JP6944862B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to refrigerators.

Conventionally, in a refrigerator, vegetables and foods are cooled and stored in a good condition in a storage room such as a vegetable room to prevent deterioration. It is said that it is effective to keep the inside of the container at high humidity and not to directly expose the vegetables in the container to cold air by constructing the container in the room. However, if the container is closed, the water from the vegetables will cause condensation.
Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the refrigerator is provided with a partition plate in order to maintain the humidity at a predetermined value, and the partition plate is provided with a moisture permeable membrane unit having a moisture permeable membrane. Have been placed.

JP 2015-124964

However, in the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1, ethylene gas, which is a plant aging hormone generated from vegetables and foods, fills the container, and the ethylene gas reduces the freshness of the vegetables in the container. Moreover, ethylene gas may pass through the moisture permeable membrane of the partition plate and diffuse from the inside of the container into the vegetable room and the entire refrigerator.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator capable of decomposing ethylene gas in a container arranged in a storage room such as a vegetable room and improving the freshness of stored vegetables and the like.

The refrigerator of the present embodiment includes a main body having a storage chamber, a closed container arranged in the storage chamber, and a functional sheet provided in a part of the closed container, and the functional sheet is moisture permeable. It includes a sheet, a ventilation sheet, and a catalyst capable of decomposing ethylene provided between the moisture-permeable sheet and the ventilation sheet.

Sectional drawing of the refrigerator which concerns on 1st Embodiment. Enlarged view of the main part of FIG. An exploded perspective view of the case for storing the functional sheet. A cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a functional sheet. The cross-sectional view which shows typically the structure of the functional sheet of the refrigerator which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the storage of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment includes a refrigerator main body (hereinafter, also referred to as a main body) 2 formed of a heat insulating box body that opens to the front. The main body 2 is configured to have a heat insulating material such as a vacuum heat insulating material or a foam heat insulating material in a heat insulating space formed between an outer box made of steel plate and an inner box made of synthetic resin. The main body 2 is provided with a plurality of storage spaces inside the inner box, and the storage spaces are vertically partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 3.

The space above the heat insulating partition wall 3 is a storage chamber cooled in a refrigerating temperature zone (for example, 1 to 4 ° C.), and the inside is further partitioned above and below by the partition wall 4. A refrigerating chamber 10 is provided above the partition wall 4, and a vegetable compartment 12 is provided below the partition wall 4.

A rotary refrigerator door 11 pivotally supported by a hinge is provided at the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 10. The front opening of the vegetable compartment 12 is closed by a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 13. A pair of left and right support frames for holding the storage container 50 are fixed to the inside of the vegetable compartment door 13, so that the storage container 50 is pulled out of the refrigerator when the door is opened.

As shown in FIG. 2, the storage container 50 provided in the vegetable compartment 12 includes a lower container 51 provided over substantially the entire width of the vegetable compartment 12 and an upper container 52 provided above the lower container 51. , It has a structure that overlaps in two upper and lower stages.

The lower container 51 is a bottomed box-shaped container surrounded by a front wall, a rear wall, and left and right side walls, and the stored items are taken in and out from the upper opening that opens upward. The lower container 51 is held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back surface side of the vegetable compartment door 13, and is configured to be pulled out of the refrigerator when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened.

The lower container 51 is provided with a front-rear partition 54 that projects upward from the inner bottom surface. The front and rear partitions 54 are provided so as to connect the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls of the lower container 51, and the lower front container 61 is formed on the front side of the front and rear partitions 54, and the lower rear container 60 is formed on the rear side. ..

The front side of the upper opening 60a of the lower rear container 60 is provided by the upper container 52 in a state where the vegetable chamber door 13 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is closed (a storage container 50 is stored in the vegetable chamber 12). Be covered. The rear side of the upper opening 60a of the lower rear container 60 is covered with a sheet storage case 70 containing the functional sheet 80. As a result, the lower rear container 60 is restricted from the direct entry of air (wind) flowing outside the container such as air circulating in the vegetable compartment 12 together with the upper container 52 and the seat storage case 70 that close the upper opening 60a. Consists of a closed container.

