KR20170109940A

KR20170109940A - Refrigerator

Info

Publication number: KR20170109940A
Application number: KR1020160034185A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 윤종호; 김형열; 문현식; 김현진
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2016-03-22
Filing date: 2016-03-22
Publication date: 2017-10-10

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator having a food storage container in a food storage room and sterilizing both inside and outside of the food storage container. The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a food storage chamber formed inside the cabinet; A food storage container detachably installed in the food storage chamber and configured to seal the food; A first sterilizing device installed in the food storage container to sterilize the inside of the food storage container; And a second sterilizing device installed on the inner wall of the food storage chamber to sterilize the outside of the food storage container.

Description

Refrigerator {REFRIGERATOR}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a function of sterilizing the inside and the outside of a food storage container.

Generally, a refrigerator includes a cabinet filled with a heat insulating material and a door to form a food storage compartment capable of blocking heat penetrating from the outside, an evaporator for absorbing heat inside the food storage compartment, The present invention relates to a device for storing a stored foodstuff for a long period of time without deterioration by keeping the food storage room at a low temperature range where the microorganisms can not survive and proliferate.

Wherein the refrigerator is divided into a refrigerating chamber for storing food in a temperature region of the image and a freezing chamber for storing food in a temperature range of minus temperature and a top freeze chamber in which an upper freezing chamber and a lower refrigerating chamber are arranged, Top Freezer is classified into a bottom freezer refrigerator in which a refrigerator, a lower freezing room and an upper refrigerating room are arranged, and a side by side refrigerator arranged in a left freezing room and a right freezing room.

The refrigerator has a plurality of shelves, a drawer, and the like in the food storage room so that the user can conveniently store or retrieve the food stored in the food storage room. In general, the user puts the food into the food storage container and stores it in a shelf or a drawer in the food storage room. In this process, the bacteria floating in the user's hand or the air floating in the air are introduced into the food storage room. Bacteria or floating bacteria may spread not only to foodstuffs that the user puts into the food storage room but also to other parts of the food storage room, causing the alteration of other foods already stored in the food storage room.

A refrigerator for sterilizing microorganisms in a food storage room using a sterilizing device has been disclosed. However, the conventional refrigerator has a problem that it is difficult to uniformly sterilize the food storage room.

When the sterilization apparatus sterilizes only a specific region, the microorganisms propagating in the remaining regions result in the deterioration of the food. For example, floating bacteria attached to a food storage container may cause deterioration of the food inside the food storage container, and floating bacteria outside the food storage container may be transferred to another area of the food storage room to cause deterioration of the stored food do.

Therefore, it is required to develop a refrigerator capable of sterilizing both the adhesive bacteria and the floating bacteria. Especially, since the infant is relatively weaker than the adult, a refrigerator which can sterilize the food storage room for infants is needed.

The present invention provides a refrigerator capable of sterilizing both inside and outside of a food storage container provided in a food storage room.

The present invention is intended to propose a refrigerator having a structure capable of inhibiting the spreading of floating bacteria to the food storage chamber.

The present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a structure for evenly sterilizing the inside of a food storage container.

The present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a structure for evenly sterilizing the outside of a food storage container.

The present invention is intended to propose a refrigerator which can perform first-in-first-out management for infant foods.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a food storage chamber formed inside a cabinet; A food storage container detachably installed in the food storage chamber and configured to seal the food; A first sterilizing device installed in the food storage container to sterilize the inside of the food storage container; And a second sterilizing device installed on the inner wall of the food storage chamber to sterilize the outside of the food storage container.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the food storage container includes a first food storage container and a second food storage container which are disposed apart from each other in the food storage chamber, and the first sterilization device is provided in plural, 1 food storage container and the second food storage container, respectively, and the second sterilizing device is installed between the first food storage container and the second food storage container.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first sterilizing device includes a sterilizing filter configured to sterilize the air inside the food storage container.

The refrigerator includes a fan installed at a position facing the sterilizing filter to circulate air inside the food storage container.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the second sterilizing apparatus includes an ultraviolet lamp which irradiates ultraviolet rays to the outside of the food storage container.

