JP7794490B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to a refrigerator equipped with an air duct switch installed in the air duct.

Generally, in refrigerators, the storage compartment is cooled to a cooling temperature range by blowing air cooled by the evaporator in the refrigeration cycle through an air duct using a blower.

Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a double damper device equipped with multiple dampers. Specifically, multiple dampers are arranged in the left-right direction, and each air passage is opened and closed by opening and closing each damper individually. In this way, the volume of air blown into each storage compartment can be accurately controlled, and each storage compartment can be cooled to a predetermined cooling temperature range.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-194826 Patent No. 3724978

In the damper devices described in the above-mentioned patent documents, two dampers are arranged along the left-right direction. Therefore, if separate air passages are provided for three or more storage compartments, additional dampers must be installed. Increasing the number of dampers increases the external shape of the dampers, which creates the problem of compressing the interior space of the refrigerator. Another problem is that air passage resistance increases in the air passages where each damper is installed.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a refrigerator equipped with an air duct switch that has a compact external shape and can reduce air duct resistance.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises multiple air passages through which air flows to be blown into a storage compartment, air passage switches that open and close each of the air passages, and air passage insulation formed to extend along the air passages. The air passage switches have baffles provided corresponding to each of the air passages, a baffle drive unit that drives the opening and closing operation of the baffles, and a baffle frame formed to surround the baffles. A plurality of the baffles and baffle frames are arranged along the front-to-rear direction and a plurality of the baffles and baffle frames are arranged along the left-to-right direction, and the lower end of the air passage insulation is inserted into the gaps formed between the baffle frames.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the baffle drive unit has a casing, the baffle drive unit is arranged between adjacent baffles, a slit is formed in the air passage insulation material, and the casing is inserted into the slit.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the baffle drive unit has a casing, and ribs or recesses are provided on the outer surface of the casing, and air path insulation that forms the air path is attached to the ribs or recesses.

The refrigerator of the present invention has a compact external shape and is equipped with an air duct switch that can reduce air duct resistance.

1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an air passage configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an air passage cover and other components that configure an air passage in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an air duct cover, an air duct insulation material, an air duct switch, and an air duct cover that form an air duct in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an air duct switch of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the air duct switch seen from above on the front side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the air duct switch seen from below on the rear side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an air duct switch of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view of the air duct switch and a baffle as seen from above the front, and (B) is a perspective view of a baffle frame as seen from above the front. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an air duct switch of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the air duct switch as seen from the front right side, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of gears constituting the air duct switch as seen from the front right side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an open state of the air duct switch of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an air duct switch of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the air duct switch as seen from the front left side, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of gears constituting the air duct switch as seen from the front left side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an air duct switch and air duct insulation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is an oblique view of the air duct switch and air duct insulation seen from the front upper side, (B) is an oblique view of the air duct switch and air duct insulation seen from the rear lower side, and (C) is an enlarged oblique view of the air duct switch 30 seen from the front upper side. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an air duct switch and air duct insulation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is an oblique view of the air duct switch and air duct insulation seen from the front upper side, (B) is an oblique view of the air duct switch and air duct insulation seen from the rear lower side, and (C) is an enlarged oblique view of the air duct switch 30 seen from the front upper side. FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective view showing the configuration of a baffle and each air passage of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the operation of baffles and air passages of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a case where only one baffle is in an open state, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a case where only the other baffle is in an open state.

A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical components will generally be given the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, the terms up, down, front, back, left, and right will be used as appropriate, with left and right referring to the left and right when viewing the refrigerator 10 from the front. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a refrigerator 10 having storage compartments in the freezer temperature range and the refrigerator temperature range will be exemplified, but the refrigerator 10 may also have only a storage compartment in the freezer temperature range, or only a storage compartment in the refrigerator temperature range.

Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the entire refrigerator 10. The refrigerator 10 mainly comprises an insulated box 11 and a storage compartment formed inside the insulated box 11. From the top, these storage compartments are a refrigerator compartment 12, a vegetable compartment 15, and a freezer compartment 13. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by an insulated door 18, the front opening of the vegetable compartment 15 is closed by an insulated door 19, and the front opening of the freezer compartment 13 is closed by an insulated door 20 and an insulated door 21.

