JP7108810B2 - Dew condensation sensor and refrigerator using the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dew condensation sensor for detecting dew condensation in advance to prevent dew condensation, and a refrigerator using the dew condensation sensor.

In recent years, houses have become more airtight and comfortable, but on the other hand, there is a problem of dew condensation on wall surfaces, ceiling surfaces, closets, etc., and it is required to predict dew condensation in advance.

In addition, even refrigerators with improved heat insulation performance are equipped with a means to prevent dew condensation on the surface of the main body and the wall surface inside the refrigerator by detecting the temperature and humidity and heating the heater. However, if the vegetable storage case has a sealed structure to improve the freshness of the vegetables and is stored at high humidity, dew condensation occurs on the wall surface of the case, causing the vegetables to rot due to the dew condensation.

In response to the problem of detecting condensation in advance, there is a device that detects condensation earlier than the surrounding environment by lowering the dew point temperature of the device by lowering the temperature of the device to be detected below the temperature of the surrounding environment. (See Patent Document 1, for example).

FIG. 11 shows a side view of a conventional dew condensation sensor described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 11, the resistance value changes when water droplets adhere between the comb-shaped electrodes of the dew condensation detection unit 1. A cooling panel 3 is in close contact with the opposite side of the detection surface with good heat conduction, and then a heating panel. 4. A heat insulating material layer 5 is in close contact, and these members constitute a dew condensation sensor. As a specific detection method, when detecting condensation, only the cooling panel 3 is cooled by a device such as a Peltier element, and the contact portion 2a is cooled to a predetermined temperature, so that condensation is detected by the condensation detection unit 1 earlier than the surroundings. Let Also, in order to quickly detect condensation next time, only the heating panel 4 is heated by a device such as a surface heater after the condensation, and the contact portion 2b is heated to a predetermined temperature, thereby speeding up the drying of the condensation detection portion 1. When the dew condensation sensor is attached to the body, a heat insulating material layer 5 is provided in order to eliminate the heat effect from the body side. With such a configuration and operation, dew condensation can be detected in advance.

JP-A-4-54444

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, since the dew condensation detection unit 1 is exposed, there is a possibility that the dew condensation sensor may be damaged when the dew condensation sensor is attached to the main body. As a countermeasure, it is conceivable to attach a protective cover to the condensation detection unit 1, but if a cover with good airtightness is attached, if abnormal condensation causes large water droplets to adhere to the detection detection unit 1, water will accumulate inside the cover and cannot be discharged. had an issue.

The present invention solves the above problems by providing a dew condensation sensor that not only prevents the dew condensation detection part from being damaged, but also prevents water from accumulating in the protective cover even if excessive water droplets adhere to the dew condensation detection part due to abnormal dew condensation. The purpose is to provide a refrigerator equipped with

In order to solve the conventional problems described above, the refrigerator of the present invention includes a vegetable compartment and a condensation sensor provided in the vegetable compartment, the condensation sensor having at least a condensation detection element provided on a wiring board , An element cover is provided to cover the dew condensation detection element, a through-hole is provided in the element cover for passing dew condensation water generated in the element cover, a recess is provided in the top surface of the vegetable compartment, and the condensation sensor is provided in the recess. The through hole is provided in a side surface of the element cover that faces the bottom surface of the vegetable compartment .

As a result, the dew condensation detection element can be prevented from being damaged, particularly during the installation work, and even if excessive dew condensation occurs inside the element cover, it will be discharged from the cover, making it possible to detect dew condensation with high accuracy.

In the refrigerator of the present invention, the dew condensation detection part for detecting dew condensation of the dew condensation sensor is covered with the element cover provided with the opening hole. It is possible to detect dew condensation and prevent deterioration of the reliability of the element due to the presence of water.