The ultraviolet lamp is formed to be movable along a predetermined path to change an ultraviolet ray irradiation area.

The refrigerator includes: a guide rail extending in one direction to set a movement path of the ultraviolet lamp; And a motor configured to provide a driving force to the ultraviolet lamp that moves along the guide rail.

The refrigerator includes: a door formed to open and close the food storage chamber; And a reflector disposed on the inside of the door or on the wall of the food storage compartment and configured to reflect ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator is installed on the bottom of the food storage chamber or the bottom of the food storage container, and detects the weight and the position of the food stored in the food storage chamber or the food storage container sensor; And a control unit configured to generate storage information of food based on a storage time of the food stored in the food storage room or the food storage container and a weight and position of the food detected by the sensor.

The refrigerator includes a display unit that is exposed to the outside of the cabinet or the door, and is configured to display storage information of food produced in the control unit to the outside.

The refrigerator includes a communication unit configured to transmit storage information of food produced by the control unit to an external device.

According to the present invention, the inside and the outside of the food storage container can be sterilized by the first sterilization device installed inside the food storage container and the second sterilization device installed on the inner wall of the food storage chamber.

According to the present invention, since the first food storage container and the second food storage container are detachably installed in the food storage chamber, the user can retrieve any one food storage container and store the food. The two food storage containers are formed to enclose the food and the second sterilization device is installed between the two food storage containers to inhibit the diffusion of microorganisms such as bacteria from one food storage container to another food storage container can do.

According to the present invention, the first sterilizing device is composed of a sterilizing filter and the fan is installed behind the sterilizing filter to circulate the air inside the food storage container, so that the inside of the food storage container can be uniformly sterilized.

According to the present invention, since the second sterilizing apparatus is made of a movable ultraviolet lamp, the outside of the food storage container can be uniformly sterilized by changing the ultraviolet irradiation area. According to the present invention, the reflector installed on the wall of the food storage room reflects the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet lamp, so that the outside of the food storage container can be uniformly sterilized.

According to the present invention, the weight and the storage area of the food are detected by the sensor, and the first-in-first-out management of the food is possible through the storage information of the produced food.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a refrigerator according to the present invention.
3 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration for generating and managing storage information of food in a refrigerator.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a sterilizing filter and a fan installed in a food storage container.
5 is a cross-sectional view showing an ultraviolet lamp installed on the wall of the food storage chamber and a motor implementing the movement of the ultraviolet lamp.

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a refrigerator 100 according to the present invention.

The outer appearance of the refrigerator 100 is formed by a cabinet 101 and doors 102, 103, 104, The cabinet 101 includes an outer case and an inner case, and a heat insulating material is filled between the outer case and the inner case.

The doors 102, 103, 104 and 105 are rotatably or slidably connected to the cabinet 101 and form a front portion of the refrigerator 100. The doors 102, 103, 104, and 105 are configured to open and close the food storage chamber formed inside the cabinet 101. The doors 102, 103, 104, and 105 may be divided into a rotatable door or a drawer-type door according to an opening and closing method. The doors 102, 103, 104 and 105 may be divided into a freezing chamber door 102, a refrigerating chamber door 103, a sterilizing chamber door 104 and a warming chamber door 105 depending on the object to be opened and closed.

The refrigerator 100 of the present invention may include a refrigerator and a refrigerator as well as a sterilizing and warming function. Each function consists of separate refrigerator, freezer, sterilization and warm room. The food storage room may be defined as a concept including a refrigerator room, a freezer room, a hot room, and a sterilization room. The refrigerator 100 of the present invention may be named as a refrigerator having a sterilizing and warming function in that the refrigerator 100 includes a sterilizing function and / or a warming function, or may be named as a cold storage having a sterilizing function.

