JP7563635B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator having a storage compartment with switchable temperature.

In recent years, with changes in lifestyles due to an increase in dual-income households and single-person households, there has been a growing tendency to buy a lot of food at once and store it in the refrigerator. As a result, there is a demand for refrigerators with larger capacities and refrigerators that can precisely adjust temperatures to store a variety of food ingredients at appropriate temperatures. One refrigerator that meets this demand is one that has a storage compartment (switchable compartment, temperature-switchable compartment) with switchable temperature zones, separate from the refrigerator and freezer compartments.

There are three known temperature zones for storing items in a refrigerator:
The first temperature zone is a temperature zone between 0° C. and 3° C., for example, a temperature zone of around 1° C. It is known that when food such as meat or fish frozen in a storage compartment in the first temperature zone is thawed, the frozen water in the food is gradually thawed, so that the food can be thawed without significantly impairing its flavor.
In addition, as a second temperature zone, the temperature in the storage compartment is maintained at around 0 degrees and the room temperature is set to a negative temperature zone of around -3°C, with the aim of extending the storage period compared to storage in a normal refrigerator while preventing the moisture in the food from freezing.
Furthermore, a third temperature zone has been proposed, in which the storage compartment is set to a temperature of approximately -7 degrees.
A switchable compartment has been proposed as a storage compartment in which the user can set the temperature zone to one of the first, second, and third temperature zones. The wider the range of temperature zones that can be set in the switchable compartment, the less the user has to take out food from the storage compartment and move it to a storage compartment with another temperature zone in order to adjust the temperature zone for the food.

As an example of a conventional refrigerator with a switchable compartment, a refrigerator with a freezer compartment at the top and a refrigerator compartment at the bottom is disclosed. A storage compartment separated from the refrigerator compartment by a wall is provided at the top of the refrigerator compartment, and a cold air return passage that returns cold air from the refrigerator compartment to the cold air inlet passage and a passage that returns cold air from the storage compartment to the cold air inlet passage are provided in the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment, with the cold air return passage and the passages communicating with each other. The cold air that flows into the refrigerator compartment returns to the cold air inlet passage via the cold air return passage. The cold air that flows into the storage compartment returns to the cold air inlet passage via the passage and the cold air return passage. This allows food stored in the storage compartment to be rapidly cooled. (See, for example, Patent Document 1.)

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-187756

However, in the above conventional method, the cold air return passage, which returns the cold air from the refrigerator compartment to the cold air inlet passage, is connected to the passage that returns the cold air from the storage compartment to the cold air inlet passage. Therefore, when the cold air flowing through the cold air return passage and the cold air flowing through the passage join together during rapid cooling of the storage compartment, a rapid temperature change occurs in the cold air, and frost is likely to form at the joining point. If the cold air return passage or the passage is narrowed or closed due to the formation of such frost, the circulation of the cold air inside the compartment is hindered, and the entire refrigerator fails to cool.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a refrigerator that has a storage compartment set to a refrigeration temperature range in which items to be cooled are stored, and a storage compartment that can be set to a negative temperature range, and that is capable of suppressing frost formation and blockages caused by frost in the cold air return duct that connects the storage compartment set to the refrigeration temperature range and the cooler compartment, and in the cold air return duct that connects the storage compartment that can be set to the negative temperature range and the cooler compartment, and capable of stable temperature control.

The refrigerator according to the present disclosure comprises a box having a first storage compartment with an opening on the front and set to a refrigeration temperature range, and a second storage compartment located above the first storage compartment and set to a freezing temperature range, a door attached to the front side of the box for opening and closing the opening, a partition member for dividing the first storage compartment and the second storage compartment into upper and lower compartments, a third storage compartment located below the partition member and at the top of the first storage compartment and set to a negative temperature range, a heater provided within the partition member, and a cooling fan provided within the partition member above the heater and covering an upper surface of the heater , for returning cold air from the first storage compartment to the cooler compartment. The heater is provided with a first return air passage and a second return air passage provided within a partition member on either the left or right side of the heater, along either the left or right side of the heater , for returning the return cold air of the third storage chamber to the cooler chamber, the first return air passage and the second return air passage form independent air passages, the first return air passage and the second return air passage are separated by a heat insulating material, the area of the top surface of the heater is larger than the areas of the left and right side surfaces of the heater, and the area where the top surface and the first return air passage overlap when the partition member is viewed from above is larger than the area where either the left or right side surface and the second return air passage overlap when the partition member is viewed from the side .

When the refrigerator disclosed herein is used, the rapid temperature change caused by the confluence of cold air that occurs at the connection between the conventional cold air return duct connecting the storage compartment set to the refrigeration temperature range and the cooler compartment and the cold air return duct connecting the storage compartment set to the negative temperature range and the cooler compartment is suppressed, thereby suppressing frost formation and blockage due to frost in the cold air return duct connecting the storage compartment set to the refrigeration temperature range and the cooler compartment and the cold air return duct connecting the storage compartment set to the negative temperature range and the cooler compartment, and enabling stable temperature control.

A front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the interior configuration with the freezer compartment door and the refrigerator compartment door open. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure taken along line AA in FIG. 1 , illustrating a freezer compartment outlet air duct, a refrigerator compartment outlet air duct, and a switchable compartment outlet air duct. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure taken along line AA in FIG. 1 , showing a freezer compartment return air duct, a refrigerator compartment return air duct, and a switchable compartment return air duct. FIG. 1 is a top view of a box body of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure taken along the line B-B in FIG. 5 . 6 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure taken along the line CC in FIG. 5 . 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure taken along lines CC and DD in FIG. 5 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an internal configuration of a partition member according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a top view of a box body of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. A P-P cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. A QQ cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. 11A and 11B are a front view, an S-S cross-sectional view, and a T-T cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure with the freezer compartment door and the refrigerator compartment door open. A YY cross-sectional view and VV cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an internal configuration of a partition member according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. A schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a stacked shelf of a refrigerator according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a top view schematic diagram illustrating a stack shelf of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. A schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a stacked shelf of a refrigerator according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. This specification is not limited to the following embodiments, and modifications or omissions may be made without departing from the spirit of this specification. The drawings may show a simplified representation of the actual structure. Furthermore, the size of each component and the positional relationship between the components may differ from the actual ones in the drawings. Regarding reference symbols, the same symbols are used for the same or corresponding parts, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified as appropriate. This is common throughout the entire specification.
In the following description, terms expressing directions (e.g., "upper", "upper side", "lower", "lower side", "left", "left side", "right", "right side", "front", "front side", "front", "rear", "rear side", "depth", "width", "inside", "outside", etc.) are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding, but these terms are for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned directions are, in principle, positional relationships of each component when the box body is viewed from the front, with the surface on which the opening of the storage compartment is formed being the front (front) when the refrigerator is installed in a usable state.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the interior configuration of refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure with the freezer compartment door and the refrigerator compartment door open.
Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing cooling air duct 35, refrigerator compartment outlet air duct 37, switchable compartment outlet air duct 38, and freezer compartment outlet air duct 39. For simplicity, air ducts for the return cold air flowing from each storage compartment to the cooler compartment are omitted in Fig. 3.
Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing cooling air duct 35, refrigerator compartment return air duct 41, switchable compartment return air duct 42, and freezer compartment return air duct 43. For simplicity, blow-out air ducts through which cool air supplied from the cooler compartment to each storage compartment passes are omitted in Fig. 4.

