JP7805973B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator for storing food, drinking water, etc. in a refrigerated or frozen state, and in particular to a refrigerator having an inner compartment provided within a refrigerated compartment.

Refrigerators have a refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, vegetable compartment, etc. located inside an insulated box, and the compartments are separated by insulated partition walls to minimize heat transfer. Furthermore, recent refrigerators are known to have an inner compartment inside the refrigerator compartment that can store animal products such as raw meat and fish, and pre-cooked dishes such as salads, separate from the above-mentioned storage compartments. This inner compartment is known to be a reduced-pressure storage compartment, where the pressure in the storage compartment is reduced using a vacuum pump, for example, to reduce the oxygen concentration in the reduced-pressure storage compartment and prevent food oxidation and maintain freshness.

Note that other known inner chambers use indirect cooling, with cold air flowing outside the chamber, without reducing the pressure using a vacuum pump, and cold air is supplied to the inner chamber for storage, without reducing the pressure using a vacuum pump. While these types will be included in the description of the inner chamber in this invention, the following explanation will focus primarily on the example of a reduced-pressure storage chamber that reduces the pressure using a vacuum pump.

Such a reduced-pressure storage compartment is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-150763 (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 shows a refrigerator that has a sealable reduced-pressure storage compartment that is cooled by a cold air flow independently of the freezer and refrigerated storage compartments, and that uses a vacuum pump to evacuate the air in this reduced-pressure storage compartment to create a reduced-pressure state, as well as a deodorizing device that deodorizes odors from food stored in the reduced-pressure storage compartment. This allows the deodorizing device to remove odorous substances from food that are generated when the reduced-pressure storage compartment is depressurized.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-150763

However, with the recent rise in environmental awareness, there is a demand to use recycled materials (for example, recycled plastic materials) in the components of home appliances, and refrigerators are no exception. For this reason, the use of recycled materials in refrigerators is being considered, and one application of this is the reduced pressure storage compartment. However, using recycled plastic materials in this reduced pressure storage compartment has led to the following issues:

Recycled plastic materials are known to emit residual odors because they are made from resin materials that have been used and discarded in manufactured products. For this reason, if recycled plastic materials are used for the components that make up the storage compartment of a reduced-pressure storage chamber, the odor emitted from the recycled plastic material will transfer to the food when food is stored in the storage compartment, resulting in so-called "odor transfer."

In particular, the reduced pressure storage compartment remains sealed for a long period of time, which increases the chance of odors transferring to food. Given this background, there is a demand for refrigerators equipped with reduced pressure storage compartments that increase the use of recycled plastic materials and reduce the "transfer of odors" to food. As mentioned above, the same is also required for other compartments besides the reduced pressure storage compartment.

The present invention provides
A refrigerator comprising at least a heat-insulating box, a refrigerator compartment formed in the heat-insulating box, an inner chamber disposed inside the refrigerator compartment, a refrigeration cycle that generates cold air, and a cold air passage that supplies the cold air from the refrigeration cycle to the refrigerator compartment by a blower fan,
The inner chamber comprises:
a container that is open on at least one side;
a lid that closes the opening;
an inner space substantially surrounded by the container and the lid;
a member disposed on the refrigerating compartment side,
Virgin materials are used for the surfaces of the container and the lid that come into contact with the internal space, and recycled materials are used for the members.

This invention allows for a refrigerator that increases the use of recycled materials and reduces odor transfer to food.

1 is a front view of a refrigerator to which the present invention is applied; FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of a reduced pressure storage chamber (inner chamber) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the reduced pressure storage chamber assembly shown in FIG. 3, seen obliquely from above. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing components of the reduced pressure storage chamber shown in FIG. 4 . FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of an inner chamber according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and its scope also includes various modifications and applications within the technical concept of the present invention.

Before describing specific embodiments of the present invention, the configuration of a refrigerator to which the present invention is applicable will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Note that Figure 1 shows the front of the refrigerator, and the following description will use a six-door refrigerator 1 as an example, but is not limited to six doors. Also, Figure 2 shows a vertical cross section of the refrigerator.

