portion bypasses the convex wall portion 33 (water receiving portion 32). As such, it is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction with the same width as the outlet duct 29.

A bell mouth 34a is provided on the front side of the lower end portion of the blower duct 34 at a central portion in the left-right direction, and the blower fan 30 is provided so that the blower blades are located in the bell mouth 34a. .. In this case, the blower fan 30 is composed of a propeller fan capable of forward and reverse rotation, and is configured to suck air from the front and discharge it backward by forward rotation, and suck air from the rear and discharge it forward by reverse rotation. Has been done. As will be described later, the blower fan 30 is controlled by the control device 25.

The air duct 34 extends substantially straight upward when viewed from the side, and then the upper end is slightly bent and connected to the front side of the lower end portion of the refrigerator compartment 31 for a refrigerator. In this embodiment, as will be described in detail later, an electrostatic atomizer 36 serving as a mist discharging means is provided in the air duct 34. Further, a suction duct 35 is provided on the front side of the air duct 34 so as to be doubly overlapped in the front and rear.

The suction duct 35 has the same width as the outlet duct 29, and is provided so as to extend slightly below the blower fan 30 from the ceiling of the vegetable compartment 4. At this time, the upper end of the suction duct 35 communicates with the suction port 37 formed in a horizontally long shape on the back side of the bottom of the refrigerating chamber 3 (chilled chamber 13). Further, an opening 35a is provided at the bottom of the suction duct 35. The partition wall 8 that separates the refrigerating chamber 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 is provided with a cold air supply duct 8a for guiding a part of the cold air from the refrigerating chamber 3 into the vegetable compartment 4.

By the way, in this embodiment, as described above, the mist discharging means for generating mist exhibiting the action of sterilization and deodorization in the air blowing duct 34 and supplying it to the refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4. A barrel electrostatic atomizer 36 is provided. The electrostatic atomizer 36 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The electrostatic atomizer 36 has a high voltage on a water storage unit that stores water, a mist generation unit 38 that sucks up water from the water storage unit and turns it into mist, and a mist discharge pin 39 (described later) of the mist generation unit 38. Is provided with a high-voltage power supply device 40 (see FIG. 2) for applying the above.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the water receiving unit 32 also serves as the water storage unit of the electrostatic atomizing device 36, and the description will be described below with reference to the water receiving unit 32. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the water receiving unit 32 as the water storage unit is configured in the shape of a horizontally long rectangular container with an open upper surface, and is arranged below the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerator compartment. During the defrosting operation, frost and the like adhering to the surface of the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerator chamber are condensed (aggregated) into water, which is dropped and stored in the water receiving portion 32. At this time, a water holding member 41 made of a sponge is provided in the water receiving portion 32.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the mist generating unit 38 is located on the front side of the water receiving portion 32, on the right side when viewed from the front, and is attached via a support member 46 (see FIG. 3). There is. The mist generation unit 38 is formed in a thin cylindrical case 42 made of an insulating material, and has a plurality of, for example, eight mist discharge pins 39, a conductive sheet 43, a water retention material 44, a water absorption pin 45, and an electrode pin (not shown). Etc. are provided.

The mist release pin 39 is formed, for example, by mixing polyester fiber and carbon fiber as a conductive substance and twisting them into a pin shape (rod shape), and has water retention and suction characteristics as well as conductivity. is doing. Platinum nanocolloids are supported on each mist release pin 39. The platinum nanocolloid can be supported by, for example, immersing the mist release pin 39 in a treatment liquid containing the platinum nanocolloid and firing the mist release pin 39. Although not shown in detail, each of these mist discharge pins 39 is radially passed through eight holes formed at equal intervals in the peripheral wall of the case 42 so that the tip side extends substantially in the same plane in the outer peripheral direction. It is arranged in.

The conductive sheet 43 is formed into a non-woven fabric by mixing, for example, polyester fibers and carbon fibers as a conductive substance, and has water retention and conductivity. As shown in FIG. 3, the conductive sheet 43 is arranged in an annular shape along the inner peripheral wall of the case 42, and contacts (electrically connects) the base end side of each mist discharge pin 39. It is provided as follows. Further, although not shown, the tip of the electrode pin is electrically connected to the conductive sheet 43.

The water-retaining material 44 is formed of, for example, a urethane sponge having excellent water-retaining and moisture-absorbing properties in a circular shape, and is densely housed inside the conductive sheet 43 in the case 42. The water absorption pin 45 is formed, for example, by twisting polyester fibers into a rod shape, and is excellent in water retention and moisture absorption characteristics. As shown in FIG. 2, one end of the water absorption pin 45 is in contact with the water retaining material 44 in the case 42, and the other end is in contact with the water holding member 41 of the water receiving portion 32. As a result, the water stored in the water receiving portion 32 and held in the water holding member 41 is sucked up by the water absorbing pin 45 and held in the water retaining material 44, and is supplied from the water retaining material 44 to each mist discharge pin 39. It is supposed to be done.