As shown in FIG. 3, the seat storage case 70 includes a main body portion 71 and a lid portion 72, and the lid portion 72 is detachably fitted to the main body portion 71 so that the lid portion 72 and the main body portion are detachably fitted. The 71 is integrated, and a space for arranging the functional sheet 80 is formed inside the 71. The lid portion 72 has a plurality of elongated holes 72A for ventilation over substantially the entire surface, and the main body portion 71 has a plurality of elongated holes 71A for ventilation over substantially the entire surface. The seat storage case 70 is attached to the rear side of the upper opening 60a of the lower rear container 60 with the main body portion 71 facing downward.

As shown in FIG. 4, the functional sheet 80 includes a moisture permeable sheet 81, a ventilation sheet 82, and a catalyst 83 provided between the moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82, and is a sheet storage case 70. It is provided inside the seat storage case 70 so as to cover the plurality of holes 71A provided in the main body portion 71.

The moisture permeable sheet 81 is a waterproof and moisture permeable sheet material, for example, a porous sheet material having a large number of pores having a diameter of 0.5 μm to 3 μm, and allows water vapor particles and oxygen molecules to pass through, but is more than the pores. Block large water particles. Further, since it is porous, it also has a predetermined wind blocking property that restricts the flow of air (wind). As an example, a moisture permeable waterproof sheet or the like in which a polyester long fiber non-woven fabric and a polyethylene porous film are laminated can be used for the moisture permeable sheet 81.

The breathable sheet 82 is made of a breathable sheet material such as a non-woven fabric sheet, a cloth such as a woven fabric, or a flexible porous resin sheet, and is preferably larger than the moisture permeable sheet 81 and larger than the particle size of the catalyst 83. A sheet material having a large number of holes is preferable.

The catalyst 83 is a catalyst capable of decomposing ethylene gas, and for example, a thermal catalyst made of precious metals such as Pt, Pd and Au, and metal oxides such as manganese dioxide and copper oxide can be used. Preferably, the catalyst 83 is in the form of powder in order to facilitate contact with ethylene gas, and more preferably in the form of powder having a particle size larger than the diameter of the pores of the moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82. Is.

The moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82 are fixed to each other by means such as heat fusion, and form a single sheet in which the catalyst 83 is held between the two sheets 81 and 82. In the present embodiment, the catalyst 83 is not supported (fixed) on the moisture permeable sheet 81 or the ventilation sheet 82, but is provided so as to be able to move between the moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82. ing.

In the lower rear container 60 having such a configuration, when the upper opening 60a is opened, the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened, the lower container 51 is pulled out of the refrigerator, and then the upper container 52 is rearward with respect to the lower container 51. The upper opening 60a is opened by sliding to. The upper opening of the lower front container 61 is opened without being covered by the upper container 52 regardless of whether the vegetable compartment door 13 is open or closed.

The upper container 52 is a bottomed box-shaped container surrounded by a front wall, a rear wall 52a, and left and right side walls, and the stored items are taken in and out from the upper opening that opens upward. The upper container 52 is pulled out of the refrigerator independently of the lower container 51 by sliding the inner box rails provided on the left and right inner wall surfaces of the vegetable compartment 12 and the upper ends of the left and right side walls of the lower container 51 in the front-rear direction. It is provided as possible.

In the space below the heat insulating partition wall 3, an ice making room (not shown) equipped with an automatic ice maker and a first freezing room 16 are provided on the left and right sides, and a second freezing room 18 is provided below the ice making room 18 via a partition plate 5. Is provided.

The ice making chamber, the first freezing chamber 16, and the second freezing chamber 18 are all cooled to a freezing temperature range (for example, −17 ° C. or lower).

