CN111473574B

CN111473574B - Refrigerator with a door

Info

Publication number: CN111473574B
Application number: CN201910831317.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 额贺晴树; 河井良二; 冈留慎一郎; 板仓大; 伊藤拳司; 加纳奖一; 渡边浩俊; 岩渕真也
Original assignee: Hitachi Global Life Solutions Inc
Current assignee: Hitachi Global Life Solutions Inc
Priority date: 2019-01-23
Filing date: 2019-09-04
Publication date: 2022-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2039-09-04
Also published as: JP2020118346A; JP7223581B2; CN111473574A

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator which is difficult to generate supercooling of a refrigerating chamber, comprising: a first storage chamber set to either a refrigerating temperature zone or a freezing temperature zone; a second storage chamber set to another temperature zone different from the first storage chamber; a blower; an evaporator; an evaporator chamber in which the evaporator is housed; a first storage chamber air supply path which supplies air from the evaporator chamber to the first storage chamber when the air blower is driven; a first storage chamber return air passage for returning the air flowing into the first storage chamber to the evaporator chamber; a second storage chamber air supply path for supplying air from the evaporator chamber to the second storage chamber when the air blower is driven; and a second storage chamber return air passage for returning the air flowing into the second storage chamber to the evaporator chamber; the first storage chamber return air passage and the second storage chamber return air passage are partially defined as a common return air passage through which both of the return air from the first storage chamber and the return air from the second storage chamber pass.

Description

Refrigerator with a door

Technical Field

The invention relates to a household refrigerator freezer.

Background

As a background art in this field, for example, japanese patent laid-open No. 2005-98605 (patent document 1) is known. Patent document 1 discloses a refrigerator including: a refrigerating chamber is provided at the uppermost layer, an ice storage chamber and a switching chamber switchable to a freezing temperature are provided in parallel at the lower portion thereof, a vegetable chamber is provided at the lower portion thereof, a freezing chamber is provided at the lowermost layer thereof, and return air paths of the respective storage chambers are merged in an evaporator chamber (for example, fig. 1 of patent document 1).

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

[ patent document 1 ] Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2005-98605.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the structure described in patent document 1, since the return air passage is independently formed, the air passage space increases according to the number of storage compartments.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having the above configuration, which is compact and intensive in the air passage and has high space efficiency.

Means for solving the problems

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a first storage chamber set to either a refrigerating temperature zone or a freezing temperature zone; a second storage chamber set to another temperature zone different from the first storage chamber; a blower; an evaporator; an evaporator chamber in which the evaporator is housed; a first storage chamber air supply path that supplies air from the evaporator chamber to the first storage chamber when the air blower is driven; a first storage chamber return air passage through which air flowing into the first storage chamber returns to the evaporator chamber; a second storage chamber air supply path that supplies air from the evaporator chamber to the second storage chamber when the air blower is driven; and a second storage chamber return air passage through which the air flowing into the second storage chamber returns to the evaporator chamber; a part of the first storage chamber return air passage and the second storage chamber return air passage is a common return air passage through which both of the return air from the first storage chamber and the return air from the second storage chamber pass.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator with high space efficiency by making the return air paths of the storage compartments in the freezing temperature range and the storage compartments in the refrigerating temperature range compact.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view a-a of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the refrigerator compartment in a state where the door and the container in embodiment 1 are removed.

Fig. 4(a) is a front view of the ice making compartment, the freezing compartment, the first switching compartment, and the second switching compartment in a state in which the door and the container are removed in embodiment 1, and fig. 4(b) is a front view of the ice making compartment, the freezing compartment, the first switching compartment, and the second switching compartment in a state in which the door, the container, and the discharge port are removed in embodiment 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the second fan according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 6 is a structural diagram of a refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an air passage structure of the freezing chamber and the first switching chamber according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the first switching chamber as viewed from a section B-B of fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an air passage structure of the freezing chamber and the first switching chamber according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the first switching chamber as viewed from a section B-B of fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view C-C of fig. 2.

Fig. 12 is a D-D sectional view shown in fig. 4 (a).

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view E-E shown in fig. 4 (a).

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an air passage structure of the freezing chamber and the first switching chamber according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an air passage structure of the freezing chamber and the first switching chamber according to embodiment 3.

[ notation ] to show

1, a refrigerator; 2 refrigerating

compartment

2a, 2b refrigerating compartment doors; 3 an ice making chamber; 3a ice making chamber door; 3b an ice making compartment container; 3c an ice-making tray; 4, freezing chamber; 4a freezer door; 4b a freezer container; 5a first switching chamber; 5a first switching chamber door; 5b a first switch room container; 6a second switching chamber; 6a second switching chamber door; 6b a second switch room container; 8a first evaporator chamber (evaporator chamber for cold storage); 8b second evaporator chamber (evaporator chamber for freezing); 9a first fan; 9b a second fan; 10 heat insulation box body; 10a an outer case; 10b an inner box; 11a first fan discharge duct; 11a refrigerating compartment discharge port; 12a second fan discharge duct; 14a first evaporator; 14b a second evaporator; 15a, 15b refrigerating compartment return ports; 16 a hinge cover; 21 a radiant heater; 23a first chute; 23b a second chute; 24 a compressor; 25b, 25c, 25d, 25e, 25f, 25g, 25h vacuum insulation material; 26 drain pipes; 27. 28, 29, 30 thermally insulating partition walls; 31 a control substrate; 32a first evaporation pan; 32b a second evaporation pan; 34a the uppermost layer of the refrigerating chamber shelf; 34b a second tier of refrigerator compartment shelves; 34c a third tier of refrigerator shelf; 34d refrigerating compartment shelf lowermost layer; 35 a first indirect cooling chamber; 36a second indirect cooling chamber; 37-system refrigerators; 39 a machine chamber; 40a first evaporator temperature sensor; 40b a second evaporator temperature sensor; 41 a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor; 42 freezer temperature sensor; 43 a first switching chamber temperature sensor; 44 a second switching chamber temperature sensor; 45 chute temperature sensors; 50a, 50b heat sink; 51 a dryer; a 52 three-way valve (refrigerant control mechanism); 53a capillary tube for refrigeration (pressure reducing mechanism); 53b capillary tube for freezing (pressure reducing mechanism); 54a gas-liquid separator for cold storage; 54b gas-liquid separator for refrigeration; 55 a refrigerant merging portion; 56 a check valve; 59 a refrigerant pipe; 101 a first switching chamber damper; 102 a second switch room damper; 103 a first transfer chamber return damper; 111a first switching chamber outlet; 111b, 111c first switching chamber return ports; 111d first switching chamber return air passage; 112a second switch chamber exhaust port; 112b a second switching chamber return port; 112c a second switching chamber return air passage; 112d second evaporator chamber flow inlet; 120c freezer return port; 120d refrigerating chamber return air path; 130 freezing chamber air path; 140 a first switching chamber air passage; 150 second switching chamber air passage; 200 an operation part; 201a vortex 201 generated by forced convection; 201b second vortices 201 generated by forced convection; 202 a natural convection flow; 203 is forced to flow the main stream.