Figure 1 shows a rotatable door. The rotation of the doors 102, 103, 104 and 105 is realized by the hinges 106 and 107 which relatively rotatably connect the cabinets 101 and the doors 102, 103, 104 and 105. The hinges 106 and 107 can be installed on the upper side and the lower side of the doors 102, 103, 104 and 105, respectively. Further, some of the doors 102, 103, 104, and 105 may be relatively rotatable with other doors on the upper and lower sides. For example, in FIG. 1, the refrigerator compartment door 103 may be relatively rotatable with the upper freezer compartment door 102 and the lower sterilizing compartment door 104. Also, the refrigerator compartment door 103 can be relatively rotatable with the upper freezer compartment door 102 and the lower compartment door 105.

The display unit 111 and the input unit 112 may be formed outside the cabinet 101 or the doors 102, 103, 104, The display unit 111 is formed to visually display various status information of the refrigerator 100 including temperatures of the refrigerating compartment, the freezing compartment, and the temperature compartment. The input unit 112 is configured to receive a user's control command. When the user inputs the set temperature of the food storage room through the input unit 112, the current temperature and the set temperature can be displayed on the display unit 111, respectively.

The refrigerator 100 includes a control unit 113 and a communication unit 114.

The control unit 113 is configured to control the overall operation of the refrigerator 100. The control unit 113 maintains the temperature of the food storage room at a temperature range set by the user according to a predetermined algorithm and controls the sterilization operation of the sterilization chamber.

The communication unit 114 is formed to transmit and receive signals to / from an external device. The communication unit 114 may transmit the storage information of the food stored in the refrigerator 100 to an external device and receive a control command through an external device.

Hereinafter, the internal structure of the refrigerator 100 will be described.

2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a refrigerator 100 related to the present invention.

When the freezing chamber door 102 is rotated, the inside of the freezing chamber door 102 is exposed and the freezing chambers 120 and 120 'are opened.

A basket 102a is formed on the inner side of the freezing chamber door 102. [ The basket 102a is for efficient space utilization. The basket (102a) forms a screen for preventing food from dropping and forms a space for storing food. The baskets 104a and 105a may be formed not only in the freezing chamber door 102 but also in the sterilizing chamber door 104 and the warming chamber door 105. [

A cool air discharge opening 121 is formed in a rear wall of the freezing chamber 120 or 120 '. The cool air formed through the heat exchange with the evaporator provided in the refrigeration cycle is supplied to the freezing chambers 120 and 120 'through the cool air discharge port 121 to maintain the temperatures of the freezing chambers 120 and 120 at predetermined low temperatures.

In the refrigerator 100 used for infants, the freezer compartment 120 can be used to freeze breast milk and baby food materials. In particular, since the infant has relatively weaker immunity than an adult, the first-in /-out selection of the breast milk and the baby food stored in the freezer 120 can be performed to provide fresh food to the infant.

First-in-first-out management means that goods are delivered to the refrigerator 100 in the order in which they are received. For example, if the food A is first placed in the refrigerator 100 compared to the food B, it means that the food A is managed so that it can be delivered before the food B is delivered. First-in-first-out management is particularly meaningful amongst the same kind of foods, rather than different types of foods, because the length of time that foods can be freshly stored varies.

Because infants typically consume the same type of breast milk or formula repeatedly, the same type of milk or formula can be stored in the freezer. Therefore, breastfeeding and weaning are foods that need first-in-first-out management.

The refrigerator (100) of the present invention includes a sensor (123) for first-in-first-out management of food. The sensor 123 may be installed in the food storage room 120, 130, 140 or 105, and the sensor 123 in FIG. 2 may be installed on the bottom of the freezing room 120. The description of the sensor 123 and the first-in first-out management using the sensor 123 will be described with reference to the freezer compartment 120. The description of the sensor 123 will be made on the assumption that the food storage compartments 120, 130, 140 and 150 including the refrigerating compartment 130 and the warm compartment 150 But also to the food storage containers 133 and 134 described later.

The freezing compartment 120 is divided into a plurality of areas. The area defined by the plurality of areas generally means the bottom of the freezer compartment 120. However, when the freezing compartment 120 is provided with a storage unit (not shown) such as a shelf, the storage unit can be divided into a plurality of areas. 2, the bottom of the freezer compartment 120 is shown as being divided into a plurality of areas. The plurality of areas are for determining the position of the food stored in the freezer compartment 120.

