JP7597633B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Conventionally, refrigerators are known in which storage compartments in the refrigerating temperature range, such as the refrigerator compartment and vegetable compartment, are cooled by a refrigeration cooler in which the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is set at a relatively high temperature, and storage compartments in the freezing temperature range, such as the freezer compartment and ice making compartment, are cooled by a freezing cooler in which the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is set at a relatively low temperature.

In recent years, the storage environment required for refrigerator compartments has also become more complex as living environments and eating habits have become more diverse. For this reason, some refrigerators are equipped with a switchable compartment in part of the refrigerated temperature zone or freezer temperature zone storage compartment, where the temperature zone can be set from the freezer zone to the refrigerated zone or even higher, allowing users to switch the temperature zone of the switchable compartment according to their needs.

JP 2009-52774 A

In conventional refrigerators, for example, the control is performed to preferentially cool the storage compartment whose temperature differs from the set temperature based on the detected temperature of a temperature sensor installed in the refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, switch compartment, etc. In this case, the storage compartment whose set temperature is low may be cooled when the cooler temperature is high, and the cooling efficiency is not optimized.

Therefore, we provide a refrigerator with improved cooling efficiency.

The refrigerator of the embodiment includes a normal section whose set temperature can be set to a first temperature zone, a switching section whose set temperature can be set to a second temperature zone including a high temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone and a low temperature zone lower than the first temperature zone, a cooler that cools the normal section and the switching section, and a control device that controls the cooling state of the normal section and the switching section. The control device first cools the normal section or the switching section, whichever has a higher set temperature.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. 1 is an example of a timing chart for the refrigerator according to the first embodiment when the set temperature of the switching section is lower than the set temperature of the normal section. 1 is an example of a timing chart for the refrigerator according to the first embodiment when the set temperature of the switching section is higher than the set temperature of the normal section. A flowchart (part 1) showing an example of control contents of a refrigeration and cooling process executed by a control device in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. 1 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating an example of a control process of a refrigeration process executed by a control device in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. A flowchart (part 3) showing an example of the control content of the refrigeration and cooling process executed by the control device in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. A flowchart (part 1) showing an example of control contents of a freezing and cooling process executed by a control device in a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. A flowchart (part 2) showing an example of the control content of the freezing and cooling process executed by the control device in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. A flowchart showing an example of control contents of an intermediate process executed by a control device in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. 13 is an example of a timing chart for the refrigerator according to the second embodiment when the set temperature of the switching section is lower than the set temperature of the normal section. 13 is an example of a timing chart for the refrigerator according to the second embodiment when the set temperature of the switching section is higher than the set temperature of the normal section. A flowchart (part 1) showing an example of control contents of a refrigeration and cooling process executed by a control device in a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. A flowchart (part 2) showing an example of the control content of the refrigeration and cooling process executed by the control device in the refrigerator according to the second embodiment. A flowchart (part 3) showing an example of the control content of the refrigeration and cooling process executed by the control device in the refrigerator according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. 13 is an example of a timing chart for the refrigerator according to the third embodiment when the set temperature of the switching section is lower than the set temperature of the normal section. 13 is an example of a timing chart for the refrigerator according to the third embodiment when the set temperature of the switching section is higher than the set temperature of the normal section. A flowchart (part 1) showing an example of control contents of a refrigeration and cooling process executed by a control device in a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. A flowchart (part 2) showing an example of the control content of the refrigeration and cooling process executed by the control device in the refrigerator according to the third embodiment. A flowchart (part 3) showing an example of control contents of a refrigeration and cooling process executed by a control device in a refrigerator according to a third embodiment.

Below, a washer-dryer according to several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components that are essentially the same in each embodiment will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions will be omitted.

First Embodiment
First, a refrigerator according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 12. The refrigerator 10 shown in Fig. 1 is configured to have a plurality of storage compartments in an insulated box 20 serving as a refrigerator main body having a vertically elongated rectangular box shape with an open front. In the following description, the open side of the insulated box 20 is referred to as the front side of the refrigerator 10, and the opposite side to the opening is referred to as the rear side of the refrigerator 10. The up-down direction of the refrigerator 10 is the up-down direction relative to the direction of gravity when the refrigerator 10 is placed on the floor in the position shown in Fig. 1. The left-right direction of the refrigerator 10 in Fig. 1 when viewed from the front is referred to as the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10 is mainly composed of an insulated box 20. The insulated box 20 is a box with an open front and has multiple storage compartments inside. The insulated box 20 is composed of an insulating member 23, which is a highly insulating member, between an inner box 21 and an outer box 22. The highly insulating member is, for example, a foam insulating member such as urethane foam. The insulated box 20 may also be composed of a so-called vacuum insulation panel in which part of the insulating member 23 is covered with a film on which aluminum is vapor-deposited, and the inside is depressurized to increase insulation.

The insulated box 20 has multiple storage compartments for storing stored items, such as a refrigerator compartment 11, a vegetable compartment 12, an ice-making compartment 13, a small freezer compartment 14, and a freezer compartment 15. The refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12 are storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range. The ice-making compartment 13, the small freezer compartment 14, and the freezer compartment 15 are storage compartments in the freezing temperature range.

In this case, the refrigeration temperature zone and freezing temperature zone are temperature zones suitable for storing food and the like in a refrigerated or frozen state, and are temperature zones that are preset when the refrigerator 10 is operated as the target temperature for cooling each storage compartment, either by being already set when the refrigerator 10 is shipped or by being arbitrarily set by the user when the refrigerator 10 is operated. The refrigeration temperature zone can be set, for example, to a general refrigeration temperature zone of 1°C to 5°C. In this embodiment, the refrigeration temperature zone is set, for example, to 2°C to 4°C. The freezing degree zone is set, for example, to a general freezing temperature zone of -15°C or lower, preferably -20°C to -18°C.

The refrigerator compartment 11 is located at the top of the insulated box 20. The vegetable compartment 12 is located below the refrigerator compartment 11. The ice-making compartment 13 and the small freezer compartment 14 are located below the vegetable compartment 12, side by side. The freezer compartment 15 is located below the ice-making compartment 13 and the small freezer compartment 14, i.e., at the bottom of the insulated box 20.

The refrigerator 10 is equipped with refrigerator compartment doors 111, 112, vegetable compartment door 121, ice-making compartment door 131, small freezer compartment door 141, and freezer compartment door 151. The refrigerator compartment doors 111, 112 are, for example, hinged double doors that open and close the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 11. The vegetable compartment doors 121, ice-making compartment door 131, small freezer compartment door 141, and freezer compartment door 151 are all drawer-type doors that open and close the front openings of the vegetable compartment 12, ice-making compartment 13, small freezer compartment 14, and freezer compartment 15, respectively.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the vegetable compartment 12 has a drawer-type case 122. This case 122 is attached to the vegetable compartment door 121 and is configured to be removable and retractable together with the vegetable compartment door 121. Similarly, the ice-making compartment 13, the small freezer compartment 14, and the freezer compartment 15 each have a case that can be removable and retractable together with the ice-making compartment door 131, the small freezer compartment door 141, and the freezer compartment door 151, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, the insulated box 20 has an insulated partition wall 24 and a non-insulated partition wall 25 inside. The insulated partition wall 24 vertically separates the storage chambers 11, 12 in the refrigerated temperature range from the storage chambers 13, 14, 15 in the freezer temperature range in an insulated state. The non-insulated partition wall 25 vertically separates the refrigerator chamber 11 from the vegetable chamber 12 in the storage chambers 11, 12 in the refrigerated temperature range without insulating them.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator compartment 11 has a ceiling 113, a bottom 114, and left and right sidewalls 115. The ceiling 113 constitutes part of the inner box 21 and forms the upper surface inside the refrigerator compartment 11. An insulating member 23 is provided between the ceiling 113 and the outer box 22. The bottom 114 constitutes part of the non-insulated partition wall 25 and forms the bottom surface inside the refrigerator compartment 11. The sidewalls 115 constitute part of the inner box 21 and form the left and right side surfaces inside the refrigerator compartment 11.

The refrigerator 10 has multiple shelves 261, 262, 263, 264 (four in this case) and a case 27. The multiple shelves 261, 262, 263, 264 are arranged in this order from top to bottom to form a surface extending horizontally on which food to be stored in the refrigerator compartment 11 is placed and supported. The ceiling 113 is located above the top shelf 261. The case 27 is provided below the bottom shelf 264 so that it can be pulled out. The case 27 is formed, for example, in the shape of a container that opens upward, and food can be stored inside. The shelves 261, 262, 263, 264 and the case 27 are formed, for example, from resin, glass, etc.

The refrigerator 10 has a normal section 28 and a switching section 29. The normal section 28 can set the set temperature within a predetermined first temperature range. The switching section 29 can set the set temperature within a predetermined second temperature range that includes a lower temperature range and a higher temperature range than the first temperature range and is wider than the first temperature range.

The normal section 28 and the switching section 29 are provided inside the storage compartments that have the same set temperature, that is, inside the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature zone, or inside the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15 in the freezer temperature zone. In this embodiment, the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 are provided inside the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature zone. In this case, the first temperature zone is the refrigerated temperature zone. The normal section 28 is provided in a different part from the switching section 29 inside the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature zone, and the normal section 28 is maintained in the refrigerated temperature zone. The switching section 29 is provided in a part of the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature zone, and the temperature zone within the section can be switched. In this embodiment, the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 are formed by dividing the inside of the refrigerated compartment 11.

The switching compartment 29 is formed by separating the interior of the refrigerator compartment 11 from the normal compartment 28 by non-insulating members such as the shelves 261, 262, 263, 264 and the case 27. In this case, the shelves 261, 262, 263, 264 and the case 27 are made of, for example, resin or glass as described above, and do not have high insulating properties such as urethane foam or vacuum insulation panels. In other words, the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29 are not separated from each other by members that have insulating properties. Note that in another embodiment, the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29 may be separated at least in part by a member that has insulating properties.

In this embodiment, the switching compartment 29 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 11. The switching compartment 29 is provided below the normal compartment 28. In this case, the switching compartment 29 is a space sandwiched between the lowest shelf 264 and the bottom 114 of the refrigerator compartment 11. The switching compartment 29 accommodates the case 27 inside. The switching compartment 29 may be provided over the entire width of the refrigerator compartment 11 in the left-right direction, or may be provided in a portion of the width of the refrigerator compartment 11 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the switching compartment 29 is provided in a portion of the left-right width of the refrigerator compartment 11, in this case near the right side wall 115. An ice-making tank (not shown) is provided below the lowest shelf 264 in a portion where the switching compartment 29 is not provided, in this case to the left of the switching compartment 29.

The set temperature in the switching compartment 29 can be switched between the set temperature of the storage room 11 in which the switching compartment 29 is provided (in this case, the refrigeration temperature zone), a low temperature zone that is lower than the refrigeration temperature zone, and a high temperature zone that is higher than the refrigeration temperature zone. In this embodiment, the set temperature of the switching compartment 29 can be set within a range of, for example, -10°C to 15°C. The low temperature zone can be set within a range of -10°C to 2°C. The high temperature zone can be set within a range of, for example, 4°C to 15°C.

The refrigerator 10 includes a refrigeration cycle 40 shown in FIG. 4. The refrigeration cycle 40 includes a refrigeration cooler 41, a freezing cooler 42, a compressor 43, a condenser 44, a switching valve 45, a refrigeration throttling device 46, a freezing throttling device 47, and a refrigerant flow path 48. The refrigeration cooler 41 and the freezing cooler 42 vaporize liquid refrigerant to generate cold air for cooling the storage chambers 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. The compressor 43 is configured to vary the operating frequency by inverter control, and discharges high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The condenser 44 receives the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 43, dissipates heat, and liquefies it. The switching valve 45 is connected to the outlet side of the condenser 44 and has the function of switching the flow path of the refrigerant. The refrigeration expansion device 46 and the freezing expansion device 47 are connected to the outlets 451 and 452 of the switching valve 45, respectively, and reduce the pressure of the liquid refrigerant and expand it to send it to the refrigeration cooler 41 or the freezing cooler 42. The refrigerant flow path 48 connects the compressor 43, the switching valve 45, the refrigeration expansion device 46, the freezing expansion device 47, the refrigeration cooler 41, the freezing cooler 42, and the condenser 44, and constitutes a path for the refrigerant to flow.

The condenser 44, compressor 43, and switching valve 45 are connected in series by a refrigerant flow path 48. The refrigeration throttle device 46 and the refrigeration cooler 41, and the freezer throttle device 47 and the freezer cooler 42 are each connected in series, and are connected in parallel to each other via the switching valve 45.