Detailed Description

The following are embodiments of the present invention.

< example 1>

Embodiment 1 of the refrigerator of the present invention will be explained. Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1, and fig. 2 is a sectional view a-a of fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 1, a refrigerator body 10 of a refrigerator 1 includes storage compartments in the order of a refrigerating compartment 2, an ice making compartment 3 and a freezing compartment 4 arranged in parallel on the left and right, a first switching compartment 5, and a second switching compartment 6 from above.

The refrigerator 1 includes doors for opening and closing openings of the storage compartments. These doors are rotary type refrigerating

chamber doors

2a and 2b which are divided into left and right parts to open and close an opening of the refrigerating chamber 2, and drawer type ice making chamber door 3a, freezing chamber door 4a, first switching chamber door 5a, and second switching chamber door 6a which open and close openings of the ice making chamber 3, freezing chamber 4, first switching chamber 5, and second switching chamber 6, respectively. The interior material of these multiple doors is composed primarily of polyurethane.

The door 2a is provided with an operation unit 200 for performing an operation of setting the temperature in the cabinet. In order to fix the

doors

2a and 2b to the refrigerator 1, door hinges (not shown) are provided at upper and lower portions of the refrigerating chamber 2, and the upper door hinges are covered with door hinge covers 16.

Ice making compartment 3 and freezing compartment 4 are storage compartments whose interior is basically set to a freezing temperature (less than 0 ℃) such as about-18 ℃ on average, and refrigerating compartment 2 is a storage compartment whose interior is set to a refrigerating temperature (0 ℃ or higher) such as about 4 ℃ on average. The first switching room 5 and the second switching room 6 are storage rooms that can be set to a freezing temperature or a refrigerating temperature by the operation unit 200, and in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, either the refrigerating temperature (maintained at about 4 ℃ on average) or the freezing temperature (maintained at about-18 ℃ on average) can be selected. Specifically, each of the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 can be selected from an "FF" mode in which the freezing temperature is set, an "RF" mode in which the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 are set to the refrigerating temperature and the freezing temperature, an "FR" mode in which the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 are set to the freezing temperature and the refrigerating temperature, and an "RR" mode in which the first switching chamber 5 and the second switching chamber 6 are set to the refrigerating temperature.

As shown in fig. 2, the refrigerator 1 is configured such that the outside and the inside of the refrigerator are partitioned by a cabinet 10, and the cabinet 10 is formed by filling a foam insulation material (for example, foamed polyurethane) between an outer box 10a made of a steel plate and an inner box 10b made of a synthetic resin. The cabinet 10 is provided with a vacuum insulation material having a relatively low thermal conductivity between the outer case 10a and the inner case 10b in addition to the foamed insulation material, thereby improving the thermal insulation performance without reducing the food storage capacity. Here, the vacuum insulation material is configured by wrapping a core material such as glass wool or polyurethane with a wrapping material. The outer layer material contains a metal layer (e.g., aluminum) in order to ensure gas barrier properties. In general, the vacuum insulation material has a planar surface in each surface shape from the viewpoint of manufacturability.

In this embodiment, the

vacuum insulation materials

25f and 25g are provided on the back and lower portion of the casing 10, and the vacuum insulation materials 25h are provided on both sides of the casing 10 (see fig. 8), thereby improving the heat insulation performance of the refrigerator 1.

Also, in the present embodiment, the

vacuum insulation materials

25d, 25e are provided on the first and second

switching chamber doors

5a, 6a, thereby improving the heat insulation performance of the refrigerator 1. The above-described heat insulating structure can significantly improve energy saving performance particularly when the

respective switching chambers

5 and 6 are set to the freezing mode, the temperature difference between the outside of the cabinet and the

switching chambers

5 and 6 is large, and the amount of heat taken in from the outside air is large.

The refrigerating chamber 2, the ice-making chamber 3, and the freezing chamber 4 are partitioned by a heat insulating partition wall 28. Ice making compartment 3 and freezing compartment 4 are partitioned from first switching compartment 5 by heat-insulating partition wall 29, and first switching compartment 5 and second switching compartment 6 are partitioned by heat-insulating partition wall 30. In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the vacuum heat insulating material 25b is provided inside the heat insulating partition wall 29, and the vacuum heat insulating material 25c is provided inside the heat insulating partition wall 30, thereby suppressing heat transfer between the storage compartments and improving the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator 1.