As shown in Figure 1, the insulated box body 10 of the refrigerator 1 has, from top to bottom, a refrigerator compartment 2, an ice-making compartment 3 on each side, an upper freezer compartment 4, a lower freezer compartment 5, and a vegetable compartment 6. As will be explained in detail in Figure 2, the refrigerator 1 also has a refrigeration cycle that generates cold air, and a cold air supply path that supplies cold air from the refrigeration cycle to the refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, and vegetable compartment via a blower fan. The ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5 are collectively referred to as the freezer compartment 7. The refrigerator 1 has doors that open and close the openings of each storage compartment.

These doors are the left and right rotating refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b, which open and close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 2, and the pull-out ice compartment door 3a, upper freezer compartment door 4a, lower freezer compartment door 5a, and vegetable compartment door 6a, which open and close the openings of the ice compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6, respectively. The refrigerator compartment door 2a is equipped with an operation panel 19 that displays typical interior settings and status. Door hinges (not shown) are provided at the top and bottom of the refrigerator compartment 2 to secure the refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b to the refrigerator 1.

Refrigerator compartment 2 is a refrigerated storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range (above 0°C), for example, at an average of approximately 4°C. Freezer compartment 7 is a refrigerated storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the freezing temperature range (below 0°C), for example, at an average of approximately -18°C. Vegetable compartment 6 is a refrigerated storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of approximately 6°C, and uses indirect cooling, described below, to prevent food from drying out.

Insulated partition walls 28 are installed between the refrigerator compartment 2, ice-making compartment 3, and upper freezer compartment 4; insulated partition walls 30 are installed between the ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, and freezer compartment 5; and insulated partition wall 29 is installed between freezer compartment 5 and vegetable compartment 6, preventing heat from passing in and out between the various storage compartments.

Next, Figure 2 shows a cross section taken along line II-II in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the refrigerator 1 is constructed such that the interior and exterior are separated by an insulated box 10 formed by filling a foam insulation material (e.g., urethane foam) between an outer box 10a (made of steel plate) and an inner box 10b (made of synthetic resin).

Insulated box 10 uses foam insulation and vacuum insulation 25, which has a lower thermal conductivity than foam insulation, between outer box 10a and inner box 10b to improve insulation performance without reducing food storage capacity. The vacuum insulation is made by wrapping a core material such as glass wool or urethane in an outer packaging material. The outer packaging material contains a metal layer (e.g., aluminum) to ensure gas barrier properties. Vacuum insulation 25 is also installed on lower freezer compartment door 5a of lower freezer compartment 5, a relatively large freezer storage compartment.

Refrigerator compartment 2 is separated from ice-making compartment 3 and upper freezer compartment 4 by an insulated partition wall 28. Lower freezer compartment 5 is separated from vegetable compartment 6 by an insulated partition wall 29. An insulated partition wall 30 is provided on the front side of each of the storage compartments, ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5, to prevent air from leaking from inside freezer compartment 7 through the gaps in doors 3a, 4a, and 5a, and to prevent air from outside from entering each storage compartment. Freezer compartment 7 and vegetable compartment 6 are each provided with an ice-making compartment container (not shown), upper freezer compartment container 4b, lower freezer compartment container 5b, and vegetable compartment container 6b, which are pulled out together with doors 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6a, respectively.

The refrigerator 1 is equipped with a first evaporator 14a, a freezer-compatible evaporator that cools the freezer compartment 7 and the vegetable compartment 6. This first evaporator 14a is located within the first evaporator compartment 8a, a freezer evaporator compartment located approximately at the rear of the freezer compartment 7. The freezer compartment 7 and the first evaporator compartment 8a are separated by a partition member 20a that forms the wall on the freezer compartment 7 side and a partition member 20b that forms the wall on the first evaporator compartment 8a side. The partition member 20a is made of, for example, polypropylene, a type of resin material, and is 1.5 mm thick. The partition member 20b (foam insulation material) is made of, for example, foam-molded polystyrene foam (Styrofoam). The thickness of the partition member 20b is set to 10 mm, taking into consideration moldability during foaming, ease of assembly when installing the refrigerator, impact resistance, and suppression of temperature fluctuations in the freezer compartment 7.

