JPH0223795B2 - - Google Patents

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】 本発明は冷凍食品を解凍する等の高周波加熱装
置を具備した冷蔵庫に関するものである。DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a refrigerator equipped with a high-frequency heating device for defrosting frozen foods.

近年、食品市場には冷凍食品の進出が著しく、
それに伴い家庭で使用される冷蔵庫にも冷凍保存
機能を有する冷凍冷蔵庫の開発が各種成されてい
る。ここで冷凍室に於いて冷凍保存されている冷
凍食品を調理する際の解凍方法としては冷蔵室或
いは冷蔵庫外に移して自然解凍させる方法と、電
子レンジ等の高周波加熱装置により即時解凍させ
る方法とがある。 In recent years, frozen foods have made significant inroads into the food market.
Along with this, various types of refrigerator-freezers have been developed that have a freezing storage function for refrigerators used at home. When cooking frozen food stored in the freezer, there are two methods of thawing: one is to move it to a refrigerator or outside the refrigerator and thaw it naturally, and the other is to immediately thaw it using a high-frequency heating device such as a microwave oven. There is.

しかし乍ら前者の方法によると非常に時間が必
要な事、又後者の方法によると調理機能をも有す
る電子レンジは高価格であり、又解凍専用の電子
レンジは市場で発売されていないのが現状であ
る。 However, the former method requires a lot of time, the latter method requires a high price microwave oven that also has a cooking function, and there are no microwave ovens specifically designed for defrosting on the market. This is the current situation.

そこで本発明では冷蔵庫内に解凍用の高周波加
熱室を組み込み庫外に高温度となる高周波発生装
置を設け、両者を導波管にて結合すると共にこの
導波管の庫内側部分の内部の露付を防止した冷蔵
庫を提供するものである。 Therefore, in the present invention, a high-frequency heating chamber for defrosting is built into the refrigerator, a high-frequency generator that generates a high temperature is provided outside the refrigerator, and the two are coupled by a waveguide, and the inside of the inside part of the waveguide is exposed. To provide a refrigerator that is prevented from being damaged.

以下本発明の一実施例を図面に基づいて説明す
る。１は冷蔵庫本体で庫内は仕切壁２によつて上
下に冷凍室３と冷蔵室４とに区画されている。５
は冷蔵庫本体１下部に於いて圧縮機６等を収納す
る機械室である。７は冷凍室３前面開口を閉塞す
る冷凍室扉で８は内側にポケツト８ａを有し冷蔵
室４を閉塞する冷蔵室扉である。９は冷蔵室４内
下部に設けられ野菜等を収納する容器である。１
０は仕切壁２と冷凍室３の底壁３ａの間に形成し
た冷却室１１内に設けられた冷却器で、この冷却
器１０で冷却された空気が電動送風機１２によつ
てダクト１３を通つて冷凍室３へ送られ、又冷蔵
室４へは図示しないダンパ装置を有する冷気吐出
口１４から送風され庫内側を冷却している。１５
はダクト１３の冷気吐出口付近に設けられた製氷
装置である。 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator body, and the inside of the refrigerator is divided vertically into a freezing compartment 3 and a refrigerating compartment 4 by a partition wall 2. 5
is a machine room located at the bottom of the refrigerator body 1 that houses the compressor 6 and the like. Reference numeral 7 designates a freezer compartment door that closes the front opening of the freezer compartment 3, and 8 designates a refrigerator compartment door that has a pocket 8a inside and closes the refrigerator compartment 4. Reference numeral 9 denotes a container provided in the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 4 for storing vegetables and the like. 1
Reference numeral 0 denotes a cooler installed in a cooling chamber 11 formed between the partition wall 2 and the bottom wall 3a of the freezing chamber 3. Air cooled by the cooler 10 is passed through a duct 13 by an electric blower 12. The cold air is then sent to the freezer compartment 3, and is blown to the refrigerator compartment 4 from a cold air outlet 14 having a damper device (not shown) to cool the inside of the refrigerator. 15
is an ice making device installed near the cold air outlet of the duct 13.

