JP7535705B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to refrigerators.

Patent document 1 describes a configuration in which the opening of a storage container stored in a freezer is covered with a lid. In this document, the lid is formed by integrating an aluminum plate with a resin frame, and the lid is made slidable by being attached to a rail provided at the opening of the storage container. In addition, a long hole is formed on the periphery of the lid to allow cold air to flow.

JP 2006-10215 A

This disclosure provides a refrigerator that can prevent food inside the freezer compartment from drying out while also preventing frost from forming inside the freezer compartment and on the top cover.

The refrigerator of the present disclosure comprises a freezer compartment, a cold air outlet which blows cold air into the freezer compartment, a freezer compartment container having an upper opening formed therein and housed in the freezer compartment, and a top cover which covers the upper opening of the freezer compartment container, wherein the cold air outlet blows out cold air along an upper surface of the top cover, and the top cover has an opening area corresponding to a size of the opening shape of the top opening, and the opening area comprises an area spaced away from the cold air outlet and an area close to the cold air outlet, and in the area spaced away from the cold air outlet, a plurality of opening holes are uniformly formed in the front-to-rear direction, and in the area close to the cold air outlet, a plurality of opening holes are uniformly formed in the front-to-rear direction, and in the opening area, an opening ratio which is the ratio of the area of the portion where the opening holes are formed to the entire area of the opening area is greater in the area close to the cold air outlet than in the area spaced away from the cold air outlet.

In the refrigerator disclosed herein, the cold air flowing along the top cover has difficulty entering the freezer container through the openings in the top cover, and even if it does enter the interior through the openings, vortex convection occurs due to viscosity, and the cold air escapes to the outside through nearby openings. This reduces temperature fluctuations caused by the cold air flowing into the freezer container, and prevents food in the freezer container from drying out, while also preventing frost from forming inside the freezer container. Even if frost forms on the top or bottom surface of the top cover, cold air flows near the top or bottom, promoting the sublimation of the frost. This makes it possible to prevent frost from forming inside the freezer container and on the top cover while preventing food in the freezer container from drying out.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the periphery of a freezing chamber and a cooling chamber in the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an upper freezing chamber container part and a lower freezing chamber container part in the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a plan view of the upper freezing chamber container in the first embodiment. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the opening hole in the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the periphery of the front flange portion in the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the periphery of the rear flange portion in the first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stopper according to a first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a side view of the first embodiment when the stopper is moved to a restricted position; FIG. 11 is a side view of the first embodiment when the stopper is moved to the release position; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between deliciousness D, quality R, and aperture ratio A in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the results of a fluid analysis of cold air around the upper freezer container in the first embodiment.

(Knowledge and other information that forms the basis of this disclosure)
At the time when the inventors came up with the idea of the present disclosure, there was a technique for preventing sublimation of moisture in frozen foods by providing a lid to a freezer container placed in a freezer.

In conventional technology, an aluminum plate was used as a lid to seal the container and prevent the sublimation of moisture in the frozen food, while the inside of the container was cooled by radiation from the aluminum and by cold air coming in through long holes in the periphery.
However, the aluminum lid has high thermal conductivity and is easily cooled by the cold air in the freezer. Also, although holes are provided on the periphery, such holes cannot improve the temperature difference inside the container. Therefore, the inventors discovered problems such as frost formation on food in the center of the container, on the container wall, and on the aluminum lid, and in order to solve these problems, they have come to form the subject of the present disclosure.
Therefore, the present disclosure provides a refrigerator that can suppress frost formation inside the freezer compartment container and on the top cover while suppressing drying of food inside the freezer compartment container.

Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, in some cases, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or duplicate explanations of substantially the same configurations may be omitted.
It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[1-1. Configuration]
[1-1-1. Configuration of refrigerator]
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with a first embodiment.
In the description of this specification, references to front, back, left and right of refrigerator 1 are based on refrigerator 1 in Fig. 1. That is, the left and right of Fig. 1 will be described as corresponding to the front and back of refrigerator 1. The front side of Fig. 1 will be described as corresponding to the left side of refrigerator 1, and the back side of Fig. 1 will be described as corresponding to the right side of refrigerator 1. Note that the term "front" may refer to the front side of refrigerator 1. The term "rear" may refer to the rear side of refrigerator 1.

In FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 has an insulated box 2. The insulated box 2 is made of an outer box 3 made mainly of steel plate, an inner box 4 molded from a resin such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), and a foam insulation material 5 such as rigid foamed urethane that fills the space between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4.

The insulating box 2 is insulated from the surroundings and is divided into a plurality of storage compartments.
A refrigerator compartment 6 is provided at the top of the insulated box 2. Below the refrigerator compartment 6, a switchable compartment 7 and an ice-making compartment (not shown) are provided side by side on the left and right, separated by an insulated wall. A freezer compartment 9 is provided below the switchable compartment 7 and the ice-making compartment. Below the freezer compartment 9, i.e., at the bottom of the insulated box 2, a vegetable compartment 10 is provided.

The interior temperature of the refrigerator compartment 6 is usually set to 1°C to 5°C.
The temperature of the switchable compartment 7 is set to a range of −18° C. to 5° C., and can be switched from a freezing temperature range to a refrigerating temperature range.
The interior temperature of the freezer compartment 9 is usually set to -22°C to -15°C, but may be set to a lower temperature, for example -30°C or -25°C, to improve the frozen storage conditions.
The vegetable compartment 10 is set at a temperature of 2°C to 7°C, which is equal to or slightly higher than that of the refrigerator compartment 6.