The openings of the ice making chamber, the first freezing chamber 16, and the second freezing chamber 18 are closed by the pull-out doors 17 and 19 as in the vegetable chamber 12. Storage containers 20 and 21 are held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back surfaces of the doors 17 and 19, and the storage containers 20 and 21 are pulled out of the refrigerator when the doors 17 and 19 are opened. It is configured as follows.

At the rear of the refrigerating room 10 and the vegetable room 12, there are a refrigerating cooler room 24 partitioned by an EVA cover 23 in the front-rear direction, a duct 25 connecting the refrigerating room 10 and the refrigerating cooler room 24, and the refrigerating room 10 and the vegetable room. A return duct 26 connecting the 12 and the refrigerating cooler chamber 24 is formed.

The refrigerating cooler room 24 houses the refrigerating cooler 30 and the refrigerating fan 31, and the air in the refrigerating cooler room 24 cooled by the refrigerating cooler 30 is sent to the refrigerating room 10 through the duct 25 by the refrigerating fan 31. Supply.

At the rear of the ice making chamber, the first freezing chamber 16, and the second freezing chamber 18, there are a freezing cooler chamber 33 partitioned by an EVA cover 32 in the front and rear, and an ice making chamber, a first freezing chamber 16, and a second freezing chamber 18. And a duct 34 connecting the refrigerating cooler chamber 33 and the refrigerating cooler chamber 33 are formed. A freezing cooler 35 and a freezing fan 36 are housed in the freezing cooler chamber 33, and the air in the freezing cooler chamber 33 cooled by the freezing cooler 35 is passed through the duct 34 by the freezing fan 36 to the ice making chamber, the first. It is supplied to 1 freezing chamber 16 and 2nd freezing chamber 18.

The refrigerating cooler 30 and the freezing cooler 35 form a refrigerating cycle together with the compressor 38 and the condenser (not shown) housed in the machine room 37. In the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 38 is supplied to one of the refrigerating cooler 30 and the refrigerating cooler 35 by a switching valve (not shown), so that the refrigerating cooler 30 and the refrigerating cooler 35 reach a predetermined temperature. Be cooled.

The refrigerating cooler 30 cools the air in the refrigerating cooler chamber 24 to generate, for example, cold air at −10 to −20 ° C. At that time, since the refrigerating cooler 30 exchanges heat with the air circulating in the refrigerating chamber 10 and the vegetable compartment 12 in the refrigerating temperature zone, the frost adhering to the refrigerating cooler 30 is melted and the air containing a large amount of water (humidification). Cold air) is generated.

As shown by the arrows in the flow of the humidified / cold air in FIGS. 1 and 2, the generated humidified / cold air is supplied from the outlet 25a to the refrigerating chamber 10 through the duct 25 by the rotation of the refrigerating fan 31, and the refrigerating chamber 10 is provided. Cool and humidify.

A part of the humidified cold air flowing through the refrigerating chamber 10 flows into the return duct 26 from the suction port 27 provided at the rear of the partition wall 4 and returns to the refrigerating cooler chamber 24, and the remaining air is provided in the partition wall 4. It flows into the vegetable compartment 12 through the communication passage 4a.

The communication passage 4a is provided at the rear end of the partition wall 4 so as to open into the space S partitioned by the rear wall 52a of the upper container 52 and the seat storage case 70 provided in the lower rear container 60. The air humidified and cooled by the refrigerating cooler 30 flows through the refrigerating chamber 10 and then flows into the space S through the communication passage 4a.

The functional sheet 80 that divides the space S and the internal space of the lower rear container 60 into upper and lower parts includes a moisture permeable sheet 81 that restricts the ingress of wind. Therefore, the humidified cold air that has flowed into the space S from the refrigerating chamber 10 is blocked by the moisture permeable sheet 81, stays in the space S without flowing into the lower rear container 60, and the humidified cold air that does not fit in the space S is stored in the storage container 50. It flows around the room, passes through the return duct 26, and returns to the refrigerator / cooler room 24.

