JP7773256B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator equipped with a small storage compartment inside the refrigerator compartment.

Conventionally, refrigerators with storage containers arranged inside the refrigerator compartment, such as that described in Patent Document 1, are known. In this refrigerator, a chilled container is stored at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment. Air blown by a fan is supplied to the refrigerator compartment via an air duct formed at the rear of the refrigerator compartment, while some of the air blown into the air duct is blown into the chilled container without passing through the refrigerator compartment, supplying chilled air directly to the contents, such as meat. In this way, the temperature inside the chilled container is kept lower than the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment, for example, to around 0°C. Furthermore, food, such as meat, stored in the chilled container can be preserved.

JP 2018-44687 A

However, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above 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, stored items are 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, resulting in a wide temperature range inside the chilled container. When the temperature of the stored items rises, dripping occurs, and when the temperature drops, the dripping turns into frost, creating the problem of making it difficult to maintain the freshness of the stored items for long periods of time.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned 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 chilled compartment partitioned inside the refrigerator compartment, and an air duct through which air cooled in the cooling compartment is blown. The chilled compartment has a box-shaped storage section that is open at the top and in which stored items are stored, and an air inlet section that is a cavity that is provided above the storage section to cover the opening and through which the air is introduced from the air duct. The lower surface of the air inlet section is made of a metal plate, and the upper surface of the air inlet section is made of a thermal insulating material. An air outlet for blowing the air into the storage section is formed only on the outer lateral side of the metal plate. The air blown from the air duct is introduced into the space between the metal plate of the air inlet section and the thermal insulating material, and then moves toward the air outlet. The low-temperature air cooled by the evaporator indirectly cools the stored items via the metal plate and flows along the inner lateral surface of the storage section via the air outlet.

The refrigerator of the present invention can maintain the freshness of stored items for a long period of time.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view of an air duct member and a small storage compartment seen from the front, and (B) is a perspective view of the air duct member and a small storage compartment seen from the rear. 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 a perspective view partially showing a box-shaped storage section, and (B) is a perspective view of the small storage compartment from the front bottom. 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 and 1B are diagrams showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view of a small storage compartment seen from the front right side, and (B) is a perspective view of the small storage compartment seen from the front left side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 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. 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view of a box-shaped storage section and an air passage member as seen from below. FIG.

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 numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. Furthermore, the following description will use the up, down, front, back, left, and right directions, but left and right refer to the left and right when viewing the refrigerator 10 from the front.

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

The insulated box body 11 that forms the main body of the refrigerator 10 is composed of an outer box 111 made of steel plate bent into a predetermined shape, an inner box 112 made of synthetic resin plate placed inside and spaced apart from the outer box 111, and insulating material 113 filled between the outer box 111 and 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 separated 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 below the interior of the refrigerator compartment 12. The small storage compartment 20 is a chilled compartment whose interior is cooled to a lower temperature than the other areas of the refrigerator compartment 12, for example, to approximately -3°C.

The small storage compartment 20 is divided into multiple spaces, and from the top, they are divided into the air inlet section 22, the storage section 21, and the lower space section 25. As will be described later, air is blown into the air inlet section 22 directly from the air duct 118, without passing through the refrigerator compartment 12. This allows the freshness of the items 34 stored in the storage section 21 to be maintained for a long period of time, and also prevents dripping. The configuration of the small storage compartment 20 will be described later with reference to Figure 3 and subsequent figures.

A cooling compartment 115 is formed at the rear of the freezer compartment 13. An evaporator 116, which functions as a cooler, is disposed inside the cooling compartment 115. A machine compartment 14 is also defined at the rear of the lower end of the refrigerator 10, and a compressor 15 is disposed in the machine compartment 14. The evaporator 116 and compressor 15, along with a condenser and expansion means (not shown), form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. By operating the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the evaporator 116 cools the air inside the cooling compartment 115, and this air is then blown into each storage compartment, thereby bringing the internal temperature of each storage compartment within a specified cooling temperature range.

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

A defrost heater 117 is located inside and 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. Also, although not shown here, a shielding device is located near the blower 37 to appropriately close the air path.

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

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

Referring to Figure 2(A), the air passage member 29 is a member 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 located forward 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 synthetic resin plate and insulating material molded into a predetermined shape, and is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped member with an open front. The air intake section 22 mentioned above is formed at the upper end of the box-shaped storage section 31. The drawer container 30 is a drawer-type storage container made of synthetic resin plate. In the closed state, it is stored in the box-shaped storage section 31, and in the open state, it is pulled out forward from the box-shaped storage section 31. The storage section 21 and lower space 25 mentioned above are formed inside the drawer container 30.

