JP6974526B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

There is a demand for a refrigerator that can satisfactorily control the humidity while maintaining the freshness of the food in the refrigerator. In connection with such a technique, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.
In Patent Document 1, a cover that closes the upper opening of the container that can be pulled out is attached to the main body side of the refrigerator, and the humidity control member provided on the cover absorbs excess water in the container to prevent dew condensation. , It is described that water is released when the inside of the container becomes low in humidity.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-17472

When the cover is provided to close the opening on the upper surface of the container, the moisture contained in the air in the container may condense on the lower surface of the cover to generate dew condensation water. In the technique described in Patent Document 1, although it is described that the humidity control member provided on the cover prevents dew condensation, the humidity control member does not allow moisture to escape to the outside of the container, so that the humidity control member absorbs excessive moisture. If this happens, dew condensation water may fall from the cover into the container.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which water droplets are suppressed from falling into a container.

The present inventors have made diligent studies to solve the above problems. As a result, it is a refrigerator having a storage chamber configured to include storage containers partitioned into at least two spaces, wherein the storage containers are on the lower container and on the front side and the back side with respect to the lower container. The upper container is supported by the lower container so as to be movable, and the at least two spaces are the first space formed inside the upper container and the inside of the lower container. A second space formed below the upper container and a front space arranged on the front side of the first space and the second space are included, and the front space and the second space are partitioned. In addition to being separated by, a communication hole for communicating the front space and the second space is provided, and the humidity of the target space is applied to the target space , which is each of the first space and the second space. A humidity control member to be adjusted is installed, and the humidity control member is configured in a plate shape so that one surface is arranged on the side of the target space and the other surface is arranged on the outer side of the target space. It was found that the above-mentioned problem can be solved by installing the space.

It is possible to provide a refrigerator in which water droplets are suppressed from falling into the container.

It is a front view of the refrigerator of this embodiment. It is a perspective view of the lower container to which the upper container is attached in the refrigerator. It is a perspective view of the vegetable room in which the vegetable container cover is arranged in the refrigerator. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a perspective view from the front side of the upper container. It is a perspective view from the back side of the upper container. It is a perspective view from the lower side of the upper container. Each member constituting the lock handle is shown, (a) is a perspective view from the back side thereof, (b) is an exploded perspective view thereof, and (c) is a sectional view taken along line BB in (a). be. It is a perspective view from the upper side of the vegetable container cover. It is a perspective view from the lower side of the vegetable container cover, (a) is an overall view thereof, and (b) is an enlarged view of part C of (a). It is a side view of a vegetable container cover. It is a perspective view from the front side of the lower container. It is a perspective view from the back side of the lower container. It is a perspective view of the member attached to the side wall on the back side of a lower container, (a) is a lower container cover attached to an inner side surface, and (b) is a case attached to an outer surface. It is an exploded perspective view of the transpiration cassette attached to the outer back surface of the lower container, (a) is a state in which a transpiration board is attached, and (b) is a state in which the transpiration board is removed. It is a figure which shows the state when the moisture in the lower space on the rear side is dewed and the dewed water is transpired to the outside of the vegetable compartment. It is a figure which shows the modification of the lower container cover attached to the inside of the lower container, and is the perspective view of the evaporation unit cover which is attached in place of the lower container cover. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the inside of the lower container from the front side when the evaporation unit cover shown in FIG. 17 is attached to the inside of the lower container. It is sectional drawing of the lower container when the lower container is housed in a refrigerator. It is sectional drawing which shows the lower container when the lower container is pulled out a little from the refrigerator. It is sectional drawing which shows the state when the rear upper space is released by releasing the lock handle after the lower container is completely pulled out from the refrigerator. It is sectional drawing of the refrigerator when the lower container and the upper container are completely pulled out from the inside of the refrigerator. It is a figure which shows the result of the experiment which measured the residual amount of vitamin C in the vegetable in each space.

Hereinafter, embodiments (the present embodiment) for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment. The refrigerator 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a refrigerating room left door 2, a refrigerating room right door 3, an ice making room door 4a, a rapid freezing room door 4b, a freezing room door 5, and a vegetable room in front of the refrigerator body 1. It is equipped with a door 6. The left door 2 of the refrigerator compartment can be rotated toward the front of the paper surface by the upper hinge 7a and the lower hinge 8a. Further, the refrigerating room right door 3 can be rotated in the front direction of the paper surface by the upper hinge 7b and the lower hinge 8b. That is, the refrigerating room left door 2 and the refrigerating room right door 3 are provided so as to be able to open double doors, and a refrigerating room (not shown) is formed in the space formed by these and the refrigerator main body 1.

Further, the ice making chamber door 4a, the quick freezing chamber door 4b, and the freezing chamber door 5 can be pulled out toward the front of the paper. An ice making chamber, a quick freezing chamber, and a freezing chamber (none of which are shown) are formed in the space formed by these and the refrigerator main body 1. Similarly, the vegetable compartment door 6 can be pulled out toward the front of the paper. Further, a vegetable compartment 100 (storage chamber, see FIG. 2) is formed in a space composed of this and the refrigerator main body 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower container 101 to which the upper container 102 is attached in the refrigerator 10. In the vegetable compartment 100, the inner box 124 of the refrigerator body 1 (see FIG. 1) constitutes the wall surface (left wall, right wall, and bottom wall) of the vegetable compartment 100. Further, the vegetable container cover 105 (see FIG. 3) arranged above the vegetable compartment 100 constitutes the upper wall of the vegetable compartment 100. Therefore, in the vegetable compartment 100, the airtightness inside each of the lower container 101 and the upper container 102 is ensured to some extent.