A hinged refrigerator compartment door 11 is provided at the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 6 so as to be able to open and close freely, and a gasket (not shown) seals the gap between the refrigerator compartment door 11 and the front opening.
In addition, a pull-out type switchable compartment door 12 and a pull-out type ice-making compartment door (not shown) are provided at the front openings of the switchable compartment 7 and the ice-making compartment 8, and are sealed with a gasket (not shown). When the switchable compartment door 12 is pulled out forward, the switchable compartment container part 13, which has an open top, is pulled out at the same time.

A drawer-type freezer compartment door 14 is provided at the front opening of the freezer compartment 9, and a gasket (not shown) of the freezer compartment door 14 seals the front opening.
The freezer compartment 9 is provided with two tiers, an upper freezer compartment container section 15 and a lower freezer compartment container section 16, which are open at the top. The upper freezer compartment container section 15 is placed on the peripheral edge of the upper opening of the lower freezer compartment container section 16, and the upper freezer compartment container section 15 and the lower freezer compartment container section 16 are pulled out in conjunction with the forward pulling action of the freezer compartment door 14.

In addition, a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 17 is provided at the front opening of the lowest vegetable compartment 10, and a gasket (not shown) of the vegetable compartment door 17 seals the space between the front opening and the vegetable compartment door 17.
The vegetable compartment 10 is provided with a vegetable compartment container section 18 having an open top, and the vegetable compartment container section 18 is configured to be pulled out in conjunction with the pulling-out operation of the vegetable compartment door 17.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the periphery of freezing chamber 9 and cooling chamber 19 in the first embodiment.
A cooling chamber 19 that generates cold air is provided behind the freezing chamber 9. A cooler (evaporator) 20 that constitutes a refrigeration cycle is disposed inside the cooling chamber 19. A compressor 23 (see FIG. 1) that constitutes a refrigeration cycle is disposed at the upper rear portion of the refrigerator chamber 6. The compressor 23, a condenser (not shown), an expansion mechanism, and the cooler 20 are connected by refrigerant piping to constitute a refrigeration cycle.
The refrigerant is discharged from the compressor 23 and circulated through the refrigeration cycle, whereby the refrigerant is cooled to a predetermined temperature and heat is exchanged between the cooler 20 and the air inside the cooling chamber 19, generating cold air inside the cooling chamber 19.

The space above the cooler 20 is equipped with a blower fan 21 (see Figure 1). By operating the blower fan 21, the air that has undergone heat exchange in the cooler 20 is blown into the refrigerator compartment 6, the switchable compartment 7, the ice-making compartment 8, the freezer compartment 9, and the vegetable compartment 10, and the amount of cold air blown is adjusted and controlled to cool each compartment to a specified temperature.

2, a partition wall 25 is provided on the rear side of the freezing chamber 9 to separate it from the cooling chamber 19. The partition wall 25 is formed with cold air outlets 25a, 25b that connect the cooling chamber 19 and the freezing chamber 9. In this embodiment, a pair of cold air outlets 25a, 25b are formed on the top and bottom.
The upper cold air outlet 25a is provided above the upper freezer compartment container 15. The upper cold air outlet 25a is configured to blow cold air forward in a substantially horizontal direction. The upper cold air outlet 25a is also configured to blow air slightly downward. The upper cold air outlet 25a blows cold air in a direction along the upper surface 40a of the top cover 40 of the freezer compartment container 30.

The lower cold air outlet 25b is provided below the upper freezing chamber container 15 and above the lower freezing chamber container 16. The lower cold air outlet 25b is configured to blow cold air downward and forward. The lower cold air outlet 25b blows cold air into the lower freezing chamber container 16.
Below the lower cold air outlet 25b, a cold air return port 25c communicating with the cooling chamber 19 is formed. The cold air return port 25c is provided corresponding to the lower rear surface of the lower freezer chamber container portion 16.

[1-1-3. Configuration of storage chamber container]
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper freezing compartment container part 15 and the lower freezing compartment container part 16 in embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper freezing compartment container part 15 in embodiment 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in Fig. 4.
The upper freezing compartment container part 15 is supported on the peripheral edge of the upper opening of the lower freezing compartment container part 16 so as to be able to be pulled out forward.

The upper freezer container section 15 comprises a freezer container 30 as an example of a storage container, and a top cover 40 that covers the top of the freezer container 30. In this embodiment, the freezer container 30 is formed from a transparent resin material. Therefore, the inside of the lower freezer container section 16 can be seen through the freezer container 30. The top cover 40 is also formed from a transparent resin material. Therefore, the inside of the freezer container 30 can be seen through the top cover 40.

The freezer container 30 is a box that is roughly a rectangular parallelepiped in appearance and extends forward, backward, left and right. The top of the freezer container 30 is open. Specifically, the freezer container 30 has a rectangular bottom wall 31 and a surrounding wall 32 around the bottom wall 31. The surrounding wall 32 is composed of a front wall 32a, a rear wall 32b, a left wall 32c, and a right wall 32d. A partition 33 that divides the inside of the freezer container 30 into left and right sections is formed in the center of the bottom wall 31. The partition 33 forms a first storage section 34 and a second storage section 35 in the freezer container 30.