さて、１６は後に詳述する様に高周波により冷
凍食品を解凍する高周波加熱室としての解凍室で
あり冷蔵室４の上部に於いて冷気吐出口１４の前
に配設されており、下部に電波撹拌室１７が設け
られている。１８はマグネトロン発振部１９及び
マグネトロン電源装置２０とから成る高周波発生
装置で圧縮機６の冷却フアン２１と共に本実施例
では機械室５内に於いて圧縮機台２２に冷凍シス
テムの圧縮機６と並べて固定しておりこの高周波
発生装置１８から前述の解凍室１６の電波撹拌室
１７への電波を送る導波管２３が設けられてい
る。導波管２３は高周波発生装置１８から凝縮器
２４を収納する冷蔵庫１背面の排気ダクト２５内
を通つて撹拌室１７の後方に於いて冷蔵室１の背
壁１ａを貫通して撹拌室１７に結合されている。 As will be detailed later, 16 is a thawing chamber serving as a high-frequency heating chamber for thawing frozen food using high-frequency waves.It is located in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 4 in front of the cold air outlet 14, and the radio wave is placed in the lower part. A stirring chamber 17 is provided. Reference numeral 18 denotes a high frequency generator consisting of a magnetron oscillator 19 and a magnetron power supply 20, which is installed along with the cooling fan 21 of the compressor 6 in this embodiment on a compressor stand 22 in the machine room 5, in line with the compressor 6 of the refrigeration system. A waveguide 23 is provided which is fixed and sends radio waves from the high frequency generator 18 to the radio stirring chamber 17 of the thawing chamber 16 described above. The waveguide 23 passes from the high frequency generator 18 through the exhaust duct 25 on the back side of the refrigerator 1 that houses the condenser 24, penetrates the back wall 1a of the refrigerator compartment 1 at the rear of the stirring chamber 17, and enters the stirring chamber 17. combined.

さて第２図には解凍室１６の分解斜視図が示さ
れている。２６は金属等の高周波反射材より成形
されたキヤビテイで前面に開口２７を有し、その
開口２７から低比誘導率の樹脂等にて上面を開口
して成形された肉皿２８が挿入される。肉皿２８
の前部には把手２９を含む解凍室扉３０が取付け
られている。 Now, FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the defrosting chamber 16. 26 is a cavity molded from a high-frequency reflecting material such as metal, and has an opening 27 on the front side, through which a meat plate 28 molded with an open top surface made of a low specific inductivity resin or the like is inserted. . Meat plate 28
A defrosting chamber door 30 including a handle 29 is attached to the front part of the defrosting chamber door 30 .

第３図は解凍室１６の断面図であり、ここでは
キヤビテイ２６内に冷凍食品を載置した肉皿２８
を収納した状態を示している。３１は解凍室扉前
面板、３２は電波漏洩防止の為のチヨーク誘電体
であり、解凍室扉３０の全周に設けられている。
３３はキヤビテイ２６の前面に於いて電波を反射
するドアパンチング板である。キヤビテイ２６の
後壁の冷気吐出口１４に対応する位置と、天壁前
部分には多数の冷気流通孔２６ａが穿設されてお
りこれに伴い肉皿２８の後壁にも冷気流通孔２６
ａに対応する位置に透孔２８ａが穿設されてい
る。これによつて冷蔵室４内に吐出された冷気は
第２図の矢印のように後方から解凍室１６内に入
り前部上方へ流出する循環を行なう。ここで冷気
流通孔２６ａは解凍に用いられる高周波電波の波
長ｘの1/10よりも十分に小さい直径の穴である。
従つてこれらの穴はその周波数の電波に対して非
常に大きいインピーダンスを示すので冷気流通孔
２６ａからの高周波電波の漏れは非常に少ない。 FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the thawing chamber 16, in which a meat plate 28 with frozen food placed inside the cavity 26 is shown.
It shows the stored state. Reference numeral 31 denotes a front plate of the defrosting chamber door, and reference numeral 32 denotes a chiyoke dielectric for preventing radio wave leakage, which is provided around the entire circumference of the defrosting chamber door 30.
33 is a door punching plate that reflects radio waves on the front surface of the cavity 26. A large number of cold air circulation holes 26a are bored in the rear wall of the cavity 26 at positions corresponding to the cold air outlet 14 and in the front part of the ceiling wall, and accordingly, the rear wall of the meat plate 28 also has cold air circulation holes 26a.
A through hole 28a is bored at a position corresponding to a. As a result, the cold air discharged into the refrigerating chamber 4 enters the defrosting chamber 16 from the rear as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2 and flows out toward the upper front. Here, the cold air circulation hole 26a is a hole having a diameter sufficiently smaller than 1/10 of the wavelength x of the high frequency radio wave used for thawing.
Therefore, since these holes exhibit a very large impedance to radio waves of that frequency, there is very little leakage of high frequency radio waves from the cold air circulation holes 26a.