In the vegetable compartment 100, the lower container 101 (storage container) and the upper container 102 (storage container, internal container) are freely retractably accommodated on the front side and the back side (hereinafter, may be referred to as "front-back direction"). ing. However, in the present embodiment, even if the lower container 101 moves in the front-rear direction, the position inside the lower container 101 of the upper container 102 does not change. However, although the details will be described later, the upper container 102 can also be pulled out to the front side by the user operating the lock handle 106 (see FIG. 8).

A machine room (not shown) for arranging a compressor (not shown) or the like outside the refrigerator is formed on the back side of the vegetable room 100. Therefore, the bottom wall is higher on the back side than on the front side. Further, the lower container 101 is provided with a glass partition 103. As a result, the lower container 101 is divided into two compartments (front space 101B on the front side, rear lower space 101A on the back side, and upper space 101C on the rear side, none of which are shown in FIG. 2). The upper container 102 is arranged so as to cover the space on the back side of the two compartments of the lower container 101.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vegetable compartment 100 in which the vegetable container cover 105 (cover member) is arranged in the refrigerator 10. The vegetable container cover 105 is arranged so as to cover the upper opening of the lower container 101 and the upper container 102 (see FIG. 4, neither of which is shown in FIG. 3). The vegetable container cover 105 is arranged above the lower container 101 when the lower container 101 is stored in the refrigerator 10. Therefore, when the lower container 101 is completely pulled out from the refrigerator 10, the vegetable container cover 105 remains inside the refrigerator 10, and the inside of the lower container 101 is opened to the outside.

The vegetable container cover 105 is made of a light-transmitting resin. A knurl (a plurality of grooves extending from the front side to the back side) 105a is formed on the upper surface of the vegetable container cover 105 and on the front side. Then, when the user pulls out the lower container 101 and the upper container 102 to the front side and uses them, the light from the LED lighting which is outside the vegetable compartment 100 and is attached above passes through the knurl 105a. Therefore, the inside of the lower container 101 and the upper container 102 is irradiated. Since the knurl 105a is formed by a plurality of grooves as described above, the light incident on the knurl 105a is diffused. Further, since the knurl 105a is formed by a plurality of grooves, the surface area is large. Therefore, a wide range is irradiated while suppressing the generation of shadows.

Further, a transpiration board 105b is arranged on the lower surface of the vegetable container cover 105 (that is, the surface facing the inside of the vegetable chamber 100). Further, a plurality of communication holes 105c (inside / outside communication holes) that communicate the inside and outside of the vegetable chamber 100 are formed on the upper surface of the vegetable container cover 105. Details of these points will be described later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

Further, a cold air outlet (not shown) is formed on the wall surface of the vegetable compartment 100 or the heat insulating partition wall located between the vegetable compartment 100 and the freezing chamber. The outlet is provided with a cold air supply adjusting means 141 capable of controlling the supply of cold air for cooling the vegetable compartment 100. As a result, the cold air blown out to the vegetable compartment 100 enters the rear space 101A (see FIG. 4) to some extent and escapes from the front side. Further, it is possible to prevent the humidity in the rear space 101A from rising excessively, and to prevent dew condensation in an unintended portion.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. Note that FIG. 4 also shows the vegetable compartment door 6 shown in FIG. The lower container 101 is divided into three spaces, a rear lower space 101A, a front space 101B, and a rear upper space 101C. Of these, the rear lower space 101A is formed by separating the lower container 101 by a partition 103 arranged inside the lower container 101 and the lower surface of the upper container 102. Further, the front space 101B is formed by separating the lower container 101 by the front side surface of the upper container 102, the partition 103, and the vegetable container cover 105. The rear upper space 101C is formed by separating the lower container 101 by the upper container 102 and the vegetable container cover 105.

Of these spaces, on the back side of the rear lower space 101A, there are three spaces inside the lower container 101 (that is, the rear lower space 101A, the front space 101B, and the rear upper space 101C. A evaporation cassette 112 that controls the humidity (in the space) is arranged. Details of the evaporation cassette 112 will be described later with reference to FIG. 16 and the like.

Further, on the bottom surface of the upper container 102, a communication hole 102a (space communication hole) for communicating the rear lower space 101A (first space) and the rear upper space 101C (second space) is formed. .. This makes it possible to dehumidify both the rear lower space 101A and the rear upper space 101C.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view from the front side of the upper container 102. The lock handle 106 (support fixing release mechanism) arranged on the front side of the upper container 102 normally operates the upper container 102 supported and fixed inside the lower container 101 by the user to operate the upper container 102. It makes it possible to move in the front-back direction. The lock handle 106 includes a pressing portion 106a that enables the upper container 102 to move to the front side by being pressed, and a recessed portion 106b formed by slightly recessing the upper end of the upper container 102 on the front side. Will be done. Then, when the user presses the pressing portion 106a with the thumb or the like of the hand holding the pressing portion 106a while grasping the recessed portion 106b, the support and fixing of the upper container 102 in the lower container 101 is released. As a result, the upper container 102 can move in the front-rear direction.