The first storage section 34 opens upward through a first top opening 34a. The second storage section 35 opens upward through a second top opening 35a. In this embodiment, the storage capacities of the first storage section 34 and the second storage section 35 are set to be the same. The opening shapes of the first top opening 34a and the second top opening 35a are symmetrical, and the opening areas are set to be the same. The first top opening 34a and the second top opening 35a form a top opening 30a.
A metallic frost plate 50 is detachably supported in each of the storage sections 34, 35. The frost plate 50 is disposed along the inner surface of the rear wall 32b located on the cold air outlets 25a, 25b side. The frost plate 50 is caused to attract frost from moisture inside the freezer container 30, and the frost inside the freezer container 30 can be removed by attaching and detaching the frost plate 50.

A pair of flanges 36, 37 are formed on either side of the top opening 30a in the freezing compartment container 30. In this embodiment, a pair of flanges 36, 37 are formed on the front and rear sides of the top opening 30a.
The front flange portion 36 is formed at a position corresponding to the front edge of the top opening 30a. The front flange portion 36 protrudes forward from the front wall 32a of the surrounding wall 32. The front flange portion 36 extends in the left-right direction between the left wall 32c and the right wall 32d. The front flange portion 36 curves downward as it moves forward. An uneven anti-slip portion 36a is formed on the underside of the front flange portion 36. A user can insert his/her finger below the front flange portion 36. The user can insert his/her finger into the front flange portion 36 and pull the freezer container 30 forward while placing his/her finger against the anti-slip portion 36a, thereby pulling the freezer container 30 forward.

The rear flange portion 37 is formed at a position corresponding to the rear edge of the top opening 30a. The rear flange portion 37 protrudes rearward relative to the rear wall 32b of the surrounding wall 32. The rear flange portion 37 extends in the left-right direction between the left wall 32c and the right wall 32d. The rear flange portion 37 is formed with a groove 37a that is recessed upward. The groove 37a extends along the rear flange portion 37.

A top cover 40 is slidably supported by the front flange portion 36 and the rear flange portion 37 .
The top cover 40 is formed in a rectangular plate shape in a plan view. The top cover 40 in this embodiment is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction in accordance with the size of the top openings 34a, 35a.

The top cover 40 has an opening area 41 that corresponds to the opening shape of the top openings 34a, 35a. The opening area 41 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view that is slightly smaller than the top openings 34a, 35a. A plurality of opening holes 41a that penetrate in the thickness direction are uniformly formed in the opening area 41. In this embodiment, the opening holes 41a are circular. Here, in this embodiment, uniform is used to mean that opening holes 41a of the same shape are repeatedly formed in the front-rear and left-right directions. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the opening holes 41a are linearly arranged in the front-rear and left-right directions is shown, but for example, the opening holes 41a may be uniformly arranged in a staggered pattern.

The opening region 41 has a plurality of opening holes 41a uniformly formed therein such that the opening ratio A, which is the ratio of the area of the opening holes 41a to the total area of the opening region 41, is 20% to 30%. In this embodiment, the size of the opening holes 41a is preferably 3 mm or more and 5 mm or less in diameter. The opening ratio A can also be said to be the ratio of the area of the opening holes 41a to the sum of the area of the opening region 41 where the opening holes 41a are not formed and the area of the opening region 41 where the opening holes 41a are formed.

A non-opening area 42, in which no opening holes 41a are formed, is formed on the outer periphery of the opening area 41. The non-opening area 42 has a rectangular ring shape in a plan view. The presence of the non-opening area 42 can improve the strength of the top cover 40.

In particular, in this embodiment, the non-opening region 42 is formed with rib-shaped reinforcing parts 42a that protrude upward from the top surface 40a. A pair of reinforcing parts 42a are formed on the left and right of the opening region 41. The reinforcing parts 42a correspond to the length of the opening region 41 in the front-to-rear direction. This configuration makes it possible to suppress bending of the top cover 40.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of FIG. 5 showing the periphery of the opening hole 41a in the first embodiment.
The opening hole 41a is chamfered at the boundary between the upper surface 40a and the lower surface 40b of the top cover 40. In other words, the upper end of the opening hole 41a becomes wider in diameter as it advances upward, and is smoothly connected to the top surface 40a. Also, the lower end of the opening hole 41a becomes wider in diameter as it advances downward, and is smoothly connected to the lower surface 40b. Therefore, the boundary of the opening hole 41a of the top cover 40 is not angular, and the resistance of the upper surface 40a and the lower surface 40b of the top cover 40 is small.

In particular, the opening hole 41a in this embodiment is formed in a tapered shape that narrows from the lower end toward the top. This allows gas to easily move from the bottom to the top of the top cover 40 through the opening hole 41a. Therefore, even if outside air from outside the freezer enters the freezer container 30 when the freezer door 14 is opened or closed, the high temperature outside air can be easily naturally released from the freezer container 30 to the top of the top cover 40 by the rising air current. This prevents frost from forming inside the freezer container 30 due to moisture contained in the outside air.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of Fig. 5 showing the periphery of the front flange portion 36 in the first embodiment. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of Fig. 5 showing the periphery of the rear flange portion 37 in the first embodiment.
The top cover 40 is formed with a pair of bent support portions 43, 44 corresponding to the pair of flange portions 36, 37 of the freezer container 30. In this embodiment, a pair of bent support portions 43, 44 are formed at the front and rear of the top cover 40. The bent support portions 43, 44 are hooked onto the respective flange portions 36, 37, thereby allowing the top cover 40 to be slidably supported on the freezer container 30. Therefore, the top cover 40 can be slidably supported along the top opening 30a with a simple configuration. In this embodiment, the top cover 40 is supported to be slidable between a position covering the first storage portion 34 and a position covering the second storage portion 35.

