JP7610832B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to a refrigerator with a small storage compartment inside the refrigerator compartment.

Conventionally, refrigerators in which a storage container is arranged inside the refrigerator compartment, as described in Patent Document 1, have been known. Here, a chilled container is stored at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment. Air blown by a blower is supplied to the refrigerator compartment via an air passage formed at the rear side of the refrigerator compartment, while part of the air blown to the air passage is blown to the chilled container without passing through the refrigerator compartment, and chilled air is supplied directly to the stored items such as meat. In this way, the temperature inside the chilled container is made lower than the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment, for example to about 0°C. Furthermore, food such as meat stored in the chilled container can be preserved.

JP 2018-44687 A

However, the refrigerator described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of maintaining the freshness of stored items such as meat for a long period of time.

Specifically, in the invention described in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the stored items were cooled by blowing air directly into the inside of the chilled container from an air duct. Because the temperature of the stored items depends on the amount of air blown into them, the temperature of the stored items tends to fluctuate and there is a large temperature range inside the chilled container. When the temperature of the stored items rises, drips occur, and when the temperature drops, the drips turn into frost, creating the problem that it is difficult to maintain the freshness of the stored items for long periods of time.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerator that can maintain the freshness of stored items for a long period of time.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a refrigerator compartment, a small storage compartment partitioned inside the refrigerator compartment, and an air flow duct through which air cooled in the cooling compartment is blown, the small storage compartment has a box-shaped storage section in which stored items are stored and which is open at the top, and an air inlet section which is provided above the storage section to cover the opening and through which the air is introduced from the air flow duct, the lower surface of the air inlet section is made of a metal plate, and an air outlet is formed on a lateral side of the metal plate through which the air is blown out to the storage section, a lower space section is formed below the storage section into which the air that has passed through the storage section is introduced, the upper surface of the lower space section is made of a metal tray, the stored items are placed on an upper surface of the metal tray, the air outlet is disposed on the left and right sides of the metal plate, and the low-temperature air cooled by an evaporator indirectly cools the stored items via the metal plate, and flows along the left and right inner surfaces of the small storage compartment via the air outlet .

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator capable of maintaining the freshness of stored items for a long period of time.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A is a front perspective view of an air passage member and a small storage chamber, and FIG. 1B is a rear perspective view of the air passage member and the small storage chamber. FIG. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a small storage compartment of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is an oblique view partially showing a box-shaped storage section, and (B) is an oblique view of the small storage compartment seen from below the front. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view showing a box-shaped storage section, and (B) is a perspective view showing each side section. 1A is a perspective view of a small storage compartment viewed from the front right side of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the small storage compartment viewed from the front left side of the refrigerator. 1A is an exploded perspective view showing a drawer container and a metal tray, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the air flow inside the drawer container, illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an oblique view of a box-shaped storage section and an air passage member viewed from below.

A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the description of this embodiment, the same components will generally be designated by the same reference numbers, and repeated description will be omitted. In addition, the following description will be given using the up, down, front, back, left and right directions, but left and right refer to the left and right when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the front.

Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a refrigerator 10.

The insulated box 11 that constitutes the main body of the refrigerator 10 is composed of an outer box 111 made of a steel plate bent into a predetermined shape, an inner box 112 made of a synthetic resin plate that is placed on the inside and spaced apart from the outer box 111, and an insulating material 113 filled between the outer box 111 and the inner box 112.

The storage compartment inside the insulated box 11 is divided from above into a refrigerator compartment 12 and a freezer compartment 13. The refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are divided by an insulated wall 17. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by an insulated door 18, and the front opening of the freezer compartment 13 is closed by an insulated door 19.

A small storage compartment 20 is located at the bottom inside the refrigerator compartment 12. The small storage compartment 20 is a chilled compartment whose interior is cooled to a lower temperature than other areas of the refrigerator compartment 12, for example, to about -3°C.

The small storage chamber 20 is divided into multiple spaces, and from the top, it is divided into an air inlet section 22, a storage section 21, and a lower space section 25. As described below, air is blown into the air inlet section 22 directly from the air blower 118 without passing through the refrigerator compartment 12. In this way, the freshness of the stored items 34 stored in the storage section 21 can be maintained for a long period of time, and the occurrence of dripping can also be suppressed. The configuration of the small storage chamber 20 will be described later with reference to Figure 3 and subsequent figures.