Further, below the front side of the lock handle 106, three spaces of the rear lower space 101A, the front space 101B, and the rear upper space 101C (hereinafter, these spaces are referred to) via the inside of the lock handle 106. Communication holes 106c (spatial communication holes) that communicate with each other (sometimes collectively referred to as "each space") are formed. Further, inside the lock handle 106, a platinum catalyst 118 (see FIG. 8B) is housed at a position capable of contacting air in each space. Therefore, the air taken into the lock handle 106 through the communication hole 106c comes into contact with the platinum catalyst 118, and then the air in contact with the platinum catalyst 118 is supplied to each space. As a result, the air in the front space 101B reaches the evaporation board 105b (see FIG. 10) in the rear upper space 101C and the dew condensation surface 101a (see FIG. 16) formed on the back side in the posterior lower space 101A. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to control the humidity of the air in the front space 101B.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view from the back side of the upper container 102. A communication hole 106d that communicates with each other through the inside of the lock handle 106 is also formed below the back side of the lock handle 106. Then, as in the communication hole 106c, the air taken into the lock handle 106 through the communication hole 106d comes into contact with the platinum catalyst 118, and then the air in contact with the platinum catalyst 118 is supplied to each space. It will be. The communication hole 106d faces the rear upper space 101C via the hole 102b formed on the front side surface of the upper container 102.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view from the lower side of the upper container 102. Also below the lock handle 106, a communication hole 106e that communicates the three spaces of the rear lower space 101A, the front space 101B, and the rear upper space 101C is formed via the inside of the lock handle 106. .. Then, like the communication holes 106c and 106d, the air taken into the lock handle 106 through the communication holes 106e comes into contact with the platinum catalyst, and then the air in contact with the platinum catalyst is supplied to each space. It will be. The communication hole 106e faces the rear lower space 101A through the hole 102c formed in the bottom surface of the upper container 102.

8A and 8B show each member constituting the lock handle 106, FIG. 8A is a perspective view from the back surface side thereof, FIG. 8B is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIG. It is a cross-sectional view of line B. In FIG. 8C, for the sake of simplification of the illustration, a part of the mechanism for releasing the lock (supporting and fixing of the upper container 102) is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the lock handle 106 has a catalyst cover 106f having a communication hole 106d, a handle case rear 106g to which the catalyst cover 106f is attached, and a handle case front 106g attached to the front side of the handle case rear 106g. The 106h and the handle lever 106j integrally configured with the pressing portion 106a (see FIG. 5) are provided. Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the catalyst cover 106f is removed from the lock handle 106, the platinum catalyst 118 extends in the left-right direction inside the lock handle 106. The platinum catalyst 118 is arranged inside the lock handle 106 so as to avoid a mechanism (not shown) for unlocking the lock handle 106.

In FIG. 8 (c), the thick arrow indicates the direction of air flow. As shown in FIG. 8 (c), the platinum catalyst 118 can come into contact with the air in each space through the communication holes 106c, 106d, 106e. Further, although not shown by an arrow, the air in each space is supplied to another space without coming into contact with the platinum catalyst 118.

Here, the platinum catalyst 118 will be described. Unlike the photocatalyst, the platinum catalyst 118 is a catalyst that decomposes ethylene and trimethylamine contained in the air in each space even without light such as an LED. Decomposition of ethylene by the platinum catalyst 118 produces carbon dioxide and water vapor. Since the generated carbon dioxide is supplied into each space through the communication holes, the pores of the vegetables stored in each space are closed and the respiration of the vegetables is suppressed, and the nutritional components are reduced and dried by respiration. The freshness of vegetables is maintained for a long time. The place where the platinum catalyst 118 is installed is not limited to the inside of the lock handle 106, and a catalyst storage portion may be provided on at least one wall surface that partitions each space, and the platinum catalyst 118 may be stored in this catalyst storage portion. In this case, a communication hole that communicates with each space is also formed in the catalyst storage portion. Further, the catalyst accommodating portion may be provided on any wall surface of each space, and a communication hole may be formed on the wall surface partitioning each space.

Further, when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water existing on the surface of vegetables and the like stored in the vegetable chamber 100, the surface of the vegetables and the like becomes acidic. However, when trimethylamine showing alkalinity is generated when dissolved in water, trimethylamine also dissolves in the water existing on the vegetable surface, so that the acidified vegetable surface is neutralized by the dissolution of carbon dioxide. However, in the refrigerator 10, trimethylamine is decomposed by the platinum catalyst 118, so that the surface of vegetables and the like stored in the vegetable chamber 100 becomes acidic, and the growth of microorganisms on the vegetable surface is suppressed.