[Configuration of refrigerator 100]
1 and 2, refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment includes a box 1 which is a refrigerator body having a storage space 7 therein. Box 1 includes a metal outer box 2, a resin inner box 3, and a heat insulating material 4 filled between outer box 2 and inner box 3. For heat insulating material 4, a material having a lower thermal conductivity than outer box 2 and inner box 3, such as foam heat insulating material 4a (not shown) and vacuum heat insulating material 4b (not shown), is used.
The box 1 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure having an opening 6 in a front portion 1a and a storage space 7 formed therein. Furthermore, when the front portion 1a of the box 1 is viewed from the front, the portion of the inner box 3 located above the storage space 7 is referred to as an upper surface portion 8a, the portion of the inner box 3 located below the storage space 7 is referred to as a lower surface portion 8b, the portion of the inner box 3 located to the left of the storage space 7 is referred to as a left side surface portion 8c, and the portion of the inner box 3 located to the right of the storage space 7 is referred to as a right side surface portion 8d.

The storage space 7 of the box body 1 is a space for storing items to be cooled, such as food. The storage space 7 is divided into multiple storage compartments by one or more partition members. In the refrigerator 100 of this embodiment, the storage space 7 is divided vertically by a single partition member 9 into two storage compartments: the refrigerator compartment 10, which is the first storage compartment, and the freezer compartment 11, which is the second storage compartment. The freezer compartment 11 is located above the refrigerator compartment 10.

The front portion 1a of the box body 1 is provided with a refrigerator compartment door 14a for opening and closing the refrigerator compartment 10, and a freezer compartment door 14b for opening and closing the freezer compartment 11. The refrigerator compartment door 14a and the freezer compartment door 14b are rotatably attached to the box body 1 via hinges 16a and 16b, respectively. The refrigerator compartment 10 and the freezer compartment 11 are opened and closed by the single-opening refrigerator compartment door 14a and the freezer compartment door 14b, respectively. Note that the configuration of the refrigerator compartment door 14a and the freezer compartment door 14b is not limited to this, and a configuration in which two double-opening doors open and close one storage compartment may also be used.

The refrigerator compartment 10 is set to a refrigeration temperature zone, which is a first temperature zone. The refrigeration temperature zone is, for example, a temperature zone of 3° C. or higher and 5° C. or lower.
2, 3 and 4, the refrigerator compartment 10 is provided with a plurality of shelves 15 therein that divide the storage space 7 at different positions in the vertical direction. The plurality of shelves 15 are, from the top, a top shelf 15a, a first shelf 15b, a second shelf 15c, a third shelf 15d and a bottom shelf 15e. The first shelf 15b, the second shelf 15c and the third shelf 15d are removable, and their respective heights can be adjusted by supports 17 provided on the left side surface 10c of the refrigerator compartment 10 formed by a portion of the left side surface 8c of the inner box 3 and the right side surface 10d of the refrigerator compartment 10 formed by a portion of the right side surface 8d of the inner box 3. Furthermore, the first shelf 15b, the second shelf 15c, and the third shelf 15d may each be composed of a plurality of shelves connected in a front-to-rear direction, and the shelf at the front side of the refrigerator compartment 10 may be slid backward and installed overlapping with the shelf at the back side of the refrigerator compartment 10. Also, the number of the plurality of shelves 15 in the refrigerator 100 is not limited to this.

The freezer compartment 11 is set to the second temperature zone, the freezing zone. The freezing zone is a temperature zone lower than the refrigeration zone. The freezing zone is a temperature zone below 0°C, for example, a temperature zone between -20°C and -18°C.

The vegetable compartment 12 is a storage compartment set to a higher temperature range (e.g., about 3 to 7°C) than the refrigerator compartment 10. The vegetable compartment 12 is a storage compartment suitable for refrigerating food, particularly vegetables. The vegetable compartment 12 is separated from the refrigerator compartment 10 by a drawer-type container 18 and the lowest shelf 15e, and is provided below the refrigerator compartment 10. The drawer-type container 18 is installed on the bottom surface 8b of the inner box 3, and can be moved in the front-to-back direction (depth direction) of the box body 1.

The switching compartment 13 is a storage compartment (third storage compartment) in which the temperature inside the compartment can be set in a range from the refrigeration temperature zone to the freezing temperature zone. In the switching compartment 13, the temperature inside the compartment can be set to an appropriate temperature zone depending on the purpose. The switching compartment 13 is a storage compartment suitable for storing food such as meat, fish, or processed products thereof. In this embodiment, the switching compartment 13 can be set to three temperature zones, mainly a first temperature zone, a second temperature zone, and a third temperature zone. However, this is not limited to this, and the switching compartment 13 may be set to a temperature zone other than these three temperature zones. In addition, the temperature of the switching compartment 13 can be freely set by the user of the refrigerator 100. Therefore, the user can store the cooled object such as food in the switching compartment 13 in the temperature zone of his/her preference, thereby improving the convenience of the refrigerator 100.
3 and 4 , the switchable compartment 13 has a switchable compartment back portion 13c formed by a back panel (refrigerator compartment back panel 34) common to the refrigerator compartment 10. The switchable compartment 13 is separated from the refrigerator compartment 3 by the top shelf 15a installed in the refrigerator compartment 10, a storage container 20 installed on the top shelf 15a, and a front door 19. The storage container 20 is a drawer-type storage container. The ceiling portion 10a of the refrigerator compartment 10 and the ceiling portion 13a of the switchable compartment 13 are formed by a partition member 9. The ceiling portion 13a of the switchable compartment 13 is provided behind the ceiling portion 10a of the refrigerator compartment 10.

The storage container 20 is a container for storing the object to be cooled to be stored in the switching compartment 13. For example, polystyrene is used as the material of the storage container 20, as is the case with storage containers of general refrigerators. However, the material of the storage container 20 is not limited to this. The storage container 20 is moved in the front-to-rear direction (depth direction) of the box body 2 by sliding against guides (not shown) provided on the left side surface 8c and the right side surface 8d of the inner box 3 between the top shelf 15a and the partition member 9. The storage container 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped container with an open top, and the front surface 20a of the storage container 20 is lower in height than the rear of the left side surface 20b and the right side surface 20c of the storage container 20, the upper end side 20a2 is inclined forward from the lower end side 20a1, and a grip portion 21 is provided on the front side of the front surface 20a. With the storage container 20 configured in this way, when the storage container 20 is stored at the back on the top shelf 15a and the front door 19 is closed, and a user places their fingers on the grip 21 to pull out the storage container 20, the fins 22 are pushed up by the left and right side portions 20b, and the front door 19 rotates towards the front. This causes the front door 19 to move away from the front portion 20a, opening the storage container 20 and allowing items to be stored in and removed from the storage container 20.