Small refrigerator compartments 121 and 122 are formed at the bottom of the interior of refrigerator compartment 12. Small refrigerator compartments 121 and 122 are separated by a synthetic resin panel. Small refrigerator compartments 121 and 122 are chilled compartments for storing, for example, meat, seafood, etc.

The insulated box 11 includes an outer box 111 made of steel plate bent into a predetermined shape, an inner box 112 made of a synthetic resin plate placed inside the outer box 111, and insulating material 113 filled between the outer box 111 and the inner box 112. The refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 15 are separated by an insulating wall 281, and the vegetable compartment 15 and the freezer compartment 13 are separated by an insulating wall 282. The insulating walls 281 and 282 have the same insulating structure as the insulated box 11.

A cooling compartment 115 is formed behind the freezer compartment 13. An evaporator 162, which is 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 161 is disposed in the machine compartment 14. The evaporator 162 and compressor 161 form a refrigerant compression refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration cycle includes the compressor 161, a condenser (not shown), an expansion means (not shown), and the evaporator 162. By operating the refrigeration cycle, the evaporator 162 cools the air inside the cooling compartment 115, and the air is blown into each storage compartment by the blower 24, maintaining the internal temperature of each storage compartment within a predetermined cooling temperature range. The components that make up the refrigeration cycle are interconnected by refrigerant piping made of metal pipes such as copper pipes.

The blower 24 is a centrifugal fan or axial fan that blows air cooled by the evaporator 162. An air duct 48 extends upward from the blower 24. An air outlet 44 is formed at the top end of the air duct 48, and an air outlet 16 is formed in the middle. Air for cooling the refrigerator compartment 12 is blown out from the air outlet 44 and the air outlet 16. The configuration of the air duct 48 will be described later with reference to Figure 4.

Air outlet 46 is an opening of air duct 48 formed behind small refrigerator compartment 122. Air is blown out from air outlet 46 to cool small refrigerator compartment 122. Air outlet 47 is an opening of air duct 48 formed behind vegetable compartment 15. Air is blown out from air outlet 46 to cool vegetable compartment 15.

The air outlet 17 is an opening formed in the partition wall at the front of the cooling chamber 115, and air for cooling the freezer chamber 13 is blown out from the air outlet 17.

The air path open/close switch 30 is provided in the middle of the air path 48 and opens and closes the air path 48. Details of the air path open/close switch 30 will be described later with reference to Figure 6, etc. The air path open/close switch 30 is also located directly above the blower 24.

Figure 2 is a front view showing the air duct configuration of the refrigerator 10. In this figure, the refrigerator compartment 12 and other components are indicated by dashed lines.

As mentioned above, an air passage 48 is formed above the blower 24, and an air passage switch 30 is disposed below the air passage 48. Air outlet 44, air outlet 16, air outlet 46, and air outlet 47 are formed in the air passage 48.

The return air duct 224 is an air duct connecting the vegetable compartment 15 and the cooling compartment 115, through which air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 15 and is returned to the cooling compartment 115 circulates. Two return air ducts 224 are formed at both ends of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction. A return port 221 is formed at the upper end of the return air duct 224, and the air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 15 flows from the return port 221 into the return air duct 224. A return port 222 is formed at the lower end of the return air duct 224, and the air returning from the return air duct 224 to the cooling compartment 115 passes through the return port 222.

An air outlet 17 is formed in the cooling chamber 115, and a return port 223 is formed below the air outlet 17. Air cooled by the evaporator 162 is blown into the freezer chamber 13 via the air outlet 17, and the air that has cooled the freezer chamber 13 returns to the cooling chamber 115 through the return port 223.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the air duct cover 42 and other components that make up the aforementioned air duct 48 in the refrigerator 10.

The air passage cover 42 is attached to the rear surface of the inner box 112 of the refrigerator 10 described above, and is a component within which the air passage 48 is formed. Like the inner box 112, the air passage cover 42 is made of a synthetic resin plate.