The sensor 123 is installed at the bottom of the freezer compartment 120. The sensor 123 is configured to sense the weight and position of the food stored in the freezer compartment 120. The weight and position of the food detected through the sensor 123 is used to generate storage information for the food. A more detailed description thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 3 first.

FIG. 3 is a concept showing a configuration for generating and managing storage information of food in the refrigerator 100. FIG.

When the user puts food into the food storage room or the food storage container to store food in the refrigerator 100, it is stored in the refrigerator 100 by the sensor 123 installed at the bottom of the food storage room, the storage unit, or the food storage container The weight and position of the food is detected. For example, when a user stores a food having a weight of 300 g in an area corresponding to coordinates (1,1), the weight (300 g) and the position (coordinates 1, 1) of the food are detected by the sensor 123 .

The control unit 113 is configured to generate the storage information of the food based on the storage time of the food and the weight and position of the food detected by the sensor 123. The storage information of a food contains the storage time of the food, the weight of the food and / or the storage location of the food, and other additional information may be added. If the food leaves the pantry or the storage location of the food changes, the storage information of the food may be updated.

The storage information of the food produced by the control unit 113 can be visually displayed through the display unit 111. [ For example, if food preservation information is displayed in the order of storage time of the food, information for first-in first-out management may be provided to the user. Therefore, the user can take out the food stored in the refrigerator first from the refrigerator based on the storage information of the food provided from the refrigerator 100, and use the food for cooking.

The storage information of the food produced by the control unit 113 can also be transmitted to the external device through the communication unit 114. [ An external device means a communication device having a communication function such as a smart phone or a PC. When the storage information of the food is transmitted to the external device, the user can grasp the storage information of the food even at the position physically separated from the refrigerator 100. [ The user can manage the first-in-first-out management of the food using the storage information of the food received through the communication unit 114 of the refrigerator 100.

Referring again to FIG. 2, in another freezing compartment 120 ', a baby food storage container 20 capable of storing a baby food material for an infant can be stored. The inside of the food storage container 20 is divided into a plurality of areas so that an appropriate amount of food items can be frozen and stored in each area. The food storage container 20 may be made of a transparent material so that the amount and kind of baby foods stored therein can be grasped.

A partition wall 122 may be provided between the two refrigerating chambers 120 and 120 '. The partition 122 can spatially separate the two refrigerating chambers 120, 120 '. However, it is also possible that a hole is formed in the partition 122 to allow cool air to pass therethrough.

A refrigerating chamber 130 is formed below the freezing chambers 120 and 120 '. When the refrigerator compartment door 103 is rotated, the inside of the refrigerator compartment door 103 is exposed and the refrigerator compartment 130 is opened.

On the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber 130, a cool air discharge opening 131 is formed. The cool air formed through the heat exchange with the evaporator provided in the refrigeration cycle is supplied to the refrigerating chamber 130 through the cool air discharge port 131 to maintain the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 130 at a predetermined low temperature. The food stored in the food storage containers 133 and 134 is not directly in contact with the cold air but is indirectly supplied to the food storage containers 133 and 134 through the food storage containers 133 and 134. [ And cooled.

The food storage containers 133 and 134 are detachably installed in the refrigerating chamber 130. However, the food storage containers 133 and 134 are not necessarily installed only in the refrigerating chamber 130, but may be installed in the freezing chamber 120, sterilization chamber 140, or warm room 150. As shown in FIG. 2, the food storage containers 133 and 134 may be provided in two or more numbers on the right and left sides. Each of the food storage containers 133 and 134 may be separated from the first food storage container 133 and the second food storage container 134 by adding ordinal numbers.

Each of the food storage containers 133 and 134 is made to store food in a sealed state. Therefore, the phenomenon that the microorganisms such as bacteria and the smell of food are transferred from one of the food storage containers 133 and 134 to the other one of the food storage containers 133 and 134 can be suppressed.

The food storage containers 133 and 134 may include a main body 133a and a main body 133a for accommodating food inside and doors 133b and 134b for opening and closing the main body 133a and 134a. The doors 133b and 134b can be implemented to be rotatable relative to the main bodies 133a and 134a by the hinges 133c and 134c. However, the present invention is not limited to the rotating structure. For example, the doors 133b and 134b may be made of an elastic member such as rubber and may be physically fitted to the body using an elastic force.