One end of the front door 19 is rotatably supported by an attachment portion 19a provided on the bottom surface 9c of the partition member 9. The attachment portion 19a is a mechanism for attaching the front door 19 to the bottom surface 9c of the partition member 9, and a position provided on the bottom surface 9c corresponds to the attachment position where the front door 19 is attached to the bottom surface 9c of the partition member 9.
When the storage container 20 is pushed deep on the top shelf 15a, the front door 19 is located in front of the storage container 20 and comes into contact with the front portion 20a of the storage container 20 to close the opening 13b of the switchable chamber 13 formed by the ceiling 13a of the switchable chamber 13, the left side portion 8c of the inner box 3, the right side portion 8d of the inner box 3, and the front portion 20a. In this state, when a user puts his/her finger on the grip portion 21 and pulls the storage container 20 forward, the fin portion 22 provided on the back surface of the front door 19 comes into contact with the side portion 20b of the storage container 20 and is pushed up by the side portion 20b, which increases in height from the front to the rear, and the front door 19 rotates forward (when the box body 1 is viewed from the right, the front door 19 rotates clockwise around the attachment portion 19a). In this way, the front door 19 allows the storage container 20 to be pulled out forward, and the front door 19 opens the opening 13b of the switchable chamber 13 formed by the partition member 9, the front part 20a of the storage container 20, and the left side part 8c and right side part 8d of the inner box 3. When the front door 19 is used to close the opening 13b of the switchable chamber 13, the storage container 20 is operated in the opposite direction (pushed backward) to when the front door 19 opens the opening 13b of the switchable chamber 13. Through the above operation, the front door 19 opens and closes the opening 13b of the switchable chamber 13 formed by the partition member 9 (ceiling 13a of the switchable chamber 13), the front part 20a of the storage container 20, the left side part 8c of the inner box 3, and the right side part 8d of the inner box 3.
The configuration of the front door 19 in this embodiment is not limited to this, and the mounting portion 19a may be provided on the left side surface portion 8c and the right side surface portion 8d of the inner box 3 along the bottom surface portion 9c of the partition member 9, and the front door 19 may be pivotally supported by the mounting portion 19a. The front door 19 may also be configured to contact the upper surface or tip of the uppermost shelf 15a and close the opening 13b of the switchable chamber 13. In this case, the grip portion 21 is provided on the front side of the front door 19.

A first portion of the bottom portion 9c of the partition member 9, which is an area in front of the mounting portion 19a, faces the refrigeration compartment 10 and constitutes the ceiling portion 10a of the refrigeration compartment 10. A second portion of the bottom portion 9c, which is an area behind the mounting portion 19a, faces the switchable compartment 13 and constitutes the ceiling portion 13a of the switchable compartment 13. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a space 10f is provided in front of the third storage compartment between the door and the third storage compartment.
A refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a, which is a first return air duct inlet, is formed in ceiling portion 10a facing space 10f, and a switchable compartment return air duct inlet 42a, which is a second return air duct inlet, is formed in ceiling portion 13a.
By arranging the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a and the switchable compartment return air duct inlet 42a in front and behind the mounting portion 19a, the front door 19 prevents the cold air that flows into the switchable compartment 13 when the front door 19 is closing the opening of the switchable compartment 13 from flowing into the refrigerator compartment 10. The cold air that flows into the switchable compartment 13 flows out to the cooler compartment from the switchable compartment return air duct inlet 42a formed in the ceiling portion 13a of the switchable compartment 13. Therefore, the front door 19 prevents the temperature zone of the refrigerator compartment 10 from fluctuating due to the temperature control of the switchable compartment 13. The front door 19 also prevents the odor of the cooled items stored in the switchable compartment 13 from transferring to the refrigerator compartment 10.

We will now explain the temperature zones that can be selected in the switching compartment 13. In the switching compartment 13, multiple temperature zones can be selected, including a first temperature zone, a second temperature zone, and a third temperature zone.

The first temperature zone is a temperature zone between 0°C and 3°C, for example, around 1°C. By setting the temperature inside the switchable compartment 4 to this temperature zone, the switchable compartment 13 can be used as a chilled compartment. This method of using the switchable compartment 13 is intended for users who have an insufficient capacity in the refrigerator compartment 10 or who consume a lot of food on the same day.

The second temperature zone is a negative temperature zone, lower than the refrigerator compartment 10, and is a temperature zone (supercooling temperature zone) in which food is in a supercooled state. A supercooled state means that even if the temperature of the food reaches the freezing point (freezing temperature) or lower, the food does not start freezing and the food remains in an unfrozen state. Such a supercooling temperature zone is, for example, a temperature zone of -3°C or higher and lower than 0°C, which is below the freezing point of the food. By setting the temperature inside the switching compartment 13 to this temperature zone, the switching compartment 13 can be used as a supercooling storage compartment in which food is stored in a supercooled state. In order to preserve food while maintaining its quality, it is desirable to maintain the food at as low a temperature as possible without freezing it, and the supercooling storage compartment can achieve such food preservation. By using the switching compartment 13 as a supercooling storage compartment, the user can preserve foods with a short shelf life, such as fresh foods such as meat and fish, and processed foods thereof, without freezing them.

The third temperature zone is a temperature zone between -10°C and -5°C, for example, around -7°C. In this temperature zone, even if food is stored for a long time, the surface does not harden too much, so the food can be easily crushed or broken. Therefore, the user can immediately use the food stored in the switchable compartment 13.

In this embodiment, the storage space 7 of the refrigerator 100 is divided into two storage compartments, a refrigerator compartment 10 and a freezer compartment 11, by a single partition member 9, but this embodiment is not limited to this. The freezer compartment 11 may be a storage compartment for a temperature zone other than the freezing temperature zone. Furthermore, the box body 1 may be divided into five storage compartments, a refrigerator compartment, an ice-making compartment, a switchable compartment, a freezer compartment, and a vegetable compartment, by multiple partition members. In such a case, a switchable compartment is divided within the refrigerator compartment, and the refrigerator compartment and the switchable compartment are divided from the other storage compartments by a single partition plate.

3, the refrigerator 100 includes a compressor 25 that compresses and discharges a refrigerant on the rear 1b side of the storage chamber of the box body 1, a cooler 26 that functions as an evaporator and cools the air, a blower 27 that moves the cold air generated by the cooler 26, and a heater 28 (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, the compressor 25 is disposed in a machine room 30 provided below the cooler room 29 on the rear 1b side of the box body 1. In addition, a concave board storage section 32 that stores a control device 31 is formed on the rear 1b side of the upper surface 1c of the box body 1. This control device 31 is, for example, composed of dedicated hardware or a CPU (also called a central processing unit, processing device, arithmetic device, microprocessor, microcomputer, or processor) that executes a program stored in a memory.