A cooling chamber 115 is formed at the rear of the freezer chamber 13. An evaporator 116, which is a cooler, is disposed inside the cooling chamber 115. A machine chamber 14 is also formed at the rear of the lower end of the refrigerator 10, and a compressor 15 is disposed in the machine chamber 14. The evaporator 116 and the compressor 15 form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle together with a condenser and an expansion means (not shown). By operating the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the air inside the cooling chamber 115 is cooled by the evaporator 116, and this air is blown into each storage chamber, so that the internal temperature of each storage chamber becomes a predetermined cooling temperature range.

Inside the cooling chamber 115, a blower 37 is disposed above the evaporator 116. The blower 37 is an axial flow blower or a centrifugal blower, and blows the air inside the evaporator 116 that has been cooled by the evaporator 116 toward the refrigerator chamber 12 and the freezer chamber 13.

Inside the evaporator 116, a defrost heater 117 is placed below the evaporator 116. As the vapor compression refrigeration cycle operates, thick frost forms on the surface of the evaporator 116. When this occurs, a control means (not shown) stops the compressor 15, closes the cooling chamber 115, and energizes the defrost heater 117 to heat it, thereby performing a defrosting operation to melt and remove the frost. In addition, although not shown here, a shielding device is provided near the blower 37 to appropriately close the air passage.

An air passage 118 is formed from the cooling chamber 115 upward. An air outlet 16, which is an opening for blowing air into the refrigerator chamber 12, is formed in the upper part of the air passage 118. In addition, a portion of the air cooled by the evaporator 116 is also blown into the freezer chamber 13 and the air introduction section 22.

Figure 2(A) is a perspective view of the air passage member 29 and the small storage chamber 20 as viewed from the front, and Figure 2(B) is a perspective view of the air passage member 29 and the small storage chamber 20 as viewed from the rear.

Referring to FIG. 2(A), the air passage member 29 is a member that is attached to the rear surface of the aforementioned refrigerator compartment 12, and the aforementioned air passage 118 is formed inside it.

The small storage chamber 20 is disposed on the front side of the air passage member 29. The small storage chamber 20 has a box-shaped storage section 31 and a drawer container 30. The box-shaped storage section 31 is made of a synthetic resin plate and a heat insulating material molded into a predetermined shape, and is a member that is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped with an open front. The air introduction section 22 described above is formed at the upper end portion of the box-shaped storage section 31. The drawer container 30 is a drawer-type storage container made of a synthetic resin plate, which is stored in the box-shaped storage section 31 in the closed state and is pulled out forward from the box-shaped storage section 31 in the open state. The storage section 21 and lower space section 25 described above are formed inside the drawer container 30.

Referring to FIG. 2(B), the blowing protrusion 32 is formed by partially protruding the front surface of the air passage member 29 forward. The blowing protrusion 32 is connected to the air passage 118. The blowing protrusion 32 is inserted into an opening 33 that opens near the upper end of the rear surface of the box-shaped storage section 31. The opening 33 is connected to the air introduction section 22 described above. In this way, air rising via the air passage 118 can be directly blown into the air introduction section 22 described above via the blowing protrusion 32 and the opening 33.

Figure 3 (A) is a perspective view partially showing the box-shaped storage section 31 that constitutes the small storage chamber 20. Here, the cover member 39 that constitutes the upper surface portion of the box-shaped storage section 31 is shown as transparent. Figure 3 (B) is a perspective view of the small storage chamber 20 as seen from below on the front side.

Referring to FIG. 3(A), an air inlet section 22, which is a cavity, is formed inside the top surface portion of the box-shaped storage section 31. An opening 33 is formed at the rear end of the air inlet section 22 through which cooled air is introduced.

The air introduction section 22 is defined by the cover member 39, the upper end portion of the left side wall of the box-shaped storage section 31, a front cross bar that connects the upper end of the left side wall to the upper end of the right side wall at the front side of the box-shaped storage section 31, a rear cross bar that connects the upper end of the left side wall to the upper end of the right side wall at the rear side of the box-shaped storage section 31, and an underside formed across the front cross bar and the rear cross bar.

A metal plate 23 is disposed on the underside of the air introduction section 22. The upper surface of the metal plate 23 is exposed to the air introduction section 22, and the lower surface of the metal plate 23 is exposed to the storage section 21 described above. An air outlet 24 is formed on the underside of the air introduction section 22, on the left and right sides of the metal plate 23. The air outlet 24 is a slit-shaped opening in the front-to-rear direction on the underside of the air introduction section 22, which connects the air introduction section 22 and the storage section 21, and allows air to be blown out from the air introduction section 22 to the storage section 21.