The platinum catalyst 118 in the refrigerator 10 is in the form of pellets and is housed in the lock handle 106 in a state of being packed in a bag. As a result, the pellet-shaped platinum catalyst 118 is appropriately mixed in the bag when the upper container 102 is withdrawn and accommodated. Therefore, air is prevented from coming into contact with the pellet from only one direction, and the catalytic function is maintained. Not limited to the platinum catalyst 118, other transition metal catalysts may be used. As the transition metal catalyst, silica having pores (mesoporous silica) is used in the refrigerator 10, and fine particles of transition metals such as platinum and ruthenium are supported inside the pores.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view from above of the vegetable container cover 105. As described above, the knurl 105a is formed on the upper surface of the vegetable container cover 105 on the front surface side. From the outside of the knurl 105a, light from LED lighting (not shown) is applied to the inside of the vegetable compartment 100. Further, the vegetable container cover 105 includes the inside and outside of the rear upper space 101C formed between the upper container 102 (not shown in FIG. 9) arranged below the vegetable container cover 105 and the vegetable container cover 105. A plurality of communication holes 105c are formed to communicate with each other. There are 24 communication holes 105c in the refrigerator 10, and they are formed including the vicinity of the cold air return port (not shown) formed on the right side of the back surface of the vegetable compartment 100.

10A and 10B are perspective views from below of the vegetable container cover 105, where FIG. 10A is an overall view thereof, and FIG. 10B is an enlarged view of portion C of FIG. 10A. FIG. 10A shows a state in which the vegetable container cover 105 is observed from below on the front side of the vegetable container cover 105. As shown in FIG. 10A, a transpiration board 105b (moisture storage / release member) is arranged on the lower surface of the vegetable container cover 105 (the surface facing the inside of the upper container 102). The evaporation board 105b is a flat plate-shaped member formed by weaving resin fibers such as PET fibers, and allows air to pass through but absorbs liquid moisture. The absorbed moisture can be transpired (released) with respect to the air.

As shown in FIG. 10B, a rib 105d is formed on the lower surface of the vegetable container cover 105 so as to face the communication hole 105c that communicates inside and outside the vegetable chamber 100. Then, by inserting the evaporation board 105b into the space 105e formed between the communication hole 105c and the rib 105d, the evaporation board 105b is held on the lower surface of the vegetable container cover 105. Further, by holding the evaporation board 105b in the space 105e, the communication hole 105c is located under the vertical projection of the evaporation board 105b, and the communication hole 105c is closed by the evaporation board 105b. As a result, while the air containing water inside the lower container 101 and the upper container 102 is discharged to the outside of the vegetable chamber 100 through the communication hole 105c, the vegetable chamber 100 is discharged from the outside of the vegetable chamber 100 through the communication hole 105c. It is suppressed that cold air directly enters the inside of the.

Further, when the air inside the rear upper space 105C comes into contact with the vegetable container cover 105, the moisture contained in the air may condense on the vegetable container cover 105 to generate dew condensation water. However, the generated dew condensation water is absorbed by the evaporation board 105b arranged over the entire area above the upper container 102. Therefore, the fall of the dew condensation water to the rear upper space 10C is suppressed.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the vegetable container cover 105. In FIG. 11, the lower container 101 and the lower container 102 arranged below the vegetable container cover 105 are shown by virtual lines. The evaporation board 105b faces the inside of the upper container 102 and is attached to the lower surface of the vegetable container cover 105. Further, although not shown in FIG. 11, cold air for cooling the vegetable compartment 100 is passed above the vegetable container cover 105. Therefore, the cold air flowing through the communication holes 105c is passed through so as to lick the transpiration board 105b exposed. As a result, the liquid water absorbed by the evaporation board 105b becomes water vapor and is released into the cold air passing through. That is, the water in the vegetable chamber 100 is absorbed by the evaporation board 105b, and the absorbed moisture is released to the outside of the vegetable chamber through the communication hole 105c. Therefore, the evaporation board 105b absorbs water excessively, and water droplets are prevented from dripping into the inside of the upper container 102.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view from the front side of the lower container 101. The inside of the lower container 101 is divided into a front side and a back side by a partition 103. A rear lower space 101A is formed inside the lower container 101 on the back surface side, and a front space 101B (not shown in FIG. 12) is formed inside the front surface side of the lower container 101. .. A lower container cover 110 is attached to the back surface side of the lower container 101 so as to cover a surface to which dew condensation water adheres (condensation surface 101a, not shown in FIG. 12). The state of the generation of dew condensation water will be described later with reference to FIG.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view from the back side of the lower container 101. As described above, the partition 103 that divides the inside of the lower container 101 is supported by a pair of guide portions 104 provided on the left and right inner walls of the lower container 101. Further, on the opposite surface (that is, the outer surface) of the lower container 101 to which the lower container cover 110 (see FIG. 12) is attached, the cold air blowing surface 113 from the cold air supply adjusting means 141 (see FIG. 3) is formed. A evaporation cassette 112 that evaporates the dew condensation water on the surface to which the dew condensation water adheres is attached.

14A and 14B are perspective views of a member attached to the side wall on the back side of the lower container 101, FIG. 14A is a lower container cover 110 attached to the inner side surface, and FIG. 14B is a case 112 attached to the outer surface. be. As shown in FIG. 14A, a plurality of slits 110a are formed in the lower container cover 110. The direction of the formed slit 110a is formed so as to face downward when flowing from the front side to the back side. Even if dew condensation water is generated on the surface of the lower container cover 110 by forming the slit 110a in such a direction, the dew condensation water passes through the slit 110a and is arranged on the back side of the evaporation board 112e (described later). Can be reached, and the dew condensation water is prevented from falling into the lower space 101A on the rear side.