The switching valve 45 is, for example, a three-way valve, and has a refrigerating cooler side outlet 451 and a freezing cooler side outlet 452. The refrigerating cooler side outlet 451 is an outlet on the flow path side connected to the refrigerating cooler 41. The freezing cooler side outlet 452 is an outlet on the flow path side connected to the refrigerating cooler 42. By switching the switching valve 45 to the refrigerating cooler 41 side, opening the refrigerating cooler side outlet 451, and supplying refrigerant to the refrigerating cooler 41 side, the refrigeration cycle 40 causes the refrigerating cooler 41 to generate cold air for cooling the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigerating temperature range, including the switching section 29. Also, by switching the switching valve 45 to the refrigerating cooler 42 side, opening the refrigerating cooler side outlet 451, and supplying refrigerant to the refrigerating cooler 42 side, the refrigeration cycle 40 causes the refrigerating cooler 42 to generate cold air for cooling the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range.

The downstream side of the refrigerating cooler 41 is connected to the compressor 43. A check valve (not shown) is provided downstream of the freezing cooler 42 and upstream of the compressor 43. In this embodiment, two coolers 41 and 42 are connected to the compressor 43, but this is not limited to the configuration. In another embodiment, for example, a single cooler may be used to generate cold air for cooling the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigerating temperature range and the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range.

The refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerator cooler chamber 17, a freezer cooler chamber 18, and a machine chamber 19. The refrigerator cooler chamber 17 is provided behind the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigerator temperature range, and houses a refrigerator cooler 41 inside. The freezer cooler chamber 18 is provided behind the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezer temperature range, and houses a freezer cooler 42 inside. The machine chamber 19 is provided outside the insulated box body 20, and houses a compressor 43 inside. In this embodiment, the machine chamber 19 is provided in the lower part of the refrigerator 10, i.e., behind the freezer chamber 15.

2, the refrigerator 10 includes an air passage 30, a first blower 31 as a blower, a second blower 32, a first opening/closing device 33 as an opening/closing device, and a second opening/closing device 34 as another opening/closing device. The air passage 30 is connected to the refrigerator cooler chamber 17 to form an air passage for supplying the cold air generated by the refrigerator cooler 41 to the refrigerator chamber 11 and the vegetable chamber 12, which are storage chambers in the refrigerator temperature range. The freezer cooler chamber 18 forms an air passage for supplying the cold air generated by the freezer cooler 2 to the ice making chamber 13, the small freezer chamber 14, and the freezer chamber 15, which are storage chambers in the freezer temperature range. The first blower 31 has a function of sending cold air to the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigerator temperature range, including the normal section 28 and the switching section 29. The second blower 32 has a function of sending cold air to the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezer temperature range. The first opening/closing device 33 has a function of opening and closing the flow path of cold air to the switching compartment 29. The second opening/closing device 34 has a function of opening and closing the flow path of cold air to the normal compartment 28. The first opening/closing device 33 and the second opening/closing device 34 may be configured to adjust the flow rate of cold air toward the normal compartment 28 or the switching compartment 29 by adjusting the opening degree.

The ventilation passage 30 is provided downstream of the refrigeration cooler 41 and the refrigeration cooler chamber 17 in terms of the flow of cold air. Specifically, the ventilation passage 30 is provided on the rear side of the refrigeration chamber 11 and the vegetable chamber 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the ventilation passage 30 has a plurality of outlets 301, 302, and 303. In addition, the refrigeration cooler chamber 17 has a plurality of return openings 171 and 172.

The multiple return ports 171, 172 are formed by opening a portion of the refrigeration cooler chamber 17 toward the storage chambers 11, 12. In this case, the refrigeration chamber side return port 171 is formed by opening a portion of the ventilation passage 30 toward the vicinity of the bottom 114 of the refrigeration chamber 11. In other words, the refrigeration chamber side return port 171 is located behind and below the switching compartment 29. The vegetable chamber side return port 172 is formed by opening a portion of the lower portion of the refrigeration cooler chamber 17 toward the vegetable chamber 12. The multiple outlets 301, 302, 303 communicate between the inside of the ventilation passage 30 and the refrigeration chamber 11 including the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29.

In this embodiment, the upper outlet 301 provided at the top of the ventilation passage 30 is connected to the refrigerator compartment 11 above the shelf 261. The lower outlet 303 provided at the bottom of the ventilation passage 30 is connected to the switching section 29. The middle outlet 302 provided between the upper outlet 301 and the lower outlet 303 is connected to the refrigerator compartment 11 between the shelf 261 and the shelf 264.

The ventilation passage 30 has a path leading to the normal section 28 and a path leading to the switching section 29 .
The path toward the normal section 28 connects the refrigeration cooler chamber 17 to the upper outlet 301 and the middle outlet 302. The path toward the switching section 29 connects the refrigeration cooler chamber 17 to the lower outlet 303.

As shown in FIG. 2, the freezer cooling chamber 18 has a return port 181 and multiple outlets 182, 183, and 184. The return port 181 is formed by opening a portion of the lower part of the freezer cooling chamber 18 toward the freezer chamber 15. The multiple outlets 182, 183, and 184 connect the inside of the freezer cooling chamber 18 to the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range.

The first blower 31 is provided inside the ventilation duct 30 or the refrigeration cooler chamber 17. In this case, the first blower 31 is provided in the ventilation duct 30 downstream of the refrigeration cooler 41 in terms of the flow of cold air, and upstream of the first opening/closing device 33 and the second opening/closing device 34. The first blower 31 draws air from the refrigerator chamber 11 or the vegetable chamber 12 into the ventilation duct 30, passes the drawn air through the refrigeration cooler 41, and then sends it to the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigeration temperature zone, including the normal section 28 and the switching section 29. The second blower 32 is provided in the freezer cooler chamber 18. The second blower 32 draws air from the freezer chamber 15 into the freezer cooler chamber 18, passes the drawn air through the freezer cooler 42, and then sends it to the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezer temperature zone.

The first opening/closing device 33 has a function of passing cold air flowing from the refrigerator cooler chamber 17 through the ventilation passage 30 to the switching section 29 when open, and blocking cold air flowing from the refrigerator cooler chamber 17 through the ventilation passage 30 to the switching section 29 when closed. The second opening/closing device 34 has a function of passing cold air flowing from the refrigerator cooler chamber 17 through the ventilation passage 30 to the normal section 28 when open, and blocking cold air flowing from the refrigerator cooler chamber 17 through the ventilation passage 30 to the normal section 28 when closed.

Although not shown in detail, the first opening/closing device 33 and the second opening/closing device 34 are configured to include a rotation axis, a rotating part that rotates around the rotation axis, and a motor that rotates the rotating part. The motor is electrically connected to the control device 50 and rotates the rotating part under the control of the control device 50. The first opening/closing device 33 and the second opening/closing device 34 are electrically connected to the control device 50 and block or open at least a portion of the ventilation passage 30 under the control of the control device 50. The first opening/closing device 33 and the second opening/closing device 34 are so-called dampers.

In this embodiment, the first opening/closing device 33 is provided, for example, at the air outlet 303 leading to the switching compartment 29, and opens and closes the air outlet 303. The first opening/closing device 33 closes the air outlet 303, thereby blocking the cold air from flowing into the switching compartment 29 through the air outlet 303.

In this embodiment, the second opening/closing device 34 is provided between the air outlets 301 and 302 leading to the normal section 28 of the ventilation passage 30 and the refrigeration cooling chamber 17, and opens and closes the flow path of cold air to the normal section 28 through the air outlets 301 and 302. In this embodiment, the second opening/closing device 34 is provided between the air outlets 302 and 303. The second opening/closing device 34 is provided, for example, behind the lowest shelf 264 in the ventilation passage 30. The second opening/closing device 34 is in a closed state in which it closes the flow path, thereby blocking the cold air flowing from the air outlets 301 and 302 into the normal section 28.

The air that flows from the vegetable compartment 12 through the vegetable compartment side return port 172 into the ventilation duct 30 by the blowing action of the first blower 31 flows through the ventilation duct 30 and passes through the refrigeration cooler 41. Then, when the first opening/closing device 33 is in an open state, the air that has passed through the refrigeration cooler 41 is blown out from the lower outlet 303 to the switching compartment 29. In addition, when the second opening/closing device 34 is in an open state, the remaining air that does not flow out from the lower outlet 303 to the switching compartment 29 is blown out from the upper outlet 301 and the middle outlet 302 to the refrigerator compartment 11. Note that a portion of the cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 11 flows into the vegetable compartment 12 through a hole (not shown in detail) provided in the non-insulated partition wall 25.

The air that flows from the freezer compartment 15 into the freezer cooler compartment 18 through the return port 181 by the blowing action of the second blower 32 flows through the freezer cooler compartment 18 and passes through the freezer cooler 42. The air that passes through the freezer cooler 42 is then blown out from multiple outlets 182, 183, 184 into the storage compartments 13, 14, 15, which are in the freezing temperature range. The cold air that has cooled the ice-making compartment 13 and small freezer compartment 14 descends and flows into the freezer compartment 15.

As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerator 10 also includes a control device 50 and an operation unit 51. The control device 50 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having a CPU 501 and a storage area 502 such as a ROM, a RAM, and a non-volatile memory. The control device 50 manages the operation of the entire refrigerator 10. The compressor 43, the switching valve 45, the first blower 31, the second blower 32, the first opening/closing device 33, the second opening/closing device 34, and the operation unit 51 are electrically connected to the control device 50 and are driven and controlled by the control device 50.

The operation unit 51 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 is electrically connected to the control device 50. The operation unit 51 has a function of accepting operations from a user and changing and displaying various settings such as the operation contents of the refrigerator 10 under control of the control device 50. The operation unit 51 also accepts an operation by a user to switch the set temperature of the switching section 29, for example. The set temperature here is the target temperature for cooling each of the storage chambers 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or each of the sections 28, 29 by the control device 50. In this embodiment, the operation unit 51 has an input unit that is, for example, a so-called electrostatic touch type operation panel. The operation unit 51 is built into, for example, one or both of the refrigerator compartment doors 111 and 112. In this embodiment, the operation unit 51 is provided on the left refrigerator compartment door 111 as shown in FIG. 1. The operation unit 51 may also have a display unit composed of, for example, an LED light or liquid crystal, or a buzzer or speaker that can emit sounds or generate voices.

As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerator 10 is equipped with a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52, a switching compartment temperature sensor 53, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 54, and a cooler temperature sensor 55 as detection units.

The refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 has a function of detecting the temperature of the storage compartments 11, 12 in the refrigerator temperature range. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 has a function of detecting the temperature in the normal section 28 of the refrigerator compartment 11. The refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 may be provided in the normal section 28, or in another embodiment, may be provided downstream of the normal section 28 in terms of the flow of circulating cold air. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 is provided in the normal section 28 of the refrigerator compartment 11. In another embodiment, a return port for cold air from the normal section 28 to the refrigerator cooler compartment 17 may be provided, and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 may be provided in the return port.

The switching compartment temperature sensor 53 is provided in the switching compartment 29 and has the function of detecting the temperature inside the switching compartment 29. The switching compartment temperature sensor 53 may be provided inside the switching compartment 29, or in another embodiment, may be provided downstream of the switching compartment 29 with respect to the flow of circulating cold air. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 is provided inside the switching compartment 29, for example, on the outer periphery of the switching compartment 29 consisting of the left and right sides of the switching compartment 29. In another embodiment, the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 may be provided at 171, which is the return port of cold air from the switching compartment 29 to the refrigerator cooler compartment 17.

The freezer temperature sensor 54 has a function of detecting the temperature of the storage chamber 13, 14, or 15 in the freezing temperature range. In this embodiment, the freezer temperature sensor 54 detects the temperature in the freezer chamber 15. The freezer temperature sensor 54 may be provided in the freezer chamber 15, or in another embodiment, may be provided downstream in the freezer chamber 15 with respect to the flow of circulating cold air. In this embodiment, the freezer temperature sensor 54 is provided in the freezer chamber 15. In another embodiment, the freezer temperature sensor 54 may be provided at 181, which is the return port of cold air from the freezer chamber 15 to the freezer cooler chamber 18.

