JP7690193B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator that has the function of vacuum packaging bags containing food, etc.

If bags containing food could be vacuum-packaged, the freshness of the food stored in the refrigerator could be maintained for a long time. As a refrigerator with such a vacuum packaging function, a refrigerator equipped with a vacuum pump and with piping connected to the vacuum pump's intake port protruding outside the refrigerator has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, the piping protruding outside the refrigerator is inserted into a bag containing food, etc., and the vacuum pump is operated, allowing vacuum packaging to be performed outside the refrigerator.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-34163

However, in the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, the vacuum pump is located in a machine room outside the refrigerator, which causes noise around the refrigerator when the vacuum pump is operating. In addition, the gas sucked from the bag containing the food is released from the vacuum pump to the outside of the refrigerator, which causes the problem of odors being generated around the refrigerator. If the gas sucked from the bag containing the food is released into a storage area inside the refrigerator, there is a problem of odors transferring to the items stored in the storage area.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that has the function of vacuum packaging stored items while suppressing noise and odor problems.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises:
A vacuum pump disposed within the chamber;
A suction nozzle communicates with the suction port of the vacuum pump and is inserted into a vacuum packaging bag outside the chamber;
A vacuum device having
The gas in the bag that is sucked in by the vacuum pump and discharged from the vacuum pump does not flow within the storage area, but flows into the inlet side of an evaporator that cools the cold air inside the cabinet.

According to the present invention, since the vacuum pump is disposed inside the storage unit, the operating sound of the vacuum pump can be prevented from leaking outside the storage unit. Also, since the gas sucked from the bag is discharged from the vacuum pump and flows into the inlet side of the evaporator without flowing inside the storage area, the odor of the gas sucked from the bag is not released into the storage area. Also, the odorous components contained in the gas sucked from the bag can be prevented from adhering to the stored items in the storage area.
Many of the odorous components contained in gas are contained in the moisture in the gas. When the gas passes through the evaporator, the moisture freezes and adheres to the surface of the fins as frost, and the odorous components are also captured in the evaporator along with the frost. Therefore, the odorous components in the gas that has passed through the evaporator can be significantly reduced.

This makes it possible to provide a refrigerator that has the function of vacuum packaging stored items while minimizing noise and odor problems.

In addition, in the present invention,
The outlet piping connected to the discharge port of the vacuum pump opens into a return duct into which the gas that has flowed through the storage area flows, and the gas discharged from the vacuum pump flows through the return duct and into the inlet side of the evaporator.

According to the present invention, the gas sucked from the bag is discharged from the vacuum pump and flows into the return duct, then flows through the return duct and into the inlet side of the evaporator. This ensures that the gas sucked from the bag can flow into the inlet side of the evaporator without flowing through the storage area.

In addition, in the present invention,
A deodorizing filter is disposed in the return duct, and the gas discharged from the vacuum pump passes through the deodorizing filter and then flows into the inlet side of the evaporator.

According to the present invention, the gas sucked from the bag is discharged from the vacuum pump and passes through a deodorizing filter before flowing into the inlet side of the evaporator. This makes it possible to more reliably remove odorous components contained in the gas.

In addition, in the present invention,
The vacuum pump is disposed on the rear side of the interior of the chamber.

According to the present invention, the vacuum pump is located on the rear side of the interior of the storage unit, so there is no interference when loading and unloading stored items, and the storage area can be used effectively. Also, if the outlet piping connected to the vacuum pump is connected to a return duct, the overall length of the outlet piping can be shortened.

In addition, in the present invention,
The intake nozzle is attached to the end of a hose that is engaged with a hook portion of a movable mechanism, and by moving the hook portion that is biased in the retracting direction by a coil spring, it is possible to create a state in which the intake nozzle and the hose are pulled out to the front of the outside of the cabinet, and a state in which at least the hose is retracted into the cabinet.

According to the present invention, at least the hose is usually stored inside the cabinet so that it does not get in the way, and when vacuum packaging is to be performed, the hose and suction nozzle can be pulled out to the front outside the cabinet to easily perform vacuum packaging.