The freezing cooler 35 cools the air in the freezing cooler chamber 33 to generate, for example, cold air at −20 to −30 ° C. The generated cold air is supplied to the ice making chamber, the first freezing chamber 16 and the second freezing chamber 18 through the duct 34 by the rotation of the refrigerating fan 36 to cool these storage chambers. The air that has cooled the ice making chamber and the first freezing chamber 16 flows into the second freezing chamber 18 through a through hole (not shown), merges with the cold air supplied to the second freezing chamber 18, and then joins the cold air supplied to the second freezing chamber 18. It returns to the refrigerating cooler chamber 33 through the return duct 28 provided on the back surface of 18, exchanges heat with the refrigerating cooler 35, and is cooled again.

In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment described above, the sheet storage case 70 is provided in the lower rear container 60 arranged in the vegetable compartment 12, and the vegetable chamber 12 and the lower rear container 60 are partitioned by the functional sheet 80. Therefore, the air that has flowed into the vegetable compartment 12 does not flow into the lower rear container 60, and it is possible to prevent the vegetables in the lower rear container 60 from being exposed to cold air and drying.

Further, since the moisture permeable sheet 81 allows water vapor particles to pass through, when the humidity inside the lower rear container 60 becomes higher than the humidity outside the lower rear container 60, water vapor molecules pass through the functional sheet 80 from the lower rear container 60. It flows out into the vegetable compartment 12. Therefore, the amount of saturated water vapor does not exceed the amount of saturated water vapor in the lower rear container 60, and dew condensation in the lower rear container 60 can be prevented.

Further, when the concentration of ethylene gas generated from the vegetables and the like stored in the lower rear container 60 becomes high, the ethylene gas flows out from the lower rear container 60 into the vegetable chamber 12 through the functional sheet 80, but at that time. Since it passes through the catalyst 83 provided on the functional sheet 80, ethylene gas can be efficiently decomposed, and ethylene gas can be prevented from staying in the lower rear container 60 or diffusing throughout the refrigerator. can.

Moreover, since the catalyst 83 provided on the functional sheet 80 is in the form of powder, the surface area is large and the decomposition rate is high. In addition, the catalyst 83 is not supported (fixed) on the moisture permeable sheet 81 or the ventilation sheet 82, but is provided so as to be able to move between the moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82. When vibration is transmitted to the functional sheet 80 by opening and closing the vegetable compartment door 13, the catalyst 83 moves so as to change its direction, and the surface of the catalyst 83 that does not react with ethylene gas is on the upstream side in the flow direction of ethylene gas ( Since it can be directed toward the lower rear container 60 side), the decomposition rate of ethylene gas is unlikely to decrease.

In the present embodiment, since the seat storage case 70 is arranged behind the upper opening 60a of the lower rear container 60 and the functional sheet 80 is provided above the lower rear container 60, ethylene is lighter than air. The gas is likely to come into contact with the functional sheet 80 having the catalyst 83, and the ethylene gas is easily decomposed by the catalyst 83.

As a preferred embodiment of the present embodiment, the functional sheet 80 includes a spacer 84 together with a catalyst 83 between the moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82. As the spacer 84, for example, pulp fiber or the like can be used. The spacer 84 does not support the catalyst 83, and the catalyst 83 can move in the space formed between the moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82.

The spacer 84 imparts an appropriate thickness and rigidity to the obtained functional sheet 80, and forms an appropriate space (gap) between the moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82 to promote the movement of the catalyst 83. .. By using the functional sheet 80 having such a spacer 84, the handling of the functional sheet 80 becomes easy, and the catalyst 83 becomes easy to move between the moisture permeable sheet 81 and the ventilation sheet 82, so that ethylene gas can be easily handled. The decomposition rate does not easily decrease.

Further, as a preferred embodiment of the present embodiment, at least one surface of the functional sheet 80 may be colored in a color different from that of the sheet storage case 70. In such a case, the functional sheet 80 is stored in the sheet storage case 70 and becomes conspicuous, so that it is possible to prevent forgetting to insert the functional sheet 80 and improve the design.

Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment of the present embodiment, the lower rear container 60 may be provided with a humidity control member for adjusting the internal humidity.