The front bent support portion 43 wraps around the front flange portion 36 from the outside and enters below the front flange portion 36. Specifically, the front bent support portion 43 includes a base portion 43a extending forward from the non-opening region portion 42, a curved portion 43b that curves downward as it advances forward from the front end of the base portion 43a, and a curved portion 43c that curves backward from the lower end of the curved portion 43b. The base portion 43a covers the front flange portion 36 from above, the curved portion 43b covers the front flange portion 36 from the front, and the curved portion 43c enters below the front flange portion 36.

The rear bent support portion 44 wraps around the rear flange portion 37 from the outside and enters below the rear flange portion 37. Specifically, the rear bent support portion 44 includes a base portion 44a extending rearward from the non-opening region portion 42, an extending portion 44b bending downward and extending from the rear end of the base portion 44a, and a bent portion 44c bending rearward from the lower end of the extending portion 44b. The base portion 44a covers the rear flange portion 37 from above, the extending portion 44b covers the rear flange portion 37 from the rear, and the bent portion 44c enters below the rear flange portion 37.
In the top cover 40 , the front and rear bent support portions 43 , 44 enter below the respective flange portions 36 , 37 , thereby restricting the top cover 40 from detaching upward from the freezer container 30 .

In particular, the rear bent support portion 44 goes around the rear flange portion 37 from the outside and enters below the rear flange portion 37. In addition, a concave groove 37a is also formed in the rear flange portion 37. Therefore, the rear bent support portion 44 and the rear flange portion 37 form a so-called labyrinth structure. Therefore, in the freezer compartment 9 (see FIG. 2), it is possible to prevent the cold air blown out from the cold air outlets 25a, 25b from passing between the rear flange portion 37 of the freezer compartment container 30 and the rear bent support portion 44 of the top cover 40 and entering the freezer compartment container 30.
In addition, when the freezer compartment door 14 is opened, moisture from the outside air is less likely to enter, and frost or ice is suppressed, particularly on the sliding surface between the rear flange portion 37 and the rear bent support portion 44, thereby maintaining the operability of the top cover 40.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the front and rear flanges 36, 37 and bending support parts 43, 44 have projections 36b, 36c, 37b, 44d formed on one side of the flanges 36, 37 and bending support parts 43, 44 that protrude toward the other side.

In this embodiment, the front flange portion 36 is formed with protrusions 36b, 36c that protrude toward the top cover 40. In detail, the upper surface of the front flange portion 36 is formed with an upper protrusion 36b that protrudes upward. The front surface of the front flange portion 36 is formed with a front protrusion 36c that protrudes forward. The protrusions 36b, 36c extend in a stripe shape across the entire left and right sides of the freezer container 30 (see FIG. 4).

The rear flange portion 37 is formed with an upper protrusion 37b that protrudes toward the top cover 40. The upper protrusion 37b extends in a stripe shape across the entire left and right sides of the freezer container 30 (see FIG. 4). In addition, on the top cover 40, a front protrusion 44d that protrudes toward the rear flange portion 37 is formed on the front surface of the extension portion 44b of the rear bent support portion 44. The front protrusion 44d is a circular protrusion provided at one location on each side. The front protrusion 44d may extend in a stripe shape across the entire left and right sides of the rear bent support portion 44.

The upper protrusions 36b, 37b and the front protrusions 36c, 44d reduce the contact area between the flanges 36, 37 and the bent support parts 43, 44. This reduces the sliding resistance when the top cover 40 slides relative to the freezer container 30.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the stopper 38 in the first embodiment. Fig. 10 is a side view of the stopper 38 in the first embodiment when it is moved to the restricting position. Fig. 11 is a side view of the stopper 38 in the first embodiment when it is moved to the releasing position.
The rear flange portion 37 is provided with stoppers 38 that restrict sliding of the top cover 40. In the present embodiment, a pair of stoppers 38 are provided on both the left and right ends of the rear flange portion 37. The left and right stoppers 38 have the same configuration, so only the left stopper 38 will be described.

The stopper 38 is shaped to protrude rearward relative to the rear flange portion 37. In detail, in the restricted position shown in FIG. 10, the stopper 38 has a plate-shaped operating portion 38a located rearward of the rear flange portion 37. The operating portion 38a is formed with a support portion 38b extending forward. The support portion 38b is provided with a pivot hinge 38c having a rotation center in the left-right direction. The stopper 38 is rotatably supported on the rear wall 32b of the freezer container 30 by the pivot hinge 38c.

A claw portion 38d (see FIG. 11) that protrudes forward is formed above the support portion 38b. The claw portion 38d hooks onto a hook portion (not shown) provided on the freezer container 30. This holds the stopper 38 in the restricted position shown in FIG. 10. In the restricted position, the stopper 38 is configured to overlap the rear bent support portion 44 of the top cover 40 in a side view. Therefore, when the top cover 40 slides along the rear flange portion 37, the rear bent support portion 44 abuts against the stopper 38, restricting the sliding of the top cover 40. This restricts the top cover 40 from coming off the freezer container 30.

Here, stopper avoidance sections 44e, 44f that are cut out in an L-shape in plan view are formed on the left and right sides of the rear bent support section 44. The left and right stoppers 38 enter the stopper avoidance sections 44e, 44f, respectively, and the left and right ends of the rear bent support section 44 of the top cover 40 abut against the stoppers 38. This positions the top cover 40 above each storage section 34, 35. That is, by abutting the top cover 40 against the stoppers 38, it is possible to accurately close either the first storage section 34 or the second storage section 35 while opening the other. Therefore, it is possible to accurately distinguish between the storage sections 34, 35 that are covered by the top cover 40 and the storage sections 35, 34 that are not covered by the top cover 40.