In addition, in the present invention,
a connection part connected to the intake nozzle and having a check valve; and a holding part to which the connection part is attached,
The present invention is characterized by comprising a storage clip that, with the connection part open into the bag, clamps and seals the opening of the bag with the holding part, sucks in air from the opening of the connection part connected to the intake nozzle, and by removing the intake nozzle from the connection part, the bag can be stored inside the refrigerator while maintaining the sealed state of the bag with the check valve.

According to the present invention, even when using a bag that does not have a sealing mechanism such as a fastener, the freshness of the food inside the bag can be maintained for a long time.

As described above, the present invention provides a refrigerator that has the function of vacuum packaging stored items while suppressing noise and odor problems.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator equipped with a vacuum suction device according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the vacuum suction device and related components arranged inside the refrigerator with other components removed. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of a vacuum pump and its peripheral members of a vacuuming device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 illustrates a movable mechanism of a vacuum apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a hose retracted into the movable mechanism. 4B is a diagram showing a state in which a hose is pulled out from the state shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the movable mechanism. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a storage clip that can be attached to a vacuum device. 2 is a perspective view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow C in FIG. 6 . FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow D in FIG. 8 . FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow E in FIG. 8 . FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a gas flow in a refrigerator equipped with a vacuum device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Below, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the refrigerator described below is intended to embody the technical concept of the present invention, and unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to the following. In each drawing, components having the same function may be given the same reference numerals. The size and positional relationship of components shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. In the drawings, the width direction of the refrigerator is indicated as the X-axis direction, the depth direction of the refrigerator is indicated as the Y-axis direction, and the height direction of the refrigerator is indicated as the Z-axis direction.

(Refrigerator equipped with a vacuum device according to one embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a refrigerator 2 equipped with a vacuum suction device V according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the vacuum suction device V and related members arranged inside the refrigerator with other members removed. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view typically showing a vacuum pump 10 of the vacuum suction device V according to one embodiment of the present invention and its peripheral members. FIG. 4A is a view showing a movable mechanism 22 of the vacuum suction device V according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a hose 24 is retracted into the movable mechanism 22. FIG. 4B is a view showing a state in which the hose 24 is retracted from the state shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4C is an exploded perspective view showing an internal structure of the movable mechanism.

The refrigerator 2 according to this embodiment has a storage area 6 arranged inside the main body 4, and a machine room M arranged at the bottom of the rear side. The machine room M is arranged outside the refrigerator. The storage area 6 includes at least a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and a vegetable compartment 8, and the vegetable compartment 8 is arranged approximately in the center in the height direction of the storage area 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, the vacuum device V according to this embodiment has a vacuum pump 10, an inlet pipe 20 connected to the suction port of the vacuum pump 10, and an outlet pipe 30 connected to the outlet port of the vacuum pump 10. The vacuum pump 10 is disposed on the rear side of the vegetable compartment 8, which is disposed approximately in the center in the height direction of the refrigerator 2. Since the vacuum pump 10 is disposed inside the refrigerator, the operating sound of the vacuum pump 10 can be prevented from leaking outside the refrigerator. In addition, since the vacuum pump 10 is disposed on the rear side inside the refrigerator, it does not interfere with the loading and unloading of stored items, and the storage area 6 can be effectively utilized.

By operating the vacuum pump 10, the air in the bag PB to be vacuum packaged can be sucked in from the inlet pipe 20 and discharged to the outlet pipe 30. Any known small electric pump for vacuum packaging can be used as the vacuum pump 10.

<Suction side of vacuum pump>
The inlet pipe 20, which is connected to the suction port of the vacuum pump 10, extends forward through the interior of the chamber to the inside of the movable mechanism 22. In the movable mechanism 22, a hose 24 is connected to the tip of the inlet pipe 20. As shown in FIG. 4C, the movable mechanism 22 includes a housing 22A, a coil spring 22B arranged in the housing 22A, a hook portion 22C, and a front hook protrusion 22D. As shown by the dotted arrow, the hook protrusion 22B1 provided on the coil spring 22B is inserted into a hole 22C2 provided on the hook portion 22C. Then, the rear hook protrusion 22C1 provided on the hook portion 22C is inserted into the loop of the hose 24. Also, the cylindrical front hook protrusion 22D protruding upward from the bottom surface of the housing 22A is inserted into the loop of the hose 24.