Further, the surface of the lower container cover 110 is textured. That is, the surface of the lower container cover 110 is roughened. This makes it difficult for the user to notice the presence of water droplets by increasing the hydrophilicity of the lower container cover 110 and making it difficult for water droplets to form. Therefore, the user is prevented from having anxiety that water droplets may fall.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14B, the evaporation cassette 112 is fitted with a case 112a accommodating a cover 112c to be fitted so as to cover the evaporation board 112d (see FIG. 15) (not shown in FIG. 14). It is configured to include a case lower 112b for fixing the cover 112c.

15A and 15B are exploded perspective views of the evaporation cassette 112 attached to the outer back surface of the lower container 101, in which FIG. 15A is a state in which the evaporation board 112d is attached, and FIG. 15B is a state in which the evaporation board 112d is removed. .. The state shown in FIG. 15A also shows a state in which the cover 112c is rotated to the front side and removed from the state shown in FIG. 14, and the evaporation board 112d is exposed. Explaining this point, the lower end portion of the case 112a and the lower end portion of the cover 112c are rotatably locked. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15A, when the cover 112c is removed from the case 112a, the cover 112c rotates around the locked portion and moves downward. As a result, the plate-shaped evaporation board 112d is exposed on the front side.

Further, a transpiration board 112e extending from the front side to the back side is connected to the lower end of the plate-shaped transpiration board 112d integrally with the transpiration board 112d. Therefore, the integral body composed of the evaporation board 112d and the evaporation board 112e arranged inside the evaporation cassette 112 is an L-shaped one made of resin fibers.

Since these evaporation boards 112d and 112e are made of the same material as the evaporation boards 105b described with reference to FIG. 10, detailed description thereof will be omitted. Although the details will be described later, the water that has dewed on the inner surface of the lower container 101 (the dew condensation surface 101a shown in FIG. 16) hangs down on the inner surface and is absorbed by the evaporation board 112e. Then, the hygroscopic water diffuses the evaporation board 112e and the evaporation board 112d in this order, and reaches the evaporation board 112d.

As shown in FIG. 15B, a protective material 112f having a ventilation hole 112g capable of passing through air is arranged on the back surface side of the evaporation board 112d. The cold air flowing through the back side of the evaporation cassette 112 passes through the ventilation holes 112g and comes into contact with the back side of the evaporation board 112d. As a result, the moisture that has reached the evaporation board 112d is transpired in the cold air that comes into contact with it.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a state in which water inside the rear lower space 101A is condensed and the condensed water is evaporated to the outside of the vegetable compartment 100. Cold air from the cold air supply adjusting means 141 is blown onto the cold air blowing surface 113 integrally formed on the rear side wall of the lower container 101. As a result, the wall temperature in the vicinity of the spray surface 113 becomes lower than the wall temperature of other portions. Therefore, the moisture in the air in contact with the inner wall surface (condensation surface 101a) of the portion constituting the lower container 101 condenses, and dew condensation water 117 is generated. Due to its own weight, the generated dew condensation water 117 flows down from the gap 114 formed in the lower part of the rear side wall of the lower container 101 to the outside of the lower container 101, and further flows down to the evaporation board 112e through the slit 112c1 formed in the cover 112c. .. The gap 114 may be formed at another location below the lower container 101, and may be formed, for example, on the bottom surface and the back surface side of the lower container 101.

Moisture absorbed by the evaporation board 112e diffuses inside the evaporation boards 112e and 112d. At this time, the absorbed moisture diffuses upward inside the evaporation board 112d arranged in the vertical direction. Then, the moisture diffused in the evaporation board 112d is transpired into the cold air in contact with the evaporation board 112d as described above, whereby the moisture in the air inside the vegetable compartment 100 is discharged to the outside of the vegetable compartment 100. In this way, the evaporation boards 112e and 112d suck the dew condensation water that has flowed down the inner surface of the rear side wall from the gap 114 formed in the rear side wall to the outside of the lower container 101 and discharge it to the cold air. At this time, cold air is directly brought into contact with the rear side wall of the lower container 101, and the rear side wall itself is used as a dew condensation surface. It becomes possible to control the humidity of.

In the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the vertical length (height) of the evaporation board 112d and the vertical length (height) of the spray surface 113 are substantially the same. There is. Here, the length of the evaporation board 112d in the left-right direction and the length of the spray surface 113 in the left-right direction are almost the same as shown in FIG. Therefore, the area of the evaporation board 112d is almost the same as the area of the spray surface 113. Then, cold air is blown onto the spraying surface 113 which is the outer surface of the lower container 101, and the moisture in the refrigerator is evaporated from the evaporation cassette 112 arranged below the spraying surface 113 to effectively utilize the outer surface of the small lower container 101. , The humidity inside it can be controlled.

Here, a modified example of the lower container cover 110 attached to the back side of the lower container 101 will be described.