Referring to FIG. 3(B), two air outlets 24, specifically, air outlet 241 and air outlet 242, are formed at the left end of the box-shaped storage section 31. Here, air outlet 241, which is located on the inside in the left-right direction, is located on the inside in the left-right direction from the upper end of the side surface 38 of the drawer container 30, and the air blown out from this air outlet 241 is introduced into the interior of the drawer container 30 to cool the interior of the drawer container 30.

On the other hand, the air outlet 242 arranged on the outer side in the left-right direction is arranged further outboard than the upper end of the side surface 38 of the drawer container 30 in the left-right direction, and the air blown out from the air outlet 242 is introduced along the outer surface of the drawer container 30, indirectly cooling the inside of the drawer container 30. When cooling the drawer container 30, air may be blown out only from the air outlet 241, only from the air outlet 242, or both from the air outlet 241 and the air outlet 242. This configuration is also the same at the right end of the box-shaped storage section 31.

Figure 4 (A) is a perspective view showing the box-shaped storage section 31, and Figure 4 (B) is a perspective view showing each side section.

Referring to FIG. 4(A), the generally plate-shaped insulating material described below is arranged on the top, left and right sides, and rear side of the box-shaped storage section 31.

Referring to FIG. 4(B), the box-shaped storage section 31 described above includes a left side wall 311, a right side wall 312, an upper surface portion 313, and a rear surface portion 314 made of a heat insulating material such as foamed resin. The left side wall 311 is included in the left side surface of the box-shaped storage section 31. The right side wall 312 is included in the right side surface of the box-shaped storage section 31. The upper surface portion 313 is included in the upper side surface of the box-shaped storage section 31. The rear surface portion 314 is included in the rear side surface of the box-shaped storage section 31. Specifically, when the box-shaped storage section 31 is injection molded, the left side wall 311, the right side wall 312, the upper surface portion 313, and the rear surface portion 314 are insert molded. Also, the upper surface portion 313 is disposed above the air introduction section 22, as shown in FIG. 3(A).

In this way, by arranging the left side wall 311, the right side walls 312, 133 and the rear part 314 inside the box-shaped storage part 31, the insulating effect of the storage part 21 described above can be improved.

Here, the right side wall 312 may use the same insulating material that constitutes the insulated box body 11. Also, the rear surface portion 314 may use the same insulating material that constitutes the air passage member 29.

Figure 5(A) is a perspective view of the small storage chamber 20 as viewed from the front right side, and Figure 5(B) is a perspective view of the small storage chamber 20 as viewed from the front left side. In Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the paths through which heat exchange takes place are indicated by hollow arrows, and the paths of air are indicated by dashed arrows.

As shown in FIG. 5(A), two air outlets 24 are formed on the left side of the metal plate 23. Also, as shown in FIG. 5(B), two air outlets 24 are formed on the right side of the metal plate 23. By forming multiple air outlets 24 on the right and left sides of the metal plate 23, more air can be sent from the air introduction section 22 to the storage section 21.

Referring to FIG. 5(A) and FIG. 5(B), the metal plate 23 faces the storage section 21, so that the air inside the storage section 21 can be cooled through the metal plate 23. The low-temperature air cooled by the evaporator 116 described above is not blown onto the stored items 34 stored in the storage section 21. The stored items 34 are indirectly cooled through the metal plate 23. The air outlets 24 are disposed at both ends of the box-shaped storage section 31 in the left-right direction. The air blown into the storage section 21 through the air introduction section 22 and the air outlets 24 described above flows along the left-side inner surface and the right-side inner surface of the blowing protrusion 32. In this way, the temperature of the stored items 34 inside the storage section 21 does not change significantly, and deterioration of freshness and the occurrence of dripping can be suppressed.

Figure 6 (A) is an exploded perspective view showing the drawer container 30 and the metal tray 26, and Figure 6 (B) is a perspective view showing the air flow inside the drawer container 30.

Referring to FIG. 6(A), a metal tray 26 made of a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate is placed on the bottom surface of the drawer container 30. Here, the metal tray 26 is shown separated above the drawer container 30, but in reality, the metal tray 26 is placed on the bottom surface of the drawer container 30. In other words, the upper surface of the lower space 25 described above is composed of the metal tray 26.

The ribs 27 are wall-like protrusions on the bottom surface of the drawer container 30. The ribs 27 extend in a wall-like manner in the left-right direction. A plurality of ribs 27 are formed at approximately equal intervals in the front-rear direction. The metal tray 26 is placed on the upper end of the ribs 27, which separates the bottom surface of the drawer container 30 and the metal tray 26, forming the aforementioned lower space 25 between them.