When cooling the freezer compartment 7, the freezer compartment damper 101 is opened and the first fan 9a, which is a freezer fan, is driven. The air in the first evaporator compartment 8a, cooled by the first evaporator 14a, is blown into the freezer compartment 7 by the first fan 9a located above the first evaporator 14a through the freezer compartment damper 101, the freezer compartment air duct 12, and the freezer compartment outlet 12a, thereby cooling the freezer compartment 7. The air blown into the freezer compartment 7 returns to the first evaporator compartment 8a through the freezer compartment return port 12b and is cooled again by the first evaporator 14a.

When cooling the vegetable compartment 6, the vegetable compartment damper 102 is opened and the first fan 9a is driven. The air in the first evaporator compartment 8a, cooled by the first evaporator 14a, is blown into the vegetable compartment 6 via the vegetable compartment damper 102 by the first fan 9a, cooling the vegetable compartment 6. When the vegetable compartment 6 is cold, the vegetable compartment damper 102 is closed to prevent the vegetable compartment 6 from being cooled. The air blown into the vegetable compartment 6 returns to the bottom of the first evaporator compartment 8a through the vegetable compartment-side cool air return section 18 located at the bottom of the insulating partition wall 29.

A defrost heater 21 that heats the first evaporator 14a is provided at the bottom of the first evaporator chamber 8a. This defrost heater 21 is, for example, a 50W to 200W electric heater, and in this embodiment is a 150W radiant heater. Defrost water (melt water) generated when defrosting the first evaporator 14a falls into a first evaporator drain 23a provided at the bottom of the first evaporator chamber 8a, and is discharged into an evaporation tray 32 provided at the top of the compressor 24 via a first evaporator drain outlet 22a and a first evaporator drain pipe 27a.

The second evaporator 14b, which is an evaporator for the refrigerator storage compartment, is located in the second evaporator compartment 8b, which is a refrigerator evaporator compartment located approximately at the rear of the refrigerator compartment 2. The air that has been cooled by heat exchange with the second evaporator 14b is blown into the refrigerator compartment 2 via the refrigerator compartment air duct 11 and refrigerator compartment outlet 11a by the second fan 9b, which is a refrigerator fan located above the second evaporator 14b, thereby cooling the interior of the refrigerator compartment 2. The air blown into the refrigerator compartment 2 returns to the second evaporator compartment 8b through the refrigerator compartment return port 15 and is cooled again by the second evaporator 14b.

A reduced pressure storage chamber 44, which is the subject of this embodiment, is provided above the insulating partition wall 28. A vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the reduced pressure storage chamber 44, which functions to exhaust air from the chamber 44 as needed to maintain a reduced pressure state and keep food fresh. When the access cover attached to the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 is opened, the reduced pressure release valve opens, allowing air from the refrigerator compartment to flow into the reduced pressure storage chamber 44, facilitating the opening of the access cover. Conversely, when the access cover is closed, the vacuum pump is activated to exhaust air from the chamber 44, once again maintaining the reduced pressure state in the reduced pressure storage chamber 44.

The second evaporator 14b defrosts using off-cycle defrosting, which circulates air from the refrigerator compartment 2 and uses the heat from the refrigerator compartment 2 to defrost. The defrost water generated during defrosting of the second evaporator 14b falls into the second evaporator drain 23b located at the bottom of the second evaporator compartment 8b, and is discharged into the evaporation pan 32 located in the machine compartment 39 via the second evaporator drain outlet (not shown) and the second evaporator drain pipe (not shown).

Refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, freezer compartment temperature sensor 42, and vegetable compartment temperature sensor 43 are installed on the rear interior sides of refrigerator compartment 2, freezer compartment 7, and vegetable compartment 6, respectively. A first evaporator temperature sensor 40a is installed above first evaporator 14a. A second evaporator temperature sensor 40b is installed above second evaporator 14b. These temperature sensors 41, 42, 43, 40a, and 40b detect the temperatures of refrigerator compartment 2, freezer compartment 7, vegetable compartment 6, second evaporator 14b, and first steamer 1. Additionally, an outside air temperature sensor 37 that detects the temperature of outside air (outside the refrigerator compartment) and an outside air humidity sensor 38 that detects humidity are installed inside door hinge cover 16 on the ceiling of refrigerator 1. Other sensors, such as door sensors (not shown) that detect the open/closed states of doors 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6a, are also installed.

A control board (control device, control unit) 31 is located on top of the refrigerator 1. The control board 31 is equipped with a CPU, which is part of the control device, memory such as ROM and RAM, an interface circuit, etc. The control board 31 is connected by electrical wiring (not shown) to an outside air temperature sensor 37, an outside air humidity sensor 38, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 42, a vegetable compartment temperature sensor 43, a first evaporator temperature sensor 40a, a second evaporator temperature sensor 40b, etc.

The control board 31 also controls the compressor 24, first fan 9a, second fan 9b, freezer compartment damper 101, and vegetable compartment damper 102 based on the output values of each sensor, the settings of the operation unit 18, and programs pre-recorded in ROM.

Next, we will explain the specific configuration of the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 in a refrigerator configured as described above.

As mentioned above, recycled plastic materials are known to emit residual odors because they are made from resin materials that have been used and discarded in manufactured products, etc. For this reason, if recycled plastic materials are used for the main body of a reduced-pressure storage chamber, when food is stored in the main body of the storage chamber, the odor emitted from the recycled plastic material will transfer to the food, resulting in so-called "odor transfer."

This embodiment proposes a reduced-pressure storage chamber that increases the use of recycled plastic materials and reduces the transfer of odors to food.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged cross section of the refrigerator compartment 2 (the refrigerator compartment door is not shown), with a reduced pressure storage compartment 44 located at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 2. Inside the refrigerator compartment 2, multiple storage shelves 45 are arranged extending from the back to the front (from right to left in the figure). The reduced pressure storage compartment 44 is fixedly located at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 2, and trays placed in chilled containers (food storage sections) 46 can be pulled out to allow food to be removed or stored.

Because the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 is sealed, it is indirectly cooled by the cold air supplied into the refrigerator compartment 2. The air that cools the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 from the outside returns to the second evaporator chamber 8b through the refrigerator compartment return port 15 and is cooled again by the second evaporator 14b.

In addition, a deodorizing device 47 that deodorizes odors inside the refrigerator compartment 2 is installed near the refrigerator compartment return port 15. This allows odors inside the refrigerator compartment 2 to be deodorized. As will be described later, recycled plastic materials are used for the components that make up the reduced pressure storage chamber 44, so odors generated from this can also be deodorized by the deodorizing device 47. The deodorizing device 47 can use various deodorizing methods, such as using common deodorizers or odor-decomposing photocatalysts.

Next, the components and materials constituting the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 4 shows a reduced pressure storage chamber assembly 50 in which the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 is installed inside the refrigerator compartment 2. The reduced pressure storage chamber assembly 50 is composed of the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 and a refrigerator compartment mounting rear portion 51.
The refrigerator compartment mounting rear portion 51 is composed of a refrigerator compartment rear panel 52, a refrigerator compartment rear air passage cover 53, etc. The refrigerator compartment rear panel 52 is formed with a cold air passage 11 (not shown) (see FIG. 2), and cold air outlets 54 connected to this are opened on the side and top surfaces. Cold air cooled by the second evaporator 14b is supplied to this cold air outlet 54 via the cold air passage 11, and the cold air is configured to flow from the cold air outlet 54 into the refrigerator compartment 2.