The compressor 25 and the cooler 26, together with a condenser (not shown) and a pressure reducing device (not shown), constitute a refrigeration cycle circuit. In the refrigeration cycle circuit, the compressor 25, the condenser, the pressure reducing device, and the evaporator (cooler 26) are connected in this order by refrigerant piping. The refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 25 is connected to the condenser, and the refrigerant suction side is connected to the cooler 26. The cooler 26 functions as an evaporator, and generates cold air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant passing through it and the air flowing through a cooler chamber 29.
The heater 28 (not shown) is provided below the cooler 26 without contacting the cooler 26. The heater 28 is provided for defrosting the cooler 26, and is a defrosting device that heats and removes frost on the cooler 26. The frost on the cooler 26 is heated by the heater 28 and is discharged as drain water to the outside of the cooler chamber 29 from a drain pipe opening 29b provided in the partition member 9.

The box body 1 has a cooler chamber 29 and a freezer chamber outlet air duct 39 between a freezer chamber rear panel 33 forming the rear surface of the freezer chamber 11 and a rear surface 1b of the box body 1. The cooler chamber 29 is disposed behind the freezer chamber 11 so as to overlap at least a portion of the freezer chamber 11 when the box body 1 of the refrigerator 100 is viewed from the front. A cooler 26, a blower 27, and a heater 28 (not shown) are disposed inside the cooler chamber 29.
The box body 1 has a refrigerator compartment outlet air duct 37 and a switchable compartment outlet air duct 38 between a refrigerator compartment rear panel 34 that forms the rear faces of the refrigerator compartment 10 and the switchable compartment 13 and the rear face 1b of the box body 1.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 100 has a cooling air passage 35 on the rear surface 1b side of the box body 1 for flowing cool air from the cooler chamber 29 to each storage chamber (the refrigerator chamber 10, the vegetable chamber 12, and the switchable chamber 13).
The cooling air passage 35 is formed on the rear surface 1b side of the box body 1 relative to the refrigerator compartment 10 and the freezer compartment 11, is separated from the freezer compartment 11 by a freezer compartment rear panel 33 that forms the rear surface of the freezer compartment 11, and is located between the freezer compartment 11 and a rear surface portion 36 of the box body 1. The cooling air passage 35 is also separated from the refrigerator compartment 11 by a refrigerator compartment rear panel 34 that forms the rear surface 10e of the refrigerator compartment 10, and is formed between the refrigerator compartment 10 and the rear surface portion 36 of the box body 1.
Cooling air passage 35 passes vertically through a rear part (directly below cooler chamber 29) of partition member 9. In Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, cooling air passage 35 passing through partition member 9 is indicated by a dashed line. Cooling air passage 35 passing through partition member 9 is indicated by a dashed line because it is located to the right (or left) of line A-A when refrigerator 100 is viewed from the front.
The cooling air duct 35 is connected to the cooler chamber 29 , and is also connected to a refrigerator chamber outlet air duct 37 and a switching chamber outlet air duct 38 .
In this embodiment, the freezer compartment rear panel 33 and the refrigerator compartment rear panel 34 are formed of independent members, but this embodiment is not limited to this. The freezer compartment rear panel 33 and the refrigerator compartment rear panel 34 may be formed of a single panel member. In this case, the cooler chamber 29 is formed between the single panel member and the rear portion 36 that constitutes the rear face 1b of the box body 1, and the partition member 9 is disposed in front of the panel member.

The blower 27 blows air (cold air) cooled by the cooler 26 to each storage compartment, i.e., the refrigerator compartment 10, the freezer compartment 11, the vegetable compartment 12, and the switching compartment 13. The blower 27 supplies cold air from the cooler compartment 26 to the freezer compartment 11 via the freezer compartment outlet air duct 39. The blower 27 also supplies cold air from the cooler compartment 26 to the refrigerator compartment 10 via the refrigerator compartment outlet air duct 37. The blower 27 also supplies cold air from the cooler compartment 26 to the switching compartment 13 via the switching compartment outlet air duct 38.

The refrigerator compartment 10 has a refrigerator compartment outlet air duct outlet 37 a in the refrigerator compartment rear panel 34 , through which cold air from the refrigerator compartment outlet air duct 37 is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 10 .
The freezer compartment 11 has a freezer compartment outlet air duct outlet 39 a in the freezer compartment rear panel 33 , through which cool air from the freezer compartment outlet air duct 39 is supplied to the freezer compartment 11 .
The switchable compartment 13 has a switchable compartment outlet air duct outlet 38a, which supplies cold air from the switchable compartment outlet air duct 38 to the switchable compartment 13, in the refrigerator compartment rear panel 34. The switchable compartment outlet air duct outlet 38a is located above the refrigerator compartment outlet air duct outlet 37a. The switchable compartment outlet air duct outlet 38a is provided between the uppermost shelf 15a and the partition member 9.

The air (cold air) that has been cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the cooler 26 is used to form an air flow by the blower 27. The arrows in Figure 3 indicate the direction of the flow of cold air through each air duct by the blower 27. Cold air heading toward the refrigerator compartment 10 flows into the refrigerator compartment 10 from the refrigerator compartment outlet air duct 37 via the refrigerator compartment outlet air duct outlet 37a. Cold air heading toward the switchable compartment 13 flows into the switchable compartment 13 from the switchable compartment outlet air duct 38 via the switchable compartment outlet air duct outlet 38a. Cold air heading toward the freezer compartment 11 flows into the freezer compartment 11 from the freezer compartment outlet air duct 39 via the freezer compartment outlet air duct outlet 39a.

A first damper 40a is provided upstream of the refrigerator compartment outlet air duct 37. A second damper 40b is provided upstream of the switchable compartment outlet air duct 38. The first damper 40a changes its opening degree to adjust the amount of cold air passing through the refrigerator compartment outlet air duct 37. The second damper 40b changes its opening degree to adjust the amount of cold air passing through the switchable compartment outlet air duct 38.
4, the cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 10 flows into the cooler compartment 29 through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41. The cold air that has passed through the switchable compartment 13 flows into the cooler compartment 29 through the switchable compartment return air duct 42. The cold air that has passed through the freezer compartment 11 flows into the cooler compartment 29 through the freezer compartment return air duct 43. The return cold air that has flowed into the cooler compartment 29 is cooled by the cooler 26 and sent again to each storage compartment.

The temperature of each storage compartment is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) installed in the storage compartment. The control device 31 controls various devices in the refrigerator 100 so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes the temperature set in each storage compartment. For example, the control device 31 controls the opening degree of a first damper 40a installed in the refrigerator compartment outlet air duct 37 and a second damper 40b installed in the switching compartment outlet air duct 38, the output of the compressor 26, the output of the heater 28, the air volume of the blower 27, etc.
The temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 is adjusted by the control device 31 controlling the opening degree of the first damper 40a to adjust the amount of air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3. The temperature of the switchable compartment 13 is adjusted by the control device 31 controlling the opening degree of the second damper 40b to adjust the amount of air supplied to the switchable compartment 13 and by adjusting the output of a heater 61 (also referred to as a first heating device) described below.