An air outlet 44 is formed by opening the upper end surface of the air duct cover 42. Furthermore, air outlet 16, air outlet 45, air outlet 46, and air outlet 47 are formed on the front surface of the air duct cover 42, from above. As mentioned above, air is blown out from air outlet 44 and air outlet 16 into the refrigerator compartment 12, air is blown out from air outlet 45 and air outlet 46 into the small refrigerator compartment 121 and small refrigerator compartment 122, and air is blown out from air outlet 47 into the vegetable compartment 15.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the air duct cover 42, air duct insulation 41, air duct switch 30, and air duct insulation 43 that make up the air duct 48 in the refrigerator 10.

Air path insulation 41 and air path insulation 43 are components that form air path 48, and air path insulation 43 is incorporated into the front lower end of air path insulation 41. In addition, air path insulation 41 and air path insulation 43 are covered from the front by air path cover 42.

Air passage insulation 41 is made of insulating material such as foam resin, and by recessing its interior toward the front, air passages 482 and 484 are formed through which the blown air flows. An opening 55 is formed by opening air passage insulation 41 at the upper end of air passage 482, and the position of opening 55 coincides with the position of air outlet 46 of air passage cover 42. Therefore, air that rises up air passage 482 is blown out into small refrigerator compartment 122 via opening 55 and air outlet 46.

In addition, an opening 54 is formed by opening the air path insulation 41 at the upper end of the air path 484. The position of the opening 54 in the air path insulation 41 coincides with the position of the air outlet 44 of the air path cover 42. Therefore, air that rises up the air path 484 passes through the opening 54 and the air outlet 44 and is blown into the refrigerator compartment 12.

Furthermore, multiple openings 29 are formed by opening the middle portion of the air path insulation 41. The positions of the openings 29 in the air path insulation 41 overlap the positions of the air outlets 16 of the air path cover 42. Therefore, some of the air circulating through the air path cover 42 is blown out into the refrigerator compartment 12 via the openings 29 and the air outlets 16.

Like air path insulation 41, air path insulation 43 is made of insulating material such as foamed resin, and its interior is recessed toward the front to form air paths 481 and 483. An opening 57 is formed by opening the upper end of air path 481, and the position of opening 57 in air path insulation 43 coincides with the position of air outlet 47 of air path cover 42. Therefore, air that rises up air path 481 is blown into vegetable compartment 15 via opening 57 and air outlet 47.

In addition, an opening 56 is formed by opening the upper end of the air passage 483, and the position of the opening 56 coincides with the position of the air outlet 45 of the air passage cover 42. Therefore, air that rises up the air passage 482 is blown out into the small refrigerator compartment 121 via the opening 56 and the air outlet 45.

Air path open/close switch 30 is incorporated into the lower end of air path insulation 41 and the lower end of air path insulation 43, and has the function of opening and closing the aforementioned air path 481, etc. Air path open/close switch 30 has baffle 311, baffle 312, baffle 313, and baffle 314. Baffle 311 is provided in air path 481, baffle 312 is provided in air path 482, baffle 313 is provided in air path 483, and baffle 314 is provided in air path 484. Details of air path open/close switch 30 will be described later with reference to Figure 5, etc.

Figure 5(A) is a perspective view of air path opener 30 seen from above on the front side, and Figure 5(B) is a perspective view of air path opener 30 seen from below on the rear side. In the following description, baffles 311, 312, 313, and 314 are collectively referred to as baffles 31, and baffle frame 321, 322, 323, and 324 are collectively referred to as baffle frame 32.

Referring to FIG. 5(A), the air passage open/close switch 30 has baffles 31 and a baffle drive unit 33 that drives the opening and closing operation of these baffles 31. Baffles 311, 312, 313, and 314 are arranged in a matrix in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. When viewed from above, the baffle 31 has an overall outer edge shape that is approximately rectangular.

Baffle drive unit 33 is disposed between baffles 311 and 312 and between baffles 313 and 314. In this manner, a single baffle drive unit 33 can drive baffle 31 to open and close.

Baffle 31 is driven to open and close within baffle frame 32. Specifically, baffle 311 is housed in baffle frame 321, baffle 312 is housed in baffle frame 322, baffle 313 is housed in baffle frame 323, and baffle 314 is housed in baffle frame 324.