When the stopper 38 is in the restricted position, the engagement of the claw portion 38d is released by pushing the operating portion 38a, which is the radially outer end of the pivot hinge 38c, backward, and the stopper 38 moves to the release position shown in FIG. 11. In the release position, the stopper 38 is configured so that it does not overlap, or does not substantially overlap, the rear bent support portion 44 of the top cover 40 in a side view. Therefore, when the stopper 38 moves to the release position, the rear bent support portion 44 of the top cover 40 can pass beyond the stopper 38 to the outside in the left-right direction. Therefore, it is possible to remove the top cover 40 from the freezer container 30. By removing the top cover 40, it is possible to clean the top cover 40, etc.

Figure 12 is a diagram showing the relationship between palatability D, quality R, and opening rate A in embodiment 1. The upper part of Figure 12 is a diagram showing the relationship between palatability D, quality R, and resistance coefficient K. In the upper part of Figure 12, the vertical axis on the left represents palatability D. The vertical axis on the right represents quality R. The horizontal axis represents resistance coefficient K. The lower part of Figure 12 shows opening rate A corresponding to resistance coefficient K. Here, quality R can be rephrased as dehumidification capacity.

When cold air enters the top cover 40 from above downward through the openings 41a, a vortex is generated near the bottom surface 40b of the openings 41a due to the viscosity of the fluid. For this reason, the cold air has difficulty penetrating deeper into the freezer container 30 than the apparent size of the openings 41a (the sum of all openings 41a). In other words, by adjusting the resistance coefficient K (∝p1-p2), which represents the pressure loss, which is the difference between the pressure p1 on the top surface (see Figure 2) and the pressure p2 on the bottom surface (see Figure 2) when the cold air flows along the top cover 40, it has been discovered that it is possible to achieve both airtightness and breathability inside the freezer container 30, and thus to achieve both deliciousness D and quality R.

Specifically, from the standpoint of tastiness D, it is important that the food does not dry out. For this reason, from the standpoint of tastiness D, it is desirable for the freezer container 30 to be sealed, i.e., the opening ratio A to be as close to 0% as possible. From the sensory evaluation, it was found that an opening ratio A of 30% or less with a resistance coefficient K of 7 or more is acceptable. If it exceeds 30%, the level of the sensory evaluation deteriorates one level.

From the viewpoint of quality R, it is important to release moisture that has entered the freezer container 30. For this reason, from the viewpoint of quality R, it is desirable to keep the freezer container 30 open, i.e., the opening ratio A is as close to 100% as possible. Experiments have shown that an opening ratio A of 20% or more with a resistance coefficient K of 20 or less is acceptable.
From the above, it can be seen that in order to achieve both deliciousness D and quality R, it is desirable for the opening ratio A to be 20% or more and 30% or less.

[1-2. Operation, etc.]
Next, the operation of the refrigerator 1 in the first embodiment will be described.
In this embodiment, compressor 23 is driven to circulate refrigerant through the refrigeration cycle, and cooler 20 exchanges heat with the air inside cooling chamber 19 to generate cold air. Then, blower fan 21 is driven to blow the air that has exchanged heat in cooler 20 to refrigerator chamber 6, switchable chamber 7, ice-making chamber 8, freezer chamber 9, and vegetable chamber 10, and the amount of cold air blown is adjusted and controlled to cool each chamber to a predetermined temperature.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, in the freezer compartment 9, cold air is blown out from the upper cold air outlet 25a along the upper surface of the top cover 40 as indicated by the arrow A1.
From the lower cold air outlet 25b, cold air is blown out downward into the freezer compartment container 30 as shown by the arrow A2.
The cold air that has cooled the freezing compartment 9 returns to the cooling compartment 19 through the cold air return port 25c as shown by the arrow A3.
In this manner, cold air is blown into the freezing compartment 9, and the freezing compartment 9 is cooled.

Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the results of a fluid analysis of the cold air around the upper freezer container 15 in the first embodiment. In Fig. 13, the opening 41a of the top cover 40 is partially omitted. In Fig. 13, the fewer the black dots, the slower the cold air velocity V is in the area, and the more the black dots, the faster the cold air velocity V is in the area.
It is confirmed that the cool air blown out from the upper cool air outlet 25a flows vigorously along the upper surface 40a of the top cover 40. However, it is confirmed that the flow of the cool air along the lower surface 40b of the top cover 40 is small.

This is because even if the cold air flowing along the top cover 40 passes through the opening 41a and moves downward to the top cover 40, a vortex-like convection current (hereinafter referred to as a vortex) due to viscosity occurs near the lower surface 40b of the top cover 40, and the vortex current flows from the lower surface 40b of the nearby opening 41a toward the upper surface 40a.
Therefore, since the cold air flows along the top cover 40 without penetrating deep into the freezer container 30, this embodiment can suppress temperature fluctuations inside the freezer container 30 and prevent food from drying out due to the cold air. Furthermore, even if the cold air flows along the top surface 40a of the top cover 40 and some of the cold air enters the container from the opening 41a, a vortex is generated near the bottom surface 40b, and the cold air that has entered flows out of the top cover 40 from the bottom surface 40b of the other openings 41a toward the top surface 40a.
Therefore, even if moisture gets inside the freezer container 30 when storing food in the freezer container 30 or when the freezer door 14 is open, the moisture can be dehumidified by flowing in and out of the top cover 40 together with the cold air through the opening 41a, and even if the moisture turns into frost and forms on the top cover 40, the flow of cold air through the opening 41a due to the above-mentioned action can promote the sublimation of the frost on the top surface 40a and bottom surface 40b. Therefore, the light transmittance of the top cover 40 is not easily disturbed by frost, and visibility inside the freezer container 30 is easily maintained.