Referring to Figure 2 (B), the front surface of the air passage member 29 is partially protruded forward to form a blow-out protrusion 32. The blow-out protrusion 32 is in communication with the air passage 118. The blow-out 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 in communication with the air introduction section 22 described above. In this way, air rising via the air passage 118 can be blown directly into the air introduction section 22 described above via the blow-out 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 lid member 39 that constitutes the upper surface 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 and in front.

Referring to Figure 3(A), a hollow air inlet section 22 is formed inside the top surface 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 intake 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 connecting the upper end of the left side wall to the upper end of the right side wall at the front of the box-shaped storage section 31, a rear cross bar connecting the upper end of the left side wall to the upper end of the right side wall at the rear of the box-shaped storage section 31, and an underside formed across the front cross bar and 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. Air outlets 24 are formed on the underside of the air introduction section 22, on the left and right sides of the metal plate 23. The air outlets 24 are slit-shaped openings in the front-to-rear direction on the underside of the air introduction section 22, connecting the air introduction section 22 and the storage section 21, allowing air to be blown from the air introduction section 22 to the storage section 21.

Referring to Figure 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 inner side in the left-right direction, is located further inward in the left-right direction than the upper end of the side surface 38 of the drawer container 30, and 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, located on the outer side in the left-right direction, is located further outward in the left-right direction than the upper end of the side surface 38 of the drawer container 30, and the air blown out from the air outlet 242 is introduced along the outer surface of the drawer container 30, indirectly cooling the interior 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 Figure 4(A), approximately plate-shaped insulating material, described below, is arranged on the top, left, right, and rear surfaces of the box-shaped storage section 31.

With reference to FIG. 4(B), the box-shaped storage section 31 described above incorporates a left side wall 311, a right side wall 312, a top surface 313, and a rear surface 314 made of a heat insulating material such as foamed resin. The left side wall 311 is incorporated into the left side surface of the box-shaped storage section 31. The right side wall 312 is incorporated into the right side surface of the box-shaped storage section 31. The top surface 313 is incorporated into the upper side surface of the box-shaped storage section 31. The rear surface 314 is housed 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 top surface 313, and the rear surface 314 are insert molded. Also, with reference to FIG. 3(A), the top surface 313 is positioned above the air intake section 22.

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

The right side wall 312 may be made of the same insulating material that makes up the insulated box 11. The rear surface 314 may also be made of the same insulating material that makes up the air passage member 29.

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

As shown in Figure 5(A), two air outlets 24 are formed on the left side of the metal plate 23. As shown in Figure 5(B), two air outlets 24 are also 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 Figures 5(A) and 5(B), the metal plate 23 faces the storage section 21, allowing the air inside the storage section 21 to be cooled via 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 via the metal plate 23. The air outlets 24 are located at both ends of the box-shaped storage section 31 in the left-right direction. The air blown into the storage section 21 via the air inlet 22 and air outlet 24 flows along the left and right inner surfaces of the blow-out protrusion 32. This prevents the temperature of the stored items 34 inside the storage section 21 from changing significantly, preventing deterioration in freshness and dripping.

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

Referring to Figure 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 mentioned above is made up 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. Multiple ribs 27 are formed at approximately equal intervals in the front-to-rear direction. The metal tray 26 is placed on the upper ends of the ribs 27, separating the bottom surface of the drawer container 30 from the metal tray 26 and 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 that they 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 located. In this way, as described below, air flowing toward the center along the ribs 27 can be made to travel forward through the flat area and then released outside the drawer container 30.

Referring to Figure 6 (B), the left side edge of the metal tray 26 is spaced apart from the left side surface of the drawer container 30, forming a gap 35 between them. Similarly, the right side edge of the metal tray 26 is spaced apart from the right side surface of the drawer container 30, forming a gap 35 between them.

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

By doing this, 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 a perspective view of the box-shaped storage section 31 and the air duct member 29 viewed from below.

The small storage compartment 20 is supported from below by a support member 36. The rear of the support member 36 is opened to form a return port 28. The air that has cooled the interior of the box-shaped storage section 31 is blown forward from the gap between the drawer container 30 and the box-shaped storage section 31 at the front of the small storage compartment 20. Then, this air, along with the air that has cooled other areas of the refrigerator compartment 12, returns to the aforementioned cooling compartment 115 via the return port 28.

This embodiment can achieve the following main effects:

The freshness of the stored items 34 can be maintained for a long period of time. Specifically, referring to Figure 3, an air inlet section 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 section 22 is constructed from a metal plate 23, thereby allowing the stored items 34 stored in the storage section 21 to be indirectly cooled via the metal plate 23. This allows the opening formed in the storage section 21 to be smaller, so 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 Figure 6 (B), by placing the stored item 34, such as meat, on the upper surface of the metal tray 26 that forms 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 Figure 6 (B), air flows along the ribs 27, allowing the stored items 34 to be cooled more effectively through the metal tray 26.