Referring to FIG. 5(B), a substantially rectangular opening 581 is formed by opening the bottom surface of the baffle frame 321, and when closing the air passage 481 shown in FIG. 4, the opening 581 is closed by the baffle 311. Similarly, an opening 582 is formed by opening the baffle frame 322, and when closing the air passage 482 shown in FIG. 4, the opening 582 is closed by the baffle 312. Furthermore, an opening 583 is formed by opening the baffle frame 323, and when closing the air passage 483 shown in FIG. 4, the opening 583 is closed by the baffle 313. Furthermore, an opening 584 is formed by opening the baffle frame 324, and when closing the air passage 484 shown in FIG. 4, the opening 584 is closed by the baffle 314.

Figure 6(A) is a perspective view of the air duct opener 30 and baffle 31 viewed from above the front, and Figure 6(B) is a perspective view of the baffle frame 32 viewed from above the front.

Referring to FIG. 6(A), baffle 311 has a pivot shaft 491 that protrudes to the left formed at its rear left end, and a pivot shaft 492 that protrudes to the right formed at its rear right end. Baffle 312 has a pivot shaft 493 that protrudes to the left formed at its rear left end, and a pivot shaft 494 that protrudes to the right formed at its rear right end. Baffle 313 has a pivot shaft 498 that protrudes to the left formed at its rear left end, and a pivot shaft 497 that protrudes to the right formed at its rear right end. Baffle 314 has a pivot shaft 496 that protrudes to the left formed at its rear left end, and a pivot shaft 495 that protrudes to the right formed at its rear right end. Here, pivot shaft 495 is not shown as it is hidden by the baffle drive unit 33.

The rotation shaft 491 of baffle 311, the rotation shaft 493 of baffle 312, the rotation shaft 497 of baffle 313, and the rotation shaft 495 of baffle 314 are connected to the baffle gear 374 (described later) and other components so as not to rotate relative to each other.

Referring to FIG. 6(B), holes 501 and 502 are formed by opening approximately circular holes in the opposing wall portions of baffle frame 321 in the left-right direction. Similarly, holes 503 and 504 are formed by opening baffle frame 322. Holes 507 and 508 are formed by opening baffle frame 323. Holes 505 and 506 are formed by opening baffle frame 324. Here, holes 502, 504, 506, and 508 do not necessarily have to be formed as through holes, but may also be formed as bottomed holes recessed outward in the left-right direction.

Pivot shafts 491 and 492 of baffle 311 shown in FIG. 6(A) are rotatably inserted into holes 501 and 502 of baffle frame 321 shown in FIG. 6(B). Similarly, pivot shafts 493 and 494 of baffle 312 are rotatably inserted into holes 503 and 504 of baffle frame 322. Furthermore, pivot shafts 497 and 498 of baffle 313 are rotatably inserted into holes 507 and 508 of baffle frame 323. Furthermore, pivot shafts 495 and 496 of baffle 314 are rotatably inserted into holes 505 and 506 of baffle frame 324.

Figure 7(A) is a perspective view of the air path open/close switch 30 as seen from the front right side, and Figure 7(B) is an enlarged perspective view of each gear that makes up the air path open/close switch 30 as seen from the front right side.

Referring to Figure 7 (A), the baffle drive unit 33 is located in the center of the air path opener 30 and has multiple gears for rotating the baffle 31.

Referring to Figure 7 (B), the baffle drive unit 33 has a motor 34, a motor gear 35, driven gears 364 and 363, baffle gears 374 and 373, 374.

The motor gear 35 is rotated by the motor 34 and meshes with the transmission gear 366. The transmission gear 366 is integrated with the driven gear 364 and the driven gear 362. The baffle gear 374 is disposed in front of the driven gear 364, and meshes with the driven gear 364. The rotation shaft 491 of the baffle 311 is inserted into the baffle gear 374 so that it cannot rotate relative to the baffle gear 374. Therefore, when the motor 34 rotates the motor gear 35, the rotational force rotates the baffle gear 374 via the transmission gear 366 and the driven gear 364, thereby rotating the baffle 311.