FIG. 17 is a view showing a modified example of the lower container cover 110 attached to the inside of the lower container 101, and is a perspective view of the evaporation unit cover 116 attached in place of the lower container cover 110. The lower container cover 110 shown in FIG. 14A has a plate shape, but an L-shaped evaporation unit cover 116 can be used instead of the lower container cover 110.

Similar to the slits 110a in the lower container cover 110, the evaporation unit cover 116 is formed with a plurality of slits 116a so as to cause a downward air flow. However, on the right side of the evaporation unit cover 116, an facing member 116b facing the right side surface of the lower container 101 is formed. The surface of the evaporation unit cover 116 is textured in the same manner as the lower container cover 110.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the inside of the lower container 101 from the front side when the evaporation unit cover 116 shown in FIG. 17 is attached to the inside of the lower container 101. The evaporation unit cover 116 is fixed to the inner wall of the lower container 101 by a screw or the like (not shown). As described with reference to FIG. 16 above, in the refrigerator 10, by blowing cold air on the spray surface 113 (see FIG. 16) formed on the outer surface of the lower container 101, dew condensation water is intentionally generated. It has become.

However, the spraying surface 113 and the outer surface on the right side of the lower container 101 are close to each other. Therefore, when the lower container 101 is cooled by blowing cold air onto the spray surface 113, the cold heat is also transmitted to the inner surface on the right side, and dew condensation water may be generated on the inner surface on the right side as well. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18, in order to recover the dew condensation water that may occur on the inner surface on the right side, the evaporation unit cover 116 provided with the facing member 116b is arranged on the right side on the back side. Further, the L-shaped evaporation unit cover 116 has a dew condensation water receiving portion formed on the bottom surface thereof, and has an inclination such that the bottom surface thereof descends to the back surface side. Therefore, even if the dew condensation water generated on the right side surface reaches the bottom surface, it can be guided to the back surface side, and finally the water can be absorbed by the evaporation boards 112e and 112d and discharged to the cold air. Is.

A groove portion 116c having an inclination so as to descend from the front side to the back side is formed on the right side surface of the evaporation unit cover 116, that is, below the facing member 116b. Then, when dew condensation water is generated on the surface of the facing member 116b as a result of cooling the right side surface of the lower container 101, the groove portion 116c inclined from the right side wall to the rear side wall catches the dew condensation water that has fallen due to its own weight, and the lower stage. The fall of the container 101 into the inside is prevented. Then, the received dew condensation water passes through the groove portion 116c to reach the back surface side, passes through the dew condensation water discharge portion 116d provided close to the slit 116a, and passes through the evaporation board arranged on the back surface side of the evaporation unit cover 116. It is supplied to 112e. By doing so, the dew condensation water generated on the surface of the facing member 116b is also discharged to the outside of the vegetable compartment 100. That is, since the dew condensation water guide member extending from the right side wall adjacent to the rear side wall to the rear side wall is attached to the inner surface of the container, not only the dew condensation water dewed on the inside of the rear side wall but also the dew condensation on the inside of the right side wall. The dew condensation water that has formed is also supplied to the inside of the rear side wall, and can be finally discharged to the outside of the rear side wall by the evaporation board 112e.

Although these are fixed by screws or the like (not shown) between the inner wall of the lower container 101 and the facing surface of the facing member 116b, there is a slight gap. However, since an air layer is formed between them, the heat transfer performance is poor, and therefore, dew condensation water is unlikely to occur. Therefore, the generation of dew condensation water between these gaps is sufficiently suppressed.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 19 to 22, the operation of the lower container 101 and the like when the vegetable compartment door 6 of the refrigerator 10 is pulled out will be described. In FIGS. 19 to 22, some of the members described above are not shown for the sake of simplification.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the lower container 101 when the lower container 101 is completely housed in the vegetable compartment 100 of the main body of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 19 shows a cross section when viewed from the left-right direction when the vicinity of the lock handle 106 is cut from the front side to the back side. As shown in FIG. 19, when the lower container 101 is housed in the refrigerator 10, the vegetable container cover 105 is the entire lower container 101 and the upper container 102 (that is, the front space 101B) which is an opening of the lower container 101. And the rear upper space 101C) is covered. This enhances the airtightness inside these spaces. Therefore, the internal carbon dioxide concentration can be maintained at 1000 ppm or more for all the spaces in the storage container 101, that is, not only the rear lower space 101A but also the front space 101B and the rear upper space 101C. Further, since the evaporation board 105b is configured to be located in the vertical projection of the rear upper space 101C, the humidity in the rear upper space 101C can be controlled more effectively.

At this time, the vegetable chamber is provided by the transpiration board 105b (see FIG. 10, not shown in FIG. 19) and the transpiration cassette 112 (see FIG. 6, not shown in FIG. 19) arranged on the lower surface of the vegetable container cover 105. The humidity inside 100 is controlled. The spaces constituting the vegetable compartment 100 include communication holes 102 (see FIG. 4, not shown in FIG. 19) formed on the bottom surface of the upper container 102 and communication holes 106c, 106d formed in the lock handle 106. It communicates with 106e (see FIG. 8, not shown in FIG. 19), thereby controlling the overall humidity of the vegetable compartment 100.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower container 101 when the lower container 101 is slightly pulled out from the inside of the refrigerator 10, specifically, when the front space 101B is pulled out of the vegetable compartment 100. When the lower container 101 is pulled out to the front side, the upper container 102 is also pulled out to the front side accordingly. However, the relative position of the upper container 102 inside the lower container 101 does not change, and even if the lower container 101 is pulled out to the front side, the upper container 102 is supported and fixed above the rear lower space 101A. Up to.