In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the heat insulating partition 27 is provided between the second evaporator 14b and its peripheral air passages (second evaporator chamber 8b, freezing chamber air passage 12, and freezing chamber return air passage 12d) described later, and the first switching chamber 5, thereby improving the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator 1. The above-described heat insulating structure can particularly improve the energy saving performance of the refrigerator 1 in the "RF mode" in which the first switching chamber 5 is set to the refrigerating temperature and the second switching chamber 6 is set to the freezing temperature. The adjacent rooms of the first switching room 5 in the refrigerating temperature zone absorb heat from the upper surface (heat insulating partition 29), the rear surface (heat insulating partition 27), and the bottom surface (heat insulating partition 30) which are freezing temperature zones, and the first switching room 5 is cooled excessively, and therefore, heating by a heater (not shown) may be necessary to maintain the refrigerating temperature zone. In the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the vacuum heat insulating material 25 is provided in the heat

insulating partition walls

29 and 30, and excessive heat absorption from the upper surface and the bottom surface of the first switching chamber 5 is suppressed, so that the first switching chamber 5 is easily maintained in the refrigerating temperature range, heating by the heater is suppressed, and the energy saving performance is improved.

A plurality of door pockets 33 are provided at the inner sides of the refrigerating

chamber doors

2a and 2b, and

shelves

34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d are additionally provided, so that the inside of the refrigerating chamber 2 is divided into a plurality of storage spaces. The ice making chamber door 3a, the freezing chamber door 4a, the first switching chamber door 5a, and the second switching chamber door 6a are provided with an ice making chamber container 3b, a freezing chamber container 4b, a first switching chamber container 5b, and a second switching chamber container 6b, which can be integrally pulled out.

An indirect cooling chamber 36 is provided above the heat insulating partition wall 28 as the interior of the refrigerating chamber 2. The indirect cooling chamber 36 is configured to be hermetically sealed with the door 36a in contact with the housing portion 36 b. Thereby, drying of the food in the indirect cooling chamber 36 is suppressed, so that low-temperature and low-humidity air does not directly enter the food in the indirect cooling chamber 36. In the indirect cooling chamber 36 of the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when the door 36a is closed, the door 36a and the storage section 36b are brought into contact with each other with no gap by a seal, for example, to form a sealed structure. Further, when the pump (not shown) is connected to the indirect cooling chamber 36 and the pump is operated, the pressure inside the indirect cooling chamber 36 is reduced to, for example, 0.8 atm, and oxidation of the food in the indirect cooling chamber 36 is suppressed.

The indirect cooling chamber 36 is adjacent to the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4 via the heat insulating partition wall 28, and becomes a lower ice temperature mode (for example, about-3 to 0 ℃) than the refrigerating chamber 2 by heat absorption of the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4. A heater (not shown) is provided in the heat insulating partition wall 28, and the heater is operated, so that a refrigeration mode (for example, about 0 to 3 ℃) close to the temperature of the refrigeration compartment 2 can be set. These operation modes are switched by operating operation unit 200.

A refrigerating room temperature sensor 41, a freezing room temperature sensor 42, a first switching room temperature sensor 43, and a second switching room temperature sensor 44 are provided on the rear side of the refrigerating room 2, the freezing room 4, the first switching room 5, and the second switching room 6, respectively, a first evaporator temperature sensor 40a is provided on the upper portion of the first evaporator 14a, a second evaporator temperature sensor 40b is provided on the upper portion of the second evaporator 14b, and the temperatures of the refrigerating room 2, the freezing room 4, the first switching room 5, the second switching room 6, the first evaporator 14a, and the second evaporator 14b are detected by these sensors. In addition, an outside air temperature sensor 37 and an outside air humidity sensor 38 are provided inside the door hinge cover 16 at the top of the refrigerator 1 to detect the temperature and humidity of the outside air (outside air). Further, door sensors (not shown) are provided to detect the open/close states of the

doors

2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6a, respectively.

A control board 31 is disposed on the upper portion of the refrigerator 1, and the control board 31 is mounted with a CPU, a memory such as a ROM or a RAM, an interface circuit, and the like as a part of the control device. In addition, the control substrate 31 is connected to an outside air temperature sensor 37, an outside air humidity sensor 38, a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 41, a freezing compartment temperature sensor 42, a first switching compartment temperature sensor 43, a second switching compartment temperature sensor 44, a first evaporator temperature sensor 40a, a second evaporator temperature sensor 40b, and the like through electric wires (not shown).

The control board 31 controls the compressor 24, the first fan 9a, the second fan 9b, the first switching chamber damper 101, the second switching chamber damper 102, and the refrigerant control valve 52, which will be described later, based on the output values of the sensors, the setting of the operation unit 26, the program recorded in advance in the ROM, and the like.

As shown in fig. 2, in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, a turbofan is disposed substantially vertically as a first fan 9a, and the first fan 9a is a cooling fan. In a centrifugal fan such as a turbo fan, since it has a characteristic of blowing out an airflow sucked in an axial direction in a radial direction, a space is required on a suction port side (front surface side of a refrigerator) of the first fan 9a in the present embodiment, but an air passage space is not required on a back side of the first fan 9 a. Therefore, the depth of the air blowing path around the first fan 9a is equal to or less than the depth of the first evaporator 14a, which contributes to an increase in the food storage volume.

As shown in fig. 2, in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, a turbofan, which is a centrifugal fan, is disposed substantially vertically as the second fan 9b, similarly to the refrigerating chamber, and the second fan 9b is a freezing fan. In a centrifugal fan such as a turbo fan, since it has a characteristic of blowing out an airflow sucked in an axial direction in a radial direction, a space is required on a suction side (a rear side of a refrigerator) of the second fan 9b in the present embodiment, but an air passage space is not required on a rear side of the second fan 9 b. Therefore, the depth of the air blowing path around the second fan 9b is equal to or less than the depth of the second evaporator 14b, which contributes to an increase in the food storage volume.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the refrigerator compartment in a state where the door and the container in embodiment 1 are removed. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, air (cold air) that has exchanged heat with the first evaporator 14a and has a low temperature is blown by the first fan 9a, which is a refrigerating fan provided above the first evaporator 14a, into the refrigerating compartment 2 through the first fan discharge duct 11 and the refrigerating compartment discharge port 11a, thereby cooling the inside of the refrigerating compartment 2. The air sent to the refrigerating compartment 2 is returned to the first evaporator chamber 8a from the refrigerating compartment return port 15a (see fig. 2) and the refrigerating compartment return port 15b (see fig. 3), and cooled again by the first evaporator 14 a.