The oblique view of Figure 8 shows the air path opener 30 with only baffle 311 in the open state and baffles 312, 313, and 314 in the closed state.

Referring to Figure 7 (B), the gear ratio of the baffle gear 374 is smaller than that of the driven gear 364. This allows the baffle gear 374 to rotate by a larger amount compared to the rotation amount of the driven gear 364. For example, by rotating the driven gear 364 by 80 degrees, the baffle gear 374 can be rotated by 90 degrees. Therefore, when the baffle 311 is opened, the baffle 311 can be reliably placed in a vertical position, thereby reducing the airflow resistance of the airflow path 481 described above.

Motor gear 35 is also meshed with transmission gear 365. Transmission gear 365 is integrated with driven gear 363 and driven gear 361 (see Figure 9 (B)). Baffle gear 373 is located behind driven gear 363, and driven gear 363 is meshed with baffle gear 373. The rotation shaft 493 of baffle 312 is inserted into baffle gear 373 so that it cannot rotate relative to the baffle gear 373. Again, to ensure that baffle 312 rotates 90 degrees in the open state, the gear ratio of baffle gear 373 is small compared to driven gear 363.

Figure 9(A) is a perspective view of the air path open/close switch 30 as seen from the front left, and Figure 9(B) is an enlarged perspective view of each gear that makes up the air path open/close switch 30 as seen from the front left.

Referring to Figure 9 (B), the driven gear 362 is integrated with the aforementioned transmission gear 366. Furthermore, a baffle gear 372 is disposed in front of the driven gear 362, and is positioned so that the driven gear 362 and the baffle gear 372 can mesh with each other. Furthermore, the rotation shaft 497 of the baffle 313 is inserted and connected to the baffle gear 372 so that it cannot rotate relative to the baffle gear 372. Again, the gear ratio of the baffle gear 372 is set smaller than that of the driven gear 362 to ensure that the baffle 313 can be rotated 90 degrees in the open state.

The front portion of transmission gear 365 meshes with transmission gear 366. Transmission gear 365 is also integrated with driven gear 361 and driven gear 363 (see Figure 7 (B)). Baffle gear 371 is disposed behind driven gear 361, and driven gear 361 and baffle gear 371 are disposed so that they can mesh with each other. The rotating shaft 495 of baffle 314 is inserted into baffle gear 371 so that they cannot rotate relative to each other.

When motor 34 rotates motor gear 35, the rotational force passes through transmission gear 366, transmission gear 365, and driven gear 361 to rotate baffle gear 371, thereby rotating baffle 314. Again, to ensure that baffle 314 rotates 90 degrees in the open state, the gear ratio of baffle gear 371 is made smaller than that of driven gear 361.

Figure 10(A) is a perspective view of the air path switch 30 and air path insulation material 41 viewed from the front upper side, Figure 10(B) is a perspective view of the air path switch 30 and air path insulation material 41 viewed from the rear lower side, and Figure 10(C) is an enlarged perspective view of the air path switch 30 viewed from the front upper side.

Referring to Figure 10 (A), approximately plate-shaped insertion sections 521 and 522 are formed at the lower end of the air passage insulation material 41. Furthermore, a substantially rectangular slit 51 is formed between the insertion sections 521 and 522 when viewed from the front.

The baffle drive unit 33 of the air path open/close switch 30 has a casing 38. The casing 38 is made of synthetic resin and molded into a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. The gears and other components that make up the baffle drive unit 33 described above are housed inside the casing 38.

Referring to Figure 10 (B), a contact portion 49 is disposed on the rear side of the slit 51. The contact portion 49 is the lower end surface of the portion that separates the air passages 482 and 484, and may be a flat surface or may have an inverted shape of the recess 40 described below.

Referring to Figure 10 (C), a recess 40 is formed on the top surface of the casing 38. The recess 40 is formed so as to extend linearly along the front-to-rear direction on the top surface of the casing 38. Furthermore, the recess 40 is also formed so as to extend linearly along the left-to-right direction on the top surface of the casing 38. In other words, the recess 40 is formed in a roughly cross shape on the top surface of the casing 38.