1 is a plan view of a dew condensation sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a side view of a dew condensation sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a dew condensation sensor with an element cover through hole according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; 1 is a side view of a dew condensation sensor with an element cover through-hole according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the dew point and the sensor output depending on the temperature and humidity of the dew condensation sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; A longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator using a dew condensation sensor on the back according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. A vertical sectional view of a vegetable compartment of a refrigerator using a dew condensation sensor on the back surface according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a vegetable compartment of a refrigerator using a dew condensation sensor on the back surface according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; A vertical cross-sectional view of a vegetable compartment of a refrigerator using a dew condensation sensor on the top surface according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a vegetable compartment of a refrigerator using a dew condensation sensor on the top surface according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Side view of conventional condensation sensor

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
1 is a plan view of a dew condensation sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the dew condensation sensor according to Embodiment 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the dew condensation sensor according to the first embodiment with an element cover through hole, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the dew point and the sensor output depending on the temperature and humidity of the dew condensation sensor according to the first embodiment. .

1 to 4, the dew condensation detection element 11 is mounted on one surface of the wiring board 12, the detection circuit portion 14 composed of a plurality of electronic components 13 is mounted on the same surface, and the external connection portion 15 is electrically connected by the conductor pattern 17. The dew condensation detection element 11 is entirely covered with an element cover 16 so as to hide it. Although not shown, there is a slight gap between the wiring board 12 and the element cover 16 that allows moisture to pass through. is provided. The dew condensation sensor 18 is composed of the above components. The other surface of the wiring board 12 has no mounted components and is a cooling surface, and the dew condensation detection element 11 is cooled through the wiring board 12 by cooling from the cooling source. The wiring board 12 is generally made of a material such as paper phenol, composite, or glass epoxy and has a board thickness of 1.6 mm. A processed product made of an insulating and highly thermally conductive resin material having a high thermal conductivity may be used.

As the dew condensation detection element 11, it is preferable that the change in physical quantity between the dry state without water adhesion and the dew condensation state with water adhesion is large. and Generally, only the resin used for capacitive humidity sensors has poor accuracy at high humidity of 90% RH or more, and it is impossible to distinguish between high humidity and condensation. Therefore, if the above mixture is used, the hygroscopic resin swells greatly when dew condensation occurs, and the contact ratio between the conductors becomes extremely small, so that the resistance value change between drying and dew condensation can be greatly increased. For example, a resistance value of several kΩ in a dry state becomes a high resistance value of several hundred kΩ when dew condensation occurs, which can be regarded as a variation of 100 times or more. Moreover, this mixture can be processed into a paste form, and can be directly printed and molded between the conductor circuit patterns 17 on the wiring board 12 . Alternatively, if a mixture is formed between the base substrates of both end electrodes like a general surface-mounted resistor type, it can be processed as a component that can be mounted by existing equipment.

Next, FIGS. 1 to 4 show a dew condensation sensor 18 provided with a through hole as the element cover 16. FIG. 1, the top surface opening 19 is provided as a through hole in the top surface of the element cover 16, and in FIGS. 3 and 4, the top surface opening 19 is provided as a through hole in the top surface of the element cover 16, and A side opening 20 is provided as a through hole on the side surface. In FIGS. 3 and 4, both the top surface opening 19 and the side opening 20 are provided in the element cover 16, but depending on the mounting posture of the dew condensation sensor 18, only the top surface of the element cover 16 may Or you may provide a through-hole only in the side surface.

The operation and action of the dew condensation sensor configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the operation by which the dew condensation sensor 18 can detect dew condensation in advance will be described. In FIG. 5, the ambient environment temperature t2 where the dew condensation sensor 18 is installed is 10° C. for the sake of clarity. Since there is no cooling from the cooling source at this time, the temperature t1 of the dew condensation detection element 11 also reaches 10° C. indicated by the dotted line, and dew condensation begins when the relative humidity rises to 100% RH (time T2). That is, the dew point temperature is 10°C. At this time T2, the dew condensation sensor 18 determines that dew condensation has occurred, and changes the output voltage from V1 during drying to V2 as indicated by the dotted line.

Next, when the wiring board 12 is cooled by the cooling source and the temperature t1 of the dew condensation detection element 11 is lowered by 2 degrees from the ambient temperature of 10 degrees C. to 8 degrees C., the temperature t1 of the dew condensation detection element 11 is as shown by the solid line. Become. Then, when the relative humidity rises to 90% RH (time T1), condensation begins. That is, the dew point temperature is 8° C., and condensation occurs when the relative humidity reaches 90% RH. When the time T1 is reached, the dew condensation sensor 18 determines that dew condensation has occurred, and changes the output voltage from V1 during drying to V2 as shown by the solid line.