Fig. 4(a) is a front view of the ice making compartment, the freezing compartment, the first switching compartment, and the second switching compartment in a state where the door and the container are removed in embodiment 1, and fig. 4(b) is a front view of the ice making compartment, the freezing compartment, the first switching compartment, and the second switching compartment in a state where the door, the container, and the discharge port are removed in embodiment 1.

As shown in fig. 4(b), the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment includes a first switching room damper 101 and a second switching room damper 102 as means for controlling the air volume to be supplied to the first switching room 5 and the second switching room 6 or interrupting the air blowing. A first switching chamber damper 101 is installed at the back of the first switching chamber 5, and a second switching chamber damper is installed at the back of the first switching chamber 5The door 102 is installed at the back of the second switching chamber 6. Here, the opening area of the first switching chamber damper 101 is 6300mm²(180 mm wide. times.35 mm high), and the opening area of the second switching chamber damper 102 is 5200mm²(width 80 mm. times.height 65 mm).

As shown in fig. 2, the first switching room damper 101 is configured to be open toward the back side of the refrigerator, in other words, the working area of the first switching room damper 101 is the back side of the refrigerator. With such a configuration, when the first switching chamber damper 101 is pressurized toward the first switching chamber 5 by the pressure increase of the fan, the gap between the damper and the frame thereof is narrowed. The above-described heat insulating structure can improve the energy saving performance of the refrigerator 1 particularly in the "RF mode" in which the first switching chamber 5 is set to the refrigerating temperature and the second switching chamber 6 is set to the freezing temperature. The adjacent rooms of the first switching room 5 in the refrigerating temperature zone absorb heat from the upper surface (heat insulating partition 29), the rear surface (heat insulating partition 27), and the bottom surface (heat insulating partition 30) which are freezing temperature zones, and the first switching room 5 is cooled excessively, and therefore, heating by a heater (not shown) is sometimes required to maintain the refrigerating temperature zone. In the refrigerator of the present embodiment, since the gap is less likely to be formed in the state where the first switching chamber damper 101 is closed, the cold air is less likely to leak from the second fan discharge duct 12 to the first switching chamber, the first switching chamber 5 is easily maintained in the cold storage temperature range, heating by the heater is suppressed, and the energy saving performance is improved.

As shown in fig. 2 and 4(b), the second evaporator 14b is disposed in the second evaporator chamber 8b on the substantially back side of the first switching room 5 and the second switching room 6. The air that has exchanged heat with the second evaporator 14b and has become low temperature is sent to the ice making chamber 3 and the freezing chamber 4 through the second fan discharge air duct 12, the freezing chamber air duct 130, and the freezing

chamber discharge ports

120a and 120b by driving the second fan 9b provided above the second evaporator 14b regardless of the open/closed states of the first switching chamber damper 101 and the second switching chamber damper 102, and cools water in an ice making tray (not shown) of the ice making chamber 3, ice in the container 3b, food items stored in the container 4b in the freezing chamber 4, and the like. The air having cooled the ice making compartment 3 and the freezing compartment 4 is returned from the freezing compartment return opening 120c to the second evaporator compartment 8b via the freezing compartment return air passage 120d, and again exchanges heat with the second evaporator 14 b.

As shown in fig. 4(a) and (b), when the first switching room damper 101 is controlled to be in the open state, the air boosted by the second fan 9b is sent into the first switching room container 5b provided in the first switching room 5 through the second fan discharge air passage 12, the first switching room air passage 140, the first switching room damper 101, and the first switching room discharge port 111a, and cools the food in the first switching room container 5 b. The air having cooled the first switching chamber 5 flows through the first switching chamber return port 111b, the first switching chamber return port 111c, the first switching chamber return air passage 111d (not shown), and the freezing chamber return air passage 120c, returns to the second evaporator chamber 8b, and exchanges heat with the second evaporator 14b again.

When the second switching chamber damper 102 is controlled to be in the open state, the air boosted by the second fan 9b is sent into the second switching chamber container 6b provided in the second switching chamber 6 through the second fan discharge air passage 12, the second switching chamber air passage 150, the second switching chamber damper 102, and the second switching chamber outlet 112a, and cools the food in the second switching chamber container 6 b. The air having cooled the second switching chamber 6 flows through the second switching chamber return opening 112b and the second switching chamber return air passage 112c, returns to the second evaporator chamber 8b, and exchanges heat with the second evaporator 14b again. Note that the evaporator chamber (the second evaporator chamber 8b in the present embodiment) that houses the low-temperature evaporator, the air passages through which the air that has exchanged heat with the evaporator and has a low temperature flows (the second fan discharge air passage 12, the freezing chamber air passage 130, the first switching chamber air passage 140, and the second switching chamber air passage 150 in the present embodiment), the storage compartments that are maintained at the freezing temperature (the ice making chamber 3, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5 when the freezing temperature is set, and the second switching chamber 6 when the freezing temperature is set), and the return air passages that return from the storage compartments that are maintained at the freezing temperature (the freezing chamber return air passage 120d in the present embodiment, and the second switching chamber return air passage 112c when the freezing temperature is set) are spaces that have the freezing temperature, and therefore are hereinafter referred to as freezing temperature spaces.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the second fan according to embodiment 1. As shown in fig. 5, the second fan 9b is in the form of a centrifugal fan (backward fan) having 10 blades. The turbofan has the following characteristics: since the blower is of a high static pressure type, the air volume is less likely to be reduced even in a state of high static pressure (large duct resistance) as compared with an impeller fan generally used in a refrigerator. In the present embodiment, since the operation mode is switched by opening and closing the dampers by the plurality of dampers including the first switching chamber damper 101 and the second switching chamber damper 102, the air path resistance greatly varies depending on the open/closed state of the dampers. Even when such a change in the operating conditions occurs, stable cooling can be achieved without an extreme drop in the air volume.