The ribs 27 may be formed continuously from the left end to the right end on the bottom surface of the drawer container 30, or may be formed so as to terminate in the center in the left-right direction. In other words, the bottom surface of the drawer container 30 may be formed with a substantially flat area where the ribs 27 are not arranged. In this way, as described below, the air flowing toward the center along the ribs 27 can be made to travel forward through the flat area and then released to the outside of the drawer container 30.

Referring to FIG. 6(B), the left side edge of the metal tray 26 is spaced apart from the left side surface of the pull-out container 30, forming a gap 35 between the two. Similarly, the right side edge of the metal tray 26 is spaced apart from the right side surface of the pull-out container 30, forming a gap 35 between the two.

As shown in FIG. 5(A), the air blown out from the air outlet 24 of the box-shaped storage section 31 to the storage section 21 flows downward along both the left and right side surfaces of the drawer container 30 shown in FIG. 6(B), and flows into the lower space 25 through the gap 35. The air that flows into the lower space 25 also flows along the ribs 27.

In this way, the metal tray 26 is cooled from below, and the stored items 34 placed on the top surface of the metal tray 26 can be indirectly and effectively cooled. Again, inside the drawer container 30, air flows along both the left and right sides, so the air is not blown directly onto the stored items 34. This allows the stored items 34 to be kept at a constant temperature at a low temperature. For example, the stored items 34 can be cooled to -3°C and kept at a constant temperature within a range of 2°C.

Figure 7 shows the refrigerator 10, and is an oblique view of the box-shaped storage section 31 and the air passage member 29 seen from below.

The small storage chamber 20 is supported from below by a support portion 36. The return port 28 is formed by opening the rear of the support portion 36. The air that has cooled the inside of the box-shaped storage portion 31 is blown forward from the gap between the pull-out container 30 and the box-shaped storage portion 31 at the front of the small storage chamber 20. Then, that air, together with the air that has cooled other areas of the refrigerator chamber 12, returns to the aforementioned cooling chamber 115 via the return port 28.

This embodiment provides the following main advantages:

The freshness of the stored items 34 can be maintained for a long period of time. Specifically, referring to FIG. 3, an air inlet 22 is formed above the storage section 21 in which the stored items 34, such as meat, are stored, and the underside of the air inlet 22 is made of a metal plate 23, so that the stored items 34 stored in the storage section 21 can be indirectly cooled via the metal plate 23. This allows the opening formed in the storage section 21 to be made smaller, so that the cooling temperature of the stored items 34 inside the small storage chamber 20 can be lowered, and the temperature range can be narrowed to maintain a constant temperature. In this way, the freshness of the stored items 34 can be maintained, and the occurrence of dripping can be suppressed.

Referring to FIG. 6(B), by placing the stored item 34, such as meat, on the upper surface of the metal tray 26 that constitutes the upper surface of the lower space 25, the stored item 34 can be cooled via the metal tray 26, allowing the stored item 34 to be cooled even more effectively.

Referring to FIG. 6(B), air flows along the ribs 27, which allows the stored items 34 to be cooled more effectively through the metal tray 26.

Referring to FIG. 3, by introducing air directly from the air passage 118 into the air intake section 22, the storage section 21 can be cooled to a lower temperature than other parts of the refrigerator compartment 12.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, by arranging some of the multiple air outlets 24 on the left-right outer side of the drawer container 30, some of the air blown from the air outlets 24 can flow between the box-shaped storage section 31 and the drawer container 30, thereby cooling the drawer container 30 from the outside as well.