At this time, the mist generation unit 38 (case 42) is located in the air duct 34, and each mist discharge pin 39 is provided in a state of being exposed in the circulation path of cold air. Further, each mist discharge pin 39 is arranged so as to face parallel to the inner wall of the air duct 34. That is, each mist discharge pin 39 is provided along a plane parallel to the flow direction of cold air in the air duct 34.

As is well known, the high-voltage power supply device 40 includes a rectifying circuit including a high-voltage transformer that converts a high-frequency power supply (AC power supply) into direct current, a booster circuit, and the like, and is configured by molding them with an insulating material. .. As shown in FIG. 2, the high-voltage power supply device 40 is arranged so as to be embedded in the insulating material of the convex wall portion 33, generates a negative high voltage (for example, −6 kV), and outputs the output. It is designed to output to the electrode pin via the terminal.

As a result, a negative high voltage from the high-voltage power supply device 40 is applied to each mist discharge pin 39 via the electrode pin and the conductive sheet 43, and each mist discharge pin 39 is negatively charged. Further, in this case, the outer box of the refrigerator main body 1 is grounded via a ground wire (not shown) or the like, and the outer box grounded in this way is a negatively charged mist discharge pin. It is configured to function as the opposite pole corresponding to 39.

In the electrostatic atomizer 36 configured in this way, in a state where the water of the water receiving unit 32 is sucked up and supplied to each mist discharge pin 39, each mist discharge pin 39 is supplied from the high voltage power supply device 40. Negative high voltage is applied. At this time, the electric charge is concentrated on the tip of each mist discharge pin 39, and energy exceeding the surface tension is given to the water contained in the tip. As a result, the water at the tip of each mist release pin 39 splits (Rayleigh split) and is discharged from the tip in the form of mist (electrostatic atomization phenomenon). Here, the water particles released in the form of mist are negatively charged and contain hydroxyl radicals generated by the energy.

Therefore, hydroxyl radicals having a strong oxidizing action are released together with the mist from each mist release pin 39, and the action of the hydroxyl radicals enables sterilization and deodorization. In this case, the counter electrode corresponding to the negatively charged mist discharge pin 39 is not provided in the vicinity of the mist discharge pin 39. Therefore, the discharge itself from the mist discharge pin 39 becomes very gentle, and harmful gas (ozone or the ozone oxidizes nitrogen in the air without generating corona discharge between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode). It is possible to suppress the generation of nitrogen oxides, nitrite, nitric acid, etc. generated by

Then, in this embodiment, the control device 25 controls the refrigeration cycle, the blower fan 30, and the electrostatic atomizer 36 (high-voltage power supply device 40) according to its software configuration, and performs cooling operation and defrosting operation. Execute. At this time, as described in the following description of the operation, during the normal cooling operation, the electrostatic atomizer 36 is turned off and the blower fan 30 is rotated in the forward direction to rotate the cooler 20 for the refrigerator compartment. The cold air generated by the above is circulated and supplied in the order of the refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4.

Further, in this embodiment, the defrosting operation for the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerator compartment is executed periodically (once an hour for about several minutes), for example. In this defrosting operation, the electrostatic atomizer 36 is turned on and the blower fan 30 is rotated in the reverse direction while the supply of the refrigerant to the refrigerator 20 is stopped. As a result, cold air is circulated in the path from the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerator compartment to the electrostatic atomizer 36 (mist generation unit 38). That is, at this time, the electrostatic atomizer 36 (mist generation unit 38) is provided at a position downstream of the refrigerator compartment cooler 20 in the cold air circulation path.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. As described above, during the normal cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4, the blower fan 30 is driven in a forward rotation. Then, as shown by the white arrows in FIG. 1, the air in the refrigerating chamber 3 is sucked into the suction duct 35 from the suction port 37, and the air in the vegetable chamber 4 is sucked into the suction duct 35 through the opening 35a. Is sucked into the air and is guided into the cooler chamber 31 for the refrigerating chamber through the air duct 34.

Then, cold air is generated by the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerating chamber, and the cold air is supplied into the refrigerating chamber 3 from each outlet 29a through the outlet duct 29. After contributing to the cooling of the stored items (food), a part of the cold air supplied into the refrigerating chamber 3 is sucked into the suction duct 35 from the suction port 37, and the rest passes through the cold air supply duct 8a to the vegetable chamber 4 After being supplied to the inside and contributing to the cooling of stored items (vegetables and the like), the circulation of being sucked into the suction duct 35 through the opening 35a is repeated.