A gentle flow of cold air A4 is observed on the rear wall 32b side of the freezer container 30, which is close to the cold air outlets 25a, 25b and therefore easily cooled. The area near the rear wall 32b is close to the cold air outlets 25a, 25b and is therefore easily susceptible to frost, but in this embodiment, dry cold air can easily enter the area near the rear wall 32b, making it easier to sublimate frost caused by outside air, etc.

In particular, in this embodiment, the frost plate 50 (see FIG. 5) is provided so that it can be detached. By intentionally forming frost on the frost plate 50 and then removing it, it is possible to easily remove the frost from within the freezer container 30.

In this embodiment, the top cover 40 is configured to be slidable between a position covering the first storage section 34 and a position covering the second storage section 35. This allows one of the first storage section 34 and the second storage section 35 to be used as the storage section 34, 35 into which cold air is less likely to flow due to the top cover 40, and the other to be used as the storage section 35, 34 into which cold air is more likely to flow.

[1-3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 1 comprises a freezer compartment 9, an upper cold air outlet 25a that blows cold air into the freezer compartment 9, a freezer compartment container 30 that has an upper opening 30a formed therein and is housed in the freezer compartment 9, and a top cover 40 that covers the upper opening 30a of the freezer compartment container 30, the upper cold air outlet 25a blows out cold air along the upper surface 40a of the top cover 40, and the top cover 40 has an opening area 41 that corresponds to the opening shape of the top opening 30a, and a plurality of opening holes 41a are uniformly formed in the opening area 41.
With this configuration, the cold air flowing along the top cover 40 is unlikely to penetrate deep into the freezer container 30 from the opening 41a of the top cover 40 due to vortex convection caused by viscosity, and flows along the vicinity of the lower surface 40b of the top cover 40, and the cold air that penetrates flows from the lower surface 40b of the nearby opening 41a toward the upper surface 40a, and the moisture inside the container flows together. Therefore, it is possible to suppress drying of food in the freezer container 30 due to the cold air, and it is possible to suppress excessive cooling inside the freezer container 30, and it is possible to suppress frost formation inside the freezer container 30. Even if frost forms on the upper surface 40a or lower surface 40b of the top cover 40, it is possible to promote sublimation by the cold air flowing near the upper surface 40a or lower surface 40b. Therefore, it is possible to suppress frost formation inside the freezer container 30 and on the top cover 40 while suppressing drying of food in the freezer container 30.

As in this embodiment, the upper cool air outlet 25 a may be located above the top cover 40 .
With this configuration, cold air can be blown out above the top cover 40, thereby efficiently cooling the inside of the freezer compartment 9.

As in this embodiment, in the opening region 41, the opening rate A, which is the ratio of the area of the portion in which the opening holes 41a are formed to the total area of the opening region 41, may be 20% or more and 30% or less.
This configuration makes it possible to particularly efficiently suppress temperature fluctuations within the freezer container 30 and thus prevent food from drying out, while also suppressing frost formation within the freezer container 30 and on the top cover 40.

As in this embodiment, the opening 41a may be formed in a circular shape.
This configuration makes it possible to uniformly form a plurality of openings 41a with a simple structure.

As in this embodiment, the top cover 40 may be supported on the freezer compartment container 30 so as to be slidable along the top opening 30a.
With this configuration, the top cover 40 can be slid to open and close the top opening 30a.

As in this embodiment, the freezer container 30 is formed with a pair of flange portions 36, 37 on either side of the top opening 30a, and the top cover 40 is formed with a pair of bent support portions 43, 44 corresponding to the pair of flange portions 36, 37, and the bent support portions 43, 44 may be hooked onto the corresponding flange portions 36, 37, thereby supporting the top cover 40 in a slidable manner.
This configuration allows the top cover 40 to slide with a simple structure.

As in this embodiment, a pair of flange portions 36, 37 are arranged at a distance from each other in the direction in which cold air is blown out from the upper cold air outlet 25a, and of the pair of bending support portions 43, 44, the rear bending support portion 44 which is on the upper cold air outlet 25a side may go around the corresponding rear flange portion 37 from the outside and enter below the rear flange portion 37.
With this configuration, on the upper cold air outlet 25a side, the rear bent support portion 44 is structured to wrap around and cover the rear flange portion 37 from the outside, thereby preventing the cold air blown out from the upper cold air outlet 25a from passing between the top cover 40 and the freezer container 30 and entering the freezer container 30.

As in this embodiment, the front bending support portion 43, which is the side of the pair of bending support portions 43, 44 away from the upper cold air outlet 25a, may go around the corresponding front flange portion 36 from the outside and enter below the front flange portion 36.
With this configuration, the top cover 40 can be slidably supported by the pair of bent support portions 43, 44 provided in the blowing direction.

As in this embodiment, the opening area 41 of the top cover 40 may be made of a transparent material.
With this configuration, even if the top cover 40 is closed, the inside of the freezer compartment container 30 can be checked through the top cover 40 .