The casing 38 of the air path switch 30 is inserted into the slit 51 shown in Figure 10 (B). The top surface of the casing 38, on which the recess 40 is formed, is in close contact with the abutment portion 49. This seals the space between the top surface of the casing 38 and the abutment portion 49 of the air path insulation material 41, separating air path 482 from air path 484, and preventing air from entering from air path 482 to air path 484, for example.

Instead of the recess 40 described above, a rib may be formed on the top surface of the casing 38, and the rib may be made to fit closely to the abutment portion 49.

Furthermore, referring to FIG. 10(C), a gap 532 is formed between the baffle frame 321 and the baffle frame 322. Furthermore, the baffle wall 3221 of the baffle frame 321 faces the gap 532, and the baffle wall 3211 of the baffle frame 322 faces the gap 532. The baffle wall 3211 of the baffle frame 322 is formed higher than the baffle wall 3221 of the baffle frame 321. Here, the baffle frame 321 is the first baffle frame, and the baffle frame 322 is the second baffle frame.

Similarly, the baffle wall portion 3241 of the baffle frame portion 324 faces the baffle wall portion 3231 of the baffle frame portion 323 across a gap 531. Furthermore, the baffle wall portion 3241 is formed higher than the baffle wall portion 3231.

By doing this, the insertion portion 521 and insertion portion 522 of the air path insulation material 41 shown in FIG. 10(A) can be easily inserted into the gap 531 and gap 532 of the air path switch 30. Specifically, when inserting the insertion portion 521 of the air path insulation material 41 into the gap 531 of the air path switch 30, the high baffle wall portion 3241 functions as a guide plate. Furthermore, because the baffle wall portion 3241 and the baffle wall portion 3231 are at different heights, a large opening is formed at the top of the gap 531, making it easy to insert the insertion portion 521 into the gap 531.

Similarly, on the right side of the air path open/close switch 30 shown in Figure 10(C), the baffle wall portion 3211 is formed higher than the baffle wall portion 3221, so that the insertion portion 522 of the air path insulation material 41 shown in Figure 10(A) can be easily inserted into the gap 532.

Figure 11(A) is a perspective view of the air path switch 30 and air path insulation material 41 viewed from the front upper side, Figure 11(B) is a perspective view of the air path switch 30 and air path insulation material 41 viewed from the rear lower side, and Figure 11(C) is an enlarged perspective view of the air path switch 30 viewed from the front upper side.

Referring to FIG. 11(C), baffle frame 322, baffle frame 323, and baffle frame 324 are integrally formed from synthetic resin. For example, baffle frame 323 is the first baffle frame, and baffle frame 324 is the second baffle frame. A substantially horizontal flat surface 62 is formed between baffle frame 323 and baffle frame 324. This allows abutment surface 64, which is the underside of air path opener 30 shown in FIG. 11(B), to abut and adhere tightly to flat surface 62 of air path opener 30, thereby separating air path 483, which is opened and closed by baffle 313, from air path 484, which is opened and closed by baffle 314.

Also, referring to FIG. 11(C), the outer surface 63 of the baffle 31 is a substantially flat surface. Specifically, the outer surface 63 is, for example, the right and front side surfaces of the baffle frame 322, the right and front side surfaces of the casing 38, the front and left side surfaces of the baffle frame 323, and the left side surface of the baffle frame 324. In this way, the outer surface 63 of the air path opener 30 can be brought into close contact with the inner surface 61 formed at the lower end of the air path insulation material 41 shown in FIG. 11(B), thereby sealing the space between each air path and the air path opener 30.

Figure 12 is a cutaway perspective view showing the configuration of each baffle and each air passage.

As mentioned above, air path open/close switch 30 has baffles 311 and 312, with cavity 60 formed between baffles 311 and 312. Cavity 60 is an internal space made of synthetic resin and formed with a hat-shaped cross section. As mentioned above, baffle 311 opens and closes air path 481, and baffle 312 opens and closes air path 482.

Figure 13(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the state when only baffle 311 is open, and Figure 13(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state when only baffle 312 is open.