That is, the rear side (inlet pipe 20 side) of the loop of the hose 24 is engaged with the hooking portion 22C (specifically, the rear hooking projection 22C1), and the front side is engaged with the front hooking projection 22D. As a result, the hose 24 is wound around the hooking portion 22C (specifically, the rear hooking projection 22C1) and the front hooking projection 22D, and is arranged to draw an eight-shaped loop. The intake nozzle 26 is attached to the tip of the hose 24 extending forward from the loop. The tip of the hose 24 including the intake nozzle 26 extends outward (to the front) from the opening of the front member 22A1. In FIG. 4C, the hose 24 forms an eight-shaped loop, but this is not limited thereto, and an O-shaped loop may also be formed.

The outer end of the coil spring 22B is attached to the hook portion 22C via the protrusion 22B1, and the center end is fixed to the housing 22A. As a result, when the tip of the hose 24 including the intake nozzle 26 is pulled out, a force is transmitted from the hose 24 via the rear hook protrusion 22C1, and the hook portion 22C also moves in the direction of being pulled out. When the hook portion 22C moves in the direction of being pulled out, the coil spring 22B contracts toward the center and is urged in the direction of returning to its original position. As a result, the hook portion 22C is urged by the coil spring 22B in the direction of retracting the hose 24. Figure 4A shows the state in which the hose 24 is retracted by the hook portion 22C.

When the hose 24 is retracted by the hook 22C, the hose 24 is stored inside the refrigerator. The suction nozzle 26 is also mostly stored inside the refrigerator. At least the tip of the suction nozzle 26 is exposed to the outside from the opening 8A provided on the front of the vegetable compartment 8, so that the user can grasp the suction nozzle 26. In addition, the front member 22A is configured to restrain (lock) the retracted/pulled-out position of the hose 24 by the biasing force of a spring, forming a holding/releasing mechanism. The locked state of the hose 24 can be released by pressing the push button 22E (see FIG. 4C) provided on the front member 22A. Push button 22E can be accessed from opening 8A provided on the front of vegetable compartment 8 (see Figure 2). When push button 22E is pressed (unlocked), the user grasps suction nozzle 26 and pulls it out against the biasing force of hook 22C, which moves hook 22C and pulls hose 24 out from opening 8A. When the user releases push button 22E, the hose 24 is locked and the position of the pulled-out hose 24 is maintained. This state is shown in Figure 4B, and the arrangement in refrigerator 2 is shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The user can press the push button 22E to release the lock, move the hook 22C, and pull out the hose 24 to the desired length, then release the push button 22E to activate the retention/release mechanism and restrict the movement of the hook 22C. This keeps the hose 24 and suction nozzle 26 in the pulled-out state. A switch for turning the vacuum pump 10 on and off is also located near the push button 22E of the opening 8A.

When the user presses the push button 22E again, the restraint by the holding mechanism is released, and the hook portion 22C moves due to the biasing force of the coil spring 22B, and the hose 24 returns to its original retracted position as the hook portion 22C moves. However, the holding/release mechanism of the hook portion 22C is not limited to this, and it may also be equipped with a ratchet mechanism that switches between restraint and release by pulling the hose 24, such as that used in the retracting/retracting mechanism of the electric cord of a vacuum cleaner. The hose 24 may also be retracted/retracted using an electric motor or the like.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the front of the vegetable compartment 8 is equipped with a movable shelf 40 that can rotate around a hinge 42 located on the lower side. The movable shelf 40 can be rotated from a storage rotation position that is vertically arranged along the front of the vegetable compartment 8 to a use rotation position by pulling the upper side of the movable shelf 40 facing the hinge 42 toward the front. Folding stays 44 are attached to both the left and right ends of the movable tray 40, and the upper surface of the movable tray 40 that is open to the front is restrained by the stays 44 and held in a substantially horizontal position. Even in the storage rotation position, the position of the movable shelf 40 is maintained by the restraining force of the stays 44.