As in this embodiment, the freezer may have a freezer container 30 made of resin and a frost plate (metal plate) 50 detachably provided on the back surface of the freezer container 30 .
With this configuration, frost can be induced on the frost plate 50. Therefore, by attaching and detaching the frost plate 50, the frost inside the freezer container 30 can be removed.

Other Embodiments
Note that the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, and the like are made.

In the first embodiment, the upper cold air outlet 25a is located above the top cover 40, but the present invention is not limited to this. The upper cold air outlet 25a may be formed at a position overlapping the top cover 40 in the height direction, and it is sufficient that at least a part of the upper cold air outlet 25a is located above the top cover 40.
This configuration makes it easier to blow cool air above the top cover 40, allowing the inside of the freezer compartment 9 to be cooled efficiently.

In the first embodiment, the opening 41a is circular. However, instead of a circular shape, the opening 41a may be an ellipse or a rectangle with rounded corners.
By forming the opening 41a in a circular, elliptical, or rectangular shape with rounded corners, it is possible to prevent the top cover 40 in which the opening 41a is formed from cracking.

In the first embodiment, the opening 41a is circular. However, instead of a circular shape, the opening 41a may be rectangular. For example, the opening 41a may be a square hole measuring 3 mm to 5 mm.
This configuration makes it possible to uniformly form a plurality of openings 41a with a simple structure.

In the first embodiment, the aperture ratio A in the opening region 41 is constant throughout, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of opening holes may be formed uniformly so that the aperture ratio in the region close to the cold air outlets 25a and 25b is larger than that in the region away from the cold air outlets 25a and 25b. In this case, the uniformity of the plurality of opening holes in the region away from the cold air outlets 25a and 25b is different from the uniformity of the plurality of opening holes in the region close to the cold air outlets 25a and 25b. That is, for example, the opening holes 41a in the region away from the cold air outlets 25a and 25b may be circular with a diameter of 3 mm, and the opening holes 41a in the region close to the cold air outlets 25a and 25b may be circular with a diameter of 5 mm.
With this configuration, a portion of the cold air can be introduced into the freezer container 30 from an area close to the cold air outlets 25a, 25b, making it easier to suppress frost formation on the back surface of the freezer container 30 close to the cold air outlets 25a, 25b.

In the first embodiment, the top cover 40 is formed from a transparent resin, and the opening area 41 is formed from a transparent material. However, instead of this, glass may be used. For example, the non-opening area 42 may be formed from resin, and the top cover 40 may be formed by fitting glass into the non-opening area 42.

In the first embodiment, the pair of flanges 36, 37 are formed on the front and rear, but may be formed on the left and right. That is, the top cover 40 may be configured to slide in the front-rear direction instead of the left-right direction.
Specifically, the top cover 40 of the first storage section 34 of the freezer container 30 may be supported by a pair of flange sections 36, 37 formed on the left wall 32c and the partition section 33 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.
In addition, a single top cover 40 may be formed to cover the top surfaces of the first storage section 34 and the second storage section 35, a similar opening hole 41a may be formed on the top surface of the second storage section 35, and a pair of flange portions 36, 37 may be formed on the left wall 32c and the right wall 32d, so that the top cover 40 can slide back and forth.
Furthermore, although one top cover 40 is used as described above, two top covers may be used, and flange portions for the first accommodating portion 34 and the second accommodating portion 35 may also be formed on the partition portion 33, so that the top covers 40 for the first accommodating portion 34 and the second accommodating portion 35 may slide independently in the forward and backward directions.
In this case, when the upper freezer compartment container part 15 and the lower freezer compartment container part 16 are pulled out in conjunction with the forward pulling action of the freezer compartment door 14, if the stopper 38 is removed, the top cover can be slid open, making it possible to put in and take out food materials.

(Additional Note)
The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

(Technology 1) A refrigerator comprising: a freezer compartment; a cold air outlet which blows cold air into the freezer compartment; a freezer compartment container having an upper opening formed therein and housed in the freezer compartment; and a top cover which covers the top opening of the freezer compartment container, wherein the cold air outlet blows out cold air along an upper surface of the top cover, the top cover has an opening area which corresponds to the opening shape of the top opening, and the opening area has a plurality of opening holes uniformly formed therein.
With this configuration, the cold air flowing along the top cover is unlikely to penetrate deep into the freezer container through the openings of the top cover due to vortex convection caused by viscosity, and flows along the vicinity of the bottom surface of the top cover, and the cold air that has penetrated escapes to the top side of the top cover through the nearby holes. This makes it possible to prevent food in the freezer container from drying out due to the cold air, and also to prevent the freezer container from being excessively cooled, thereby preventing frost formation in the freezer container. Even if frost forms on the top or bottom surface of the top cover, the cold air flowing near the top or bottom surface can promote sublimation. This makes it possible to prevent frost formation in the freezer container and on the top cover while preventing food in the freezer container from drying out.

(Technology 2) The refrigerator according to Technology 1, wherein at least a portion of the cool air outlet is located above the top cover.
With this configuration, cold air can be blown out above the top cover, allowing the inside of the freezer compartment to be cooled efficiently.

(Technology 3) A refrigerator as described in Technology 1 or 2, in which an opening rate, which is the ratio of the area of the portion in which the opening holes are formed to the total area of the opening region, is 20% or more and 30% or less.
This configuration makes it possible to particularly efficiently prevent food inside the freezer container from drying out, while also preventing frost from forming inside the freezer container and on the top cover.