To summarize, if the dew condensation sensor 18 is installed in an environment with an ambient temperature of 10° C. and the dew condensation detection element 11 is cooled to 8° C., the dew condensation sensor 18 will not detect the dew even if the relative humidity is 90% RH and the surrounding environment is not dew-condensed. Condensation will be determined. That is, dew condensation can be detected at time T1, which is earlier than time T2 shown in FIG. In the description, the temperature of the dew condensation detection element 11 was set to 8°C for determination at a relative humidity of 90% RH. On the contrary, it should be set to a lower value.

Next, an abnormal dew condensation state that occurs when dew condensation is detected in advance but the dew condensation prevention control does not operate correctly will be described. In this case, since the dew condensation detection element 11 is cooled to a lower temperature than the surroundings, excessive dew condensation water accumulates inside the element cover 16 . However, when the dew condensation sensor 18 is attached downward in the Z-axis direction (FIG. 3), the condensed water naturally falls from the top opening 19 and does not remain in the element cover 16 . Also, in the downward direction of the Y axis (FIG. 4), water is drained from the side opening 20 . Here, the size of the opening is set to a size larger than the gravity of the dew condensation water due to its own weight over the force of the dew condensation water trying to stay in the element cover 16 due to the surface tension. Furthermore, the element cover 16 also has a role of preventing the dew condensation detection element 11 from being scratched by touching it with a bare hand or being struck by a tool, and the size of the element cover 16 is set so as not to cause such a problem. As a result of confirmation by experiment, the opening hole size is preferably about 3 to 5 mm.

The content of cooling the dew condensation detection element 11 has been explained, but if there is a distribution difference in the surrounding environment in the main body side application range, it is possible to install the dew condensation sensor 18 in the area with the highest humidity or lowest temperature. Preliminary detection of condensation is possible without cooling, since the location begins to condense earlier in time.

As described above, in the present embodiment, at least the dew condensation detection element 11 provided on the wiring board 12 is provided, and the element cover 16 is provided to cover the dew condensation detection element 11 and dew condensation generated in the element cover 16 is provided. By providing the element cover 16 with a through-hole through which water passes, the dew condensation detection element 11 can be prevented from being scratched due to contact with bare hands or tools when the dew condensation sensor 18 is transported, transported, or attached to the main body. Even if the abnormal dew condensation state continues for a long time and water droplets accumulate in the element cover 16, the water droplets are drained from the through hole, so that the abnormal body side control of the dew condensation continuation determination can be avoided, and the water addition state of the dew condensation sensor 18. It is also possible to prevent deterioration of reliability due to

In addition, by providing a plurality of through holes such as the top opening 19 and the side opening 20, the condensation water in the element cover 16 can be drained more easily, so that the restrictions on the mounting posture of the condensation sensor can be relaxed. That is, the degree of freedom of attachment is improved. Furthermore, the dew condensation sensor 18 can be used with high reliability.

In addition, since the through-holes are provided in the vertical direction, the water droplets abnormally condensed inside the element cover 16 work in the direction of dropping from the through-holes due to their own weight due to gravity. Therefore, it is possible to detect dew condensation in advance without erroneous detection, and to maintain the storage room in a high humidity state.

In addition, the area of the through-hole is set so that the gravity due to its own weight is greater than the surface tension of the dew condensation water accumulated in the element cover 16, so that the accumulation of water droplets in the element cover 16 is physically prevented. Therefore, the reliability against abnormal dew condensation is further improved, and the dew condensation sensor 16 can be easily applied to the body side.

In addition, although not described in detail, by applying a hydrophilic treatment to the surface of the element cover 16, the probability that dew condensation water becomes water droplets is reduced, and the surface is flowed and discharged from the through holes, thereby further enhancing reliability. becomes possible.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator using a dew condensation sensor on the back surface according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator using the dew condensation sensor on the top surface according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the vegetable compartment of the same refrigerator.

First, in FIGS. 6 to 8, the heat insulating box body 101 of the refrigerator 100 is composed of an outer box 102 mainly using steel plates, an inner box 103 made of resin such as ABS, and an outer box 102 and an inner box 103. The spaces between the storage compartments are filled with a foamed heat insulating material such as rigid foamed urethane, and are insulated from the surroundings and divided into a plurality of storage compartments.