[Configuration of partition member 9]
3 and 4, the partition member 9 is a wall provided between the freezer compartment 11 and the refrigerator compartment 10, and between the freezer compartment 11 and the switchable compartment 13. The partition member 9 separates the freezer compartment 11 and the refrigerator compartment 10 from above and below, and separates the freezer compartment 11 and the switchable compartment 13 from above and below. The partition member 9 has an outer shell 45 manufactured by injection molding, and has a heat insulating material 46 inside the outer shell 45. The heat insulating material 46 suppresses heat transfer from the refrigerator compartment 10 and the switchable compartment 13 to the freezer compartment 11.
When the freezer compartment door 14b and the refrigerator compartment door 14a are closed, the front surface 9a of the partition member 9 comes into contact with gaskets (not shown) provided on the back surfaces of the freezer compartment door 14b and the refrigerator compartment door 14a to separate the freezer compartment door 14b and the refrigerator compartment door 14a from the outside of the box body 1. In addition, the rear surface 9b of the partition member 9 constitutes a part of the side surface of the cooler chamber 29, and a refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 41b and a switching chamber return air duct outlet 42b, which will be described later, are formed in the rear surface 9b of the partition member 9.

The partition member 9 has a first return air duct, the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41, inside the outer shell 45, which passes through the insulation material 46 and sends the cold air (return cold air of the refrigerator compartment 10) flowing out of the refrigerator compartment 10 to the cooler compartment 29. The partition member 9 also has a second return air duct, the switchable compartment return air duct 42, inside the outer shell 45, which passes through the insulation material 46 and sends the cold air (return cold air of the switchable compartment 13) flowing out of the switchable compartment 13 to the cooler compartment 29. The refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 connects to the refrigerator compartment 3 at the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a, and connects to the cooler compartment 3 at the refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 41b. The switchable compartment return air duct 42 connects to the switchable compartment 13 at the switchable compartment return air duct inlet 42a, and connects to the cooler compartment 29 at the switchable compartment return air duct outlet 42b.

Fig. 5 is a schematic top view of the box body 1 of the refrigerator 100 according to the present embodiment. In Fig. 5, T-T is a line dividing the box body top surface 1c at a position passing through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41. Also, Z-Z is a line dividing the box body top surface 1c at a position passing through the switchable compartment return air duct 42.
6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line T-T, showing the internal configuration of refrigerator 100 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of refrigerator 100 taken along refrigerator compartment return air duct 41.
7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line ZZ, showing the internal configuration of refrigerator 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of refrigerator 100 taken along switchable compartment return air duct 42.
FIG. 8(a) is an example of the inside of a refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment, and is a schematic cross-sectional view of the box body 1, where U-U is a line dividing the partition member 9 at a position passing through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switchable compartment return air duct 42.
8(b) is an example of the refrigerator 100 according to the present embodiment, and is a schematic cross-sectional view of the box body 1 taken along the line U-U. The cooler chamber 29 and the cooling air passage 35 are formed behind the partition member 9. The cooling air passage 35 is provided in the cold air passage guide portion 53.

As shown in Fig. 6, Fig. 7 and Fig. 8(b), the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switchable compartment return air duct 42 are not connected to each other within the partition member 9 and are independent of each other. In other words, the switchable compartment return air duct 42 is not connected to the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 within the partition member 9. As shown in Fig. 8(b), the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switchable compartment return air duct 42 are arranged in the partition member 9, separated to the left and right when the box body 1 is viewed from above. As shown in Fig. 8(b), a plurality of pillars 48 that connect the upper part 45a and the lower part 45b of the outer shell 45 are provided within the partition member 9. The periphery of the pillars 48, the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switchable compartment return air duct 42 within the outer shell 45 is filled with a heat insulating material 46 (omitted in Fig. 8(b)). Further, the first partition wall 51a and the second partition wall 51b form the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switching compartment return air duct 42. The first partition wall 51a is provided between the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switching compartment return air duct 42, and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switching compartment return air duct 42 are separated from each other by the first partition wall 51a. The refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switching compartment return air duct 42 are separated from the heat insulating material 46 by the second partition wall 51b. The first partition wall 51a and the second partition wall 51b are formed of polystyrene foam as an example. Note that this embodiment is not limited to this, and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switching compartment return air duct 42 may be arranged in the partition member 9 so as to be overlapped vertically. Also, urethane foam may be provided between the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switching compartment return air duct 42. 8B, reference numeral 29a denotes an opening of a drain pipe for collecting drain water generated by defrosting the cooler 26. The air passage 35 is constituted by an air passage forming portion 52 made of polystyrene foam.
As shown by the dashed line in Fig. 8(b), the partition member 9 has the refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 41b and the switchable compartment return air duct outlet 42b above the U-U plane. The rear of the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the rear of the switchable compartment return air duct 42 each have an upward curve and are connected to the refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 41b and the switchable compartment return air duct outlet 42b, respectively. With this structure, the cold air flowing out from the refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 41b and the switchable compartment return air duct outlet 42b to the cooler chamber 29 has an upward velocity component toward the cooler 26, making it easier for the return cold air to flow along the cooler 26 and facilitating heat exchange with the refrigerant in the cooler 26. In addition, in FIG. 8(b), the cross-sectional area of the flow path of the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 is narrower on the refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 41b side than on the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a side, and the flow speed of the cold air flowing through the refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 41b is faster than that through the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a.

The refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a is formed in the outer bottom surface 49 (corresponding to the bottom surface 9c of the partition member 9) of the partition member 9 that forms the ceiling portion 10a of the refrigerator compartment 10. The switchable compartment return air duct inlet 42a is formed in the outer bottom surface 49 of the partition member 9 that forms the ceiling portion 13a of the switchable compartment 13. The mounting portion 19a of the front door 19 is attached to the outer bottom surface 49 of the partition member 9, with the area in front of the mounting portion 19a corresponding to the ceiling portion 10a of the refrigerator compartment 10 and the area behind the mounting portion 19a corresponding to the ceiling portion 13a of the switchable compartment 13.

If the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a is provided on the floor surface portion 10b of the refrigerator compartment 10 (corresponding to the lower surface portion 8b of the inner box 3), if there is a return air duct inlet on the front side of the refrigerator compartment 10, food juices such as meat juice and food debris may spill out and cause the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 to become clogged. For this reason, in conventional refrigerators, when the storage compartment return air duct inlet is provided on the floor surface of the storage compartment, the storage compartment return air duct inlet is basically provided on the back side of the storage compartment. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a is formed on the ceiling portion 10a of the refrigerator compartment 10, so that the phenomenon of the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 being clogged by food can be suppressed more than when it is provided on the floor surface portion 10b. For this reason, the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a and the switching compartment return air duct inlet 42a can be arranged on the front side of the refrigerator compartment 10 and the switching compartment 13, respectively.