Further, when the lower container 101 is pulled out to the front side, the vegetable container cover 105 slides on the upper end of the upper container 102 along with the pulling operation, and the upper end portion 105d of the vegetable container cover 105 contacts the front side surface of the lock handle 106. do. As a result, even if the lower container 101 is pulled out to the front side, only the front space 101B is opened to the outside (exposed from the vegetable container cover 105), and the opening of the rear upper space 101C is covered with the vegetable container cover 105. The airtightness of the rear upper space 101C is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to maintain a higher concentration of carbon dioxide generated from vegetables and the like in the posterior upper space 101C than in the posterior space 101B. Further, when the lower container 101 is pulled out to the front side, the amount of movement of the vegetable container cover 105 is smaller than the amount of movement of the upper container 102. Therefore, when the user wants to use only the front space 101B, the operation of the vegetable container cover 105 and the lock handle 106 is not required.

When the lower container 101 is further pulled out from the state shown in FIG. 20 to the front side, the lower container 101 is pulled out while the vegetable container cover 105 remains inside the main body of the refrigerator 10. That is, when the posterior upper space 101C is also pulled out of the vegetable compartment 100, not only the opening of the front space 101B but also a part of the opening of the posterior upper space 101C is exposed from the vegetable container cover 105.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when the rear upper space 101C is released by releasing the lock handle 106 after the lower container 101 is completely pulled out from the refrigerator 10. By operating the lock handle 106, the vegetable container cover 105 moves so that the upper end portion 105d (not shown in FIG. 21) on the front side of the vegetable container cover 105 is above the upper end of the lock handle 106. As a result, the rear upper space 101C is opened to the outside, and the upper container 102 can be pulled out to the front side.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 when the lower container 101 and the upper container 102 are completely pulled out from the inside of the refrigerator 10. When the upper container 102 is completely pulled out, the lower end on the front side of the upper container 102 is placed on the upper end of the partition 103, whereby stable vegetables and the like can be taken out. Further, when the upper container 102 is completely pulled out, the vegetable container cover 105 is arranged with a slight inclination from the back side to the front side. That is, the vegetable container cover 105 is arranged inside the refrigerator 10 so that the height of the front end portion (the upper end portion 105d) in the vertical direction is slightly higher than that of the back end portion 105e. As a result, it is possible to secure a wide space (take-out port) open to the outside of the upper container 102, and it becomes easy to take out vegetables and the like.

In the present embodiment, trimethylamine, which is an alkaline gas, is decomposed in a short time by the platinum catalyst 118, so that neutralization of the surface of vegetables acidified by the dissolution of carbon dioxide can be suppressed and the acidity of the surface can be increased. It will be possible. That is, when vegetables are stored in a storage container, the pH of the surface thereof is conventionally increased, whereas in the present embodiment, the pH of the surface is decreased. As a result, enzymes and microorganisms generated on the surface of vegetables are suppressed, and the progress of putrefaction is suppressed. In addition, since carbon dioxide is also generated when trimethylamine is decomposed, the effect of increasing carbon dioxide is higher than that in the case of using a photocatalyst. As a result of actual experiments, it was found that when the platinum catalyst 118 was used, the carbon dioxide generation capacity was about twice that when the photocatalyst was used. Therefore, it is possible to increase the carbon dioxide inside even in a wide area.

FIG. 23 shows the residual amount of vitamin C in the vegetables in each space of the storage container with respect to the conventional structure intended to improve the freshness of only the vegetables in the lower space on the rear side by using a photocatalyst and the structure of the present embodiment. It is a figure which shows the result of the experiment which measured. FIG. 23 (a) shows a comparison of the residual amount of vitamin C after 7 days by storing 1/2-cut oranges in the rear upper space 101C, and it was found that the amount was about 21% higher than that of the conventional one. rice field. FIG. 23 (b) shows a comparison of the residual amount of vitamin C after 6 days of storing 1/2-cut green onions in the front space 101B, and it was found that the amount was about 22% higher than that of the conventional one. .. FIG. 23 (c) shows the residual amount of vitamin C 7 days after the Japanese mustard spinach was stored in the lower space 101A on the rear side, and it was found to be equivalent to the conventional amount. That is, according to the present embodiment, not only the posterior lower space 101A but also the posterior upper space 101C and the anterior space 101B are less likely to be consumed by the aging action, and the vegetables have a nutritional value. It is possible to keep it high for a long time.