電波撹拌室１７の底面及び側面には上述した冷
気流通孔２６ａと同様の作用を有する孔１７ａが
複数穿設され、又内部にはモータ３４に駆動さ
れ、電波を反射する金属で成形されたスターラフ
アン３５が収納される。スターラフアン３５はそ
の回転により下方より空気を吸入し側方に吐出す
るものでこれにより冷蔵室４内の冷気撹拌を行な
う。一方、機械室５内の高周波発生装置１８より
導波管２３を通つて撹拌室１７に発射された高周
波電波はスターラフアン３５で反射してキヤビテ
イ２６内に第３図折曲矢印の如く撹拌されキヤビ
テイ２６内の冷凍食品の解凍を行なう。 A plurality of holes 17a having the same function as the cold air circulation holes 26a described above are bored in the bottom and side surfaces of the radio wave stirring chamber 17, and inside is a stirrer formed of metal that is driven by a motor 34 and reflects radio waves. A fan 35 is housed. The stirrer fan 35 sucks in air from below as it rotates and discharges it to the side, thereby stirring the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 4. On the other hand, high-frequency radio waves emitted from the high-frequency generator 18 in the machine room 5 to the stirring chamber 17 through the waveguide 23 are reflected by the stirrer fan 35 and stirred into the cavity 26 as shown by the bent arrow in FIG. The frozen food in the cavity 26 is thawed.

ここで導波管２３は冷蔵庫１背壁１ａの貫通孔
３６を通つて庫外より冷蔵室４内に入り電波撹拌
室１７内に開口２３ａしているので冷蔵室４内の
冷気と連通している。従つて冷却運転に伴ない冷
蔵室４内或いは導波管２３内の湿気が結露して導
波管２３の内壁に水滴が付着することになる。こ
こで水は非常に高い比誘電率を有するのでマグネ
トロン発振部１９より発振された高周波電波はこ
の水滴に吸収され水滴を沸騰させるので結果的に
電波撹拌室１７に至る高周波電波の出力が減衰さ
れる。又、上記水滴が何等かの原因でマグネトロ
ン発振部１９内に入り込んで劣化の原因となる。
そこで、本発明では少なくとも冷蔵室温によつて
冷却される冷蔵庫１の背壁１ａから撹拌室１７に
至る導波管２３の空洞内に低比誘電率であり高周
波電波透過性のウレタン樹脂等の断熱材３７を封
入する。又、断熱材３７の撹拌室１７側と庫外側
端面はこれも低比誘電率の塩化ビニル樹脂等のカ
バー３８にて被覆する。このカバー３８は断熱材
３７の全表面を被覆する様設けても差支えない。
又、断熱材３７は導波管２３の空洞を密閉して封
入する。この様に成すことによつて導波管２３の
冷蔵室４を通過する部分が冷やされて内壁面に水
分が付着することが無い。又、カバー３８によつ
て断熱材３７内に水分が吸収されることも無い。
更に導波管２３の周囲を断熱材にて被覆すれば導
波管２３内の結露は更に確実に防止出来る。 Here, the waveguide 23 enters the refrigerator compartment 4 from outside through the through hole 36 in the back wall 1a of the refrigerator 1, and has an opening 23a in the radio wave stirring chamber 17, so that it communicates with the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 4. There is. Therefore, with the cooling operation, moisture in the refrigerator compartment 4 or in the waveguide 23 condenses, resulting in water droplets adhering to the inner wall of the waveguide 23. Here, since water has a very high dielectric constant, the high frequency radio waves oscillated by the magnetron oscillation unit 19 are absorbed by the water droplets and boil them, resulting in the output of the high frequency radio waves reaching the radio wave stirring chamber 17 being attenuated. Ru. Further, the water droplets may enter the magnetron oscillation section 19 for some reason, causing deterioration.
Therefore, in the present invention, the cavity of the waveguide 23 extending from the back wall 1a of the refrigerator 1 to the stirring chamber 17, which is cooled at least by the room temperature of the refrigerator, is insulated using a urethane resin or the like having a low dielectric constant and transmitting high frequency radio waves. The material 37 is enclosed. Further, the stirring chamber 17 side and the outer side end surface of the heat insulating material 37 are covered with a cover 38 made of vinyl chloride resin or the like having a low dielectric constant. This cover 38 may be provided so as to cover the entire surface of the heat insulating material 37.
Further, the heat insulating material 37 seals and encapsulates the cavity of the waveguide 23. By doing so, the portion of the waveguide 23 that passes through the refrigerator compartment 4 is cooled, and moisture does not adhere to the inner wall surface. Further, moisture is not absorbed into the heat insulating material 37 by the cover 38.
Furthermore, if the periphery of the waveguide 23 is covered with a heat insulating material, dew condensation inside the waveguide 23 can be further reliably prevented.