In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 from the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a to the cooler compartment 29 and the switchable compartment return air duct 42 from the switchable compartment return air duct inlet 42a to the cooler compartment 29 are not connected within the partition member 9, and form independent air ducts. In this structure, in the configuration in which the refrigerator compartment return air duct and the switchable compartment return air duct are connected to each other, which was used in conventional refrigerators, a sudden change in temperature of the cold air occurs when the cold air flowing through the refrigerator compartment return air duct merges with the cold air flowing through the switchable compartment return air duct, so that it is possible to suppress the formation of frost near the connection and the blockage of the air duct due to frost. In addition, since the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41 and the switchable compartment return air duct 42 are not connected and are independent from each other, the smell of meat or fish stored in the switchable compartment 13 is suppressed from spreading to the refrigerator compartment 10 via the switchable compartment return air duct 42 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 41.

In addition, since the front door 19 is provided between the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a and the switching compartment return air duct inlet 42a, when the opening 13b of the switching compartment 13 is closed by the front door 19, the cold air supplied to the switching compartment 13 is prevented from leaking into the refrigerator compartment 10. This makes it possible to suppress temperature changes near the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a caused by the cold air passing through the switching compartment 13 reaching the vicinity of the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 41a. This suppresses frost formation near the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet.

Embodiment 2.
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, but explanations of parts that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted, and parts that are the same as or equivalent to the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a first heating device is provided within the partition member 9. The second embodiment also differs from the first embodiment in that two switchable compartment return air ducts are provided within the partition member instead of one switchable compartment return air duct.

Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal configuration of outer shell 56 of partition member 55 in refrigerator 101 according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. Note that in Fig. 9, outer shell 56 and insulating material 57 are omitted in order to show the air passage inside partition member 55. The shape of outer shell 56 and its attachment position in refrigerator 101 are similar to those of outer shell 45 of partition member 9 according to embodiment 1. Furthermore, the material of insulating material 57 is similar to that of insulating material 46 according to embodiment 1.
FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of a refrigerator 101 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of refrigerator 101 according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure taken along line P-P in Fig. 10. Line P-P is a line passing through refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 from refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 58a to refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 58b when refrigerator 101 is viewed from above.
Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of refrigerator 101 according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure taken along line QQ in Fig. 10. Line QQ is a line passing through first switching compartment return air duct 59 from first switching compartment return air duct inlet 59a to first switching compartment return air duct outlet 59b when refrigerator 101 is viewed from above.
FIG. 13( a ) is a schematic front view of a refrigerator 101 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 13(b) is a cross-sectional view of the partition member taken along line S-S in Fig. 13(a). Line S-S is a horizontal line overlapping with a front projection plane of the first heating device when refrigerator 101 is viewed from the front.
Fig. 13(c) is a cross-sectional view of the partition member taken along line T-T in Fig. 13(a). Line T-T is a horizontal line overlapping with a forward projection plane of refrigerator compartment return air duct 59 above the first heating device when refrigerator 101 is viewed from the front.

As shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 11, in the refrigerator 101, a heater 61, which is a first heating device, is provided inside the outer shell 56 of the partition member 55. The heater 61 is used when frost formation in the cool air return air passage cannot be suppressed by the heat insulating material alone. The heater 61 is rectangular parallelepiped, and an electric heating wire such as a nichrome wire is embedded inside a metal plate-like member so as to meander, and heat generation is controlled by the control device 31 or the like. The heater 61 has an upper surface 61a and a lower surface 61b larger than the other surfaces, and is installed inside the outer shell 56 along the upper surface of the bottom 56a of the outer shell 56. The heater 61 is provided at a position overlapping with the ceiling portion 13a of the switching chamber 13 when the box body 1 is viewed from above.
9, 11 and 12, the partition member 55 has, inside the outer shell 56, a refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 which is a first return air duct that passes through the insulating material 57 and sends the cold air flowing out of the refrigerator compartment 10 (the return cold air of the refrigerator compartment 10) to the cooler compartment 29. The partition member 55 also has, inside the outer shell 56, a first switchable compartment return air duct 59 which is a second return air duct that passes through the insulating material 46 and sends the cold air flowing out of the switchable compartment 13 (the return cold air of the switchable compartment 13) to the cooler compartment 29, and a second switchable compartment return air duct 60 which is a third return air duct. In the second embodiment, the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60 are not connected inside the partition member 9 and form independent air ducts. As shown in Fig. 14(b) described later, the first insulating material 65a separates the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 from the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 and the heater 61. The second insulating material 65b separates the second switchable compartment return air duct 59 from the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 and the heater 61. The third insulating material 65c separates the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switchable compartment return air duct 59, the second switchable compartment return air duct 60, and the space inside the outer shell 56. The space inside the outer shell 56 is filled with urethane foam, which is an insulating material. Although not shown, a fourth insulating material 65d is also provided between the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 and the heater 61, separating the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 from the heater 61. The first insulating material 65a, the second insulating material 65b, the third insulating material 65c, and the fourth insulating material 65d may be formed continuously. As an example, the first insulating material 65a, the second insulating material 65b, the third insulating material 65c, and the fourth insulating material 65d are formed of polystyrene foam.
In addition, in embodiment 2, insulation material is arranged between the heater 61 and each return air duct, but this is not limited to this, and in order to improve the efficiency of heat input from the heater 61 to each return air duct, it is also possible to configure the heater 61 to be in direct contact with the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switching compartment return air duct 59 and the second switching compartment return air duct 60 without providing insulation material between the heater 61 and each return air duct.

Refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, first switchable compartment return air duct 59, and second switchable compartment return air duct 60 will be described using Figure 9. A refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 58a is provided in front of the mounting portion 19a at the bottom 56a of the outer casing 56 of the partition member 55, i.e., in front of the front surface 61c of the rectangular parallelepiped heater 61 at the ceiling portion 10a of the refrigerator compartment 10. A front refrigerator compartment return air duct 58c is provided in front of the front surface 61c, continuing from the refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 58a and extending upward. A central refrigerator compartment return air duct 58d is provided, continuing from the front refrigerator compartment return air duct 58c, and extending rearward above the upper surface 61a of the heater 61 along the upper surface 61a. The central refrigerator compartment return air duct 58d is continuous with a refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 58b formed in the rear surface 56b facing the cooler compartment 29 of the outer shell 56, behind the partition member 55. The front refrigerator compartment return air duct 58a and the central refrigerator compartment return air duct 58b form the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58.

9, a first switching chamber return air duct inlet 59a is provided at the bottom 56a of the outer casing 56 of the partition member 55, rear of the mounting portion 19a, i.e., at the ceiling 13a of the switching chamber 13, to the right of the right side surface 61d of the rectangular parallelepiped heater 61. A first switching chamber return air duct 59 is provided, which is continuous with the first switching chamber return air duct inlet 59a and extends rearward along the right side surface 61c to the right of the right side surface 61d of the heater 61. The first switching chamber return air duct 59 is continuous with a first switching chamber return air duct outlet 59b formed on the rear surface 56b of the outer casing 56 facing the cooler chamber 29, rear of the partition member 55.