A refrigerating chamber 104 as a first storage chamber is provided at the top, and a switching chamber 105 as a fourth storage chamber and an ice making chamber 106 as a fifth storage chamber are arranged horizontally below the refrigerating chamber 104. are provided side by side, a vegetable compartment 107 as a second storage compartment is provided below the switching compartment 105 and the ice making compartment 106, and a freezer compartment 108 is arranged at the bottom as a third storage compartment. It has become.

The refrigerating compartment 104 is normally set to a temperature of 1° C. to 5° C., which is the lowest temperature that does not freeze for refrigerated storage. The freezer compartment 108 is set in a freezing temperature range, and is normally set at −22° C. to −15° C. for frozen storage. It may be set at a low temperature of °C. In addition to the refrigerating temperature range set between 1°C and 5°C, the vegetable temperature range set between 2°C and 7°C, and the freezing temperature range normally set between -22°C and -15°C, It is possible to switch to a preset temperature range between the refrigeration temperature range and the freezing temperature range. The switching compartment 105 is a storage compartment provided with an independent door provided side by side with the ice making compartment 106, and is often provided with a drawer type door.

In the present embodiment, the switching compartment 105 is a storage compartment including the temperature range of refrigeration and freezing. The storage compartment may be specialized for switching only the temperature zone between refrigeration and freezing. Alternatively, a storage room fixed to a specific temperature zone may be used.

The ice-making chamber 106 makes ice with an automatic ice-making machine (not shown) installed in the upper part of the room with water sent from a water storage tank (not shown) in the refrigerating room 104, and an ice storage container (not shown) arranged in the lower part of the room. (not shown).

The top surface of the heat-insulating box 101 has a stepped recess toward the back of the refrigerator 100. A machine room 101a is formed in this stepped recess to accommodate a compressor 109 and a dryer for removing moisture. (not shown) and other high pressure side components of the refrigeration cycle are housed. That is, the machine room 101a in which the compressor 109 is installed is formed by cutting into the uppermost rear region in the refrigerating room 104. As shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, regarding the essential part of the invention described below, a machine room is provided in the lowermost storage room rear region of the heat insulating box body 101, which has been conventionally common, and the compressor 109 is installed therein. It may be applied to the type of refrigerator that is arranged. Also, the refrigerator 100 may have a so-called mid-freezer configuration in which the freezer compartment 108 and the vegetable compartment 107 are interchanged.

Next, a cooling chamber 110 for generating cool air is provided behind the vegetable compartment 107 and the freezing compartment 108, and between the vegetable compartment 107 and the cooling compartment 110 or between the freezing compartment 108 and the cooling compartment 110, heat insulation is provided. and a rear partition wall 111 configured to partition each room with heat insulation.

A cooler 112 is disposed in the cooling chamber 110. In the space above the cooler 112, cold air cooled by the cooler 112 is supplied to the refrigerator chamber 104, the switching chamber 105, the ice making chamber 106, and the vegetables. A cooling fan 113 for blowing air to the chamber 107 and the freezer chamber 108 is arranged, and a glass tube radiant is provided in the lower space of the cooler 112 for defrosting frost and ice adhering to the cooler 112 and its surroundings during cooling. A heater 114 is provided, and a drain pan 115 for receiving defrosted water generated during defrosting is provided below the heater 114. A drain tube 116 penetrates from the deepest part of the heater 114 to the outside of the refrigerator. 117 are configured.

In the vegetable compartment 107, a lower storage container 119 mounted on a frame attached to a drawer door 118 of the vegetable compartment 107 and an upper storage container 120 mounted on the lower storage container 119 are arranged. A lid body 122 for substantially sealing mainly the upper storage container 120 in a state where the drawer door 118 is closed is held by a first partition wall 123 and the inner box 103 provided in the upper part of the vegetable compartment 107. . When the drawer door 118 is closed, the lid body 122 and the upper storage container 120 are in close contact with each other at the left, right, and deep sides of the upper surface, and substantially in close contact with each other at the front side of the upper surface. Further, the boundary between the left and right bottom sides of the back surface of the upper storage container 120 and the lower storage container 119 is closed to prevent moisture from escaping from the food storage portion within a range where the upper storage container 120 does not come into contact with the upper storage container 120 during its operation.