Referring to Figure 13 (A), when the baffle 311 is opened by rotating it approximately 90 degrees around the pivot shaft 492, the low-temperature air cooled by the evaporator 162 described above is blown out into the vegetable compartment 15 via the air passage 481 and opening 57. At this time, the presence of the cavity 60 insulates the air passages 481 and 482, preventing the pivot shaft 494 of the baffle 312 from freezing.

Referring to Figure 13 (B), baffle 312 can be opened by rotating it approximately 90 degrees around pivot shaft 494, allowing air to be blown toward refrigerator compartment 12 via air passage 482. At this time, baffle 311 is closed by rotating it approximately 90 degrees around pivot shaft 492 in the opposite direction to that described above. At this time, cavity 60 provides thermal insulation between air passage 482 and air passage 481, preventing freezing of pivot shaft 492.

The present embodiment described above can achieve the following main effects:

Referring to Figure 5 (A), a refrigerator 10 can be provided that has a compact external shape and is equipped with an air duct switch 30 that can reduce air duct resistance. That is, by arranging multiple baffles 31 along the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, air duct resistance in the air duct switch 30 can be reduced, and the difference in air volume between the left-side air duct 48 and the right-side air duct 48 can be reduced. As a result, each storage compartment can be efficiently cooled to a predetermined temperature.

Also, referring to Figure 5 (A), by disposing the baffle drive unit 33 between the baffles 31, it is possible to effectively drive the opening and closing operations of all the baffles 31 with a single baffle drive unit 33.

Also, referring to Figure 9 (B), by making the gear ratio of the baffle gear 371 smaller than that of the driven gear, a large amount of rotation of the baffle gear 371 can be obtained with a small rotation of the driven gear, allowing the baffle 31 to be opened and closed reliably.

Also, referring to Figure 10 (C), by attaching air passage insulation 41 to ribs or recesses 40 provided on the outer surface of the casing 38, the gap between the baffle drive unit 33 and the casing 38 can be sealed, preventing air from leaking from the gap between the two.

Also, referring to Figure 10 (C), in the gap between the baffle frame portions 321 and 322, either the baffle wall portion 3221 of the baffle frame portion 321 or the baffle wall portion 3211 of the baffle frame portion 322 is formed higher than the other, so that the lower end of the air path insulation material 41 can be easily inserted into the gap between the baffle frame portions 321 and 322.

Also, referring to Figure 11 (C), by integrally forming the baffle frame portion 323 and the baffle frame portion 324, it is possible to reliably separate the air passages 48 in which each baffle 31 is provided.

Also, referring to Figure 11 (C), because the outer surface 63 of the baffle frame 322 or 324 is flat, the outer surface 63 of the baffle frame 321 or 322 can be brought into close contact with the air passage insulation material 41, improving the airtightness of the air passage 48.

Also, referring to Figure 13 (A), the cavity 60 allows the baffles 31 to be insulated from each other, preventing the drive parts of the adjacent baffles 312 from freezing when the baffle 311 is in the open position.

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.

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

The refrigerator of the present invention includes multiple air ducts through which air flows to be blown into a storage compartment, and an air duct switch that opens and closes each of the air ducts. The air duct switch has a baffle corresponding to each of the air ducts and a baffle drive unit that drives the opening and closing operation of the baffle, and is characterized in that multiple baffles are arranged along the front-to-rear direction and multiple baffles are arranged along the left-to-right direction. Therefore, the refrigerator of the present invention can provide a refrigerator with a compact external shape and an air duct switch that can reduce air duct resistance. Specifically, by arranging multiple baffles along the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions, air duct resistance at the air duct switch can be reduced, and the difference in air volume between the left-side air duct and the right-side air duct can be reduced. As a result, each storage compartment can be efficiently cooled to a predetermined temperature.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the baffle drive unit is disposed between adjacent baffles in the left-right direction. Therefore, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, by disposing the baffle drive unit between the baffles, it is possible to effectively drive the opening and closing operations of all the baffles with a single baffle drive unit.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the baffle drive unit has a casing, and ribs or recesses are provided on the outer surface of the casing, and air path insulation that forms the air path is tightly attached to the ribs or recesses. Therefore, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, by tightly attaching the air path insulation to the ribs or recesses provided on the outer surface of the casing, the gap between the baffle drive unit and the casing can be sealed, preventing air from leaking from the gap between them.

Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the baffle includes a first baffle and a second baffle adjacent to the first baffle, a first baffle frame portion is disposed around the first baffle, and a second baffle frame portion is disposed around the second baffle, and in the gap between the first baffle frame portion and the second baffle frame portion, one of the first baffle frame portion and the second baffle frame portion is formed higher than the other. Therefore, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, by forming one of the first baffle frame portion and the second baffle frame portion higher than the other in the gap between the first baffle frame portion and the second baffle frame portion, the lower end of the air passage insulation can be easily inserted into the gap between the first baffle frame portion and the second baffle frame portion.

The refrigerator of the present invention is also characterized by forming a cavity between adjacent baffles in the left-right direction. Therefore, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the cavity can insulate the baffles from each other, and when one baffle is in the open position, the drive unit of the adjacent baffle can be prevented from freezing.

10 Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 111 Outer box 112 Inner box 113 Insulation material 115 Cooling compartment 12 Refrigerating compartment 121 Small refrigerator compartment 122 Small refrigerator compartment 13 Freezer compartment 14 Machine compartment 15 Vegetable compartment 16 Air outlet 161 Compressor 162 Evaporator 17 Air outlet 18 Insulated door 19 Insulated door 20 Insulated door 21 Insulated door 221 Return port 222 Return port 223 Return port 224 Return air duct 24 Blower 281 Insulated wall 282 Insulated wall 29 Opening 30 Air duct switch 31 Baffle 311 Baffle 312 Baffle 313 Baffle 314 Baffle 32 Baffle frame portion 321 Baffle frame portion 3211 Baffle wall portion 322 Baffle frame portion 3221 Baffle wall portion 323 Baffle frame 3231 Baffle wall 324 Baffle frame 3241 Baffle wall 33 Baffle drive unit 34 Motor 35 Motor gear 361 Driven gear 362 Driven gear 363 Driven gear 364 Driven gear 365 Transmission gear 366 Transmission gear 371 Baffle gear 372 Baffle gear 373 Baffle gear 374 Baffle gear 38 Casing 40 Recess 41 Air passage heat insulating material 42 Air passage cover 43 Air passage heat insulating material 44 Air outlet 45 Air outlet 46 Air outlet 47 Air outlet 48 Air passage 481 Air passage 482 Air passage 483 Air passage 484 Air passage 49 Contact portion 491 Rotating shaft 492 Rotating shaft 493 Rotating shaft 494 Rotating shaft 495 Rotating shaft 496 Pivot shaft 497 Pivot shaft 498 Pivot shaft 501 Hole 502 Hole 503 Hole 504 Hole 505 Hole 506 Hole 507 Hole 508 Hole 51 Slit 521 Insertion portion 522 Insertion portion 531 Gap 532 Gap 54 Opening 55 Opening 56 Opening 57 Opening 581 Opening 582 Opening 583 Opening 584 Opening 60 Cavity 61 Inner surface 62 Flat surface 63 Outer surface 64 Contact surface

Claims (3)

a plurality of air passages through which air blown into the storage chamber flows;
air path switches that open and close the air paths;
an air passage heat insulating material formed to extend along the air passage,
the air path open/close device includes baffles provided corresponding to the respective air paths, a baffle drive unit that drives the opening and closing operation of the baffles, and a baffle frame unit formed to surround the baffles,
a plurality of the baffles and the baffle frame portions are arranged along the front-rear direction and a plurality of the baffles and the baffle frame portions are arranged along the left-right direction,
The refrigerator is characterized in that a lower end of the air passage heat insulating material is inserted into a gap formed between the baffle frame portions. the baffle drive unit has a casing,
the baffle drive unit is disposed between adjacent baffles,
A slit is formed in the air passage insulation material,
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the casing is inserted into the slit. the baffle drive unit has a casing,
a rib or a recess is provided on the outer surface of the casing;
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the air passage heat insulating material forming the air passage is in close contact with the rib or the recess.