Referring to Figure 3, by introducing air directly from the air duct 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 embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, by positioning some of the multiple air outlets 24 laterally outboard of the drawer container 30, some of the air blown through the air outlets 24 can flow between the box-shaped storage section 31 and the drawer container 30, allowing the drawer container 30 to be cooled from the outside as well.

Furthermore, by positioning all of the air outlets 24 laterally outboard of the drawer container 30, all of the air blown from the air outlets 24 can flow between the box-shaped storage section 31 and the drawer container 30, cooling the drawer container 30 from the outside.

The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiment is described below, along with its effects.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a refrigeration compartment, a small storage compartment partitioned within the refrigeration compartment, and an air duct through which air cooled in the cooling compartment is blown. The small storage compartment has a box-shaped storage section that stores stored items and is open at the top, and an air inlet section that is located above the storage section and covers the opening and through which air is introduced from the air duct. The underside of the air inlet section is constructed from a metal plate, and an air outlet is formed on the side of the metal plate for blowing the air into the storage section. This allows the refrigerator of the present invention to maintain the freshness of the stored items for a long period of time. Specifically, by forming the air inlet section above the storage section where stored items such as meat are stored and constructing the underside of the air inlet section from a metal plate, the stored items stored in the storage section can be cooled indirectly via the metal plate. This allows the cooling temperature of the stored items to be lowered and even maintains a constant temperature. This maintains the freshness of the stored items and suppresses the occurrence of dripping.

Furthermore, the refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in that a lower space 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 is made up of a metal tray, and the stored items are placed on the upper surface of the metal tray. As a result, with the refrigerator of the present invention, by placing the stored items, such as meat, on the upper surface of the metal tray that forms the upper surface of the lower space section, the stored items can be cooled via the metal tray, allowing for more effective and indirect cooling of the stored items.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the lower space has ribs, and the air introduced into the lower space from the storage section flows along the ribs. As a result, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the air flows along the ribs, allowing the stored items to be cooled more effectively via the metal tray.

The refrigerator of the present invention is also characterized in that the air is introduced into the air introduction section directly from the air duct. As a result, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, by introducing air into the air introduction section directly from the air duct, the storage section of the small storage compartment can be cooled to a lower temperature than the rest of the refrigerator compartment.

In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the small storage compartment has a box-shaped storage section and a drawer-type drawer container stored in the box-shaped storage section, and the air inlet section is formed in the box-shaped storage section, and the storage section is formed in the drawer 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 drawer container.

10 Refrigerator 11 Insulated box body 111 Outer box 112 Inner box 113 Insulation material 115 Cooling compartment 116 Evaporator 117 Defrost heater 118 Air duct 12 Refrigerating compartment 13 Freezer compartment 14 Machine compartment 15 Compressor 16 Air outlet 17 Insulated wall 18 Insulated door 19 Insulated door 20 Small storage compartment 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 duct 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 34 Stored item 35 Gap 36 Support section 37 Fan 38 Side surface 39 Lid member

Claims (5)

A refrigerator compartment and
A chilled compartment partitioned inside the refrigerating compartment;
an air duct through which the air cooled in the cooling chamber is blown,
The chilled compartment is
a box-shaped storage section in which the stored items are stored and which is open at the top;
an air introduction section that is a cavity provided above the storage section to cover the opening and into which the air is introduced from the air flow path,
a lower surface of the air introduction section made of a metal plate and an upper surface of the air introduction section made of a heat insulating material,
An air outlet for blowing the air into the storage section is formed only on the outer lateral side of the metal plate,
the air blown from the air passage is introduced into a space between the metal plate of the air introduction portion and the heat insulating material, and then moves toward the air outlet,
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 inner lateral surface of the storage section via the air outlet. The bottom surface of the storage section is provided with ribs,
A metal tray is placed on the upper end of the rib, and a lower space is formed surrounded by the metal tray and the rib;
A gap is formed between the metal tray and the inner side surface of the storage portion,
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the air along the inner side surfaces of the storage section is introduced into the lower space through the gap. The air introduction section is formed inside the box-shaped storage section,
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the metal plate is disposed on a lower surface of the air introduction portion, and the upper surface and side surfaces of the air introduction portion are surrounded by the box-shaped storage portion including the heat insulating material. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the air outlet is a slit-shaped opening. The chilled compartment is formed inside the box-shaped storage section,
The box-shaped storage section further includes an opening near the upper end of the rear surface thereof,
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the air is blown into the air intake section through the opening.