Furthermore, below the refrigerator compartment rear panel 52, on the back of the reduced pressure storage compartment 44, a deodorizing device 47 (see Figure 3) is provided, and a rear-side refrigerator compartment return port 55 is opened on the back of this deodorizing device 47. Therefore, the cold air deodorized by the deodorizing device 47 flows through the rear-side refrigerator compartment return port 55 and returns to the second evaporator chamber 8b, where it is cooled again by the second evaporator 14b. Then, as described above, the cold air cooled by the second evaporator 14b flows through the cold air passage 11 and into the refrigerator compartment 2 from the cold air outlet port 54.

The detailed structure of the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 will be explained in Figure 5, but Figure 4 shows the chilled container 46, lid cover 56, handle decorative panel 57, handle plate 64, etc. The reduced pressure storage chamber 44 and the rear part 51 of the refrigerator compartment are located above the bottom plate 58, which is attached to the upper surface of the insulating partition wall 28.

Next, the details of the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 according to this embodiment will be explained based on Figure 5, which shows the components of the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 disassembled and viewed from diagonally above. The configuration of the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 itself is well known, in that the sealed storage chamber is depressurized by a vacuum pump, and the storage chamber is indirectly cooled by the cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment.

In this embodiment, of the components that make up the reduced pressure storage chamber 44, those that come into direct contact with the stored food or indirectly through the air inside the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 are made from virgin materials, while at least some or all of the other components are made from recycled plastic materials.

The term "virgin material" (virgin component) used here does not necessarily refer to a component molded from 100% virgin material, but merely refers to a component molded from 100% virgin material in terms of odor intensity. For example, in the well-known six-level odor intensity rating system, which divides odor intensity into six levels from 0 (odorless) to 5 (strong odor), the odor intensity of virgin material and a component molded from 100% virgin material should be rated at the same level. For example, even if virgin material is molded from a mixture of 90% virgin material and 10% recycled material, it should be rated at the same level as 100% virgin material in the six-level odor intensity rating system. Note that odor intensity may also be further subdivided into eight levels, adding 2.5 and 3.5.

In Figure 5, the chilled container 46 is a box-shaped container with an opening 46E at the front (toward the refrigerator compartment door), and multiple reinforcing ribs 46R are formed on its outer periphery. When the chilled container 46 is closed with the chilled lid 60, the interior space of the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 (the space substantially surrounded by the chilled container 46 and the chilled lid 60) is sealed, which could transfer odors to food if an odor source is present in the interior space. The interior of this chilled container 46 stores food such as raw meat and raw fish. In particular, because the interior space is formed inside the refrigerator compartment 2 and has an airtight structure, food in the interior space is less likely to come into contact with air flow and dry out, so food can be stored in its bare state without wrapping it in plastic wrap or the like. As a result, the inner surface of the chilled container 46 is likely to come into contact with food via air.

In this embodiment, therefore, the chilled container 46 is made from virgin material. Virgin material is a component manufactured using only new materials, and products made from virgin material maintain consistent properties, resulting in consistent quality. In this embodiment, the chilled container 46 is made from virgin material, such as ABS resin (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin), which minimizes the generation of odors and other unpleasant odors.

A chilled tray 59 is also stored inside the chilled container 46, and food such as raw meat or fish is placed on this chilled tray 59. Food is placed directly on the chilled tray 59, or indirectly on a plate or the like. In this way, the chilled tray 59 also comes into contact with food, or comes into contact with food via the air, so "odor transfer" must not occur.

In this embodiment, the chilled tray 59 is made from virgin material. For example, the chilled tray 59 is made from virgin material such as PS resin (polystyrene resin), which minimizes the generation of odors. Furthermore, the chilled tray 59 is molded in a transparent state so that the inside can be observed.

When the chilled tray 59 is stored in the chilled container 46, the chilled lid 60, which closes and opens the opening 46E at the front of the chilled container 46, is positioned facing the opening 46E. This chilled lid 60 also comes into contact with the food through the air, so odor transfer must not occur.