The layout path of the outlet pipe 30 connected to the discharge port of the vacuum pump 10 will be described in detail later.

<Vacuum packaging method>
Next, an example of a method for vacuum packaging using the above-mentioned vacuum device V will be described. First, the movable shelf 40, which is in the storage rotation position arranged vertically along the front surface of the vegetable compartment 8, is pulled toward the user and rotated to the use rotation position where the upper surface of the movable shelf 40 is approximately horizontal. Then, the user presses the push button 22E arranged in the opening 8A to release the lock, and the user grasps and pulls out the suction nozzle 26 attached to the tip of the hose 24 in the retracted state by the movable mechanism 22, and when a predetermined length of the hose 24 has been pulled out, the user releases the pressed push button 22E to maintain the pulled out state.

For example, if a plastic bag PB with a fastener is to be vacuum-packaged, the suction nozzle 26 is inserted into the bag PB containing the food, and the fasteners on the other openings are closed to prevent gas from entering or leaving the bag PB as much as possible. In this state, the gas in the bag PB can be sucked out by operating the switch located at the opening 8A to operate the vacuum pump 10. After sufficient suction has been performed, the inserted suction nozzle 26 is removed from the bag PB, and the fastener is quickly closed. This allows the bag PB to be vacuum-packaged easily and reliably. In particular, since the movable shelf 40 is located in front of the vegetable compartment 8, which is located approximately in the center of the refrigerator 2 in the height direction, the user can easily vacuum-package the bag PB in a natural posture.

After all the required bags PB have been vacuum-packaged, the switch located at the opening 8A is operated to stop the operation of the vacuum pump 10. Then, the push button 22E located at the opening 8A is pressed to release the lock, and the pulled-out hose 24 is retracted by the hook portion 22C. After that, the movable shelf 40, which was in the use rotation position, is returned to the storage rotation position. Then, the vegetable compartment 8 etc. is opened, and the vacuum-packaged bags PB are stored in the storage area 6.

By vacuum packaging the PB bag, the freshness of the ingredients can be maintained for a long time. By removing the oxygen from within the PB bag and suppressing the oxidation and respiration of the ingredients inside the PB bag, the umami flavor of the ingredients can be maintained and the phenomenon of aging can be suppressed. In addition, by adding seasonings at the same time, seasoning of ingredients and making pickles can be completed more quickly than usual.

As described above, in the vacuum device V according to this embodiment, the suction nozzle 26 is attached to the tip of the hose 24 that is engaged with the hook 22C of the movable mechanism 22, and by moving the hook 22C biased in the retracting direction, the suction nozzle 26 and hose 24 can be pulled out to the front of the exterior of the cabinet, and at least the hose 24 can be pulled into the cabinet. As a result, the suction nozzle 26 and hose 24 are usually mostly stored inside the cabinet, so they do not get in the way, and when vacuum packaging is to be performed, the suction nozzle 26 can be pulled out to the front of the exterior of the cabinet, making it easy to perform vacuum packaging.

<Saved Clip>
Although the above describes the case where a resin bag PB with a fastener is vacuum-packaged, a resin bag PB without a fastener can also be vacuum-packaged. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a storage clip 32 that can be attached to a vacuuming device V. Here, an example of vacuum-packaging a bag PB without a fastener using the storage clip 32 is shown.

The storage clip 32 includes a connection part 32A that is connected to the suction nozzle 26, and a holding part 32B that holds the bag PB in a sealed state. The holding part 32B includes two holding members that are connected in a rotatable state at one end, and has a curved recess that corresponds to the outer shape of the connection part 32A. This allows the suction nozzle 26 to be attached to the holding part 32B. The bag PB is placed between the two holding members in an open state, and the tip of the connection part 32A attached via the recess is inserted into the bag PB, and in this state, the two holding members are closed to hold the bag PB. The bag PB is sandwiched between the parts indicated by the arrows S1 and S2 in FIG. 5, and the opening of the bag PB can be sealed. The curved recess that corresponds to the outer shape of the connection part 32A allows a good sealing state to be maintained even in the area where the suction nozzle 26 is inserted.