本発明は以上の如く構成し冷蔵庫本体の冷蔵室
内に高周波加熱室を設け、比較的高温となる高周
波発生装置は庫外に設置すると共に該高周波発生
装置からの高周波電波を導波管にて高周波加熱室
に具備した電波撹拌室を介して高周波加熱室内に
導き、該加熱室内に於いて冷凍食品等の解凍等を
行なう様に成した冷蔵庫に於いて少なくとも前記
撹拌室に至る庫内側の導波管の空洞内に高周波電
波透過性の断熱材を密閉封入したので冷蔵室温に
よつて冷却された導波管内の結露が防止出来それ
によつて高周波発生装置からの高周波電波の出力
の低下を防止出来、加熱効率を向上させる。又、
導波管を通つて水滴が高周波発生装置内に侵入す
る事も無く安定した加熱作用を行なう事が出来
る。 The present invention is constructed as described above, and a high-frequency heating chamber is provided in the refrigerating chamber of the refrigerator main body, a high-frequency generator that generates a relatively high temperature is installed outside the refrigerator, and high-frequency radio waves from the high-frequency generator are converted into high-frequency waves using a waveguide. In a refrigerator configured to introduce radio waves into a high-frequency heating chamber through a radio wave stirring chamber provided in the heating chamber, and to thaw frozen foods, etc. in the heating chamber, the waveguide inside the refrigerator reaches at least the stirring chamber. Since a heat insulating material that is transparent to high-frequency radio waves is hermetically sealed inside the tube cavity, dew condensation can be prevented within the waveguide which has been cooled to room temperature, thereby preventing a drop in the output of high-frequency radio waves from the high-frequency generator. , improve heating efficiency. or,
Water droplets do not enter the high frequency generator through the waveguide, and stable heating can be performed.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief explanation of drawings]

各図は本発明の実施例を示すもので第１図は冷
蔵庫の側断面図、第２図は解凍室の分解斜視図、
第３図は同断面図、第４図は導波管内に封入せる
断熱材の斜視図である。 ４…冷蔵室、１６…解凍室、１７…撹拌室、１
８…高周波発生装置、２３…導波管、３７…断熱
材、３８…カバー。 Each figure shows an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the defrosting chamber,
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the same, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a heat insulating material sealed within the waveguide. 4... Refrigeration room, 16... Thawing room, 17... Stirring room, 1
8... High frequency generator, 23... Waveguide, 37... Heat insulating material, 38... Cover.

Claims (1)

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims] １ 冷凍室と冷蔵室とを有する冷蔵庫本体の庫外
に設けられた高周波発生装置と、前記冷蔵室内に
設けられた高周波加熱室と、前記高周波発生装置
からの高周波電波を電波撹拌室を介して前記高周
波加熱室内に導く導波管とから成り、前記電波撹
拌室に至る少なくとも庫内側の前記導波管内に高
周波電波透過性の断熱材を密閉封入した事を特徴
とする冷蔵庫。1. A high-frequency generator provided outside the refrigerator main body having a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment, a high-frequency heating chamber provided within the refrigerator compartment, and a high-frequency radio wave from the high-frequency generator via a radio wave stirring chamber. A refrigerator comprising a waveguide leading into the high-frequency heating chamber, and a heat insulating material transparent to high-frequency radio waves is hermetically sealed in the waveguide at least on the inside of the refrigerator leading to the radio-wave stirring chamber.