In this embodiment, the chilled lid 60 is made from virgin material. For example, the chilled lid 60 is made from virgin AS resin (acrylonitrile-styrene resin), which minimizes the generation of odors. Furthermore, the chilled lid 60 is molded in a transparent state so that the inside can be observed.

A sealing gasket 61 for maintaining airtightness is placed between the opening 56E of the chilled container 46 and the chilled lid 60, preventing outside air from entering the chilled container 46 when the chilled lid 60 is closed. When the chilled lid 60 is closed, the sealing gasket 61 is sandwiched between the chilled container 46 and the chilled lid 60. Because it is used for sealing, it may come into contact with a small amount of air inside the chilled container 46, but this contact area is very small compared to the chilled container 46, chilled tray 59, and chilled lid 60, so it can be made from either virgin or recycled materials. However, to maintain airtightness, it is preferable to use a component with guaranteed airtight quality, such as a gasket made from silicone resin.

A catalyst case 62 is placed in the internal space sealed by the chilled lid 60 and chilled container 46. In this embodiment, the catalyst case 62, which contains a catalyst, is attached to the back side of the chilled lid 60. This catalyst case 62 contains a catalyst, specifically a transition metal catalyst such as platinum or ruthenium, that decomposes ethylene gas generated from food stored in the chilled container 46 into carbon dioxide.

The catalyst case 62 is also made of plastic, and because it is stored in the chilled container 46, it is made of virgin material. For example, it is made of virgin PP resin (polypropylene resin), which minimizes the generation of odors and other unpleasant odors. However, the catalyst case 62 is installed as needed, and is not an essential component.

Furthermore, a reinforcing support member 63 is fixed to the chilled lid 60, and because it is stored inside the chilled container 46, it is made of virgin material. For example, it is made from virgin POM resin (polyacetal resin), which minimizes the generation of odors and other issues. However, this reinforcing support member 63 is not an essential component, as it is placed as needed.

As such, the components of the reduced pressure storage chamber 44 made from virgin material are at least the chilled container 46, chilled tray 59, and chilled lid 60 that form the storage chamber in which food is stored. At least the portions of these components that come into contact with the internal space are made from virgin material.

The chilled container 46 and chilled lid 60 are essential components that are required to form the internal space and have an area in contact with the internal space that is approximately equal to the area of the internal space in at least one of the six directions. Specifically, the chilled container 46 has an area in contact with the internal space that is approximately equal to the top, back, bottom, left, and right sides. The chilled lid 60 has an area in contact with the internal space that is approximately equal to the front side. At least the internal space side of the chilled container 46 and chilled lid 60 uses virgin material, and in this embodiment, is made of virgin material.

The chilled tray 59 is a major component that contacts the interior space over an area roughly equivalent to at least the bottom surface. Other components, such as the seal packing 61, catalyst case 62, and reinforcing support material 63, have small contact areas with the interior space, and recycled plastic materials can be used as needed. In this embodiment, of the six sides of the interior space, the left and right sides have roughly the same area, making them the smallest. Furthermore, the contact areas of the seal packing 61, catalyst case 62, and reinforcing support material 63 with the interior space, and preferably the sum of these contact areas, are smaller than the areas of the left and right sides of the interior space. This standard, for example, can be used as a guide to determining whether a contact area is small or not.

An example of the application of recycled materials is described below. Recycled materials, such as recycled plastic, can be used for components that do not come into contact with the interior space, for example, components that come into contact with the air on the refrigerator compartment 2 side. The recycled materials referred to here are those that are rated as having a stronger odor than components molded from 100% virgin materials using the six-level odor intensity rating method described above, and can be rated as having a strong odor, for example, at 3 or below. The odor intensity of recycled materials should preferably be 3 or below, 2.5 or below, or 2.

The handle cap 57S (described below) and the chilled container 46 are connected by a handle plate 64, as shown in Figure 4. When the handle body 65 is operated using this handle plate 64, the chilled tray 59 is pulled out from the chilled container 46, allowing food to be added or removed.