The connection part 32A is equipped with a check valve and is connected to the suction nozzle 26. When the vacuum pump 10 is operated with the tip inserted into the bag PB, the check valve opens due to the suction force of the vacuum pump 10, and the gas in the bag PB can be sucked in. This allows the bag PB to be in a predetermined vacuum state. On the other hand, when the operation of the vacuum pump 10 stops, the suction force disappears, and the check valve closes due to the biasing force and remains in the closed state. Even after the suction nozzle 26 is removed, the check valve remains in the closed state. This allows the vacuum air state of the bag PB to be maintained. By storing the bag PB in the refrigerator 2 with the storage clip 32 attached, the freshness of the ingredients in the bag PB can be maintained for a long time. The bag to be vacuum-packaged using the vacuum suction device V is not limited to the above bag PB, and any other bag with or without a sealing mechanism can be used.

As described above, the storage clip 32 according to this embodiment is equipped with a connection part 32A having a check valve connected to the suction nozzle 26, and a holding part 32B to which the connection part 32A is attached. With the connection part 32A open into the bag PB, the opening of the bag PB is clamped and sealed by the holding part 32B, the air inside the bag PB is sucked in through the opening of the connection part 32A connected to the suction nozzle 26, and the suction nozzle 26 is removed from the connection part 32A, so that the bag PB can be stored in the refrigerator while maintaining its sealed state with the check valve. This allows the freshness of the food in the bag PB to be maintained for a long time, even when using a bag PB that does not have a sealing mechanism such as a fastener.

<Vacuum pump exhaust side>
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the refrigerator 2 shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow C in FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow D in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow E in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a flow of gas in a refrigerator 2 equipped with a vacuum device V according to one embodiment of the present invention. Here, the flow of gas is typically shown by dotted arrows. Next, the exhaust side of the vacuum pump 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 10.

<Flow of cold air in the refrigerator>
First, a flow of cool air by the cooling mechanism of the refrigerator 2 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 8, a flow path 50 is provided at a central position in the width direction on the rear side of the interior of the refrigerator 2, and an evaporator 52 and a fan 54 are arranged in the flow path 50. Return ducts 60 are arranged on both the left and right sides in the width direction of the flow path 50. In the schematic diagram shown in Fig. 11, in order to simply show the flow of gas using a cross-sectional side view, the return duct 60 is shown in front of the flow path 50, but the basic flow of gas is similar.

As shown in FIG. 7, a compressor 70 connected to the evaporator 52 is placed in a machine room M located at the bottom of the rear side outside the refrigerator 2. The refrigerant (gas) compressed by the compressor 70 is liquefied in the condenser 72, and the pressure is reduced while passing through the capillary tube, lowering the boiling point, and the refrigerant flows into the evaporator 52. The refrigerant then absorbs heat from the gas inside the refrigerator passing through the evaporator 52 and vaporizes, and the vaporized refrigerant is compressed again by the compressor 70, repeating this cycle.

When the fan 54 in the flow path 50 is operated, the gas flows from bottom to top in the flow path 50 and is cooled when it passes through the evaporator 52. At this time, the moisture contained in the cold air condenses together with the water content and adheres to the fins of the evaporator 52 as frost.

The cold air that passes through the evaporator 52 flows upward through the flow path 50 and enters the storage area 6 from the upper opening. The cold air then circulates within the storage area 6, cooling the stored items within the storage area 6. A portion of the circulated gas flows below the storage area 6 and enters the inlet side of the evaporator 52, which is the lower part of the flow path 50.