Between the lid body 122 and the first partition wall 123, an air passage for cold air discharged from the discharge port 124 for the vegetable compartment 107 formed in the inner partition wall 111 is provided. A cooling member 200 is embedded through the back partition wall 111 near the vegetable compartment 107, one end of which is exposed in the conveying air passage 141, and the dew condensation sensor 18 is attached to the other end.

Further, a space is also provided between the lower storage container 119 and the second partition wall 125 below the lower storage container 119 to form a cold air passage. A suction port 126 for the vegetable compartment 107 is provided in the lower part of the inner partition wall 111 provided on the back side of the vegetable compartment 107 for cooling the inside of the vegetable compartment 107 and returning the cool air, which has been heat-exchanged, to the cooler 112. It is

The rear partition wall 111 is composed of a surface made of resin such as ABS, and a heat insulating material made of expanded polystyrene or the like for isolating the conveying air passage 141 and the cooling chamber 110 and ensuring heat insulation.

Next, the configuration around the dew condensation sensor 18 will be described in a little more detail. The cooling member 200 having one end exposed in the conveying air passage 141 passes through the inner partition wall 111 having heat insulating properties, and the dew condensation sensor 18 described in Embodiment 1 is thermally fixed to the other end. ing. Specifically, the cooling member 200 is fixed to the back side of the wiring board 12 on which the components of the dew condensation sensor 18 are not mounted, for example, via a heat-dissipating silicon sheet or a shock-absorbing high-heat-conducting resin material. It is even better if they are combined and physically fixed with screws or the like. It should be noted that the cooling member 200 is preferably made of a material having extremely high thermal conductivity, and is preferably made of metal such as aluminum or molded products of high thermal conductivity resin. At this time, the dew condensation sensor 18 is mounted downward along the Y axis shown in FIG. 4 of the first embodiment, and the side opening 20 is open vertically downward.

A sensor insertion opening member 202 having a dimension R larger than the outer shape of the dew condensation sensor 18 is attached to a portion of the lower storage container 119 that contacts the dew condensation sensor 18. When the drawer door 118 is closed, the dew condensation sensor 18 is installed inside the lower storage container 119 . If a rubber grommet with radial slits or the like is used as the sensor insertion port member 202, it is possible to reduce the impact on the dew condensation sensor 18 during insertion and ensure airtightness after insertion.

Furthermore, a humidity control mechanism 201 is attached to the inner rear surface of the lower storage container 119, and the space is sealed or opened according to information from the dew condensation sensor 18 in the vegetable compartment. As the humidity control mechanism 201, a flap opening and closing by an electromagnet (an electromagnet on the main body side and a magnetic flap on the container side), an electric damper driven by non-contact power supply (primary power supply on the main body side, secondary power receiving on the container side and a motor ), insertion of the container side into the main body side flap mechanism, etc., the opening and closing of the drawer door 118 can be operated without a harness.

The operation and function of the refrigerator configured as described above will be described below.

First, the operation of the refrigeration cycle will be described. A refrigerating cycle is operated in response to a signal from a control board (not shown) according to the set temperature in the refrigerator to perform the cooling operation. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the operation of the compressor 109 is condensed and liquefied to some extent in a condenser (not shown), and further flows into refrigerant pipes ( (not shown), etc., while preventing dew condensation in the refrigerator 100, it is condensed and liquefied, and reaches a capillary tube (not shown). After that, in the capillary tube, the pressure is reduced while exchanging heat with a suction pipe (not shown) to the compressor 109 to become a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant and reach the cooler 112 .

Here, the low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant exchanges heat with the air in each storage chamber such as the air passage 141 of the freezer compartment 108 conveyed by the operation of the cooling fan 113, and the refrigerant in the cooler 112 evaporates. At this time, cold air for cooling each storage compartment is generated in the cooling compartment 110 .