At this time, a circulation path for cold air is formed in the order of the blower fan 30, the cooler for the refrigerating room 20, the refrigerating room 3, the vegetable room 4, and the blower fan 30, so that lower temperature cold air can be supplied to the refrigerating room 3 side, and the storage temperature. Appropriate cold air supply can be performed according to the band. During this cooling operation, the electrostatic atomizer 36 is turned off and no mist is generated. Although the mist generation unit 38 is located in the air duct 34, it is thin and is arranged parallel to the flow of cold air, so that it may hinder the flow of cold air in the air duct 34. Therefore, a sufficient amount of air can be secured without increasing the size of the air duct 34.

If the cooling operation is continued for a long time, frost and dew condensation occur on the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerating room, which causes a decrease in cooling efficiency. Therefore, in this embodiment, the supply of the refrigerant to the refrigerator room cooler 20 is stopped periodically (about once an hour), and the defrosting operation is executed. In this defrosting operation, the electrostatic atomizer 36 is turned on and the blower fan 30 is rotated in the reverse direction. By this defrosting operation, the frost adhering to the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerating chamber is melted into water, which falls and is stored in the water receiving portion 32.

Then, when the electrostatic atomizer 36 is turned on, the water in the water receiving portion 32 is sucked up by the water absorption pin 45 and supplied to each mist discharge pin 39 via the water retention material 44. At the same time, a negative high voltage from the high-voltage power supply device 40 is applied to each mist discharge pin 39 via the electrode pin and the conductive sheet 43, and a fine mist containing hydroxyl radicals is applied from the tip of each mist discharge pin 39. Will be released.

At this time, as the blower fan 30 is rotated in the reverse direction, the air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment cooler 20 passes through each mist discharge pin 39 portion in the blower duct 34, contrary to the above-mentioned white arrow. , A part of the air is blown forward through the blower fan 30, a part of the air is supplied into the vegetable compartment 4 through the opening 35a, and a part of the air is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 3 from the suction port 37 through the suction duct 35. The air in the vegetable compartment 4 also flows to the refrigerating chamber 3 through the cold air supply duct 8a, and the air in the refrigerating chamber 3 is returned from each outlet 29a to the refrigerating chamber cooler 20 portion through the outlet duct 29. Is done.

During this defrosting operation, circulating air flows from the refrigerating chamber cooler 20 in the order of the electrostatic atomizer 36 (mist generating unit 38), the blower fan 30, the vegetable compartment 4, and the refrigerating chamber 3, and at this time, the mist The mist released from the release pin 39 is supplied to the vegetable compartment 4 and the refrigerating chamber 3 on the circulating air. As a result, sterilization and deodorization in the vegetable compartment 4 and the refrigerating chamber 3 can be achieved, and the freshness of the stored matter (vegetables, etc.) can be expected to be maintained.

In this case, the defrosted water from the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerating chamber is automatically supplied to the water receiving unit 32, which is the water storage unit of the electrostatic atomizing device 36, so to speak to the electrostatic atomizing device 36. The work of supplying water to the user can be eliminated. Further, the mist released by the electrostatic atomizer 36 (mist generation unit 38) is not passed through the refrigerator room cooler 20 (without adhering (aggregating) to the refrigerator room cooler 20), and the vegetable room 4 And, a sufficient amount of mist can be effectively supplied to the refrigerating chamber 3.

Moreover, since the mist generation unit 38 is located in the air duct 30 and has a plurality of mist discharge pins 39 radially exposed in the circulation path of cold air, each mist discharge pin 38 is configured. It is possible to widen the distance between the tips of the 39 to make it easier for mist to come out from each mist discharge pin 39, and to supply the mist over a wide range as a whole by putting it on the circulating air generated by the blower fan 30. Become.

According to this embodiment as described above, the following effects can be obtained. That is, since the electrostatic atomizer 36 for mistizing and discharging water is provided in the refrigerator main body 1, the mist can be supplied to the refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4, and the refrigerating room 3 and It is possible to sterilize and deodorize the inside of the vegetable compartment 4 and maintain the freshness of the stored material.

At this time, the defrosted water generated from the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerator compartment is automatically supplied to the water receiving unit 32 that functions as the water storage unit of the electrostatic atomizer 36, so to speak, the electrostatic atomizer 36. It is possible to eliminate the work of supplying water to the user. Further, since it is not necessary to provide a separate water storage unit, it is needless to say that the configuration of the electrostatic atomizer 36 can be simplified and downsized. By providing the electrostatic atomizer 36 in the air duct 34, which is invisible to the user, the appearance is also improved.