9, a second switching chamber return air duct inlet 60a is provided at the bottom 56a of the outer shell 56 of the partition member 55, rear of the mounting portion 19a, i.e., at the ceiling 13a of the switching chamber 13, to the left of the left side surface 61e of the rectangular parallelepiped heater 61. A second switching chamber return air duct 60 is provided, which is continuous with the second switching chamber return air duct inlet 60a and extends rearward along the left side surface 61e of the heater 61, to the left of the left side surface 61e. The second switching chamber return air duct 60 is continuous with a second switching chamber return air duct outlet 60b formed on the rear surface 56b of the outer shell 56 facing the cooler chamber 29, rear of the partition member 55.

As shown in Figures 13(b) and 13(c), the left-right width of the central refrigerator compartment return air duct 58d is greater than or equal to the left-right width of the upper surface 61a of the heater 61.

In this manner, the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switchable compartment return air duct 59, and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60 are arranged along the four faces (upper face 61a, front face 61c, right side face 61d, and left side face 61e (not shown)) of the rectangular parallelepiped heater 61. In the configuration shown in Figs. 9, 13(b), and 13(c), one of the two switchable compartment return air ducts is provided in the partition member 9 on either the left or right side of the heater 61, along either the right side face 61d or the left side face 61e of the heater 61. The refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 is provided in the partition member 9 so as to cover the upper face 61a of the heater 61 above the heater 61. In this manner, by providing one switchable compartment return air duct each on the left and right sides of the heater 61, the heat released from the side face of the heater 61 can be efficiently given to the returning cold air from the switchable compartment 13.
When viewing the partition member 9 from above, the area S1 (shown in Figure 14) where the upper surface 61a of the heater 61 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 overlap is larger than the area S2 where either the left or right side of the heater 61 and the second return air duct overlap when viewing the partition member 9 from the side (the area shown in Figure 12 where the cross section of the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 and the heater 61 (shown by the dashed line) overlap).
With this configuration, the heat emitted from the four sides of the heater 61 can be efficiently transferred to the cold air flowing through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switchable compartment return air duct 59, and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60, thereby suppressing frost formation and freezing in the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switchable compartment return air duct 59, and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60.
In addition, the area where the heater 61 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 overlap in the vertical direction is larger than the area where the heater 61 and the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 or the second switchable compartment return air duct 60 overlap in the horizontal direction. With this configuration, the heater 61 can impart a larger amount of heat to the cold air flowing through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 than to the cold air flowing through the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60. With this configuration, the heater 61 can suppress frosting and freezing of the cold air passing through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, which has a higher temperature and may contain more water vapor than the cold air passing through the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60.

An example of the implementation of embodiment 2 is shown in Figures 14(a) and 14(b). Figure 14(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of refrigerator 101 taken along line Y-Y in Figure 10. Figure 14(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a partition member taken along line V-V in Figure 14(a). Line V-V is a horizontal line that overlaps with refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, first switchable compartment return air duct 59, and second switchable compartment return air duct 60 above heater 61 when refrigerator 101 is viewed from the front. As shown in Figure 14(b), refrigerator compartment return air duct inlet 58a is provided in front of first switchable compartment return air duct inlet 59a and second switchable compartment return air duct inlet 60a.

Furthermore, the heat emitted from the remaining surface, the underside 61b, of the heater 61 is used to warm the cold air in the switchable compartment 13 and is used for temperature control associated with switching the temperature zone of the switchable compartment 13 and controlling the temperature within the temperature zone. By providing the heater 61 within the partition member 55, the air in the switchable compartment 13 can be heated more quickly compared to when temperature control is only performed by opening and closing the damper 40b.

The refrigerator 101 according to the second embodiment has a refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, a first switching compartment return air duct 59, a second switching compartment return air duct 60, and a first heating device inside the partition member 9 that separates the refrigerator compartment 10 and the freezer compartment. With this configuration, the first heating device heats the cold air flowing through the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switching compartment return air duct 61, and the second switching compartment return air duct 62, thereby suppressing frost formation and freezing. In addition, the switching compartment 13 can be indirectly heated. When it is necessary to raise the temperature of the switching compartment 13 for food storage, the air in the switching compartment 13 can be heated by the heater 61. From the above, it is possible to suppress the phenomenon in which the storage compartment of the refrigerator 101 becomes difficult to cool due to blockage caused by frost formation or freezing of the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switching compartment return air duct 59, and the second switching compartment return air duct 60.

The refrigerator 101 according to the second embodiment has a refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, a first switchable compartment return air duct 59, a second switchable compartment return air duct 60, and a first heating device inside the partition member 9 that separates the refrigerator compartment 10 and the freezer compartment 11. In this configuration, the first heating device can heat the returning cold air in the return air duct and indirectly heat the switchable compartment 13. As a result, food is not directly blown with warm air, which prevents damage to food and allows frost to be heated and melted if it has formed in the duct.

In the second embodiment, the heater 61 is a rectangular metal plate with excellent thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum plate or a copper plate, with a heating wire embedded inside, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. Instead of a rectangular metal plate, the heater 61 may be a metal sheet with a heat transfer wire attached.

In the present embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the area of overlap between the heater 61 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 in the vertical direction is made larger than the area of overlap between the heater 61 and the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 in the left-right direction and the area of overlap between the heater 61 and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60 in the left-right direction, thereby suppressing blockage due to frost or freezing in the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the first switchable compartment return air duct 59, and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60. As another configuration, the thickness of the insulating material provided between the heater 61 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58, the thickness of the insulating material provided between the heater 61 and the first switchable compartment return air duct 59, and the thickness of the insulating material provided between the heater 61 and the second switchable compartment return air duct 60 may be made different to make the heat transfer from the heater 61 to each air duct different.
That is, the thickness of the insulating material between the heater 61 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 is tR, and the thickness of the insulating material between the heater 61 and the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 is tS, and tR is set to be smaller than tS. Heat transfer from the heater 61 to each air duct is calculated by the product of the area of the surface of the heater 61 facing each air duct and the reciprocal of the thickness t of the insulating material between each air duct and the surface of the heater 61 facing each air duct. Therefore, by making the thickness t (tR, tS) of the insulating material between the surface of the heater 61 facing each air duct and each air duct smaller than tS, it is possible to provide the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 with more heat than the first switchable compartment return air duct 59 by heat conduction from the heater 61. The same can be said about the second switchable compartment return air duct 60 and the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58.

In addition, in this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 is configured by the front refrigerator compartment return air duct 58a and the central refrigerator compartment return air duct 58b, but this embodiment is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 15, the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 may be connected to the central refrigerator compartment return air duct 58b, extend downward along the rear surface 57f of the heater 61, and include a rear refrigerator compartment return air duct 58e that is continuous with the refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet 58b. In this structure, the amount of heat that the heater 61 gives to the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 is larger than in a configuration in which the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58 does not include the rear refrigerator compartment return air duct 58e, and heat from the heater 61 can be efficiently given to the refrigerator compartment return air duct 58.

Embodiment 3.
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, but descriptions of parts that overlap with those of the first and second embodiments will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used to denote the same or corresponding parts as those of the first and second embodiments. In refrigerator 103 according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure, top shelf 15a is configured as stacked shelf 210.