Furthermore, by positioning all of the air vents 24 outside the drawer container 30 in the left-right direction, all of the air blown out from the air vents 24 can flow between the box-shaped storage section 31 and the drawer container 30, thereby cooling the drawer container 30 from the outside.
The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiment will be described below, along with its effects.
The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a refrigerator compartment, a small storage compartment partitioned inside the refrigerator compartment, and an airflow path through which the air cooled in the cooling compartment is blown. The small storage compartment has a box-shaped storage section in which stored items are stored and which is open at the top, and an air introduction section which is provided above the storage section to cover the opening and through which the air is introduced from the airflow path, and the lower surface of the air introduction section is made of a metal plate, and an airflow port is formed on the side of the metal plate for blowing the air into the storage section. As a result, the refrigerator of the present invention can maintain the freshness of the stored items for a long period of time. Specifically, by forming the air introduction section above the storage section in which stored items such as meat are stored, and by forming the lower surface of the air introduction section from a metal plate, the stored items stored in the storage section can be indirectly cooled through the metal plate. Therefore, the cooling temperature of the stored items can be lowered, and further, a constant temperature can be achieved. In this way, the freshness of the stored items can be maintained and the occurrence of dripping can be suppressed.
In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in that a lower space into which the air that has passed through the storage section is introduced is formed below the storage section, an upper surface of the lower space is made of a metal tray, and the stored item is placed on the upper surface of the metal tray. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, by placing a stored item, such as meat, on the upper surface of the metal tray that constitutes the upper surface of the lower space, the stored item can be cooled via the metal tray, and the stored item can be cooled more effectively and indirectly.
In the refrigerator of the present invention, the lower space has ribs, and the air introduced from the storage section into the lower space flows along the ribs. As a result, the refrigerator of the present invention can more effectively cool the stored items through the metal tray by causing the air to flow along the ribs.
In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in that the air is introduced directly into the air introduction part from the air blowing duct. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, by introducing air directly into the air introduction part from the air blowing duct, the storage part of the small storage chamber can be cooled to a lower temperature than other parts of the refrigeration compartment.
In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the small storage compartment has a box-shaped storage section and a drawer-type pull-out container stored in the box-shaped storage section, the air inlet section is formed in the box-shaped storage section, and the storage section is formed in the pull-out container. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, by forming the air inlet section in the box-shaped storage section, air can be effectively blown into the storage section formed in the pull-out container.

10 refrigerator 11 insulated box 111 outer box 112 inner box 113 insulator 115 cooling chamber 116 evaporator 117 defrost heater 118 air passage 12 refrigerator chamber 13 freezer chamber 14 machine chamber 15 compressor 16 air outlet 17 insulated wall 18 insulated door 19 insulated door 20 small storage chamber 21 storage section 22 air introduction section 23 metal plate 24 air outlet 241 air outlet 242 air outlet 25 lower space section 26 metal tray 27 rib 28 return port 29 air passage member 30 drawer container 31 box-shaped storage section 311 left wall section 312 right wall section 313 upper surface section 314 rear surface section 32 blowing protrusion section 33 opening section 34 stored item 35 gap 36 support section 37 blower 38 side surface 39 Lid material

Claims (4)

A refrigerator compartment,
A small storage compartment partitioned inside the refrigeration compartment;
an air passage through which the air cooled in the cooling chamber is blown,
The small storage compartment includes:
A box-shaped storage section in which the object to be stored is stored and which is open at the top;
an air introduction section provided above the storage section to cover the opening, through which the air is introduced from the air passage;
The lower surface of the air introduction portion is made of a metal plate, and an air outlet through which the air is blown out to the storage portion is formed on a lateral side of the metal plate,
A lower space into which the air that has passed through the storage unit is introduced is formed below the storage unit, an upper surface of the lower space is made of a metal tray, and the object to be stored is placed on the upper surface of the metal tray,
The air outlets are disposed on the left and right sides of the metal plate,
A refrigerator characterized in that the low-temperature air cooled by the evaporator indirectly cools the stored items through the metal plate and flows along the left and right inner surfaces of the small storage chamber via the air outlet . The small storage chamber has a box-shaped storage section and a drawer-type drawer container that is stored in the box-shaped storage section,
The air introduction section is formed in the box-shaped storage section,
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage portion is formed in the drawer container. A refrigerator compartment,
A small storage compartment partitioned inside the refrigeration compartment;
an air passage through which the air cooled in the cooling chamber is blown,
The small storage compartment includes:
A box-shaped storage section in which the object to be stored is stored and which is open at the top;
an air introduction section provided above the storage section to cover the opening, through which the air is introduced from the air passage;
The storage unit has a drawer configured therein ;
The lower surface of the air introduction portion is made of a metal plate, and an air outlet through which the air is blown out to the storage portion is formed on a lateral side of the metal plate ,
The air outlet has a first air outlet and a second air outlet,
the first air outlet is disposed outboard in the left-right direction relative to an upper end of a side surface of the drawer container,
The second air outlet is disposed further inward in the left-right direction than an upper end of a side surface of the drawer container . The drawer container has a left side and a right side,
The air outlet further includes a third air outlet and a fourth air outlet,
the first air outlet is disposed outboard in the left-right direction relative to an upper end of a left side surface of the drawer container,
the second air outlet is disposed inward in the left-right direction from an upper end of a left side surface of the drawer container,
the third air outlet is disposed outboard in the left-right direction relative to an upper end of a right side surface of the drawer container,
4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the fourth air outlet is disposed laterally inward of an upper end of the right side surface of the drawer container.

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