The humidity control member has a characteristic that the amount of moisture adsorbed differs depending on the humidity inside the lower rear container 60, and in an environment where drying and moisturizing are repeated, it absorbs moisture at high humidity and releases moisture at low humidity. Humidity is controlled. For example, a bag made of non-woven fabric containing B-type silica gel can be used. The humidity control member can be stored inside the seat storage case 70 together with the functional sheet 80, or can be arranged inside the front wall, the rear wall, and the left and right side walls of the lower rear container 60. In such a case, when a large amount of vegetables or the like is stored in the vegetable compartment 12, the humidity control member absorbs moisture to control the humidity in the vegetable compartment 12 to an appropriate level, so that dew condensation occurs in the vegetable compartment 12. Is less likely to occur. Moreover, since a dedicated power source or the like for controlling the humidity in the vegetable compartment 12 is not required, an extra space and a complicated structure are not required.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the functional sheet 180 used in the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, the functional sheet 180 in the present embodiment is composed of a moisture permeable sheet 81, a ventilation sheet 82, and a carrier sheet 184 on which the catalyst 83 is supported, and is supported between the sheets 81 and 82. A sheet 184 is provided. For example, a non-woven fabric or the like can be used as the supporting sheet 184 for supporting the catalyst 83.

In the present embodiment, since the catalyst 83 is supported on the supporting sheet 184, the catalyst 83 does not fall off from the functional sheet 180. The other configurations and actions and effects are the same as those in the above-described first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(Other embodiments)
In the first and second embodiments described above, the case where the cold air in the vegetable compartment 12 is blocked without entering the lower rear container 60 by the moisture permeable sheet 81 constituting the functional sheet has been described. The 81 may have a predetermined wind blocking performance that suppresses the direct entry of air flowing outside the lower rear container 60, and may allow a certain amount of air flow. By allowing the moisture permeable sheet 81 to flow a certain amount of air in this way, a gentle air flow that does not affect the vegetables stored inside is generated in the lower rear container 60, and the inside is generated. The humidity and the concentration of ethylene gas can be made uniform, and as a result, the occurrence of local dew condensation can be prevented and the decomposition efficiency of ethylene gas can be improved.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, 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 embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, as well as in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 ... Refrigerator, 2 ... Refrigerator body, 10 ... Refrigerator room, 11 ... Refrigerator room door, 12 ... Vegetable room, 13 ... Vegetable room door, 16 ... 1st freezer room, 18 ... 2nd freezer room, 24 ... Refrigerator cooler Room, 25 ... Duct, 26 ... Return duct, 27 ... Suction port, 28 ... Return duct, 30 ... Refrigerator, 31 ... Refrigerator fan, 32 ... Eva cover, 33 ... Refrigerator room, 34 ... Duct, 35 ... Refrigerator Cooler, 36 ... Refrigerator fan, 37 ... Machine room, 38 ... Compressor, 50 ... Storage container, 51 ... Lower container, 52 ... Upper container, 54 ... Front and rear partitions, 60 ... Lower rear container, 61 ... Lower front container, 60a ... Upper opening

Claims (8)

A main body having a storage chamber, a closed container arranged in the storage chamber, and a functional sheet provided in a part of the closed container are provided.
The functional sheet is a refrigerator including a moisture permeable sheet, a ventilation sheet, and a catalyst capable of decomposing ethylene provided between the moisture permeable sheet and the ventilation sheet. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst is in the form of powder. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the functional sheet is provided with a spacer that forms a space between the moisture permeable sheet and the ventilation sheet. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the functional sheet includes a sheet-like carrier that supports the catalyst between the moisture-permeable sheet and the ventilation sheet. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the functional sheet is provided on the upper part of the closed container. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the particle size of the catalyst is larger than the holes provided in the moisture permeable sheet and the ventilation sheet. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a humidity control member for adjusting the humidity of the air in the closed container. The closed container includes a case for storing the functional sheet.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one surface of the functional sheet has a color different from that of the case.

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