Since the food storage containers 133 and 134 are detachably installed in the refrigerating compartment 130, the user can freely take out the refrigerating compartment 130. When the user takes out the food storage containers 133 and 134 from the refrigerating chamber 130, the food storage containers 133 and 134 are exposed to the air containing the microorganisms such as floating bacteria. In addition, the microorganisms such as bacteria, which are buried in the hands of the user in the process of the user pulling the food storage containers 133 and 134 out of the freezing chamber, are moved to the outside of the food storage containers 133 and 134. As a result, the outer sides of the food storage containers 133 and 134 are contaminated.

Similarly, when the user opens the food storage containers 133 and 134, microorganisms such as bacteria flow into the food storage containers 133 and 134 by the air and the user's hand. As a result, the inside of the food storage containers 133 and 134 is contaminated.

Therefore, microorganisms such as bacteria may propagate on the outside and the inside of the food storage containers 133 and 134, respectively.

The refrigerator (100) of the present invention includes a first sterilizing device (133d, 133e, 134d, 134e) for sterilizing the inside of the food storage containers (133, 134) And a second sterilizing device 132 adapted to sterilize the outside.

The first sterilizing devices 133d, 133e, 134d and 134e are installed in the food storage containers 133 and 134 to sterilize the inside of the food storage containers 133 and 134, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of first sterilizing devices 133d, 133e, 134d, and 134e may be installed in the first food storage container 133 and the second food storage container 134, respectively. The installation positions of the first sterilizing devices 133d, 133e, 134d and 134e are not necessarily limited to the rear wall of the food storage containers 133 and 134. [

The first sterilizing devices 133d, 133e, 134d, and 134e may be implemented with sterilizing filters 133d and 134d configured to sterilize the air inside the food storage containers 133 and 134. [ The sterilizing filters 133d and 134d may include an enzyme for decomposing bacteria or the like, or may be provided with carbon to remove odors. The first sterilizing devices 133d, 133e, 134d, and 134e are not limited to the sterilizing filters 133d and 134d, and various configurations capable of sterilizing microorganisms such as bacteria may be selectively applied.

The refrigerator 100 may include fans 133e and 134e configured to circulate the air inside the food storage containers 133 and 134. The fans 133e and 134e may be installed in front of or behind the sterilizing filters 133d and 134d so as to face the sterilizing filters 133d and 134d. The position facing the sterilizing filters 133d and 134d may be a wall (side wall or rear wall) of the food storage containers 133 and 134 or a rear wall of the refrigerating chamber 130. [ As the air inside the food storage containers 133 and 134 is circulated by the fans 133e and 134e, the supply of air to the sterilizing filters 133d and 134d becomes smooth and the sterilizing filters 133d and 134d sterilize The action can become more active.

When the fans 133e and 134e are installed in the walls of the food storage containers 133 and 134, a power supply structure for driving the fans 133e and 134e is required. The refrigerating chamber 130 and the food storage containers 133 and 134 may have contact terminals (not shown) for electrical connection at positions corresponding to each other. The refrigerator 100 may have a structure in which power is naturally supplied to the fans 133e and 134e as the food storage containers 133 and 134 are inserted into the refrigerating chamber 130. [

Even when the fans 133e and 134e are installed on the rear wall of the refrigerating chamber 130, the sterilization filters 133d and 134d and the fans 133e and 134e can be naturally inserted into the refrigerating chamber 130 as the food storage containers 133 and 134 are inserted into the refrigerating chamber 130. [ ) Can face each other. In this case, a separate contact terminal for supplying electric power to the food storage containers 133 and 134 is unnecessary.

The second sterilizing device 132 may be installed on the inner wall of the refrigerating chamber 130 to sterilize the outer sides of the food storage containers 133 and 134. The inner wall of the refrigerating chamber 130 includes not only a rear wall of the refrigerating chamber 130 as shown in FIG. 2, but also a side wall, a ceiling or a floor.