This handle plate 64 is not placed inside the chilled container 46, so there is no need to consider odor transfer. For this reason, it is made from recycled plastic material, such as POM resin (polyacetal resin).

On the three sides of the chilled lid 60 opposite the chilled container 46 (the top and a pair of side edges), a lid cover (top edge) 56U and a pair of lid covers (side edges) 56S located at both ends are fixedly arranged on the opening 46E side of the chilled container 46 (see Figure 4). Because these lid covers 56U, 56S are not arranged inside the chilled container 46, there is no need to consider odor transfer. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lid covers 56U, 56S are made from recycled plastic material. The lid covers 56U, 56S are made from recycled plastic material, such as PS resin (polystyrene resin), so even if an odor is generated, there is little risk of the odor transferring to food stored in the chilled container 46.

A handle assembly for opening, closing, or pulling out the chilled compartment lid 60 is located on the side of the lid cover 56 opposite the chilled compartment lid 60. The handle assembly is composed of a handle main body 65, a handle cover 66 located between the handle main body 65 and the lid cover 56, a handle decorative panel 57 located on the opposite side of the handle cover 66, and a handle cap 57S. These four components are assembled together and integrated.

Since the handle body 65 is operated by the user, it is made of virgin material that maintains its strength and other properties. For example, it is made of virgin ABS resin (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin). In this case, since the handle body 65 is located outside the chilled container 46, recycled plastic material could be used without worrying about odor generation, but as mentioned above, virgin material is used from the perspective of strength, etc.

Since the handle cover 66 is not placed inside the chilled container 46, there is no need to consider odor transfer. Therefore, in this embodiment, the handle cover 66 is made from recycled plastic material. The handle cover 66 is made from recycled plastic material, such as PS resin (polystyrene resin), so even if an odor is generated, there is little risk of the odor transferring to food stored in the chilled container 46.

A pair of handle caps 57S are placed on both ends of the handle decorative panel 57. Since these pair of handle caps 57S are not placed inside the chilled container 46, there is no need to consider odor transfer.

In this embodiment, the handle cap 57S is made from recycled plastic. The handle cap 57S is made from recycled plastic, such as PP resin (polypropylene resin), so even if an odor is generated, there is little risk of the odor transferring to food stored in the chilled container 46. Furthermore, the handle decorative panel 57 is made from SUS material for appearance and strength reinforcement.

In the above-described embodiment, the components and materials of the reduced pressure storage chamber are specifically disclosed, but the basic concept is as follows, so it is sufficient to select appropriate materials.

In this way, of the components that make up the reduced pressure storage compartment placed inside the refrigerator, those that come into direct contact with the stored food or indirectly through the air inside the reduced pressure storage compartment are made from virgin materials, while at least some of the other components are made from recycled materials. This increases the rate of recycled plastic used, while also resulting in a reduced pressure storage compartment that reduces the transfer of odors to food.

In the above-described embodiment, the inner chamber is configured as a reduced-pressure storage chamber that uses a vacuum pump to reduce the pressure inside the chilled container 46. However, it is also possible to use a sealed inner chamber without using a vacuum pump, i.e., a so-called chilled storage chamber. The chilled storage chamber is a sealed storage chamber that is indirectly cooled by cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 2 and cold air from the ice-making compartment 3 and upper freezer compartment 4. This prevents raw meat, fish, and other ingredients from drying out by not directly exposing them to cold air, and indirectly cools them to around -1°C, which is below freezing.

In this chilled storage compartment, the components that make up the compartment, either directly or through the air in the interior space, can be made from virgin materials, while at least some of the other components can be made from recycled materials. This increases the use of recycled plastic materials and results in a chilled storage compartment that reduces the transfer of odors to food.

It is possible to use recycled materials for the parts that come into contact with the interior space and cover them with a film that has a low odor, but considering the further recyclability of the reduced pressure storage chamber, it is preferable not to use film.