In addition, the turbofan can be designed to have a smaller number of blades than other centrifugal fans (e.g., sirocco fan, radial fan). This means that since the effective area available for the air duct is large, even if frost forms near the narrow suction opening, the air volume is less likely to be extremely reduced, in other words, the cooling capacity is less likely to be reduced, and therefore the air volume (cooling capacity) during long-time operation of the refrigerator can be increased.

Fig. 6 is a structural diagram of a refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1. The refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment includes a compressor 24, an outdoor heat radiator 50a and a wall surface heat radiation pipe 50b as heat radiation means for radiating heat of refrigerant, a condensation prevention pipe 50c for suppressing condensation on the front surface portions of the

partition walls

28, 29, and 30, a refrigerating capillary tube 53a and a freezing capillary tube 53b as decompression means for decompressing the refrigerant, and a first evaporator 14a and a second evaporator 14b for absorbing heat in the refrigerator by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air in the refrigerator, and cools the inside of the refrigerator by these pipes. Further, the refrigeration cycle is configured by including a dryer 51 for removing moisture in the refrigeration cycle, gas-

liquid separators

54a, 54b for preventing the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor 24, a three-way valve 52 for controlling the refrigerant flow path, a check valve 56, and a refrigerant merging portion 55 for connecting the refrigerant flows, and these are connected by a refrigerant pipe 59.

In addition, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment uses isobutane as the refrigerant. The compressor 24 of the present embodiment is provided with an inverter, and the rotation speed can be changed.

The three-way valve 52 includes two

outlet ports

52a and 52b, and includes a refrigeration mode in which the refrigerant flows toward the outlet port 52a and a refrigeration mode in which the refrigerant flows toward the outlet port 52b, and is switchable between these modes. The three-way valve 52 of the present embodiment is provided with a fully closed mode in which the refrigerant does not flow to the outlet port 52a and the outlet port 52b, and a fully open mode in which the refrigerant flows to the outlet port 52a and the outlet port 52b, and is switchable between these modes.

In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the refrigerant flows as follows. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 24 flows through the outside-tank radiator 50a, the outside-tank radiator 50b, the dew condensation prevention pipe 50c, and the dryer 51 in this order, and reaches the three-way valve 52. The outlet 52a of the three-way valve 52 is connected to a refrigerating capillary tube 53a via a refrigerant pipe, and the outlet 52b is connected to a freezing capillary tube 53b via a refrigerant pipe.

When refrigerating room 2 is cooled, the refrigerant is caused to flow toward outlet 52 a. The refrigerant flowing out of the outflow port 52a flows through the refrigeration capillary tube 53a, the first evaporator 14a, the gas-liquid separator 54a, and the refrigerant merging portion 55 in this order, and then returns to the compressor 24. The refrigerant that has become low-pressure and low-temperature in the refrigeration capillary tube 53a flows through the first evaporator 14a, whereby the first evaporator 14a becomes low-temperature, and the air cooled by the first evaporator 14b is blown by the first fan 9a (see fig. 2), thereby cooling the refrigeration compartment 2.

When cooling the ice making compartment 3, the freezing compartment 4, the first switching compartment 5, and the second switching compartment 6, the refrigerant flows toward the outlet 52 b. The refrigerant flowing out of the outflow port 52b flows through the refrigeration capillary tube 53b, the second evaporator 14b, the gas-liquid separator 54b, the check valve 56, and the refrigerant merging portion 55 in this order, and then returns to the compressor 24. The check valve 56 is disposed so that the refrigerant flows from the gas-liquid separator 54b toward the refrigerant merging portion 55, and does not flow from the refrigerant merging portion 55 toward the gas-liquid separator 54 b. The refrigerant that has been brought to a low pressure and a low temperature by the freezing capillary tube 53b flows through the second evaporator 14b, so that the second evaporator 14b is brought to a low temperature, and the air cooled by the second evaporator 14b is blown by the second fan 9b (see fig. 2), so that the ice making chamber 3, the freezing chamber 4, the first switching chamber 5, and the second switching chamber 6 are cooled.

In the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the refrigerating compartment 2 is cooled by the first evaporator 14a, and the ice making compartment 3, the freezing compartment 4, the first switching compartment 5, and the second switching compartment 6 are cooled by the second evaporator 14b, but by adopting such a configuration, different evaporator temperatures can be set in each of the first evaporator 14a and the second evaporator 14 b. Specifically, when the refrigerant is caused to flow through the second evaporator 14b that cools the ice making compartment 3, the freezing compartment 4, the first switching compartment 5, and the second switching compartment 6, which are freezing temperature zones or can be set to freezing temperature zones, the refrigerant is set to an evaporator temperature (e.g., -25 ℃) lower than these storage compartments. On the other hand, when the refrigerant is made to flow in the first evaporator 14a that cools the refrigerating compartment 2 in the refrigerating temperature zone, the evaporator temperature of the refrigerant is made high (for example, -10 ℃). Generally, the higher the temperature of the evaporator, the more the cooling efficiency of the refrigeration cycle can be improved, and it is effective for improving the energy saving performance. Further, as the temperature of the evaporator is higher, the frost formation of moisture in the air when the air passes through the evaporator, that is, the dehumidification of the air can be suppressed, and the inside of the cabinet can be kept at high humidity. Therefore, by cooling refrigerating room 2 in a state where the temperature of first evaporator 14a is high, energy saving performance in cooling refrigerating room 2 can be improved and the inside of refrigerating room 2 can be kept high in humidity, as compared with a case where cooling is performed by an evaporator common to the storage rooms in the freezing temperature range.