The cooler temperature sensor 55 has a function of detecting the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41. Here, the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 refers to the temperature of the part of the refrigerated cooler 41 involved in heat exchange. That is, the cooler temperature sensor 55 has a function of directly or indirectly detecting the temperature of the air blown from the refrigerated cooler chamber 17 to the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature range. The cooler temperature sensor 55 may be attached to the refrigerated cooler 41, or it may be attached to a position that can detect a temperature that affects the temperature of the air blown to the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature range, even if it is not attached to the refrigerated cooler 41. In this embodiment, the cooler temperature sensor 55 is attached to the refrigerated cooler 41.

The refrigerator 10 also includes a heating unit 56. The heating unit 56 can heat the inside of the switching compartment 29 to a high temperature range. As a result, the heating unit 56 has the function of heating food stored inside the switching compartment 29 to a high temperature range. The heating unit 56 is connected to the control device 50 as shown in FIG. 4, and is driven based on the control from the control device 50. The amount of heat generated by the heating unit 56 is also controlled by the control device 50.

The heating unit 56 is provided on the outer periphery of the switching compartment 29, such as the top, bottom, back, left and right sides of the switching compartment 29. In this embodiment, the heating unit 56 is provided on the bottom of the switching compartment 29, in this case the bottom 114 of the refrigerator compartment 11.

The heating unit 56 is, for example, an electric heating wire heater that generates heat by passing electricity through an electric heating wire. In this embodiment, the heating unit 56 is, for example, an aluminum foil heater in which an electric heating wire is wrapped in aluminum foil. The heating unit 56 is light and thin, and may be waterproof. In another embodiment, the heating unit 56 may be a flexible planar heating element in which an electric heating wire is wrapped in, for example, a silicon rubber sheet. The current consumption of the heating unit 56 is set to, for example, 5 to 15 mA. Preferably, the current consumption of the heating unit 56 is set to 9 to 11 mA. The control device 50 controls the supply of power to the heating unit 56. In other words, the heating unit 56 does not operate all the time, but operates only when power is supplied under the control of the control device 50.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the control device 50 alternately executes a refrigeration cooling process for cooling the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigeration temperature range and a freezing cooling process for cooling the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range. In this case, the control device 50 alternately executes the refrigeration cooling process and the freezing cooling process by controlling the switching valve 45 to alternately supply refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 41 and the freezing cooler 42. The refrigeration cooling period Tr, which is the period during which the refrigeration cooling process is executed, is set to be equal to or shorter than the freezing cooling period Tf, which is the period during which the freezing cooling process is executed. In this embodiment, for example, the refrigeration cooling period Tr is set to 20 minutes, and the freezing cooling period Tf is set to 30 minutes.

The refrigerator 10 has three operation modes for adjusting the temperature in the switching compartment 29: normal operation, high temperature operation, and low temperature operation. That is, the control device 50 can switch between normal operation, high temperature operation, and low temperature operation to execute temperature control for the switching compartment 29. In normal operation, the control device 50 sets the set temperature of the switching compartment 29 to the set temperature zone of the storage compartment 11 in which the switching compartment 29 is provided, in this case the refrigeration temperature zone. In addition, the control device 50 sets the set temperature of the switching compartment 29 to the high temperature zone in high temperature operation, and sets the set temperature of the switching compartment 29 to the low temperature zone in low temperature operation. Note that the control device 50 maintains the set temperatures of the normal compartment 28 and the vegetable compartment 12 in the refrigeration temperature zone, for example, 2°C to 4°C, regardless of the operation mode set for the switching compartment 29. In addition, the control device 50 maintains the set temperatures of the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature zone in the freezing temperature zone.

Each operation mode can be switched by, for example, the user operating the operation unit 51. That is, the control device 50 can switch between normal operation, high temperature operation, and low temperature operation based on the user's operation on the operation unit 51. The set temperatures of the storage compartments 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, including the normal section 28 and the switching section 29, are set by the user's operation received by the operation unit 51. In this case, the set temperatures of the storage compartments 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 themselves may be configured to be externally set, or information indicating the degree of cooling may be input from the outside, and the control device 50 may set the set temperature based on that information. In this case, the information indicating the degree of cooling may be information on the type of food to be stored, such as food suitable for storage at low temperatures such as raw meat and raw fish, or food with a high starch content such as rice balls that is suitable for storage at high temperatures, or an indicator of the strength of refrigeration desired by the user, such as strong, medium, or weak.

In another embodiment, the control device 50 may be configured to be able to switch between normal operation, high temperature operation, and low temperature operation upon receiving an instruction from an external operating device such as a smartphone. In yet another embodiment, the control device 50 may be configured to be able to automatically switch between normal operation, high temperature operation, and low temperature operation. In this case, the control device 50 may be configured to determine whether or not to switch the operating mode by, for example, determining the food contained in the switching compartment through image recognition or the like.

Normal operation is an operation mode in which the temperature in the switching section 29 is maintained at the set temperature of the refrigerator compartment 11, for example, a refrigeration temperature range of 2°C to 4°C. High-temperature operation is an operation mode in which the temperature in the switching section 29 is maintained at a high temperature range higher than the normal temperature range of the refrigerator compartment 11. In this case, the high temperature range can be set to any temperature range desired by the user within a range of, for example, 4°C to 15°C, which can suppress the beta-ification of starch and suppress deterioration of the taste of cooked food. In this embodiment, the high temperature range is set to 4°C to 10°C. Low-temperature operation is an operation mode in which the temperature in the switching section 29 is maintained at a temperature range lower than the normal temperature range of the refrigerator compartment 11. In this case, the low temperature range can be set to, for example, a so-called chilled temperature range of 0°C to 2°C, a so-called partial temperature range of -3°C to 0°C, or an even lower temperature range of -10°C to -3°C. In this embodiment, the low temperature range is set to -3°C to 0°C.

The control device 50 adjusts the amount of heat generated by the heating unit 56 according to the operation mode of the switching section 29. The control device 50 also adjusts the amount of heat generated by the heating unit 56 based on the temperature detected by the switching section temperature sensor 53. In other words, if the temperature detected by the switching section temperature sensor 53 is below the set temperature range for each operation mode, the control device 50 energizes the heating unit 56 to heat the switching section 29.

For example, if the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 during normal operation is below the refrigeration temperature zone, the control device 50 energizes the heating unit 56 to heat the switching compartment 29. Also, if the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 during high temperature operation is below the high temperature zone, the control device 50 energizes the heating unit 56 to heat the switching compartment 29. Furthermore, if the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 during low temperature operation is below the low temperature zone, the control device 50 may energize the heating unit 56 to heat the switching compartment 29. Also, if the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 is above the set temperature zone for each operation mode, the control device 50 stops energizing the heating unit 56 or reduces the amount of heat generated to suppress heating of the switching compartment 29.

The control device 50 may be configured to operate the heating unit 56 only when the first opening/closing device 33 is closed. In this case, the control device 50 may be configured to determine whether or not the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 is less than the set temperature of the switching compartment 29 when the first opening/closing device 33 is closed. The control device 50 may be configured to pass electricity through the heating unit 56 if the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 is less than the set temperature of the switching compartment 29, and not pass electricity through the heating unit 56 if the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 is equal to or greater than the set temperature of the switching compartment 29.

Furthermore, the control device 50 executes an intermediate process between the freezing and cooling process. The intermediate process is a process in which the compressor 43 is driven with the switching valve 45 in a fully closed state with neither the outlets 451 nor 452 open. This causes the refrigerant remaining in the freezing and cooling device 42 to be extracted and recovered in the compressor 43. The control device 50 executes the intermediate process for the intermediate period Tm. The intermediate period Tm can be set within a range of, for example, 1 to 3 minutes. In this embodiment, the intermediate period Tm is set to 2 minutes. The intermediate process is what is known as pump down.

The control device 50 executes a defrosting process to remove frost from the refrigerated cooler 41. The defrosting process is executed by circulating air at 0°C or higher from the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12 to the refrigerated cooler compartment 17 while no refrigerant is being supplied to the refrigerated cooler 41. The control device 50 drives the first blower 31 with the second opening/closing device 34 in an open state during the period when no refrigerant is being supplied to the refrigerated cooler 41. As a result, the frost on the refrigerated cooler 41 is melted by air at 0°C or higher circulating through the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature range including the normal section 28 and the ventilation passage 30. During the defrosting process, the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 itself is higher than when a refrigerant is being supplied to the refrigerated cooler 41, so that dehumidification of the air is suppressed. The air blown into the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12 is further humidified by the melting of the frost, becoming highly humid.

The temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 during the refrigeration cooling process or immediately after the end of the refrigeration cooling process drops below the refrigeration temperature zone, and may drop to, for example, -20°C or lower. When the frost on the refrigeration cooler 41 melts and is removed, the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 rises. After the defrosting process begins, the control device 50 ends the defrosting process when the detected temperature of the cooler temperature sensor 55 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined first temperature x1. The first temperature x1 can be set within the range of, for example, 2°C to 4°C. In this embodiment, the first temperature x1 is set to 3°C.

The defrosting process is performed during a period when refrigerant is supplied to the freezing cooler 42 or during a period when the compressor 43 is not operating. The defrosting process is performed, for example, during the freezing and cooling process. In this embodiment, when the refrigeration and cooling process ends and the freezing and cooling process starts, the control device 50 performs the defrosting process. Furthermore, the control device 50 stops the operation of the compressor 43 if the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range are sufficiently cooled during the freezing and cooling process. For example, the control device 50 stops the compressor 43 and performs the defrosting process when the temperature detected by the freezing chamber temperature sensor 54 during the freezing and cooling process is lower than a predetermined second temperature x2. The second temperature x2 is set, for example, to -20°C, which is the lowest temperature in the range of the freezing temperature range.

The defrosting process is carried out between one refrigeration cooling process and the next. In other words, the defrosting process is carried out before and after any refrigeration cooling process. When the defrosting process ends and the refrigeration cooling process starts, the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 is equal to or higher than the refrigeration temperature range. The temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 at the start of the refrigeration cooling process may reach, for example, around 10 degrees.

In the refrigeration cooling process, the control device 50 can adjust the temperature zone of each of the sections 28, 29 by adjusting the temperature and supply amount of cold air supplied to the storage rooms 11, 12 in the refrigeration temperature zone, including each of the sections 28, 29, according to each set operation mode. In the case of this embodiment, the control device 50 adjusts the temperature and supply amount of cold air supplied to the normal section 28 and the switching section 29, for example, by controlling the operating frequency of the compressor 43, the rotation speed of the first blower 31, and the opening and closing of the second opening and closing device 34 and the first opening and closing device 33.

In the freezing and cooling process, the control device 50 can adjust the temperature zone of the freezing temperature zone storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 by adjusting the temperature and supply amount of cold air supplied to the freezing temperature zone storage chambers 13, 14, and 15. In the case of this embodiment, the control device 50 adjusts the temperature and supply amount of cold air supplied to the freezing temperature zone storage chambers 13, 14, and 15, for example, by controlling the operating frequency of the compressor 43 and the rotation speed of the second blower 32. Furthermore, the control device 50 stops the compressor 43 or increases or decreases the operating frequency, or stops the blowing of the first blower 31 and the second blower 32 or increases or decreases the rotation speed based on the detected temperature of the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52, the detected temperature of the freezer compartment temperature sensor 54, or the detected temperature of the switching section temperature sensor 53, thereby maintaining the refrigerator temperature zone storage chambers 11 and 12, including each section 28 and 29, and the freezing temperature zone storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 at their respective set temperature zones.

Figures 5 and 6 are timing charts of the control contents of the control device 50 regarding the freezing and cooling process, the refrigeration and cooling process, and the intermediate process. Note that although the operation of the heating unit 56 is omitted in Figures 5 and 6, the control device 50 operates the heating unit 56 as appropriate.

Figure 5 shows a timing chart when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature range. During the freezing and cooling period Tf, the compressor 43 is driven with the freezing cooler side outlet 452 open and the refrigerating cooler side outlet 451 closed, and the refrigerant is supplied to the freezing cooler 42. In addition, the second blower 32 is driven, and the cold air generated by the freezing cooler 42 is blown into the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range.

In addition, the defrosting process period Td, which is the period of the defrosting process, begins at the same time as the start of the freezing and cooling period Tf. The defrosting process period Td is not a period with a preset length, but a period that ends when the temperature detected by the cooler temperature sensor 55 becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature x1. During the defrosting process period Td, the second opening/closing device 34 is in the open state, the first opening/closing device 33 is in the closed state, and the first blower 31 is driven. In other words, during the defrosting process period Td, cold air is mainly supplied to the normal section 28 and the vegetable compartment 12.