A part of the gas that flows through the vegetable compartment 8 area flows into the return duct 60 from the inlet 60A located on the rear side. The gas that flows into the return duct 60 flows downward inside the return duct 60 and passes through the deodorizing filter 62. This makes it possible to remove odorous components mixed in the gas. The gas then flows into the inlet side of the evaporator 52, which is the lower part of the flow path 50, from the lower outlet 60B. In other words, the gas that flows into the return duct 60 flows directly into the inlet side of the evaporator 52 without flowing through the storage area 6. The gas that flows into the inlet side of the evaporator 52 passes through the evaporator 52, repeating the above-mentioned gas circulation.

<Flow of gas sucked from the bag>
The outlet piping 30 connected to the outlet of the vacuum pump 10 enters and opens into the return duct 60. Since both the vacuum pump 10 and the return duct 60 are disposed on the rear side of the interior of the refrigerator, the overall length of the outlet piping connected to the vacuum pump can be shortened. (4') The gas sucked from the bag PB by the vacuum pump 10 flows into the return duct 60. The flowing-in gas flows downward inside the return duct 60 together with the gas flowing in from the inlet 60A of the return duct 60.

Then, the gas passes through the deodorizing filter 62. This can remove the odor components emitted from the food in the bag PB. After that, it flows from the lower outlet 60B into the inlet side of the evaporator 52, which is the lower part of the flow path 50. As a result, the gas sucked from the bag PB flows directly into the inlet side of the evaporator 52 without flowing through the storage area 6 at all. Therefore, the odor of the gas sucked from the bag PB is not released into the storage area 6, and the odor components contained in the gas can be prevented from adhering to the storage area 6. In this embodiment, the inlet 60A of the return duct 60 is located above the opening of the outlet pipe 30, but this is not limited to this. There may also be cases where the opening of the outlet pipe 30 is located above the inlet 60A.

Since most of the odorous components contained in the gas are contained in the moisture in the gas, when the gas passes through the evaporator, it freezes and is contained in the frost that adheres to the surface of the fins. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the odorous components in the gas that has passed through the evaporator.

When the defrost heater is operated to melt the frost that has adhered to the fins of the evaporator 52, it falls from the evaporator 52 and flows into the evaporation tray 80 via the return pipe 82 located below. The moisture that flows into the evaporation tray 80 evaporates due to the heat generated by the compressor 70 and condenser 72 in the machine room M. The evaporation of the moisture in the evaporation tray 80 is promoted by the flow of gas caused by the cooling fan 74 that cools the machine room M. The odorous components remaining in the evaporation tray 80 can then be discarded.

In the above embodiment, the gas that has passed through the vegetable compartment 8 mainly flows into the return duct 60, but this is not limited to the above. For example, there may be cases where the gas that has circulated in the freezer compartment 8 flows into the return duct 60 and enters the inlet side of the evaporator 52 without flowing through the refrigerator compartment below. The return duct 60 may be arranged in any other way as long as it allows the gas that has flowed in from the inlet 60A to enter the inlet side of the evaporator 52 without flowing through the storage area 6 below.

In the above embodiment, the outlet piping 30 of the vacuum pump 10 opens into the return duct 60, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the outlet piping 30 of the vacuum pump 10 may extend to the inlet side of the evaporator 52 and open thereto. Even in this case, it is preferable to place a deodorizing filter on the outlet piping 30. Furthermore, any other arrangement or configuration may be adopted as long as the gas discharged from the vacuum pump 10 has the function of flowing into the inlet side of the evaporator 52 without flowing through the storage area 6.

As described above, the refrigerator 2 according to the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example is equipped with a vacuum pump 10 arranged inside the refrigerator and a vacuum drawing device V having an intake nozzle 26 that communicates with the suction port of the vacuum pump 10 and is inserted into a vacuum packaging bag PB outside the refrigerator, and the gas in the bag PB that is sucked by the vacuum pump 10 and discharged from the vacuum pump 10 flows into the inlet side of the evaporator 52 that cools the cold air inside the refrigerator without flowing inside the storage area 6.