In addition, by separating the first evaporator 14a for cooling only the refrigerating chamber 2 and the second evaporator 14b for cooling the other storage chambers, the defrosting mode of the first evaporator 14a is off-cycle defrosting, and further improvement of energy saving performance and high humidification of the refrigerating chamber 2 are achieved.

First, a radiation heater 21 for heating the second evaporator 14b is provided at a lower portion of the second evaporator 14 b. The radiant heater 21 is, for example, an electric heater of 50W to 200W, 150W in the present embodiment. The defrosting water (thawing water) generated when the second evaporator 14b defrosts is discharged from the second chute 23b at the lower portion of the second evaporator chamber 8b to the second evaporation pan 32 provided at the upper portion of the compressor 24 via the drain pipe 26.

On the other hand, in defrosting of the first evaporator 14a, a stop cycle defrosting method is adopted, and the first fan 9a is driven in a state where the refrigerant does not flow through the first evaporator 14 a. The air in the refrigerating compartment 2 flows to the first evaporator 14a (see fig. 3) through the refrigerating compartment return ports 15a and 15b by the first fan 9a, and the frost in the first evaporator 14a is heated and defrosted by the air in the refrigerating compartment 2 at a refrigerating temperature (0 ℃ or higher) higher than the melting point of the frost. The defrosting water generated when the first evaporator 14a defrosts is discharged from a first chute 23a (see fig. 2) provided in the lower portion of the first evaporator chamber 8a to a first evaporation pan (not shown) provided in the machine chamber 39 through a drain pipe (not shown).

If the off-cycle defrosting mode is used, the electric heater (about 150W) is not used, and the first evaporator 14a is defrosted only by the fan (0.5-3W), so that the power consumption can be reduced compared with the defrosting mode using the electric heater. In addition, since the air (about 4 ℃) passing through the off-cycle defrosting process is cooled by the low-temperature first evaporator 14a and the frost (about 0 ℃) attached to the first evaporator 14a, the refrigerating compartment 2 can be cooled while defrosting the first evaporator 14 a. Therefore, the defrosting mode with high energy-saving performance is realized. Further, during the off cycle defrosting, the temperature of the first evaporator 14a is high, and therefore dehumidification or humidification of the air passing through the first evaporator 14a is suppressed, and therefore, the effect of maintaining the refrigerating compartment 2 at high humidity can be further improved.

In this way, by providing first evaporator 14a for cooling refrigerating room 2, which is a storage room in a refrigerating temperature range, and increasing the evaporator temperature when refrigerating room 2 is cooled, and by employing the off-cycle defrosting method, energy saving performance is improved, and refrigerating room 2 is kept in a high humidity state.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an air passage structure of the freezing chamber and the first switching chamber according to embodiment 1. The arrows in the figure indicate the cold air flow direction (broken line) of the forced convection in the state where the first switching room damper 101 is opened when the refrigerator 1 is set to the "FR" mode. The first switching chamber air passage 140 and the first switching chamber discharge port 111a are omitted from illustration.

As shown in fig. 7, the cold air in freezer compartment 3 flows downward through freezer compartment return air duct 120 d. Similarly, the cold air in the first switching chamber flows downward through the first switching chamber return air passage 111 d. The cold air flowing through each of the freezing compartment return air passage 120d and the first switching compartment return air passage 111d merges in the common return air passage 160 and flows into the second evaporator chamber 8 b. By providing the common return air passage 160 as in this embodiment, space efficiency can be improved compared to the case where the freezing compartment return air passage 120d and the first switching chamber return air passage 111d are formed independently.

On the other hand, when the return cold air flows from the two storage chambers simultaneously in the air passage in which the return cold air from the two storage chambers flows in common, the following problems may occur: the duct resistance increases due to the merging of the cold air, and the cooling performance decreases due to a decrease in the circulation air volume. Therefore, the present embodiment has a configuration in which the above problem is not easily caused.

As shown in fig. 7, the common return air passage 160 is formed at the terminal end portions of the freezing compartment return air passage 120d and the first switching chamber return air passage 111 d. With this configuration, the length of the common return air passage 160 can be shortened, and the influence of the increase in the air passage resistance can be reduced.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view C-C of fig. 2. In the figure, the arrow indicates the cold air flow direction (broken line) of the forced convection in the state where the first switching room damper 101 is opened when the refrigerator 1 is set to the "FR" mode.

As shown in fig. 8, the freezing chamber 3 is provided at the upper part of the first switching chamber, the second evaporator chamber 8b is provided at the substantial back part of the first switching chamber, and the common return air passage 160 is provided at the side of the second evaporator chamber 8 b. By installing the air duct in this way, the common return air duct 160 and the refrigerating compartment return air duct 111d can be designed to have short paths, and therefore, the space efficiency of the refrigerator can be improved.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an air passage structure of the freezing chamber and the first switching chamber according to embodiment 1. Arrows in the drawing indicate a cold air flow direction (dotted line) of forced convection in a state where the first switching room damper 101 is closed when the refrigerator 1 is set to the "RF" mode and a cold air flow direction (dotted line) of natural convection generated in the first switching room 5. The first switching chamber air passage 140 and the first switching chamber discharge port 111a are omitted.

As shown in fig. 9, in the vicinity of the first switching chamber return air passage 111d, the main flow 203 of the forced convection collides with the first switching chamber return air passage 11d, and a vortex 201a generated by the forced convection is generated in the clockwise direction. In the first switching chamber 5, a flow 202 of natural convection is generated in a clockwise direction along the outer periphery. Further, due to interference of the vortex 201a generated by the forced convection with the flow 202 of the natural convection, heat is transferred from the first switching chamber 5 of the refrigerating temperature zone to the return cold air of the freezing chamber 3 of the freezing temperature zone.