During the defrosting process period Td, the first blower 31 is driven at a first rotation speed r1. The first rotation speed r1 is set lower than the rotation speed of the first blower 31 during the refrigeration cooling process. The first rotation speed r1 can be set within the range of 900 rpm to 1100 rpm, for example. In this embodiment, the first rotation speed r1 is set to 1000 rpm. When the defrosting process period Td ends, the first blower 31 stops driving and the second opening/closing device 34 is closed. As a result, during the freezing and cooling period Tf after the end of the defrosting process, the supply of cold air to the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigeration temperature range is stopped.

Following the freezing and cooling period Tf, the intermediate period Tm begins. During the intermediate period Tm, the compressor 43 is driven with the switching valve 45 fully closed. In this case, the second opening and closing device 34 and the first opening and closing device 33 are closed, and the first blower 31 and the second blower 32 are stopped. Note that since the freezing and cooling device 42 maintains a low temperature for a while even if the refrigerant is no longer supplied, in other embodiments, the second blower 32 may be driven during the intermediate period Tm to supply cold air to the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range.

Following the intermediate period Tm, the refrigeration cooling period Tr begins. When the refrigeration cooling period Tr begins, the switching valve 45 opens the refrigeration cooler side outlet 451 and closes the freezing cooler side outlet 452. This causes the refrigerant to be supplied to the refrigeration cooler 41. During the freezing cooling period Tf and the intermediate period Tm, no refrigerant is supplied to the refrigeration cooler 41, so the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 rises. When the refrigeration cooling process begins and the refrigerant is supplied to the refrigeration cooler 41, the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 gradually decreases as the refrigerant circulates. In other words, the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 at the start of the refrigeration cooling period Tr tends to be higher than the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 in the middle and later stages of the refrigeration cooling period Tr.

In the refrigeration cooling process, the control device 50 executes a process of controlling the opening and closing of the first opening/closing device 33 and the second opening/closing device 34 so as to blow cold air to the normal section 28 while driving the first blower 31, and a process of controlling the opening and closing of the first opening/closing device 33 and the second opening/closing device 34 so as to blow cold air to the switching section 29.

The refrigeration cooling period Tr includes a first period T1 and a second period T2. The first period T1 is a period that starts with the start of the refrigeration cooling process, and the second period T2 is a period that follows the first period T1. The first period T1 is a period in which the section with the higher set temperature out of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 is cooled. That is, in the first period T1 in which the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 is higher, the section with the higher set temperature is cooled. The second period T2 is a period in which the section with the lower set temperature out of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 is cooled. That is, in the second period T2 in which the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 is lower, the section with the lower set temperature is cooled. In other words, the control device 50 does not blow cold air to at least the section with the lower set temperature out of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 in the first period T1, and blows cold air to the section with the lower set temperature in the second period T2.

When the set temperature of the switching section 29 shown in FIG. 5 is lower than the refrigeration temperature zone, the first period T1 is a period during which the normal section 28, whose set temperature is in the refrigeration temperature zone, is cooled. The second period T2 is a period during which the switching section 29, whose set temperature is in the low temperature zone, is cooled.

In this embodiment, the first period T1 and the second period T2 are set to the same length. In other words, the first period T1 and the second period T2 are set to half the length of the refrigeration cooling period Tr, which in this case is 10 minutes each.

The lengths of the first period T1 and the second period T2 may be variable depending on the set temperature of the switching section 29. For example, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is equal to or lower than the refrigeration temperature zone, the lower the set temperature of the switching section 29, the longer the second period T2 can be set. This ensures a sufficient period for cooling the switching section 29 with a low set temperature. Also, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is higher than the refrigeration temperature zone, the higher the set temperature of the switching section 29, the longer the second period T2 can be set. This shortens the cooling period of the switching section 29 with a high set temperature, and prevents the switching section 29 from being cooled excessively.

During the first period T1, the first blower 31 is driven with the second opening/closing device 34 in the open state and the first opening/closing device 33 in the closed state. As a result, the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 41 is supplied to the normal section 28. In this case, the first blower 31 is driven at the second rotation speed r2. The second rotation speed r2 is a rotation speed suitable for cooling the normal section 28 set to the refrigeration temperature zone. The second rotation speed r2 is set to be faster than the first rotation speed r1, which is the rotation speed of the first blower 31 in the defrosting process. In this case, the second rotation speed r2 can be set within the range of 1600 rpm to 1800 rpm, for example. In this embodiment, the second rotation speed r2 is set to 1700 rpm.

In the second period T2, the first opening/closing device 33 is open and the second opening/closing device 34 is closed, and the first blower 31 is driven. As a result, the cold air generated by the refrigerated cooler 41 is supplied to the switching section 29. In this case, the first blower 31 is driven at the third rotation speed r3. The third rotation speed r3 is a rotation speed suitable for cooling the switching section 29 set to the low temperature zone. The third rotation speed r3 is set to be faster than the first rotation speed r1, which is the rotation speed of the first blower 31 in the defrosting process, and the rotation speed of the first blower 31 when cooling the normal section 28. In this case, the third rotation speed r3 can be set, for example, within the range of 1900 rpm to 2100 rpm. In this embodiment, the third rotation speed r3 is set to 2000 rpm.

When the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the refrigeration temperature range, that is, when the operation mode is normal operation, which of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 is cooled first in the refrigeration cooling process is determined by the temperature of each section 28, 29 at the start of the refrigeration cooling process. In this case, of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29, the section with the higher temperature at the start of the refrigeration cooling process is cooled first, and the section with the lower temperature at the start of the refrigeration cooling process is cooled later. This makes it possible to prevent the temperature from rising by supplying air generated by the refrigeration cooler 41, whose temperature has not yet been sufficiently lowered, to the low-temperature section. In addition, by preferentially cooling the high-temperature section, the temperature of the entire refrigerator compartment 11 can be brought closer to the set temperature.

In another embodiment, when the set temperature of the switching compartment 29 is in the refrigeration temperature range, the compartment with the higher temperature at the start of the refrigeration cooling process may be cooled first in the first period T1, and the second opening/closing device 34 and the first opening/closing device 33 may be simultaneously opened in the second period T2 to simultaneously cool the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29. In yet another embodiment, when the set temperature of the switching compartment 29 is in the refrigeration temperature range, the second opening/closing device 34 and the first opening/closing device 33 may be simultaneously opened in the refrigeration cooling process to simultaneously cool the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29.

When the second period T2 ends and the refrigeration/cooling process ends, the freezing/cooling period Tf starts again. Note that the second blower 32 is stopped during the refrigeration/cooling period Tr.

Figure 6 shows a timing chart when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the high temperature zone. The differences from the case shown in Figure 5 will be explained. In this case, the first period T1 is a period during which the switching section 29, whose set temperature is in the high temperature zone, is cooled. Also, the second period T2 is a period during which the normal section 28, whose set temperature is in the refrigeration zone, is cooled.

In the first period T1, the first opening/closing device 33 is in an open state and the second opening/closing device 34 is in a closed state, and the first blower 31 is driven. As a result, the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 41 is supplied to the switching section 29. In this case, the first blower 31 is driven at the fourth rotation speed r4. The fourth rotation speed r4 is a rotation speed suitable for cooling the switching section 29 set to the high temperature zone. The fourth rotation speed r4 is set to a speed higher than the first rotation speed r1, which is the rotation speed of the first blower 31 in the defrosting process, and is set to a speed lower than the second rotation speed r2 when cooling the normal section 28 set to the refrigeration temperature zone. In this case, the fourth rotation speed r4 can be set within a range of, for example, 1400 rpm to 1600 rpm. In this embodiment, the fourth rotation speed r4 is set to 1500 rpm.

During the second period T2, the second opening/closing device 34 is open and the first opening/closing device 33 is closed, and the first blower 31 is driven. This causes the cold air generated by the refrigerated cooler 41 to be supplied to the normal section 28. In this case, the first blower 31 is driven at the second rotation speed r2.

Note that the timing charts shown in Figures 5 and 6 omit the defrosting process that is performed by stopping the operation of the compressor 43 when the temperature in the freezing and cooling period Tf is sufficiently low.

Next, the control of the refrigeration and cooling process by the control device 50 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 7 to 9. At the start of Figure 7, it is assumed that the compressor 43 is already operating.

When the refrigeration and cooling process starts (START), the control device 50 controls the switching valve 45 to open the refrigeration cooler side outlet 451 (step S11). This causes the refrigerant to be supplied to the refrigeration cooler 41, and cold air is generated to cool the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigeration temperature range.

In step S12, the control device 50 determines whether the set temperature of the switching section 29 is higher than the set temperature of the normal section 28. That is, the control device 50 determines whether the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the high temperature zone or below the refrigeration temperature zone. If the set temperature of the switching section 29 is below the refrigeration temperature zone (No in step S12), the control device 50 advances the process to step S21 in FIG. 8.

In step S21 of FIG. 8, the control device 50 determines whether the set temperature of the switching section 29 is lower than the set temperature of the normal section 28. That is, the control device 50 determines whether the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature range or the refrigeration temperature range. If the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the refrigeration temperature range (No in step S21), the control device 50 advances the process to step S31 of FIG. 9.

In step S31 of FIG. 9, the control device 50 drives the first blower 31 at the second rotation speed r2. This allows a volume of cold air suitable for cooling to the refrigeration temperature zone to be supplied to the storage compartments 11, 12 in the refrigeration temperature zone. Next, in step S32, the control device 50 determines whether the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 is equal to or lower than the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52. If the temperature detected by the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 is higher than the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 (No in step S32), the control device 50 advances the process to step S33.

In step S33, the control device 50 closes the second opening/closing device 34. In addition, in step S34, the control device 50 opens the first opening/closing device 33. This causes cold air to be supplied first to the switching section 29, which has a higher temperature at the start of the refrigeration cooling process. In this specification, closing the opening/closing devices 33, 34 includes closing the opening/closing devices 33, 34 that were open and maintaining the opening/closing devices 33, 34 that were closed in the closed state. In this specification, opening the opening/closing devices 33, 34 includes opening the opening/closing devices 33, 34 that were closed and maintaining the opening/closing devices 33, 34 that were open in the open state.

In step S35, the control device 50 determines whether or not a first period T1 has elapsed since the start of the refrigeration cooling process, for example, since the start of driving the first blower 31. If the first period T1 has not elapsed (No in step S35), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S35. If the first period T1 has elapsed (Yes in step S35), the control device 50 advances the process to step S36.

In step S36, the control device 50 opens the second opening/closing device 34. In step S37, the control device 50 closes the first opening/closing device 33. This causes cold air to be supplied to the normal section 28, which has a lower temperature at the start of the refrigeration/cooling process. The control device 50 then advances the process to step S20 in FIG. 7.

If the temperature detected by the switching section temperature sensor 53 is equal to or lower than the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 (Yes in step S32), the control device 50 advances the process to step S38. In step S38, the control device 50 opens the second opening/closing device 34. In addition, in step S39, the control device 50 closes the first opening/closing device 33. This causes cold air to be supplied first to the normal section 28, which has a higher temperature at the start of the refrigeration/cooling process. In step S40, the control device 50 determines whether the first period T1 has elapsed since the start of the refrigeration/cooling process. If the first period T1 has not elapsed (No in step S40), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S40. If the first period T1 has elapsed (Yes in step S40), the control device 50 advances the process to step S41.

In step S41, the control device 50 closes the second opening/closing device 34. In step S42, the control device 50 opens the first opening/closing device 33. This causes cold air to be supplied to the switching section 29, which has a lower temperature at the start of the refrigeration/cooling process. The control device 50 then advances the process to step S20 in FIG. 7.

Returning to step S21 in FIG. 8, if the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature range (Yes in step S21), the control device 50 advances the process to step S22. In step S22, the control device 50 drives the first blower 31 at the second rotation speed r2. This allows a volume of cold air suitable for cooling to the refrigeration temperature range to be supplied to the storage compartments 11, 12 in the refrigeration temperature range. In step S23, the control device 50 opens the second opening/closing device 34. Also, in step S24, the control device 50 closes the first opening/closing device 33. This causes cold air to be supplied to the normal section 28, which has a higher set temperature.

In step S25, the control device 50 determines whether or not the first period T1 has elapsed since the first blower 31 was driven. If the first period T1 has not elapsed (No in step S25), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S25. If the first period T1 has elapsed (Yes in step S25), the control device 50 advances the process to step S26.

In step S26, the control device 50 drives the first blower 31 at the third rotation speed r3. This allows a volume of cold air suitable for cooling to the low temperature zone to be supplied to the switching section 29. In step S27, the control device 50 closes the second opening/closing device 34. In addition, in step S28, the control device 50 opens the first opening/closing device 33. This allows cold air to be supplied to the switching section 29, which has a lower set temperature. The control device 50 then proceeds to step S20 in FIG. 7.