The second sterilizing device 132 may be embodied as an ultraviolet lamp 132 for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the outside of the food storage containers 133 and 134. Since the ultraviolet rays have an effect of sterilizing microorganisms such as bacteria, the outside of the food storage containers 133 and 134 can be sterilized by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet lamp 132. The ultraviolet lamp 132 can be operated while the refrigerating compartment door 103 is closed.

The first food storage container 133 and the second food storage container 134 are spaced from each other and the ultraviolet lamp 132 is disposed between the first food storage container 133 and the second food storage container 134 Respectively. Therefore, the process of moving the floating bacteria from the first food storage container 133 to the second food storage container 134 or the process of moving the floating bacteria from the second food storage container 134 to the first food storage container 133 The sterilization by the ultraviolet lamp 132 can be performed.

In particular, the ultraviolet lamp 132 may be formed to be movable along a predetermined path so as to change the ultraviolet irradiation region. When the ultraviolet lamp 132 is fixed, ultraviolet rays are intensively irradiated only to a specific region, so that propagation of bacteria and the like may not be suppressed in an area not irradiated with ultraviolet rays. However, if the ultraviolet lamp 132 is movable, ultraviolet rays can be uniformly irradiated to the outside of the food storage containers 133 and 134.

Also, the refrigerator 100 may include reflectors 135 and 135 'formed to reflect ultraviolet rays. The reflectors 135 and 135 'are installed inside the door or in the wall of the refrigerating chamber 130. The reflectors 135 and 135 'cause irregular reflection of ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp 132. Therefore, the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp 132 is irregularly reflected by the reflectors 135 and 135 ', and can be uniformly irradiated to the outside of the food storage containers 133 and 134.

A sterilization chamber 140 and a warm chamber 150 are formed below the refrigerating chamber 130.

The sterilizing chamber 140 is provided with an ultraviolet lamp 141. Unlike the refrigerating chamber 130, the sterilizing chamber 140 is maintained at a normal temperature, and the sterilizing chamber 140 is a place for sterilizing the baby goods. An infant product such as a bottle or a nipple can be sterilized by ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet lamp 141. [

In the sterilization chamber (140), sterilization of infant products not containing food is performed. Unlike the refrigerating chamber 130, food is not stored in the sterilizing chamber 140, so that the sterilizing chamber 140 is maintained at room temperature. In this respect, it is conceivable that the sterilization chamber 140 is provided separately from the refrigerating chamber 130.

A warm room 150 is formed on one side of the sterilizing chamber 140. The thermostats 151 are provided in the thermostats 150 and the thermostats 151 can maintain the thermostats 150 at predetermined high temperatures. The food for the infant stored in the freezer compartment 120 or the refrigerating compartment 130 can be heated to a temperature suitable for drinking in the warm compartment 150 by providing the warm compartment 150 in the refrigerator 100. [

Hereinafter, configurations for sterilizing the inside of the food storage containers 133 and 134 and for sterilizing the outside of the food storage containers 133 and 134 will be described with reference to the respective sectional views.

4 is a sectional view showing a sterilizing filter 133d and a fan 133e installed in the food storage container 133. Fig.

The sterilizing filter 133d is installed on the rear wall of the main body 133a. The sterilizing filter 133d has a projection 133d 'that can be engaged with the rear wall of the main body 133a. The sterilizing filter 133d can be fitted to the rear wall of the main body 133a by the projection 133d '. Or the sterilizing filter 133d may be inserted into the rear wall in a state in which the sterilizing filter 133d is inclined at a predetermined angle, and then may be hooked to the rear wall of the main body 133a by being inclined at a predetermined angle in the opposite direction.

The front surface of the sterilizing filter 133d is exposed to the inside of the food storage containers 133 and 134. [ The fan 133e is installed behind the sterilizing filter 133d. The fan 133e is arranged to face the rear of the sterilizing filter 133d. The sterilizing filter 133d is configured to sterilize the airborne bacteria present in the air during the passage of the air. The wind generated by the fan 133e is supplied into the food storage containers 133 and 134 through the sterilizing filter 133d.