Although the present embodiment has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

For example, although the evaporation cassette 112 is arranged on the back side of the lower container 101, the evaporation board may be arranged along the inner side surface on the back side of the lower container 101 instead of the evaporation cassette 112. In this case, the moisture storage / release member is arranged inside the rear lower space 101A. At this time, it is preferable to provide a communication hole for communicating the inside and outside of the upper container 101 above the evaporation board. As a result, the water that has condensed on the inner side surface of the lower container 101 above the evaporation board is absorbed by the evaporation board arranged below the evaporation board. Then, the hygroscopic water is appropriately evaporated by the air inside the lower container 101 (inside the rear lower space 101A), and is discharged to the outside of the lower container 101 through a communication hole formed at a position where the water is easily discharged to the outside. Will be done.

Further, for example, the transpiration board 105b as a water storage / release member was arranged on the lower surface of the vegetable container cover 105, but the water storage / release member is not on the lower surface but on the side surface (for example, the side surface on the back side) of the upper container 102. There may be.

Further, the posterior upper space 101C as the first space, the posterior lower space 101A as the second space, and the front space 101B are communicated with each other by the communication hole 106e formed in the lock handle 106. If the moisture storage / discharge member is arranged in at least one of the spaces, the humidity can be controlled in any space. Of course, the moisture storage / release member may be arranged in both of these spaces. In the above embodiment, the evaporation board 105b is arranged inside the rear upper space 101C, and the moisture storage / release member is not arranged inside the rear lower space 101A.

Further, for example, the area of the evaporation board 112d does not have to be substantially the same as the area of the spray surface 113 formed on the outer surface of the lower container 101, and the area of the spray surface 113 from the viewpoint of more reliable dew condensation. May be larger than the area of the evaporation board 112d. That is, the rear side wall of the lower container 101 may be configured so that the area of the area exposed to the storage chamber is larger than the area of the area where the evaporation board 112d is attached. At this time, the evaporation board 112d is attached so as to fit in a position lower than the height center of the rear side wall of the lower container 101. Further, the amount of cold air sprayed on the spraying surface 113 may be appropriately changed according to the amount of vegetables stored in the vegetable compartment 100 and the like.

Further, although the spray surface 113 is arranged on the right side, it may be appropriately changed depending on the position of the cold air supply adjusting means 141, or may be near the center or on the left side.

Further, the communication holes 105c formed in the vegetable container cover 105 do not have to be at equal intervals, and can be formed by appropriately changing the intervals as needed. However, by providing the vegetable container cover 105 in the vicinity of the path of the cold air flowing outside, the moisture inside the vegetable compartment 100 can be discharged to the outside more efficiently.

Further, after the lower container 101 was pulled out to the front side, the support and fixing of the upper container 102 was released by operating the lock handle 106, but the upper container 101 was pulled out without operating the lock handle 106. The container 102 may also be opened to the outside.

In the refrigerator 10, the space is divided into three spaces, the lower space 101A on the rear side, the space 101B on the front side, and the upper space 101C on the rear side. However, two spaces may be formed, and four or more spaces are formed. You may do so.

In addition to these, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. be. Furthermore, other configurations can be added, deleted, replaced, or the like with respect to a part of the configurations of each embodiment.

10 Refrigerator 100 Vegetable room (storage room)
101 Lower container (storage container)
101A Rear lower space (second space)
101B Front space 101C Posterior upper space (first space)
102 Upper container (internal container, storage container)
102a Communication hole (spatial communication hole)
103 Partition 105 Vegetable container cover (cover member)
105a Knurl 105b Transpiration board (moisture storage and release member)
105c communication hole (inside / outside communication hole)
105d rib 106 lock handle (support fixing release mechanism)
106a Pushing part 106b Recessed part 106c Communication hole 106d Communication hole (spatial communication hole)
106e Communication hole (spatial communication hole)
110 Lower container cover 112 Transpiration cassette 113 Spray surface 114 Gap 116 Transpiration unit cover 118 Platinum catalyst

Claims (8)

A refrigerator having a storage chamber configured with storage containers partitioned into at least two spaces.
The storage container includes a lower container and an upper container supported by the lower container so as to be movable toward the front side and the back side of the lower container.
The at least two spaces are a first space formed inside the upper container, a second space inside the lower container and formed below the upper container, and the first space. And the front space arranged on the front side of the second space .
The front space and the second space are separated by a partition, and a communication hole for communicating the front space and the second space is provided.
Humidity adjusting members for adjusting the humidity of the target space are installed in the target space, which is each of the first space and the second space.
The humidity control member is
It is composed in a plate shape
A refrigerator characterized in that one surface is arranged on the side of the target space and the other surface is arranged on the outer side of the target space. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the humidity control member includes a member made of a polymer material having holes that allow air to pass through. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the humidity control member is configured to be removable. The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the humidity control member is arranged above the upper container when the refrigerator is closed, and includes a member for improving the airtightness inside the upper container. .. It is equipped with an ethylene gas decomposition mechanism that produces carbon dioxide by decomposing ethylene gas in the storage chamber.
The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the carbon dioxide concentration inside the storage container is 1000 ppm or more. The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the upper container has a communication hole for communicating the first space and the second space on the bottom surface of the upper container. In the upper container, a communication hole is formed on the front side of the upper container to communicate the first space with the space arranged on the front side of the first space and the second space. The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 3 , characterized in that. Before SL divider refrigerator according to claim 7, characterized in that it is supported on the lower container by a guide portion provided on the right and left inner wall of the lower container.

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