Returning to step S12 in FIG. 7, if the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the high temperature zone (Yes in step S12), the control device 50 advances the process to step S13. In step S13, the control device 50 drives the first blower 31 at the fourth rotation speed r4. This allows a volume of cool air suitable for cooling to the high temperature zone to be supplied to the switching section 29. In step S14, the control device 50 closes the second opening/closing device 34. Also, in step S15, the control device 50 opens the first opening/closing device 33. This allows cool air to be supplied to the switching section 29, which has a higher set temperature.

In step S16, the control device 50 determines whether or not the first period T1 has elapsed since the first blower 31 was driven. If the first period T1 has not elapsed (No in step S16), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S16. If the first period T1 has elapsed (Yes in step S16), the control device 50 advances the process to step S17.

In step S17, the control device 50 drives the first blower 31 at the second rotation speed r2. This allows a volume of cold air suitable for cooling to the refrigeration temperature range to be supplied to the storage rooms 11, 12 including the normal section 28. In step S18, the control device 50 opens the second opening/closing device 34. In addition, in step S19, the control device 50 closes the first opening/closing device 33. This allows cold air to be supplied to the normal section 29, which has a lower set temperature.

In step S20, the control device 50 determines whether or not the second period T2 has elapsed since the rotation speed of the first blower 31 was changed to the second rotation speed r2. If the second period T2 has not elapsed (No in step S20), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S20. If the second period T2 has elapsed (Yes in step S20), the control device 50 ends the refrigeration cooling process (END).

Next, the control of the freezing and cooling process by the control device 50 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 10 and 11. At the start of Figure 10, it is assumed that the compressor 43 is already operating.

When the freezing and cooling process starts (START), the control device 50 controls the switching valve 45 to open the freezing and cooling device side outlet 452 (step S51). This causes the refrigerant to be supplied to the freezing and cooling device 42, and cold air is generated to cool the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range.

In step S52, the control device 50 determines whether the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is equal to or higher than the second temperature x2. That is, the control device 50 determines whether the freezer compartment 15 is in an excessively cooled state. If the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is less than the second temperature x2, that is, if the freezer compartment 15 is in an excessively cooled state (No in step S52), the control device 50 advances the process to step S71 in FIG. 11.

In step S71 of FIG. 11, the control device 50 stops driving the compressor 43. This stops the supply of refrigerant to the freezing cooler 42. Also, at this point, the second blower 32 has not yet been driven, so cold air is not blown into the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range.

In step S72, the control device 50 drives the first blower 31 at the fourth rotation speed r4. This allows a volume of air suitable for the defrosting process to be blown into the refrigerated cooler 41. In step S73, the control device 50 opens the second opening/closing device 34. In addition, in step S74, the control device 50 closes the first opening/closing device 33. This causes high humidity cool air to be supplied mainly to the normal section 29 and the vegetable compartment 12.

In step S75, the control device 50 determines whether the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is less than the second temperature x2. That is, the control device 50 determines whether the excessively cooled state of the freezer 15 has been resolved. If the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is equal to or greater than the second temperature x2, that is, if the excessively cooled state has been resolved (No in step S75), the control device 50 advances the process to step S76.

In step S76, the control device 50 drives the compressor 43. This supplies refrigerant to the freezing cooler 42, generating cold air to be supplied to the freezing temperature zone storage compartments 13, 14, and 15. In step S77, the control device 50 drives the second blower 32. This causes cold air to be blown into the freezing temperature zone storage compartments 13, 14, and 15, and cooling of the freezing temperature zone storage compartments 13, 14, and 15 begins. The control device 50 then advances the process to step S57 in FIG. 10.

If the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is less than the second temperature x2, i.e., the excessive cooling state has not been resolved (Yes in step S75), the control device 50 advances the process to step S78. In step S78, the control device 50 determines whether the temperature detected by the cooler temperature sensor 55 is equal to or greater than the first temperature x1. In other words, the control device 50 determines whether the defrosting process of the refrigeration cooler 41 has been completed. If the temperature detected by the cooler temperature sensor 55 is less than the first temperature x1 (No in step S78), the control device 50 returns the process to step S75. If the temperature detected by the cooler temperature sensor 55 is equal to or greater than the first temperature x1 (Yes in step S78), the control device 50 advances the process to step S79.

In step S79, the control device 50 stops the first blower 31. In step S80, the control device 50 closes the second opening/closing device 34. This prevents air from being blown from the refrigeration cooler chamber 17, where the temperature may rise above the refrigeration temperature range after the defrosting process of the refrigeration cooler 41 is completed, to the storage chambers 11 and 12, which are in the refrigeration temperature range, thereby preventing the temperature of the storage chambers 11 and 12 from rising.

In step S81, the control device 50 determines whether the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is less than the second temperature x2. That is, the control device 50 again determines whether the excessively cooled state of the freezer 15 has been resolved. If the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is equal to or higher than the second temperature x2, that is, if the excessively cooled state has been resolved (No in step S81), the control device 50 advances the process to step S82.

In step S82, the control device 50 drives the compressor 43. This supplies refrigerant to the freezing cooler 42, generating cold air to be supplied to the freezing temperature zone storage compartments 13, 14, and 15. In step S83, the control device 50 drives the second blower 32. This causes cold air to be blown into the freezing temperature zone storage compartments 13, 14, and 15, and cooling of the freezing temperature zone storage compartments 13, 14, and 15 begins. The control device 50 then advances the process to step S60 in FIG. 10.

If the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is less than the second temperature x2, i.e., the excessive cooling state has not been resolved (Yes in step S81), the control device 50 advances the process to step S84. In step S84, the control device 50 determines whether the freezing and cooling period Tf has elapsed since the start of the freezing and cooling process. If the freezing and cooling period Tf has not elapsed (No in step S84), the control device 50 returns the process to step S81. If the freezing and cooling period Tf has elapsed (Yes in step S84), the control device 50 returns the process to FIG. 10 and ends the freezing and cooling process (END).

Returning to step S52 in FIG. 10, if the temperature detected by the freezer temperature sensor 54 is equal to or higher than the second temperature x2, i.e., the freezer is not overly cooled (Yes in step S52), the control device 50 advances the process to step S53. In step S53, the control device 50 drives the second blower 32. This causes cool air to be blown into the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature zone, and cooling of the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature zone begins.

In step S54, the control device 50 drives the first blower 31 at the fourth rotation speed r4. This allows a volume of air suitable for the defrosting process to be blown into the refrigerated cooler 41. In step S55, the control device 50 opens the second opening/closing device 34. In addition, in step S56, the control device 50 closes the first opening/closing device 33. This causes high humidity cool air to be supplied mainly to the normal section 29 and the vegetable compartment 12.

In step S57, the control device 50 determines whether the temperature detected by the cooler temperature sensor 55 is equal to or higher than the first temperature x1. That is, the control device 50 determines whether the defrosting process of the refrigeration cooler 41 has been completed. If the temperature detected by the cooler temperature sensor 55 is less than the first temperature x1 (No in step S57), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S57. If the temperature detected by the cooler temperature sensor 55 is equal to or higher than the first temperature x1 (Yes in step S57), the control device 50 advances the process to step S58.

In step S58, the control device 50 stops the first blower 31. In step S59, the control device 50 closes the second opening/closing device 34. This prevents air from being blown from the refrigeration cooler chamber 17, where the temperature may rise above the refrigeration temperature range after the defrosting process of the refrigeration cooler 41 is completed, to the storage chambers 11 and 12, which are in the refrigeration temperature range, thereby preventing the temperature of the storage chambers 11 and 12 from rising.

In step S60, the control device 50 determines whether or not the freezing and cooling period Tf has elapsed since the start of the freezing and cooling process. If the freezing and cooling period Tf has not elapsed (No in step S60), the control device 50 repeats the process of step S60. If the freezing and cooling period Tf has elapsed (Yes in step S60), the control device 50 advances the process to step S61. In step S61, the control device 50 stops the second blower 32. Then, the control device 50 ends the freezing and cooling process (END).

Next, the control of the intermediate process by the control device 50 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 12. When the intermediate process starts (START), the control device 50 drives the compressor 43 in step S91. In this case, driving the compressor 43 is a concept that includes both driving the compressor 43 from a stopped state and continuing the state in which the compressor 43 has been driven.

In step S92, the control device 50 fully closes the switching valve 45. This allows the refrigerant that had been stagnating in the freezing cooler 42 to be recovered by the compressor 43, and a sufficient amount of refrigerant can be supplied to the refrigerating cooler 41 in the refrigeration cooling process that follows the intermediate process.

In step S93, the control device 50 determines whether or not the intermediate period Tm has elapsed since the start of the intermediate process. If the intermediate period Tm has not elapsed (No in step S93), the control device 50 repeats the processing of step S93. If the intermediate period Tm has elapsed (Yes in step S93), the control device 50 stops the processing and ends the intermediate process (END).

Here, when no refrigerant is supplied to the cooler, the temperature of the cooler may rise to, for example, room temperature. In this case, it is assumed that the temperature of the cooler may be higher than the set temperature of the normal compartment 28 or the switching compartment 29 immediately after cooling of the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigeration temperature range begins. In conventional refrigerators, for example, a control is executed to preferentially cool a storage compartment whose temperature differs from the set temperature based on the detected temperature of a temperature sensor provided in the refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, switching compartment, etc. In this case, when the cooler temperature is high, the compartment with a low set temperature may be cooled first, and when the cooler temperature is low, the compartment with a high set temperature may be cooled. As a result, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator was not optimized, and there was a risk that the cooler temperature would repeatedly rise and fall.

In contrast, according to the present embodiment described above, the refrigerator 10 includes the normal section 28, the switching section 29, the refrigeration cooler 41 as a cooler, and the control device 50. The normal section 28 is configured to be able to set the set temperature to a first temperature zone, in this case the refrigeration temperature zone. The switching section 29 is configured to be able to set the set temperature to a second temperature zone including a high temperature zone higher than the refrigeration temperature zone and a low temperature zone lower than the refrigeration temperature zone. The second temperature zone is a temperature zone including the first temperature zone and wider than the first temperature zone. The refrigeration cooler 41 cools the normal section 28 and the switching section 29. The control device 50 controls the cooling state of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29. The control device 50 cools the normal section 28 or the switching section 29, whichever has a higher set temperature, first. In other words, the control device 50 cools the normal section 28 or the switching section 29, whichever has a lower set temperature, later. In other words, the control device 50 does not cool at least the one with the lower set temperature, between the normal section 28 and the switching section 29, first. Here, cooling first or later means cooling first or cooling later within a period during which the refrigerant is supplied to the refrigerated cooler 41 and cold air is generated.

According to this, the refrigerator 10 is configured to cool sections with higher set temperatures in the period immediately after the start of cooling when the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 is high, and cool sections with lower set temperatures after the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 has dropped. In other words, cooling sections with lower set temperatures is suppressed when the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 is high. This makes it possible to suppress unnecessary fluctuations in the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerated cooler 41, and therefore the cooling efficiency of the entire refrigerator 10, can be optimized.

Further, the refrigerating cooler 41 cools the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 with the generated cold air. The refrigerator 10 includes a first opening/closing device 33 as an opening/closing device capable of opening and closing the ventilation passage 30 leading from the refrigerating cooler to the switching section 29. The control device 50 executes the process of cooling the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 in a first period T1 and a second period T2 which is a period following the first period T1. When the set temperature of the normal section 28 is higher than the set temperature of the switching section 29, the control device 50 increases the opening degree of the first opening/closing device 33 in the second period T2 greater than the opening degree of the first opening/closing device 33 in the first period T1 , and when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is higher than the set temperature of the normal section 28, the control device 50 increases the opening degree of the first opening/closing device 33 in the first period T1 greater than the opening degree of the first opening/closing device 33 in the second period T2 .

According to this, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature zone, the supply of cold air to the switching section 29 is reduced during the period immediately after the start of cooling when the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 is high, and the supply of cold air to the switching section 29 is increased during the period after the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 drops. Also, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the high temperature zone, the supply of cold air to the switching section 29 is increased during the period immediately after the start of cooling when the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 is high, and the supply of cold air to the switching section 29 is reduced during the period after the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 drops. This makes it possible to prevent the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 from fluctuating unnecessarily. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerated cooler 41 and therefore the cooling efficiency of the entire refrigerator 10 can be optimized.