FIG. 16 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a configuration of stacking shelf 210 included in refrigerator 103 according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure.
FIG. 17 is a schematic top view illustrating a configuration of stacking shelf 210 included in refrigerator 103 according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure.
FIG. 18 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a configuration of stacking shelf 210 included in refrigerator 103 according to embodiment 3 of the present disclosure.

The configuration of the stacking shelf 210 according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.
In the refrigerator 103 according to the third embodiment, a stacking shelf 210 is provided as the top shelf 15a on the bottom surface of the switching compartment 13. As shown in Fig. 16, the stacking shelf 210 is configured by stacking a plurality of plate-like shelf members 220 made of, for example, glass, resin, etc. with gaps between them. Air is sealed between adjacent shelf members 220, and this air serves to suppress convection and the like even in the case of thermal fluctuations in the stacking shelf 210, thereby maintaining a still state. Therefore, the stacking shelf 210 has high thermal insulation performance. Hereinafter, the portion where the air is sealed between adjacent shelf members 220 is referred to as a still air layer 230.

16 and 17, a resin frame 240 for assembling the stacking shelf 21 into the refrigerator 100 is attached to the outer periphery of the shelf member 220. The stacking shelf 210 is configured by stacking a plurality of shelf members 220 with gaps therebetween, and then covering and sealing the outer periphery with rubber or silicon material to ensure sealing properties so that air from the outside does not flow into the still air layer 230. Here, the air to be sealed into the still air layer 230 may be dehumidified, and air with a reduced moisture content may be sealed into the still air layer 23. If the still air layer 230 is airtight so that outside air does not flow into it, the resin frame 240 may be attached directly to the shelf member 220 without sealing the outer periphery of the shelf member 220 with rubber or silicon material.

As shown in FIG. 18, the stacking shelf 200 according to the third embodiment has a rib member 260 in the still air layer 230 between the shelf members 220, which is provided with a lattice-like rib member 260 in a plan view. Although not particularly limited, the rib member 260 according to the third embodiment has an inverted U-shaped cross section to ensure stability. A line heater 250 (also referred to as a second heating device) is stored in the rib member 260. The line heater 250 is a heating device for temperature control that heats the food in the switching compartment 13 to increase the temperature, similar to the heater 61. In this way, by storing the line heater 250 in the rib member 260, the heater heat generation density in the stacking shelf 210 can be increased, improving the temperature rise performance.

The line heater 250 has a diameter φ of about 2 to 3 mm. The thickness of the entire rib member 260 is preferably about 5 to 7 mm. In addition, in FIG. 18, the line heater 25 is provided only in the rib member 260 in the topmost still air layer 230, but the still air layer 230 in which the line heater 250 is provided may not be limited to one layer.

In this way, by incorporating the line heater 250 into the stacked shelf 210, it is possible to supply heat to the food in the switching chamber 13 to raise its temperature as an assist capacity of the heater 61, and it is also possible to prevent condensation on the shelf member 220 inside the stacked shelf 210.

In the first to third embodiments, the control device 31 adjusts the temperature of the switching chamber 13 by controlling the first damper 40a, the heater 61, and the line heater 250, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the control device 31 may adjust the temperature of the switching chamber 13 by controlling only the line heater 250 without controlling the first damper 40a.

It is not necessary for air to be sealed in each gap between the shelf members 220. For example, a spacer (not shown) that maintains the distance between the shelf members 220 and maintains durability may be provided in each gap or some of the gaps between the shelf members 220. Also, instead of sealing air between adjacent shelf members 220, another transparent gas may be sealed in.

In addition, although an example has been described in which the heating device in the stacked shelf 210, which is the underside of the switching chamber 13, is a line heater 250, this is not limited to this. For example, a heat exchanger, a Peltier element, etc. may be used as the heating device inside the rib member 260.

In addition, appropriate combinations, modifications, or omissions of each embodiment are also within the scope of the technical ideas presented in the embodiments.

In the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the cold air return duct connecting the storage compartment set to the refrigeration temperature range and the cooler compartment, and the cold air return duct connecting the storage compartment set to the negative temperature range and the cooler compartment are separated by insulation, forming independent ducts. This prevents frost formation and blockages due to frost in the cold air return duct connecting the storage compartment set to the refrigeration temperature range and the cooler compartment, and the cold air return duct connecting the storage compartment set to the negative temperature range and the cooler compartment, making it possible to provide a refrigerator that performs stable temperature control.

Claims (10)

A box body having a first storage compartment having an opening on a front surface and set to a refrigeration temperature zone, and a second storage compartment located above the first storage compartment and set to a freezing temperature zone;
a door attached to a front side of the box body for opening and closing the opening;
a partition member that divides the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber into upper and lower compartments;
a third storage chamber that is provided below the partition member and at the top of the first storage chamber and that can be set to a negative temperature range;
a heater provided within the partition member;
a first return air passage provided in the partition member above the heater so as to cover an upper surface of the heater , the first return air passage returning the return cold air of the first storage chamber to the cooler chamber;
a second return air passage provided in the partition member along one of the left and right sides of the heater, the second return air passage returning the return cold air of the third storage chamber to the cooling chamber;
the first return air passage and the second return air passage form independent air passages, and the first return air passage and the second return air passage are partitioned by a thermal insulation material,
an area of the top surface of the heater is larger than areas of the left and right side surfaces of the heater;
an area where the upper surface of the partition member overlaps with the first return air passage when viewed from above, the area being larger than an area where one of the left and right side surfaces of the partition member overlaps with the second return air passage when viewed from a side;
refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the third storage compartment is switchable to at least a temperature range of 0 to 3°C, or a temperature range of -3°C to 0°C, or a temperature range of -10 to -5°C. The first storage chamber has a space in front of the third storage chamber,
a first return air duct inlet for guiding cool air in the first storage chamber to the first return air duct is formed in a first portion of a bottom surface of the partition member facing the space between the door and the third storage chamber;
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a second return air duct inlet formed in a second portion facing the third storage compartment, the second return air duct leading the cool air in the third storage compartment to the second return air duct. The third storage chamber includes a storage container and a front door that can be opened and closed at a front side.
The front door is rotatably attached to a bottom surface of the partition member in front of the storage container.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 . the first storage compartment having a plurality of shelves;
The third storage chamber is formed by a top shelf among the plurality of shelves, the front door, a side wall of the box body, and the partition member.
5. The refrigerator according to claim 4. The inside of the partition member is filled with urethane foam.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 . The heater has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 . The partition member includes a third return air passage for returning the return cold air of the third storage chamber to the cooling chamber,
The first return air passage, the second return air passage, and the third return air passage each form an independent air passage, and the first return air passage, the second return air passage, and the third return air passage are each partitioned from each other by a thermal insulating material.
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 . a thickness of an insulating material between the heater and the first return air duct is smaller than a thickness of an insulating material between the heater and the second return air duct;
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1. The rear portion of the first return air duct and the rear portion of the second return air duct each have an upward curve and are connected to a refrigerator compartment return air duct outlet and a switching compartment return air duct outlet formed in a rear surface portion of the partition member constituting a part of the side surface of the cooling chamber,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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