The electrostatic atomizer 36 (mist generation unit 38) is provided at a position downstream of the refrigerator compartment cooler 20 in the circulation path of cold air when the electrostatic atomizer 36 is driven. Therefore, the mist generated by the electrostatic atomizer 36 can be supplied to the refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4 without passing through the refrigerator 20 portion for the refrigerating room, and the mist condenses (aggregates) and refrigerates. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation of adhering to the room cooler 20, and it is possible to effectively supply the mist to the refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4.

In particular, in this embodiment, the blower fan 30 is configured to be rotatable in the forward and reverse directions, and the flow of the circulating air is reversed between the normal cooling operation and the defrosting operation for driving the electrostatic atomizer 36. It was configured as follows. As a result, during the cooling operation, there is no waste of mist or adhesion to the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerating room, and an appropriate flow of cold air can be obtained according to the storage temperature zones of the refrigerating room 3 and the vegetable room 4. .. On the other hand, during the defrosting operation, the electrostatic atomizer 36 is turned on while reversing the flow of the circulating air, so that the released mist does not pass through the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerator (without adhering) and the vegetables. A sufficient amount of mist can be effectively supplied to the chamber 4 and the refrigerator compartment 3.

In this embodiment, as the mist discharging means, an electrostatic atomizer 36 having a mist discharging pin 39 that discharges mist by applying a voltage is adopted, so that hydroxyl radicals having a strong oxidizing action are generated to generate hydroxyl radicals. It can effectively disinfect and deodorize. Further, as the configuration of the electrostatic atomization device 36 (mist generation unit 38), a water holding member 41 is provided in the water receiving portion 32, and water is sucked up by the water absorption pin 45 and supplied to the mist discharge pin 39. Therefore, even if the amount of water stored in the water receiving portion 32 is relatively small, the water can be satisfactorily supplied to the mist discharge pin 39, and mist can be generated promptly when the water is turned on. can.

Further, since the mist generating unit 38 is made thin and a plurality of mist discharging pins 39 are provided radially, the mist generating unit 38 is arranged in a small space while obtaining a sufficient amount of mist generating. It became possible to install the air duct 35, and the air duct 35 could be easily arranged in the air duct 35 without increasing the size of the air duct 35. Moreover, since the mist release pin 39 is provided in a state of being exposed in the circulation path of cold air, the generated mist can be supplied to a wide range of the vegetable compartment 4 and the refrigerating chamber 3.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and the difference from the above embodiment is the configuration of the water receiving unit 48 as the water storage unit. That is, the water receiving portion 48 is also located below the refrigerator 20 for the refrigerating chamber and is configured to receive the defrosted water, but has a recess 48a further recessed at the bottom thereof. There is. Here, the water holding member 41 is omitted. An electrostatic atomizer 36 (mist generation unit 38) having the same configuration as that of the above embodiment is provided, and the end of the water absorption pin 45 is located in the recess 48a.

In this configuration, the defrosted water generated from the refrigerating chamber cooler 20 is automatically supplied to the water receiving unit 48 that functions as the water storage unit of the electrostatic atomizing device 36, and is accumulated in the recess 48a. Then, the water stored in the water receiving portion 48 is sucked up from the recess 48a by the water absorption pin 45, held by the water retention material 44 of the mist generation unit 38, and supplied from the water retention material 44 to each mist discharge pin 39. NS. Therefore, even if the amount of water stored in the water receiving unit 48 is small, it can be efficiently supplied to the mist generating unit 38 via the water absorption pin 45, and this embodiment is also the same as the above embodiment. The action and effect of

FIG. 5 shows a further different embodiment of the present invention, in which the configuration of the refrigerator body 51 is different from that of the above embodiment. That is, FIG. 5 shows the upper half of the refrigerator body 51 excluding the freezing chamber portion, and the refrigerating chamber 52 and the vegetable compartment 53 as storage chambers are provided above and below. A cooler room 55 accommodating the cooler 54 for the refrigerating room is provided on the back wall of the refrigerating room 52, and cold air is circulated and supplied to the refrigerating room 52 and the vegetable room 53 above the cooler room 54. A blower fan 56 is provided for this purpose.

Although not shown, cold air supply ducts are provided on the back wall portion of the refrigerator main body 51 at the left and right portions of the cooler chamber 55 so as to be bifurcated from the blower fan 56 portion and extend downward. The cold air supply duct is provided with a plurality of air outlets that open in the refrigerator compartment 52 and the vegetable compartment 53. Further, the back wall portion of the refrigerator body 51 is provided with a suction duct 57 whose lower end opens in the vegetable compartment 53 and extends upward toward the cooler chamber 55.