The refrigerator 10 includes storage compartments 11, 12 that can be maintained in a refrigeration temperature zone that is a normal temperature zone, a switching compartment 29, a normal compartment 28, a refrigeration cooler 41 as a cooler, a compressor 43, an air duct 30, a first blower 31 as a blower, a second opening/closing device 34 as an opening/closing device, and a control device 50. The switching compartment 29 is provided in a part of the interior of the storage compartments 11, 12 separated from the surroundings, and is configured to be switchable between the normal temperature zone, a high temperature zone that is higher than the normal temperature zone, and a low temperature zone that is lower than the normal temperature zone. The normal compartment 28 is provided in a part of the storage compartments 11, 12 other than the switching compartment 29.

The refrigerated cooler 41 generates cold air to be supplied to the storage compartments 11 and 12. The compressor 43 compresses the refrigerant to be supplied to the refrigerated cooler 41. The ventilation passage 30 has a path from the refrigerated cooler 41 to the switching compartment 29 and a path from the refrigerated cooler 41 to the normal compartment 28, and is configured to be able to supply cold air to the switching compartment 29 and the normal compartment 28. The first blower 31 is provided in the ventilation passage 30 and blows cold air into the storage compartments 11 and 12. The second opening/closing device 34 is configured to be able to open and close the path from the refrigerated cooler 41 to the switching compartment 29. The control device 50 controls the opening and closing of the second opening/closing device 34, the driving of the compressor 43, and the driving of the first blower 31.

The control device 50 can execute a refrigeration/cooling process as a cooling process in which the compressor 43 is driven to generate cold air in the refrigeration cooler 41, and the first blower 31 blows the cold air toward the storage chambers 11 and 12. The cooling process includes a first period T1 and a second period T2 that is a period following the first period T1. When the set temperature of the normal section 28 out of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 is higher than the set temperature range of the switching section 29, the control device 50 executes a process of closing the first opening/closing device 33 in the first period T1 and opening the first opening/closing device 33 in the second period T2. When the set temperature of the switching section 29 out of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 is higher than the set temperature range of the normal section 28, the control device 50 executes a process of opening the first opening/closing device 33 in the first period T1 and closing the first opening/closing device 33 in the second period T2.

According to this, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature zone, cold air is not supplied to the switching section 29 in the period immediately after the start of cooling when the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 is high, and cold air is supplied to the switching section 29 in the period after the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 has dropped. Also, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the high temperature zone, cold air is supplied to the switching section 29 in the period immediately after the start of cooling when the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 is high, and cold air is not supplied to the switching section 29 in the period after the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 has dropped. This makes it possible to prevent the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 from fluctuating unnecessarily. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the refrigeration cooler 41 and therefore the cooling efficiency of the entire refrigerator 10 can be optimized.

The refrigerator 10 also includes a second opening/closing device 34 as another opening/closing device capable of opening and closing the ventilation passage 30 from the refrigeration cooler 41 toward the normal section 28. When the set temperature of the normal section 28 is higher than the set temperature range of the switching section 29, the control device 50 executes a process of opening the second opening/closing device 34 and closing the first opening/closing device 33 in the first period T1, and opening the first opening/closing device 33 and closing the second opening/closing device 34 in the second period T2. When the set temperature of the switching section 29 is higher than the set temperature range of the normal section 28, the control device 50 executes a process of opening the first opening/closing device 33 and closing the second opening/closing device 34 in the first period T1, and opening the second opening/closing device 34 and closing the first opening/closing device 33 in the second period T2.

According to this, immediately after the start of the refrigeration cooling process when the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 is high, the sections with the high set temperature are cooled without cooling the sections with the low set temperature, and after the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 has sufficiently dropped, the sections with the low set temperature are cooled. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 from fluctuating unnecessarily. In addition, because sections in specific temperature ranges are cooled in each period and the volume to be cooled in each period is limited, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerated cooler 41 can be further improved.

In this embodiment, the set temperatures of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 are compared, and the section with the higher set temperature is cooled first, and the section with the lower set temperature is cooled later. However, in other embodiments, the temperatures of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 at the start of the refrigeration cooling process may be compared, and the section with the higher temperature is cooled first, and the section with the lower temperature is cooled later.

Here, in a refrigerator that has two coolers and alternately cools a storage compartment in the refrigerated temperature zone and a storage compartment in the freezer temperature zone, no refrigerant is supplied to the refrigerated cooler while the storage compartment in the freezer temperature zone is being cooled, so immediately after switching to cooling the storage compartment in the refrigerated temperature zone, the temperature of the refrigerated cooler may be higher than the refrigerated temperature zone.

In contrast, the refrigerator 10 includes storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range, i.e., the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12, storage compartments in the freezing temperature range, i.e., the ice making compartment 13, the small freezing compartment 14, and the freezing compartment 15, and includes a refrigeration cooler 41, a freezing cooler 42, a compressor 43, a refrigerant flow path 48, and a switching valve 45 as coolers. The refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12 are configured to include a normal section 28 and a switching section 29, and are configured to be able to be maintained in the refrigeration temperature range as the first temperature range. The ice making compartment 13, the small freezing compartment 14, and the freezing compartment 15 are configured to be able to be maintained in the freezing temperature range. The refrigerator cooler 41 generates cold air to be supplied to the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12. The freezing cooler 42 generates cold air to be supplied to the ice making compartment 13, the small freezing compartment 14, and the freezing compartment 15. The compressor 43 compresses the refrigerant to be supplied to the refrigerating cooler 41 and the freezing cooler 42. The refrigerant flow path 48 connects the compressor 43 to the refrigerating cooler 41 and the freezing cooler 42 to form a path through which the refrigerant flows. The switching valve 45 has a refrigerating cooler side outlet 451 and a freezing cooler side outlet 452, and is configured to be able to switch the refrigerant flow path 48 between the refrigerating cooler 41 side and the freezing cooler 42 side. The control device 50 alternately performs a refrigerating cooling process for cooling the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12, and a freezing cooling process for cooling the ice making compartment 13, the small freezing compartment 14, and the freezing compartment 15 as a cooling process.

This allows the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10, which can maintain the interior at a variety of temperature ranges, to be improved by first cooling the one with the higher set temperature when the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 is relatively high after the freezing and cooling process has ended, i.e. immediately after the start of the refrigeration and cooling process.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 as a first detector that detects the temperature of the normal compartment 28, and a switching compartment temperature sensor 53 as a second detector that detects the temperature of the switching compartment 29. When the set temperature zone of the switching compartment 29 is the first temperature zone, which is the refrigeration temperature zone, the control device 50 compares the detected temperature of the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 with the detected temperature of the switching compartment temperature sensor 53 at the start of the refrigeration cooling process, and executes a process of opening the opening/closing device that opens and closes the ventilation duct 30 toward the compartment with the higher detected temperature out of the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29 during the first period T1, and closing the opening/closing device that opens and closes the ventilation duct 30 toward the compartment with the lower detected temperature.

Accordingly, when the set temperatures of the switching section 29 and the normal section 28 are the same, the section with the higher detected temperature is cooled first, which prevents relatively high-temperature air from being blown into a section with a lower detected temperature, i.e., a section that is already cooled, when the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 is relatively high. This further improves the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 10 includes a first blower 31 that is provided in the ventilation passage 30 and serves as a blower that blows cool air toward the normal section 28 and the switching section 29. The rotation speed of the first blower 31 in the second period T2 is set to be equal to or higher than the rotation speed of the first blower 31 in the first period T1. As a result, when cooling the section with a lower set temperature out of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29, the refrigerator 10 can increase the air volume of the first blower 31 to improve the cooling efficiency. Furthermore, when cooling the section with a higher set temperature out of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29, the refrigerator 10 can reduce the air volume of the first blower 31 to prevent power consumption from becoming excessive more than necessary. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10 can be further improved.

Furthermore, the control device 50 drives the compressor 43 with the refrigeration cooler side outlet 451 open during the refrigeration cooling process, and drives the compressor 43 with the refrigeration cooler side outlet 452 open during the freezing cooling process. The control device 50 can execute an intermediate process after the freezing cooling process and before the refrigeration cooling process in which the control device 50 drives the compressor 43 with both the refrigeration cooler side outlet 451 and the refrigeration cooler side outlet 452 closed.

According to this, the control device 50 recovers the refrigerant stagnating in the freezing cooler 42 to the compressor 43 before the refrigeration cooling process, and makes it available for supply to the refrigeration cooler 41. As a result, the control device 50 can supply an appropriate amount of refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 41 after the refrigeration cooling process begins, and appropriately cool the storage chambers 11 and 12 in the refrigeration temperature range.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 10 is provided with a first blower 31 that is provided in the ventilation passage 30 and serves as a blower that blows the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 41 toward the normal section 28 and the switching section 29. The control device 50 executes a process to drive the first blower 31 while the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range are being cooled, i.e., during the freezing and cooling process.

In this case, the control device 50 executes a process to drive the first blower 31 during the defrosting process period Td, which is the period immediately after the start of the freezing and cooling process period. With this, the refrigerator 10 can melt the frost that has adhered to the refrigeration cooler 41 by blowing air at 0°C or higher onto the refrigeration cooler 41 while no refrigerant is being supplied to the refrigeration cooler 41. In addition, because the humidity of the circulating air increases due to defrosting, the refrigerator 10 can moisturize foods such as vegetables by supplying humid air to the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigeration temperature range.

Furthermore, the refrigerator 10 is provided with a first blower 31 that is provided in the ventilation passage 30 and blows the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 41 toward the normal section 28 and the switching section 29. The control device 50 executes a process to stop the compressor 43 and drive the first blower 31.

According to this, the refrigerator 10 can melt the frost that has adhered to the refrigerated cooler 41 by applying air at 0°C or higher to the refrigerated cooler 41 while no refrigerant is being supplied to the refrigerated cooler 41. In addition, because the humidity of the circulating air increases due to defrosting, the refrigerator 10 can supply humid air to the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature range to moisturize foods such as vegetables.

Second Embodiment
Next, a refrigerator 10 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 17. In the second embodiment, the control device 50 controls the operation frequency of the compressor 43 in each period according to the set temperature of the storage room or compartment to be cooled. In particular, the control device 50 sets the operation frequency of the compressor 43 in the second period T2 to be equal to or higher than the operation frequency of the compressor 43 in the first period T1.

In the refrigeration cooling process, when cooling a section with a low set temperature, the control device 50 sets the operating frequency of the compressor 43 higher than when cooling a section with a high set temperature. When the operating frequency of the compressor 43 is higher, the flow rate of the refrigerant increases, and the cooling capacity of the refrigeration cycle 40 increases. In other words, in the refrigeration cooling process, the control device 50 sets the operating frequency of the compressor 43 higher in the second period T2 in which the section with a low set temperature is cooled than in the first period T1 in which the section with a high set temperature is cooled, thereby increasing the cooling capacity. This makes it possible to sufficiently cool the section with a low set temperature in the second period T2, and to prevent the section with a low set temperature from being overcooled or to consume more power than necessary in the first period T1.

Figures 13 and 14 are timing charts of the control contents of the control device 50 for the freezing and cooling process, the refrigerating and cooling process, and the intermediate process. Figure 13 corresponds to Figure 5 of the first embodiment, and shows a timing chart when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature range.

During the first period T1 of the refrigeration cooling process in which the normal section 28, whose set temperature is in the refrigeration temperature range, is cooled, the operating frequency of the compressor 43 is set to the first frequency p1. The first frequency p1 can be set, for example, within the range of 15 Hz to 30 Hz. In this embodiment, the first frequency p1 is set to 20 Hz.

During the second period T2 of the refrigeration/cooling process in which the switching section 29, whose set temperature is in the low temperature range, is cooled, the operating frequency of the compressor 43 is set to the second frequency p2. The second frequency p2 is a frequency higher than the first frequency p1, and can be set, for example, within the range of 30 Hz to 60 Hz. In this embodiment, the second frequency p2 is set to 50 Hz. In other words, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature range, the second frequency p2, which is the operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the second period T2, is set to be equal to or higher than the first frequency p1, which is the operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the first period T1.

In the freezing and cooling process for cooling the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15, whose set temperature is in the freezing temperature range, the operating frequency of the compressor 43 can be set appropriately within a predetermined range. For example, if the operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the freezing and cooling process is the third frequency p3, the third frequency p3 can be set within the range of 10 Hz to 60 Hz. In this case, the third frequency p3 is set to be equal to or higher than the fourth frequency p4 described below and equal to or lower than the second frequency p2. In this embodiment, the third frequency p3 is set to 40 Hz.