The low-temperature cold air generated in the cooling chamber 110 is diverted from the cooling fan 113 to the refrigerating chamber 104, the switching chamber 105, the ice making chamber 106, the vegetable chamber 107, and the freezing chamber 108 using air paths and dampers 145. Cool to each target temperature zone.

Refrigerating compartment 104 is cooled to a target temperature by adjusting the amount of cool air with damper 145 using a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in refrigerating compartment 104 . In particular, the temperature of the vegetable compartment 107 is adjusted from 2° C. to 7° C. by the distribution of cold air and the ON/OFF operation of heating means (not shown).

After the refrigerator compartment 104 is cooled, the air in the vegetable compartment 107 is discharged to the vegetable compartment 107 from an outlet 124 for the vegetable compartment 107 formed in the middle of the refrigerator compartment return air path for circulating the air to the cooler 112 . , the outer periphery of the upper storage container 120 and the lower storage container 119 to indirectly cool it, and then return to the cooler 112 again from the suction port 126 for the vegetable compartment 107 .

In this way, the vegetable compartment 107 is set to the optimum temperature for the vegetables. Since the weight of the vegetables is reduced and the product value of the leaf vegetables is deteriorated due to the wilting, the lower storage container 119 and the upper storage container 120 are made to have a substantially closed structure to keep the inside of the containers at high humidity. However, if the closed state is continued, water transpiration from the vegetables may condense inside the container, and if the dew accumulates on the bottom surface, the vegetables may rot. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the dew condensation sensor 18 and the humidity control mechanism 201 are used to moderate the humidity in the lower storage container 119, which particularly stores a lot of vegetables, so that a high humidity state without condensation is maintained. ing.

Next, the operation of detecting condensation in advance will be described. The cooling member 200, one end of which is exposed in the conveying air passage 141, is cooled by cold air and cools the back surface of the wiring board 12 of the dew condensation sensor 18 by thermal conduction. When cooled, the dew condensation detection element 11 in the dew condensation sensor 18 is also cooled and becomes lower than the ambient temperature of the lower storage container 119 . Therefore, when the humidity of the lower storage container 119 increases, the dew condensation detection element 11 has a lower temperature and a dew point temperature than the inner wall of the container, so the condensation can be detected earlier (in advance) than the inner wall of the container. As a specific example, when the inside of the vegetable compartment 107 is set at 5°C, the temperature of the dew condensation detection element 11 should be set at 3°C in order to detect a relative humidity of 90% RH. Structural hardware adjustment such as the volume of the cooling member 200, the exposed length in the conveying air passage 141, the contact thermal conductivity between the cooling member 200 and the dew condensation sensor 18, and the cooling time of the cooling member 200 (cooling fan 113 operating time) , the desired dew point temperature can be achieved by control software adjustment such as the detection timing of the dew condensation sensor 18 from the start of cooling.

When the dew condensation is detected in advance, the operation of the humidity control mechanism 201 is started, and the inside of the lower storage container 119 is cleared by opening with an opening/closing flap or dehumidification by an electrolytic dehumidification element such as a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. Low humidity. After that, when the dew condensation sensor 18 returns (dries), the operation is stopped and the inside of the container is returned to the substantially sealed structure to return to the high humidity state.

Here, when the operation of the humidity control mechanism 201 is stopped or when a large amount of vegetables are put in, the dew condensation sensor 18 is cooled more than the inner wall of the container especially for the purpose of detecting dew condensation in advance. However, since the side opening 20 is provided in the vertically downward direction, water droplets do not remain in the element cover 16 for a long time.

The lower storage container 119 has been described above. Next, the configuration in which the dew condensation sensor of the present invention is applied to the upper storage container 120 will be described, particularly in terms of structure, with reference to FIGS.

Above the vegetable compartment 107, a switching compartment 105 or an ice-making compartment 106, which is set to a temperature lower than that of the vegetable compartment 107, is installed. The first partition wall 123 has a partition wall concave portion 203, and the dew condensation sensor 18 described in Embodiment 1 is opened downward in the Z-axis direction shown in FIG. It is thermally adhered and fixed. Specifically, the dew condensation sensor 18 is fixed to the rear surface side of the wiring board 12 on which the components of the dew condensation sensor 18 are not mounted, by screwing or the like via the heat conducting member 204 . As the heat-conducting member 204, a heat-dissipating silicon sheet or a shock-absorbing high heat-conducting resin material is preferable, and a metal such as aluminum may be used as long as insulation and safety can be ensured.