Furthermore, while the inner chambers (reduced pressure storage chamber, chilled storage chamber) described above do not have cold air flowing through them, but rather cool the interior of the storage chamber indirectly, they can also be applied to storage chambers, such as those shown in Figure 6, in which cold air is circulated through the inner chamber for storage. The following briefly explains the configuration. Note that the same reference numbers as those in Figure 2 indicate the same components and functional parts, and so explanations will be omitted.

An inner chamber (hereinafter referred to as the open-type storage chamber) 67 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 2. The top of this open-type storage chamber 67 is open, and a shielding plate 68 extends from the back to the front at its top, covering the top opening of the open-type storage chamber 67. The shielding plate 68 functions as a lid, but to a limited extent.

That is, on the rear side of the open-type storage compartment 67, cold air is supplied from the refrigerator compartment air duct 11 through the storage compartment-side outlet 11b and from the upper opening on the upper side of the open-type storage compartment 67, cooling the interior of the open-type storage compartment 67. This allows food stored in the open-type storage compartment 67 to be cooled. The internal temperature of the open-type storage compartment 67 is in the so-called chilled range, and is controlled to a temperature range of -2°C to 1°C.

The open-type storage compartment 67 has a container that opens upward and is covered by a shielding plate 68 on one of six sides, and an internal space that is almost entirely surrounded by the lid. Because some of the air in the internal space flows out from above in response to the supply of cold air from the refrigerator compartment 2, odors are less likely to linger in the internal space than in Example 1. For this reason, virgin materials are preferred for the container and shielding plate 68, which are in contact with the internal space, but recycled materials may also be used.

Also, for example, part or all of the rear surface of the container can be removed and placed in close contact with or close to the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment 2, with a cold air outlet provided on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment 2. This allows cold air to be supplied to the interior space from the rear, making it easier to ensure a sufficient amount of cold air inflow. Furthermore, if the opening is provided, for example, at the front instead of the top, it will be even easier to exhaust cold air and prevent odors from accumulating.

As with Example 1, recycled materials may be used for the outer surfaces of the container and shielding plate, as well as other components.

The present invention is not limited to the several embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. The above embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations with respect to the configuration of each embodiment.

44...Decompression storage chamber (inner chamber), 46E...Opening, 56U, 56S...Lid cover, 57...Handle decorative panel, 57S...Handle cap, 58...Bottom plate, 58...Chilled tray, 60...Chilled lid, 61...Seal packing, 62...Catalyst case, 63...Reinforcing member, 64...Handle plate, 65...Handle body, 66...Handle cover.

Claims (5)

A refrigerator including at least a heat-insulating box, a refrigerator compartment formed in the heat-insulating box, an inner chamber disposed inside the refrigerator compartment, a refrigeration cycle that generates cold air, and a cold air passage that supplies the cold air from the refrigeration cycle to the refrigerator compartment by a blower fan,
The cool air circulates through a path where it is deodorized by a deodorizing device,
The inner chamber comprises:
a container that is open on at least one side;
a lid that closes the opening;
an inner space substantially surrounded by the container and the lid;
A member disposed on the refrigerating compartment side ;
a chilled tray made of virgin material that is disposed in the internal space and on which food is placed ,
A refrigerator in which the virgin material is used for at least the surfaces of the container and the lid that are in contact with the internal space, including the bottom surface of the container , and recycled materials are used for the components. In claim 1,
The refrigerator has an airtight structure in which the inner chamber is cooled by the cold air discharged to the outside of the inner chamber. In claim 1,
The refrigerator in which the virgin material is used on the entire surfaces of the container and the lid that are in contact with the internal space. In claim 1,
The surface in contact with the refrigerator compartment has an odor intensity of 3.0 or less, which is higher than that of a material molded from 100% virgin material. In claim 1,
The container, the chilled tray, and the lid, which form the interior, are made from the virgin material, and some or all of the components forming the interior other than the container, the chilled tray, and the lid are made from the recycled material.