If the storage compartments 13, 14, 15 in the freezing temperature range are sufficiently cooled, for example, if the temperature detected by the freezing temperature sensor 54 is below the freezing temperature range, the third frequency p3 may be reduced. If the storage compartments 13, 14, 15 in the freezing temperature range are not sufficiently cooled, for example, if the temperature detected by the freezing temperature sensor 54 is above a predetermined temperature, the third frequency p3 may be increased.

The operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the intermediate process can be set appropriately within the range required to recover the refrigerant from the refrigeration cooler 42. In this embodiment, the operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the intermediate process is set to approximately the same as the first frequency p1.

Figure 14 corresponds to Figure 6 of the first embodiment, and shows a timing chart when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the high temperature range. In the first period T1 of the refrigeration cooling process for cooling the switching section 29, whose set temperature is in the high temperature range, the operating frequency of the compressor 43 is set to the fourth frequency p4. The fourth frequency p4 is set to be equal to or lower than the first frequency p1. The fourth frequency p4 can be set, for example, within the range of 10 Hz to 20 Hz. In this embodiment, the first frequency p1 is set to 15 Hz.

During the second period T2 of the refrigeration cooling process in which the normal section 28, whose set temperature is in the refrigeration temperature range, is cooled, the operating frequency of the compressor 43 is set to the first frequency p1. In other words, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the high temperature range, the first frequency p1, which is the operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the second period T2, is set to be equal to or higher than the fourth frequency p4, which is the operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the first period T1.

The control device 50 may vary the operating frequency of the compressor 43 rather than keeping it constant during each period. For example, the control device 50 may change the operating frequency of the compressor 43 over time based on the difference between the set temperature and the detected temperature of the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52, the switching compartment temperature sensor 53, or the freezer compartment temperature sensor 54, etc.

Next, the processing contents of the control device 50 in the refrigeration and cooling process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 15 to 17. Note that at the start of Figure 15, the compressor 43 is assumed to be operating.

The flowchart of the refrigeration cooling process shown in FIG. 15 includes, in addition to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 of the first embodiment, step S101 before step S13 and step S102 before step S17. If the set temperature of the switching section 29 is higher than the set temperature of the normal section 28, i.e., if it is in the high temperature zone (Yes in step S12), the control device 50 advances the process to step S101. In step S101, the control device 50 sets the operating frequency of the compressor 43 to the fourth frequency p4. This drives the compressor 43 with sufficient capacity to cool the switching section 29 to a high temperature zone higher than the refrigeration temperature zone.

Also, if the first period T1 has elapsed since the start of the refrigeration cooling process (Yes in step S16), the control device 50 advances the process to step S102. In step S102, the control device 50 sets the operating frequency of the compressor 43 to the first frequency p1. This causes the compressor 43 to be driven with sufficient capacity to cool the normal section 28 to the refrigeration temperature range.

The flowchart of the refrigeration cooling process shown in FIG. 16 includes, in addition to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 of the first embodiment, step S103 before step S22 and step S104 before step S26. If the set temperature of the switching section 29 is lower than the set temperature of the normal section 28, i.e., if it is in the low temperature range (Yes in step S21), the control device 50 advances the process to step S103. In step S103, the control device 50 sets the operating frequency of the compressor 43 to the first frequency p1. This drives the compressor 43 with sufficient capacity to cool the normal section 28 to the refrigeration temperature range.

Also, if the first period T1 has elapsed since the start of the refrigeration cooling process (Yes in step S25), the control device 50 advances the process to step S104. In step S104, the control device 50 sets the operating frequency of the compressor 43 to the second frequency p2. This causes the compressor 43 to be driven with sufficient capacity to cool the switching section 29 to a temperature zone lower than the refrigeration temperature zone.

The flowchart of the refrigeration cooling process shown in FIG. 17 includes step S105 before step S31 in addition to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment. If the set temperature of the switching section 29 is not lower than the set temperature of the normal section 28 in step S21 of FIG. 16, that is, if it is in the refrigeration temperature range (No in step S21), the control device 50 advances the process to step S105 of FIG. 17. In step S105, the control device 50 sets the operating frequency of the compressor 43 to the first frequency p1. This drives the compressor 43 with sufficient capacity to cool the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 to the refrigeration temperature range.

The present embodiment described above also provides the same effects as the previous embodiments.

According to this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 is equipped with a compressor 43 that compresses the refrigerant to be supplied to the refrigeration cooler 41. The operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the second period T2 is set to be equal to or higher than the operating frequency of the compressor 43 in the first period T1. As a result, in the second period T2 in which the section with the lower set temperature is cooled, the frequency of the compressor 43 is set relatively high to increase the refrigerant flow rate, thereby improving the cooling efficiency. In addition, in the first period T1 in which the section with the higher set temperature is cooled, the operating frequency of the compressor 43 is set relatively low to prevent excessive power consumption. This further improves the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10.

Third Embodiment
Next, a refrigerator 10 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 18 to Fig. 24. In the third embodiment, as shown in Fig. 18 and Fig. 19, the refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerating throttling device 60 instead of the refrigerating throttling device 46 and a switching valve 63 instead of the switching valve 45.

The refrigeration throttling device 60 is configured to have a variable throttling amount. The greater the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60, the greater the pressure reduction effect and the lower the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant, thereby increasing the cooling capacity of the refrigeration cycle 40. In this embodiment, the control device 50 sets the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 to a small amount during the period in which the section with a higher set temperature is cooled, and sets the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 to a large amount during the period in which the section with a lower set temperature is cooled, during the refrigeration cooling process.

The refrigerated throttle device 60 includes a first capillary tube 61 and a second capillary tube 62. The first capillary tube 61 and the second capillary tube 62 are connected in parallel and are provided downstream of the switching valve 63 and upstream of the refrigerated cooler 41.

The switching valve 63 is connected to the outlet side of the condenser 44 and has the function of switching the flow path of the refrigerant. The switching valve 63 switches the refrigerant flow path 48 to the refrigerated cooler 41 via the first capillary tube 61, or to the refrigerated cooler 41 via the second capillary tube 62, or to the freezing cooler 42 side. In this case, the switching valve 63 is a four-way valve and has an outlet 631 and an outlet 632 as a refrigerated cooler side outlet, and an outlet 633 as a freezing cooler side outlet. The refrigerated cooler side outlets 631 and 632 are composed of a first refrigerated cooler side outlet 631 and a second refrigerated cooler side outlet 632. The first refrigerated cooler side outlet 631 is connected to the first capillary tube 61, and supplies the refrigerant to the refrigerated cooler 41 through the first capillary tube 61 in an open state. The second refrigerated cooler side outlet 632 is connected to the second capillary tube 62, and in the open state, supplies refrigerant to the refrigerated cooler 41 through the second capillary tube 62.

The switching valve 63 is electrically connected to the control device 50, and under the control of the control device 50, opens any one of the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631, the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632, and the freezer cooler side outlet 633, or closes all of the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631, the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632, and the freezer cooler side outlet 633.

The first capillary tube 61 and the second capillary tube 62 are capillary tubes with different amounts of throttling. In this case, the first capillary tube 61 and the second capillary tube 62 have different inner diameters of the tubes through which the refrigerant flows. The smaller the inner diameter of the capillary tube, the greater the amount of throttling. The larger the inner diameter of the capillary tube, the smaller the amount of throttling. In this case, the inner diameter of the first capillary tube 61 is set to be larger than the inner diameter of the second capillary tube 62. For example, in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the first capillary tube 61 is set to be 0.7 mm, and the inner diameter of the second capillary tube 62 is set to be 0.65 mm.

The control device 50 controls the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 by switching the outlet of the switching valve 63 between the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631 and the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632 during the refrigeration cooling process. When the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631 is in an open state, the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 is smaller and the pressure reduction effect is smaller than when the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632 is in an open state. When the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632 is in an open state, the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 is larger and the pressure reduction effect is greater than when the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631 is in an open state.

Figures 20 and 21 are timing charts of the control contents of the control device 50 for the freezing and cooling process, the refrigerating and cooling process, and the intermediate process. Figure 20 corresponds to Figure 5 of the first embodiment, and shows a timing chart when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature range.

During the first period T1 of the refrigeration cooling process in which the normal section 28, whose set temperature is in the refrigeration temperature range, is cooled, the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631 is open, and the refrigerant passes through the first capillary tube 61, which has a smaller throttling amount. During the second period T2 of the refrigeration cooling process in which the switching section 29, whose set temperature is in the low temperature range, is cooled, the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632 is open, and the refrigerant passes through the second capillary tube 62, which has a larger throttling amount.

Figure 21 corresponds to Figure 6 of the first embodiment, and shows a timing chart when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the high temperature zone. During the first period T1 of the refrigeration cooling process for cooling the switching section 29, whose set temperature is in the high storage temperature zone, the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631 is open, and the refrigerant passes through the first capillary tube 61, which has a smaller throttling amount. During the second period T2 of the refrigeration cooling process for cooling the normal section 28, whose set temperature is in the refrigeration temperature zone, the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632 is open, and the refrigerant passes through the second capillary tube 62, which has a larger throttling amount.

20 and 21, the amount of throttling of the refrigerated throttling device 60 in the second period T2 is controlled to be greater than the amount of throttling of the refrigerated throttling device 60 in the first period T1. This makes it possible to increase the amount of throttling and improve the cooling capacity in the second period T2, in which sections with a lower set temperature than the first period T1 are cooled.

The second capillary tube 62 may be used only when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature zone. In other words, the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632 may be open during the period when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature zone and the switching section 29 is cooled, i.e., the second period T2, and the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631 may be open during the period when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the low temperature zone and the normal section 28 is cooled, i.e., the first period T1, and during the refrigeration cooling period Tr when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is in the refrigeration temperature zone or the high temperature zone. As a result, when the set temperature zone is equal to or higher than the refrigeration temperature zone, the throttling amount is set to an amount suitable for maintaining the refrigeration temperature zone, and when the set temperature zone is in the low temperature zone, the throttling amount is set to a amount suitable for maintaining the refrigeration temperature zone, and the cooling capacity can be increased.

Next, the processing contents of the control device 50 in the refrigeration and cooling process of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 22 to 24. Note that at the start of Figure 22, the compressor 43 is assumed to be operating.

The flowchart of the refrigeration cooling process shown in FIG. 22 does not include step S11, but has step S201 before step S13 and step S202 before step S17 in addition to the flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 7. When the cooling and refrigeration process starts (START), the control device 50 executes the process of step S12. If the set temperature of the switching section 29 is higher than the set temperature of the normal section 28, that is, if it is in the high temperature zone (Yes in step S12), the control device 50 advances the process to step S201. In step S201, the control device 50 controls the switching valve 63 to open the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631. As a result, the refrigerant flows through the first capillary tube 61, which has a smaller throttling amount, and the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 is more likely to become a temperature appropriate for cooling the switching section 29 to a high temperature zone higher than the refrigeration temperature zone.

Also, if the first period T1 has elapsed since the start of the refrigeration and cooling process (Yes in step S16), the control device 50 advances the process to step S202. In step S202, the control device 50 controls the switching valve 63 to open the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632. This allows the refrigerant to flow through the second capillary tube 62, which has a larger throttling amount, and the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 tends to become appropriate for cooling the normal section 28 to the refrigeration temperature zone, which is lower than the high temperature zone.

The flowchart of the refrigeration cooling process shown in FIG. 23 includes step S203 before step S22 and step S204 before step S26 in addition to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8 of the first embodiment. If the set temperature of the switching section 29 is lower than the set temperature of the normal section 28, i.e., in the low temperature zone (Yes in step S21), the control device 50 advances the process to step S203. In step S103, the control device 50 controls the switching valve 63 to open the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631. This allows the refrigerant to flow through the first capillary tube 61, which has a smaller throttling amount, and makes it easier for the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 to become an appropriate temperature for cooling the normal section 28 to a refrigeration temperature zone higher than the low temperature zone.

Also, if the first period T1 has elapsed since the start of the refrigeration cooling process (Yes in step S25), the control device 50 advances the process to step S204. In step S204, the control device 50 controls the switching valve 63 to open the second refrigeration cooler side outlet 632. This allows the refrigerant to flow through the second capillary tube 62, which has a larger throttling amount, and the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 becomes more likely to be an appropriate temperature for cooling the normal section 28 to a low temperature zone lower than the refrigeration temperature zone.