A humidity control member 205 is provided at a portion where the upper storage container 120 contacts the first partition wall 123 to ensure the airtightness of the upper storage container 120, and the dew condensation sensor 18 is arranged in this space. . As the humidity control member 205, means having an electric opening/closing flap function is reliable, but due to its high cost, the outer periphery of the upper storage container 120 is covered with a flexible foam member, and the gap with the first partition wall 123 is filled. It is also possible to deal with it by optimizing it.

Since the operation and effect of this configuration are the same as when the dew condensation sensor 18 is installed on the back and applied to the lower storage container 119, description thereof will be omitted, and abnormal dew condensation will be described.

Since the dew condensation sensor 18 is installed in the partition wall concave portion 203 of the first partition wall 123, that is, in the portion where the wall thickness is thin, the dew condensation sensor 18 is cooled more than the inner wall of the upper storage container 120 especially for detecting dew condensation in advance. Therefore, although a large amount of water droplets tend to adhere to the inside of the element cover 16, water droplets do not stay in the element cover 16 for a long time because the top surface opening 19 is provided in the vertically downward direction.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the opposite surface of the wiring substrate 12 on which the dew condensation detection element 11 of the dew condensation sensor 18 is mounted is brought into contact with the coldest part of the storage room of the refrigerator 100 where the dew condensation sensor 18 is installed. Since the through hole is formed in the vertically downward direction with respect to the space inside the element cover 16, the drainage of water droplets from the inside of the element cover 16 at the time of abnormal condensation is improved. In cooperation with , high humidity conditions can be safely maintained up to the limit of condensation, and the freshness of vegetables can be improved.

As described above, the dew condensation sensor according to the present invention can detect dew condensation in advance without accumulating abnormal water droplets in the element cover for protecting the dew condensation detection element. Not only can it be applied to food products other than vegetables, but it can also be applied to applications such as distribution and warehouses that require high-humidity storage, including foods other than vegetables.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 dew condensation detection element 12 wiring board 13 electronic component 14 detection circuit section 15 external connection section 16 element cover 17 conductor pattern 18 dew condensation sensor 19 top opening (through hole)
20 side opening (through hole)
100 Refrigerator 101 Heat Insulation Box 102 Outer Box 103 Inner Box 104 Refrigerator Chamber 105 Switching Chamber 106 Ice Making Chamber 107 Vegetable Compartment (Storage Compartment)
108 freezer compartment 109 compressor 110 cooling compartment 111 inner partition wall 112 cooler 113 cooling fan 114 radiant heater 115 drain pan 116 drain tube 117 evaporating dish 118 drawer door 119 lower storage container 120 upper storage container 122 lid 123 first partition wall 124 discharge port 125 second partition wall 126 suction port 141 conveying air passage 200 cooling member 201 humidity control mechanism 202 sensor insertion port member 203 partition wall concave portion 204 heat conduction member 205 humidity control member

Claims (6)

vegetable room,
A dew condensation sensor provided in the vegetable compartment,
The dew condensation sensor has at least a dew condensation detection element provided on a wiring board,
An element cover is provided to cover the dew condensation detection element, and a through hole is provided in the element cover for passing dew condensation water generated in the element cover ,
A concave portion is provided on the top surface of the vegetable compartment,
The dew condensation sensor is provided in the recess,
The refrigerator, wherein the through hole is provided on a side surface of the element cover that faces the bottom surface of the vegetable compartment . 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a storage compartment set to a lower temperature than said vegetable compartment above said vegetable compartment. A storage container is provided in the vegetable compartment,
A humidity control member is provided at a portion where the top surface of the vegetable compartment and the storage container abut,
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said humidity control member is controlled based on a detection result of said dew condensation sensor. 4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said through-hole is further provided in a side surface of said element cover different from a side surface facing a bottom surface of said vegetable compartment. 5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the area of said through-hole is such that the gravitational force due to its own weight is greater than the surface tension of the dew condensation water accumulated in said element cover. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the through-hole is 3 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

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