Then, in the cooler chamber 55, a water receiving portion 58 for receiving the defrosted water is provided below the refrigerator 54 for the refrigerating room, and the water receiving portion 58 is provided in the same manner as in the above embodiment. An electrostatic atomizer 36 (mist generation unit 38) is provided as a mist discharge means having the unit 58 as a water storage unit. Also in this configuration, the electrostatic atomizer 36 is turned off and the blower fan 56 is rotated forward during the cooling operation. As a result, the air in the vegetable compartment 53 is sucked from the lower part of the suction duct 57, cooled by the refrigerator 54 for the refrigerator compartment in the cooler chamber 55, and the cold air passes through the cold air supply duct and is cooled in the refrigerator compartment from the outlet. The circulation supplied in 52 and further in the vegetable compartment 53 is repeated.

On the other hand, during the defrosting operation, the electrostatic atomizer 36 is turned on and the blower fan 56 is rotated in the reverse direction. As a result, the air in the refrigerating chamber 52 is sucked from the cold air supply duct, passes through the refrigerating chamber cooler 54, faces the electrostatic atomizer 36 (mist generating unit 38), and passes through the suction duct 57 into the vegetable chamber 53. The circulation route supplied to is constructed. At this time, the mist released from the mist release pin 39 is supplied to the vegetable compartment 53 and the refrigerator compartment 52 without passing through the refrigerator 54 for the refrigerator compartment. Therefore, in this example as well, the same action and effect as in the above-mentioned one example can be obtained.

The present invention is not limited to each of the above-described embodiments, and the following modifications or extensions are possible. That is, the structure of the mist discharging means can be variously modified. For example, an electrostatic atomizer in which a plurality of mist emission pins are extended in the same direction and provided in parallel may be used, and the mist emission pins may be made of a porous ceramic material or a porous metal material. Etc. may be used. The mist discharge pin may be configured to have a sharp tip. It is also possible to adopt a mist emitting means having a configuration that uses ultrasonic vibration without using electrostatic atomization.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to a refrigerator provided with two coolers, a refrigerator room cooler 20 and 54 and a freezer room cooler 21, but one cooler is provided in the refrigerator body. The present invention can also be applied to a type of refrigerator in which the flow of cold air to each room is controlled by a damper device or the like. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made to, for example, the configuration (arrangement) of each chamber in the refrigerator body, the position where the cooler or the like is provided, the duct configuration, and the like. It can be changed and implemented as appropriate within the range that does not deviate from the gist.
In addition to the refrigerator having the configuration described in the claims, the following [Structure 1] and [Structure 2] are described in the above embodiment.
[Structure 1]
The deodorizing and disinfecting component generated by the electrostatic atomizer is supplied to the refrigerating room and the vegetable room under a controlled state in which the temperature of the refrigerating room or the vegetable room is expected to rise more than during the normal cooling operation. A featured refrigerator.
[Structure 2]
A refrigerator characterized in that the supply of deodorizing and sterilizing components to the refrigerating room and the vegetable room by the electrostatic atomizer is turned on and off.

In the drawing, 1,51 is the refrigerator body, 3,52 is the refrigerating room (storage room), 4,53 is the vegetable room (storage room), 20 and 54 are the refrigerators for the refrigerating room, 25 is the control device, and 29 is the outlet. Ducts, 30, 56 are blower fans, 32, 48, 58 are water receiving parts (water storage parts), 33 are convex wall parts, 34 are blower ducts, 35 are suction ducts, and 36 are electrostatic atomizers (mist discharge means). ), 38 is a mist generation unit, 39 is a mist discharge pin, 40 is a high-pressure power supply device, 41 is a water holding member, 42 is a case, 43 is a conductive sheet, 44 is a water retaining material, 45 is a water absorbing pin, and 48a is a recess. ..

Claims (1)

A refrigerator body having a refrigerator compartment and a vegetable compartment below the refrigerator compartment,
A cooler provided in the refrigerator body for cooling the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable compartment,
A blower fan for circulating and supplying the cold air generated by this cooler to the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable chamber, and
It is provided with an electrostatic atomizer that generates a sterilizing component and supplies the sterilizing component to the refrigerating room and the vegetable room without passing through the cooler.
The electrostatic atomizer is provided at a height position below the refrigerator compartment.
A refrigerator in which the sterilizing component generated by the electrostatic atomizer is supplied to the refrigerating room through a duct connecting the vegetable room to the refrigerating room.

Images