The flowchart of the refrigeration cooling process shown in FIG. 24 includes step S205 before step S31 in addition to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment. If the set temperature of the switching section 29 is not lower than the set temperature of the normal section 28 in step S21 of FIG. 23, that is, if it is in the refrigeration temperature range (No in step S21), the control device 50 advances the process to step S205 of FIG. 24. In step S205, the control device 50 controls the switching valve 63 to open the first refrigeration cooler side outlet 631. This allows the refrigerant to flow through the first capillary tube 61, which has a smaller throttling amount, and the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 41 is more likely to become appropriate for cooling the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 to the refrigeration temperature range, which is higher than the low temperature range.

The present embodiment described above also provides the same effects as the previous embodiments.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 includes a refrigeration throttling device 60 as a throttling device that is provided downstream of the compressor 43 and upstream of the refrigeration cooler 41 as a cooler and reduces the pressure and expands the refrigerant. The throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 in the second period T2 is set to be equal to or greater than the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 in the first period T1. In other words, the pressure reduction effect of the refrigeration throttling device 60 in the second period T2 is set to be equal to or greater than the pressure reduction effect of the refrigeration throttling device 60 in the first period T1.

Accordingly, in the second period T2 in which the section with the lower set temperature is cooled, the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 is increased to enhance the pressure reduction effect compared to the first period T1 in which the section with the higher set temperature is cooled, thereby improving the cooling capacity of the refrigeration cooler 41. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10 can be further improved.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the refrigeration throttling device 60 includes multiple capillary tubes with different throttling amounts connected in parallel, namely, a first capillary tube 61 and a second capillary tube 62. The inner diameter of the second capillary tube 62 through which the refrigerant flows during the second period T2 is set to be equal to or smaller than the inner diameter of the first capillary tube 61 through which the refrigerant flows during the first period T1.

Accordingly, during the second period T2, which is the period for cooling the section with the lower set temperature, the cooling efficiency of the refrigerant cooler 41 can be increased by flowing the refrigerant through the thinner second capillary tube 62 to enhance the decompression effect.

Other Embodiments
The above-mentioned embodiments may be implemented in combination. For example, the control device 50 may control the rotation speed of the first blower 31, the operation frequency of the compressor 43, and the throttling amount of the refrigeration throttling device 60 in the refrigeration cooling process so that they are different between the first period T1 and the second period T2 as in the above-mentioned embodiments. In that case, the control device 50 can lower the rotation speed of the first blower 31 in the first period T1 in which the section with the higher set temperature is cooled than the rotation speed of the first blower 31 in the second period T2 in which the section with the lower set temperature is cooled. In addition, the control device 50 can lower the operation frequency of the compressor 43 in the first period T1 in which the section with the higher set temperature is cooled than the operation frequency of the compressor 43 in the second period T2 in which the section with the lower set temperature is cooled. Furthermore, the control device 50 can reduce the amount of throttling of the refrigeration throttling device 60 in the first period T1, in which a section with a higher set temperature is cooled, compared to the amount of throttling of the refrigeration throttling device 60 in the second period T2, in which a section with a lower set temperature is cooled.

In addition, in this embodiment, the configuration is such that cold air is blown to at least one of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 during the first period T1 and the second period T2 of the refrigeration cooling period Tr, but in another embodiment, the configuration may be such that cold air is not blown to either the normal section 28 or the switching section 29 during the first period T1. For example, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is close to room temperature, for example, in the high temperature range of 10°C to 15°C, the control device 50 may close the first opening/closing device 33 and the second opening/closing device 34 during the first period T1 during which at least the normal section 28 with the low set temperature is not cooled. Then, the control device 50 may open the second opening/closing device 34 during the second period T2 during which the normal section 28 with the low set temperature is cooled.

In yet another embodiment, the switching compartment 29 may be provided in a different portion of the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigeration temperature range from that in the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, the switching compartment 29 may be a space between the top shelf 261 of the refrigerator compartment 11 and the ceiling 113. In addition, in this embodiment, the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29 are provided inside the same storage compartment 11, but in another embodiment, they may be provided in separate storage compartments different from the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29. In this case, the independent storage compartments refer to separate storage spaces that can be opened and closed independently by the storage compartment doors 111 or 112, 131, 141, or 151. For example, the normal compartment 28 may be provided in the refrigerator compartment 11, and the switching compartment 29 may be provided in the vegetable compartment 12.

In yet another embodiment, the normal compartment 28 and the switching compartment 29 may be provided in a portion of the freezer temperature storage compartments 13, 14, and 15.

As described above, when the set temperature of the switching section 29 is higher than the set temperature of the normal section 28, the control device 50 opens the opening/closing device (in this case, the first opening/closing device 33) that cools the switching section 29 during the first period T1, i.e., opens and closes the ventilation passage 30 toward the switching section 29. Here, in this specification, "opening the opening/closing device" or "increasing the opening degree of the opening/closing device" during a predetermined period, such as the first period T1 or the second period T2, does not necessarily mean that the opening/closing device is always open during the period or that its opening degree is maintained at a large value, but the opening/closing device may be opened or closed or its opening degree may be adjusted as necessary. For example, the control device 50 can open/close the opening/closing devices 33, 34 or adjust their opening degree according to the set temperature of the sections 28, 29 to which the cold air generated by the refrigerating cooler 41 is blown and the actual temperature of the section, i.e., in this case, the temperature detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 52 or the switching section temperature sensor 53.

The present invention is characterized in that when the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 are cooled by the refrigerated cooler 41, the one of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 with the higher set temperature is cooled first. In other words, when the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 are cooled by the refrigerated cooler 41, the one of the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 with the lower set temperature is not cooled first. In other words, when the switching section 29 has a higher set temperature than the normal section 28 and the switching section 29, the switching section 29 is cooled first, and then the normal section 28 is cooled. Conversely, when the normal section 28 has a higher set temperature than the switching section 29, the normal section 28 is cooled first, and then the switching section 29 is cooled.

The refrigerated cooler 41 starts cooling the refrigerated temperature storage compartments 11 and 12, including the normal section 28 and the switching section 29, at a relatively high temperature, for example, immediately after the power supply to the refrigerator 10 is turned on, or after a period in which cooling of the refrigerated temperature storage compartments has been stopped, particularly after a defrosting process. The temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 gradually decreases as the refrigerated cooling process proceeds. According to each of the above embodiments, when cooling is started from a state in which the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 is relatively high, such as after a defrosting process, the normal section 28 and the switching section 29 can be cooled in order, starting with the section closest to the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41. Therefore, the section with the higher set temperature is not cooled after the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 has sufficiently decreased, and the temperature of the refrigerated cooler 41 can be used efficiently.

Based on the above-mentioned concept, the present invention can be adopted without being limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. That is, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the cold air generated by the refrigerated cooler 41 is blown into the normal compartment 28 or the switching compartment 29, but for example, instead of blowing the cold air directly into the normal compartment 28 or the switching compartment 29, the cold air may be blown around the compartments 28, 29, and indirectly cooled through the walls that form the compartments 28, 29.

The above embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The present embodiments and their modifications are within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents set forth in the claims.

10...refrigerator, 11...refrigerator compartment (storage compartment), 12...vegetable compartment (storage compartment), 13...ice maker compartment (storage compartment), 14...small freezer compartment (storage compartment), 15...freezer compartment (storage compartment), 17...refrigerated cooler compartment, 18...freezer cooler compartment, 28...normal section, 29...switching section, 30...ventilation duct, 31...first blower (blower), 32...second blower, 33...first opening/closing device (opening/closing device), 34...second opening/closing device (another opening/closing device), 40...freezing cycle, 41...refrigerated cooler (cooler), 42...freezer cooler (cooler ), 43... compressor, 45... switching valve, 451... refrigerated cooler side outlet, 452... freezer cooler side outlet, 48... refrigerant flow path, 50... control device, 52... refrigerator compartment temperature sensor (first detection unit), 53... switching section temperature sensor (second detection unit), 54... cooler temperature sensor, 60... refrigerated throttle device (throttle device), 61... first capillary tube, 62... second capillary tube, 63... switching valve, 631... first refrigerated cooler side outlet, 632... second refrigerated cooler side outlet, 633... freezer cooler side outlet

Claims (10)

a normal section in which the set temperature can be set to a first temperature zone;
a switching section capable of setting a set temperature to a second temperature zone including a high temperature zone higher than the first temperature zone and a low temperature zone lower than the first temperature zone;
A cooler that cools the normal section and the switching section with the generated cold air ;
A control device that controls the cooling state of the normal section and the switching section;
an opening/closing device capable of opening and closing an air passage leading from the cooler to the switching section;
A first detection unit that detects the temperature of the normal section;
A second detection unit that detects the temperature of the switching section ,
The control device first cools one of the normal section and the switching section, which has a higher set temperature , and
A cooling process for cooling the normal section and the switching section is performed during a first period and a second period that is a period following the first period;
When the set temperature of the normal section is higher than the set temperature of the switching section, the opening degree of the opening/closing device in the second period is made larger than the opening degree of the opening/closing device in the first period;
When the set temperature of the switching section is higher than the set temperature of the normal section, the opening degree of the opening/closing device in the first period is made larger than the opening degree of the opening/closing device in the second period;
When the set temperature of the switching section is the first temperature zone,
at the start of the cooling process, the detected temperature of the first detection unit is compared with the detected temperature of the second detection unit, and during the first period, an opening/closing device for opening/closing the ventilation passage toward the normal section or the switching section, which has a higher detected temperature, is opened, and an opening/closing device for opening/closing the ventilation passage toward the section, which has a lower detected temperature, is closed.
refrigerator. a separate opening/closing device capable of opening and closing an air passage from the cooler toward the normal section;
The control device includes:
When a set temperature of the switching section is higher than a set temperature of the normal section, the opening/closing device is opened and the other opening/closing device is closed during the first period, and the other opening/closing device is opened and the opening/closing device is closed during the second period;
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein, when a set temperature of the normal compartment is higher than a set temperature of the switching compartment, the other opening/closing device is opened and the other opening/closing device is closed during the first period, and the opening/closing device is opened and the other opening/closing device is closed during the second period. A storage room having a refrigeration temperature zone, the storage room being configured to include the normal zone and the switching zone and capable of maintaining a refrigeration temperature zone as the first temperature zone;
a freezing temperature storage room capable of maintaining a freezing temperature range;
A refrigeration cooler as the cooler that generates cold air to be supplied to the storage compartment of the refrigeration temperature range;
A refrigeration cooler that generates cold air to be supplied to the storage chamber in the freezing temperature range;
a compressor that compresses a refrigerant to be supplied to the refrigeration cooler and the freezing cooler;
a refrigerant flow path that connects the compressor, the refrigeration cooler, and the freezing cooler to form a path through which the refrigerant flows;
a switching valve having a refrigeration cooler side outlet and a freezing cooler side outlet and capable of switching the refrigerant flow path between the refrigeration cooler side and the freezing cooler side,
The control device alternately performs, as the cooling step, a refrigerating/cooling step of cooling the storage compartment in the refrigerating temperature range and a freezing/cooling step of cooling the storage compartment in the freezing temperature range.
3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2 . a blower that is provided in the ventilation passage and blows the cool air toward the normal section and the switching section;
The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a rotation speed of the blower in the second period is set to be equal to or higher than a rotation speed of the blower in the first period. a compressor that compresses a refrigerant to be supplied to the cooler,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein an operation frequency of the compressor in the second period is set to be equal to or higher than an operation frequency of the compressor in the first period. a throttle device provided upstream of the cooler to reduce pressure and expand the refrigerant,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a throttling amount of the throttling device in the second period is set to be equal to or greater than a throttling amount of the throttling device in the first period. The throttling device includes a plurality of capillary tubes with different throttling amounts connected in parallel,
The refrigerator according to claim 6 , wherein an inner diameter of a capillary tube through which the refrigerant flows during the second period is set to be equal to or smaller than an inner diameter of a capillary tube through which the refrigerant flows during the first period. The control device includes:
In the refrigerating step, the compressor is driven in a state where the refrigerating cooler side outlet is opened,
In the freezing and cooling step, the compressor is driven in a state where the freezing and cooling device side outlet is opened,
The refrigerator according to claim 3 , further comprising an intermediate step of driving the compressor while blocking both the refrigeration cooler side outlet and the freezing cooler side outlet, after the freezing and cooling step and before the refrigeration and cooling step . a blower that is provided in the ventilation duct and blows the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler toward the normal section;
The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the control device executes a process of driving the blower during the freezing and cooling process. a blower that is provided in the ventilation duct and blows the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler toward the normal section;
The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the control device executes a process of stopping the compressor and driving the blower.

Images