As shown in fig. 9, the straight line connecting the start end and the end of common return air duct 160 is substantially vertical, and the direction of the cold air flowing through common return air duct 160 is downward. With this configuration, the flow direction of the vortex 201a by the forced convection and the flow 202 by the natural convection are the same, and the flow direction is opposite at the portion where the two vortices collide, so that the cold air in the freezing chamber 3 (the cold air in the common return air passage 160) is less likely to flow back to the first switching chamber 5, and thus the refrigerator is less likely to be overcooled in the first switching chamber 5 and has high reliability.

In the refrigerator of the present embodiment, since the upper surface, the lower surface, and the rear surface of the first switching chamber 5 are at the freezing temperature in the "RF" mode, the first switching chamber 5 is easily overcooled, and the effect of suppressing the reverse flow is remarkably exhibited.

In the refrigerator of the present embodiment, it is assumed that the first switching chamber 5 is used not only for cold storage but also for freezing, and in order to ensure the air volume flowing through the first switching chamber 5 when used for freezing, the openings of the first switching chamber return air duct 111d, the first switching

chamber return ports

111b and 111c, and the like need to be larger than those when used for cold storage. Therefore, cold air returned from freezer compartment 3 (cold air in common return air duct 160) flows backward, so that first switching room 5 is likely to be supercooled, and the effect of suppressing the backward flow is remarkably exhibited.

As shown in fig. 9, since natural convection is generated in the first switching chamber 5, a temperature distribution is formed in which the upper portion has a high temperature and the lower portion has a low temperature. In addition, the first switching chamber return port 111b of the present embodiment is provided at the lower portion of the first switching chamber 5. Accordingly, the temperature difference at the interference portion between the vortex 201a generated by the forced convection and the flow 202 of the natural convection is reduced, and the amount of heat transferred from the first switching chamber 5 in the refrigerating temperature range to the cold air returned from the freezing chamber 3 in the freezing temperature range is reduced, so that the refrigerator in which the first switching chamber 5 is less likely to be supercooled is obtained.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the first switching chamber as viewed from a section B-B of fig. 2. As shown in fig. 8, the first switching chamber 5 includes a first switching chamber return port 111b and a first switching chamber return port 111 c. By providing a plurality of return ports, the diameter of the vortex 201a generated by forced convection can be reduced as compared with the case where one return port having a substantially same total opening area is provided, so that heat exchange with the flow 202 of natural convection is suppressed, the amount of heat transferred from the first switching chamber 5 in the refrigerating temperature range to the cold air returned from the freezing chamber 3 in the freezing temperature range is reduced, and the first switching chamber 5 is less likely to be supercooled.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view C-C of fig. 2. Arrows in the drawing indicate a cold air flow direction (dotted line) of forced convection in a state where the first switching room damper 101 is closed when the refrigerator 1 is set to the "RF" mode and a cold air flow direction (dotted line) of natural convection generated in the first switching room 5.

As shown in fig. 10 and 11, the first switching chamber return port 111b and the first switching chamber return port 111c are provided with a slit 111e that divides the first switching chamber return air passage 111 d. Accordingly, the vortex 201a generated by the forced convection can be divided into a plurality of vortices to reduce the diameter of the vortices (see fig. 9), so that heat exchange between the vortex 201a generated by the forced convection and the flow 202 of the natural convection is suppressed, the amount of heat transferred from the first switching chamber 5 in the refrigerating temperature range to the return cold air of the freezing chamber 3 in the freezing temperature range is reduced, and the refrigerator is less likely to cause supercooling of the first switching chamber 5.

As shown in fig. 11, slit 111e is provided in first switching chamber return port 111c, and the first switching chamber side (right side of the refrigerator) of slit 111e is inclined so as to be positioned above freezing chamber return air passage 120 d. This increases the duct resistance of the flow path from freezer compartment 3 to the first switching chamber, and makes it difficult for the return cold air from freezer compartment 3 (cold air in common return duct 160) to flow backward into first switching chamber 5, thereby making it difficult for first switching chamber 5 to be overcooled.

As shown in fig. 11, the height in the vertical direction is configured to be larger than the width dimension in the horizontal direction of the second switching chamber damper 102. Therefore, the width of the cooler can be increased within the limited width of the air passage in the left and right directions, so that the cooling performance of the refrigerator can be increased.

Fig. 12 is a D-D sectional view shown in fig. 4 (a). Arrows in the figure indicate a forced convection cold air flow direction (dotted line) in a state where the first switching room damper 101 is closed and a cold air flow direction (dotted line) of natural convection generated in the first switching room 5 in a case where the refrigerator 1 is set to the "RF" mode.

As shown in fig. 12, the height position of the return air passage 111d of the first switching chamber is configured to be higher from the freezing compartment return air passage 120d toward the first switching chamber 5 (the door side of the refrigerator). This increases the duct resistance of the flow path from freezer compartment 3 to the first switching chamber, and makes it difficult for the return cold air from freezer compartment 3 (cold air in common return duct 160) to flow backward into first switching chamber 5, thereby making it difficult for first switching chamber 5 to be overcooled.

As shown in fig. 12, the bottom surface of the return air passage 111d of the first switching chamber has a step difference by the heat insulating partition wall 30. Therefore, in the return air passage 111d of the first switching chamber, not only the vortex 201a but also the second vortex 201b due to the forced convection are generated. Accordingly, the main flow 203 of the forced convection and the flow 202 of the natural convection pass through a plurality of vortices, so that heat transfer is difficult, and the refrigerator in which supercooling of the first switching chamber 5 is unlikely to occur is obtained.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view E-E shown in fig. 4 (a). As shown in fig. 13, a second switching chamber return port 112b is provided in the rear upper portion of the second switching chamber 6, and the air flowing in from the second switching chamber return port 112b flows through a second switching chamber return air passage 112c extending downward from the second switching chamber return port 112b, reaches a second evaporator chamber inlet port 112d formed at a lower height position than the second switching chamber return port 112b, and flows into the second evaporator chamber 8 b. As described above, since the air passage extending downward is provided between the second switching chamber return opening 112b and the second evaporator chamber inlet opening 112d, the low-temperature cold air in the second evaporator chamber 8b is less likely to flow into the second switching chamber 6 when the second switching chamber damper is closed. As a result, particularly when the second switching chamber 6 is set at the refrigerating temperature, the refrigerator is less likely to cause supercooling of the second switching chamber 6.