A contact terminal 133f for supplying electric power to the fan 133e is exposed to the rear wall of the main body 133a. The contact terminal 133f is formed at a position corresponding to another contact terminal (not shown) formed on the rear wall of the food storage chamber. When the food storage container 133 is coupled to the food storage chamber, the contact terminals are brought into contact with each other, and power can be supplied to the fan 133e.

The air supplied by the fan 133e circulates the air inside the food storage container 133. [ By continuous circulation of air, the air inside the food storage container 133 can be sterilized continuously.

5 is a cross-sectional view showing an ultraviolet lamp 132 installed on the wall of the food storage chamber and a motor 136 implementing the movement of the ultraviolet lamp 132. Fig.

The housing 137 is configured to receive at least a portion of the ultraviolet lamp 132. The housing 137 may be coupled to both ends of the ultraviolet lamp 132 and may be configured to supply power to the ultraviolet lamp 132.

The ultraviolet lamp 132 coupled to the housing 137 is movable in a predetermined direction by the driving force provided by the motor 136. A guide protrusion 138 is formed in the housing 137, and a guide rail 139 is formed in the food storage chamber.

The guide rail 139 extends in one direction so as to set the movement path of the ultraviolet lamp 132. The guide protrusion 138 has a size and shape that can be inserted into the guide rail 139. For example, the guide protrusion 138 may extend along a movement path formed by the guide rail 139. [ The guide protrusion 138 is inserted into the guide rail 139 so that the housing 137 may not be separated from the movement path formed by the guide rail 139. [

The motor 136 and the housing 137 are provided with gears that are engaged with each other to rotate and the ultraviolet lamp 132 is moved in a predetermined direction by the driving force transmitted from the motor 136 to the housing 137 through the gear. do. The predetermined direction in FIG. 5 means a vertical direction formed by the guide rails 139. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be designed in other directions as needed.

The refrigerator described above is not limited to the configuration and the method of the embodiments described above, but the embodiments may be configured by selectively combining all or some of the embodiments so that various modifications may be made.

Claims

A food storage chamber formed inside the cabinet;
A food storage container detachably installed in the food storage chamber and configured to seal the food;
A first sterilizing device installed in the food storage container to sterilize the inside of the food storage container; And
And a second sterilizing device installed on an inner wall of the food storage compartment to sterilize the outer side of the food storage container.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the food storage container includes a first food storage container and a second food storage container which are disposed apart from each other in the food storage chamber,
The first sterilizing device may include a plurality of first sterilizing devices installed in the first food storage container and the second food storage container,
Wherein the second sterilizing device is installed between the first food storage container and the second food storage container.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first sterilizing device includes a sterilizing filter configured to sterilize the air inside the food storage container.

The method of claim 3,
Wherein the refrigerator includes a fan installed at a position facing the sterilizing filter to circulate air inside the food storage container.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the second sterilizing device includes an ultraviolet lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays to the outside of the food storage container.

The method of claim 5, wherein
Wherein the ultraviolet lamp is configured to be movable along a predetermined path to change an ultraviolet ray irradiation area.

6. The method of claim 5,
The refrigerator includes:
A guide rail extending in one direction to set a travel path of the ultraviolet lamp; And
And a motor configured to provide driving force to the ultraviolet lamp moving along the guide rail.

6. The method of claim 5,
The refrigerator includes:
A door formed to open and close the food storage chamber; And
And a reflector installed on the inside of the door or on a wall of the food storage compartment and configured to reflect ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet lamp.

The method according to claim 1,
The refrigerator includes:
A sensor installed at the bottom of the food storage room or the bottom of the food storage container to detect the weight and position of the food stored in the food storage room or the food storage container; And
And a control unit configured to generate storage information of food based on a storage time of the food stored in the food storage chamber or the food storage container and a weight and a position of the food detected by the sensor.

10. The method of claim 9,
The refrigerator includes:
And a display unit which is exposed to the outside of the cabinet or outside of the door and is configured to display storage information of the food produced by the controller on the outside.

10. The method of claim 9,
The refrigerator includes:
And a communication unit configured to transmit storage information of food produced by the controller to an external device.