(Technology 4) A refrigerator according to any one of Technology 1 to 3, wherein the opening hole is formed in a circular, elliptical, rounded rectangular, or rectangular shape.
With this configuration, a plurality of openings can be uniformly formed with a simple structure.

(Technology 5) A refrigerator described in any one of Technologies 1 to 4, in which the opening ratio, which is the ratio of the area of the portion in which the opening holes are formed to the total area of the opening region, is larger in an area closer to the cold air outlet than in an area away from the cold air outlet.
This configuration allows some of the cold air to easily enter the freezer container from the area close to the cold air outlet, and makes it easier to sublimate the frost on the container wall close to the cold air outlet, thereby suppressing frost formation inside the freezer container.

(Technology 6) A refrigerator according to any one of Technologies 1 to 5, wherein the top cover is supported on the freezer compartment container so as to be slidable along the top opening.
With this configuration, the top opening can be opened and closed by sliding the top cover.

(Technology 7) A refrigerator described in Technology 6, in which a pair of flange portions are formed on either side of the top opening in the freezer compartment container, and a pair of bent support portions are formed on the top cover corresponding to the pair of flange portions, and the bent support portions hook onto the corresponding flange portions, thereby slidably supporting the top cover.
This configuration allows the top cover to slide with a simple structure.

(Technology 8) The pair of flange portions are provided at a distance from each other in the direction in which cold air is blown out from the cold air outlet, and the bending support portion of the pair of bending support portions that is on the cold air outlet side wraps around the corresponding flange portion from the outside and enters below the corresponding flange portion, in a refrigerator described in Technology 7.
With this configuration, on the cold air outlet side, the bent support portion is structured to wrap around and cover the flange portion of the freezer container from the outside, thereby preventing the cold air blown out from the cold air outlet from passing between the top cover and the freezer container and entering the freezer container.

(Technology 9) A refrigerator described in Technology 8, in which the bending support portion of the pair of bending support portions that is away from the cold air outlet goes around the corresponding flange portion from the outside and enters below the corresponding flange portion.
With this configuration, the top cover can be slidably supported by the pair of bent support portions provided in the blowing direction.

(Technology 10) A refrigerator described in any one of Technologies 1 to 9, wherein the opening area of the top cover is made of a transparent material.
With this configuration, even if the top cover is closed, the inside of the freezer container can be checked through the top cover.

(Technology 11) The refrigerator according to any one of Technologies 1 to 10, comprising: a freezer container formed of resin; and a metal plate removably attached to a rear surface of the freezer container.
With this configuration, frost can be induced on the metal plate, and the frost inside the freezer container can be removed by attaching and detaching the metal plate.

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present disclosure can be suitably used in refrigerators that include a freezer container with an upper opening and an upper cover that covers the upper opening of the freezer container.

1 Refrigerator 9 Freezer 25a Upper cold air outlet (cold air outlet)
30 Freezer compartment container 30a Top opening 36 Front flange portion 37 Rear flange portion 40 Top cover 40a Top surface 41 Opening area 41a Opening hole 43 Front bent support portion 44 Rear bent support portion 50 Frost plate (metal plate)
A Opening Ratio

Claims (11)

The freezer includes a freezer compartment, a cold air outlet for blowing cold air into the freezer compartment, a freezer compartment container having an upper opening and accommodated in the freezer compartment, and an upper cover for covering the upper opening of the freezer compartment container,
The cold air outlet blows out cold air along an upper surface of the upper cover,
the top cover has an opening area corresponding to a size of the opening shape of the top opening,
The opening area includes an area spaced apart from the cold air outlet and an area close to the cold air outlet,
A plurality of openings are uniformly formed in the front-rear direction in a region spaced from the cool air outlet,
A plurality of openings are formed uniformly in the front-rear direction in a region close to the cool air outlet,
In the opening region, an opening ratio, which is a ratio of an area of the portion where the opening holes are formed to an entire area of the opening region, is larger in an area close to the cold air outlet than in an area away from the cold air outlet. the plurality of openings in the region spaced from the cold air outlet are formed by repeatedly providing holes of the same shape in the front-rear and left-right directions,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings in the region close to the cool air outlet are formed by repeatedly providing holes of the same shape in the front-rear and left-right directions. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening is a circular hole having a diameter of 3 mm or more and 5 mm or less, or a square hole having a diameter of 3 mm or more and 5 mm or less. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an opening ratio, which is a ratio of an area of a portion where the opening holes are formed to an entire area of the opening region, is 20% or more and 30% or less. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening is formed in a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rounded rectangular shape, or a rectangular shape. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the top cover is supported on the freezer compartment container so as to be slidable along the top opening. The freezing chamber container is formed with a pair of flanges sandwiching the top opening,
The upper cover is formed with a pair of bent support portions corresponding to the pair of flange portions,
The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein the bent support portions are hooked onto the corresponding flange portions, thereby supporting the top cover in a slidable manner. The pair of flange portions are provided in a spaced apart relationship in a direction in which cold air is blown out from the cold air outlet,
The refrigerator according to claim 7 , wherein the bending support portion on the cool air outlet side of the pair of bending support portions goes around the corresponding flange portion from the outside and enters below the corresponding flange portion. The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the bending support portion of the pair of bending support portions that is located away from the cool air outlet goes around the corresponding flange portion from the outside and enters below the corresponding flange portion. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the open area of the top cover is made of a transparent material. The freezer container is made of resin;
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a metal plate detachably provided on a rear surface of the freezer compartment container.

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