< example 2>

Next, a refrigerator according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 14. In example 2, the return air passage structure of the first switching chamber 5 is different from that of example 1. Other configurations are the same, and redundant description is omitted.

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an air passage structure of the freezing chamber and the first switching chamber according to embodiment 2. Arrows in the drawing indicate a flow direction of cool air by forced convection (dotted line) and a flow direction of cool air by natural convection (dotted line) generated in the first switching chamber 5 in a state where the first switching chamber damper 101 is closed when the refrigerator 1 is set to the "RF" mode. The first switching chamber air passage 140 and the first switching chamber discharge port 111a are omitted from illustration.

As shown in fig. 14, the first switching chamber return air passage 111d is provided with a first switching chamber return damper 103 as a backflow reducing means. This can suppress backflow of the cold air from the common return air duct 160 to the first switching compartment 5, and thus the refrigerator is less likely to cause supercooling of the first switching compartment 5.

< example 3>

Next, a refrigerator according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 15. In example 3, the return air passage structure of the first switching chamber 5 is different from that in example 1. Other structures are the same, and redundant description is omitted.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an air passage structure of the freezing chamber and the first switching chamber according to embodiment 3. Arrows in the drawing indicate a cold air flow direction (dotted line) of forced convection in a state where the first switching room damper 101 is closed when the refrigerator 1 is set to the "RF" mode and a cold air flow direction (dotted line) of natural convection generated in the first switching room 5. The first switching chamber air passage 140 and the first switching chamber discharge port 111a are omitted from illustration.

As shown in fig. 15, in the start end portion of the common return air passage 160, the start end portion of the common return air passage 160 is disposed at a position of a lower dimension H (H is 50mm in the present embodiment) of a rear projection region (a normal direction projection region of the return opening) of the opening of the first switching chamber return opening 111b which becomes the start end portion of the first switching chamber return air passage 111d, and the first switching chamber return air passage 111d is the return air passage of the first switching chamber 5. In this way, since the start end portion of the common return air duct 160 is disposed so as to be away from the normal direction projection region of the return port, the return cold air from one storage compartment hardly affects the other storage compartment with respect to the storage compartments whose maintained temperature ranges are the cold storage temperature range and the freezing temperature range, and thus the refrigerator is highly reliable in that the supercooling of the other storage compartment is not easily generated. As shown in fig. 15, the terminal end of the first switching-chamber return air passage 111d and the terminal end of the freezing-chamber return air passage 120d are formed substantially in parallel. Accordingly, since the flow direction needs to be shifted by 180 degrees in order to flow backward from the freezing compartment return air passage 120d to the first switching compartment return air passage 111d, the backflow of the cold air from the common return air passage 160 to the first switching compartment 5 can be suppressed, and the refrigerator in which the first switching compartment 5 is less likely to be supercooled can be obtained.

The above is an example showing an example of the present embodiment. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments are described in detail to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to having all of the described configurations. In addition, some of the configurations of the embodiments may be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations.

Claims

1. A refrigerator is characterized by comprising:

a first storage chamber set to either a refrigerating temperature zone or a freezing temperature zone;

a second storage chamber set to another temperature zone different from the first storage chamber;

a blower;

an evaporator;

an evaporator chamber in which the evaporator is housed;

a first storage chamber air supply path that supplies air from the evaporator chamber to the first storage chamber when the air blower is driven;

a first storage chamber return air passage through which air flowing into the first storage chamber returns to the evaporator chamber;

a second storage chamber air supply path that supplies air from the evaporator chamber to the second storage chamber when the air blower is driven; and

a second storage chamber return air passage through which the air flowing into the second storage chamber returns to the evaporator chamber;

a common return air passage through which both return air from the first storage chamber and return air from the second storage chamber pass is provided as a part of the first storage chamber return air passage and the second storage chamber return air passage,

the first storage compartment is disposed at an upper portion of the second storage compartment, and the evaporator compartment is disposed at a substantially rear portion of the second storage compartment, the common return air passage is disposed at a side of the evaporator compartment,

a reverse flow reducing mechanism is provided near the inlet opening of the second storage chamber return air passage,

the straight line connecting the start end and the end of the common return air duct is substantially vertical, and the direction of the cold air flowing through the common return air duct is downward.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

a slit is provided at a return opening of the second storage chamber return air passage to divide the second storage chamber return air passage and divide the vortex generated by the forced convection into a plurality of parts.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

the common return air passage is formed at a terminal end portion of the first storage chamber return air passage and the second storage chamber return air passage.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

the first storage compartment is set to a freezing temperature, the second storage compartment is set to a refrigerating temperature, and the common return air duct is set to be substantially vertical.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the start end portion of the common return air passage is disposed in a normal direction projection area of an inlet opening as a start end portion of the second storage compartment return air passage.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5,

the starting end of the return air passage of the first storage chamber is provided at the lower end of the first storage chamber.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 5,

the backflow reducing mechanism may be configured to divide an inlet opening, which is a leading end portion of the second storage chamber return air passage, into a plurality of parts.

8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the start end portion of the common return air passage is disposed outside a normal direction projection area of an inlet opening as a start end portion of the second storage chamber return air passage.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 5,

the reverse flow reducing mechanism includes a damper for controlling the flow of the second storage chamber return air passage to open and close.