According to the above embodiment, since the vacuum pump 10 is disposed inside the refrigerator, the operating sound of the vacuum pump 10 can be prevented from leaking outside the refrigerator. In addition, the gas sucked from the bag PB is discharged from the vacuum pump 10 and flows into the inlet side of the evaporator 52 without flowing inside the storage area 6, so the odor of the gas sucked from the bag PB is not released into the storage area 6. In addition, the odor components contained in the gas sucked from the bag PB can be prevented from adhering to the stored items in the storage area 6. Most of the odor components contained in the gas are contained in the moisture in the gas. When the gas passes through the evaporator 52, the moisture freezes and adheres to the surface of the fins as frost, so the odor components are also captured by the evaporator 52 together with the frost. Therefore, the odor components can be significantly reduced in the gas that has passed through the evaporator 52. In addition, the vacuum device V can be installed in the refrigerator 2 without drilling holes in the outer wall of the refrigerator 2.

This allows for the provision of a refrigerator 2 that has the function of vacuum packaging stored items while minimizing noise and odor problems.

In particular, the outlet pipe 30 connected to the discharge port of the vacuum pump 10 opens into the return duct 60 into which the gas flowing through the storage area flows, and the gas discharged from the vacuum pump 10 flows through the return duct and into the inlet side of the evaporator 52.

According to the above embodiment, the gas sucked from the bag PB is discharged from the vacuum pump 10 and flows into the return duct 60, and then flows through the return duct 60 and into the inlet side of the evaporator 52. Therefore, the gas sucked from the bag PB can be reliably caused to flow into the inlet side of the evaporator 52 without flowing through the storage area 6.

Furthermore, a deodorizing filter 62 is arranged in the return duct 60, and the gas discharged from the vacuum pump 10 passes through the deodorizing filter 62 before flowing into the inlet side of the evaporator 52.

According to the above embodiment, the gas sucked from the bag PB is discharged from the vacuum pump 10 and passes through the deodorizing filter 62 before flowing into the inlet side of the evaporator 52. This makes it possible to more reliably remove odorous components contained in the gas.

Although the embodiments and implementations of the present invention have been described, the disclosed contents may vary in the details of the configuration, and the combination and order of elements in the embodiments and implementations may be changed without departing from the scope and concept of the claimed invention.

2 refrigerator 4 main body 6 storage area 8 vegetable compartment 8A opening 10 vacuum pump 20 inlet piping 22 movable mechanism 22A housing 22A1 front member 22B coil spring 22B1 protrusion 22C hook 22C1 rear hook protrusion 22C2 hole 22D front hook protrusion 22E push button 24 hose 26 intake nozzle 30 outlet piping 32 storage clip 32A connection 32B holding portion 40 movable shelf 42 hinge 44 stay 50 flow path 52 evaporator 54 fan 60 return duct 60A inlet 60B outlet 62 deodorizing filter 70 compressor 72 condenser 74 cooling fan 80 evaporation dish 82 return piping V vacuum device M machine compartment PB bag

Claims (4)

A vacuum pump disposed within the chamber;
A suction nozzle communicates with the suction port of the vacuum pump and is inserted into a vacuum packaging bag outside the chamber;
A vacuum device having
The gas in the bag sucked by the vacuum pump and discharged from the vacuum pump flows into the inlet side of an evaporator that cools the cold air in the storage area without flowing in the storage area,
The refrigerator is characterized in that the suction nozzle is attached to the end of a hose that is engaged with a hook portion of a movable mechanism, and by moving the hook portion that is biased in a retracting direction, the refrigerator can achieve a state in which the suction nozzle and the hose are pulled out to the front of the exterior of the refrigerator, and a state in which at least the hose is retracted into the refrigerator . The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the outlet pipe connected to the outlet of the vacuum pump opens into a return duct into which the gas flowing through the storage area flows, and the gas discharged from the vacuum pump flows through the return duct and into the inlet side of the evaporator. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that a deodorizing filter is disposed in the return duct, and the gas discharged from the vacuum pump passes through the deodorizing filter before flowing into the inlet side of the evaporator. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the vacuum pump is disposed on the rear side of the interior of the refrigerator.

Images