JPH0151753B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a rapid freezing device that is used in a forced draft type refrigerator-freezer, etc., and includes a direct cooling type auxiliary cooler provided in a part of a freezer compartment.

Structure of the conventional example and its problems The conventional example will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Reference numeral 1 denotes a main cooler 4 housed in a cooling chamber 3 constructed within a partition wall 2, and the refrigerator is a forced draft type refrigerator in which cooled air is circulated through a freezer compartment 6 and a refrigerator compartment 7 using a blower 5. Reference numeral 6' denotes a quick-freezing room which is provided with an auxiliary cooler 8 of a direct cooling type separately within the freezer room 6, and allows food to be quickly frozen.

Furthermore, a damper thermostat 14 is provided at the entrance of the refrigerator compartment 7 to adjust the cold air inflow chamber. As shown in Fig. 2, the refrigeration cycle consists of a normal flow path that circulates from compressor 9 to condenser 10 to first capillary tube 11 to main cooler 4 to compressor 9;
→ Condenser 10 → Second capillary tube 12 → Auxiliary cooler 8
-> Main cooler 4 -> A flow path control device 13 (hereinafter referred to as flow path switching valve 13) that switches between the compressor 9 and the circulating rapid freezing flow path is provided, and this switching valve 13 performs flow path switching operation. This allows the rapid freezing effect to be carried out. During this rapid freezing, the compressor 9 is forced to operate continuously, but the blower 5 reduces the heat exchanger in the main cooler 4 and maintains the evaporation temperature of the auxiliary cooler 8 at a low temperature. In order to speed up the freezing of food that comes into contact with the top, measures are taken to stop the operation during quick freezing. However, if the forced air blower 5 is stopped during quick freezing, the original cooling effect of the main cooler 4 for cooling the freezer compartment 6 and refrigerator compartment 7 will not be utilized, and the Since low-temperature cold air is not forced into the freezer compartment 6 and refrigerator compartment 7, the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment increases. In particular, when the door is opened and closed frequently, the temperature rises at an accelerated rate, which often has an adverse effect on the food stored inside the refrigerator.

Purpose of the Invention In view of the above-mentioned points, the present invention aims to prevent the temperature rise in the freezer compartment and refrigerator compartment during rapid freezing.

Composition of the Invention In order to achieve this object, the present invention periodically or irregularly operates a blower for a fixed or undefined period of time during quick freezing to force cold air into the freezing and refrigerating compartments. This prevents the temperature from rising inside the refrigerator.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b. Incidentally, the same parts as those in the prior art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. In the figure, the compressor 9 is connected to a power source via a relay 15, and the blower 5 is connected in series with the relay 16 and then in parallel with the compressor 9. The flow path switching valve 9 is connected in series with the relay 17 and then in parallel with the power source. This flow path switching valve is configured to switch to the normal flow path when the coil is conductive, and to switch to the quick freezing flow path when the coil is not conductive. Here, the relay 15 closes the contact when the excitation coil is energized, and the relay 16,1
Reference numeral 7 is configured to close a contact when the excitation coil is not energized. Next, a control device for driving these relays will be described. 18 is a temperature control device, which includes a thermistor 19 and a resistor installed in a part of the freezer compartment 12.
It is composed of R ₁ , R ₂ , R ₃ and a comparator 20. The output of the comparator 20 is configured to send a signal to turn on/off the relay 15 via an OR circuit 21 by a driver circuit (not shown) such as a transistor.

A blower control device 24 includes a rapid freezing switch 22 and a rapid cooling timer 23. The quick cooling timer 23 is activated after the quick freezing switch 22 is turned on.
As shown in Figure 3b, the a output has a short time
Outputs a High signal (hereinafter simply referred to as "H"),
Output b outputs an “H” signal for 90 minutes during rapid freezing, output c outputs an “H” signal _{for 1} hour, and then outputs a “H” signal for t ₂ hours.
It is configured to alternately output LOW signals (hereinafter simply referred to as "L"). The b output of the quenching timer 23 is connected to the input of the OR circuit 21 and to send a signal to turn the relay 17 ON/OFF. In addition, the c output of the quenching timer 23 turns the relay 16 ON/OFF through the driver circuit.
connected to.

Next, the operational status of this configuration will be explained.
Normally, if the internal temperature of the refrigerator (freezer compartment temperature) is higher than the predetermined value, the resistance value of the thermistor 19 R _TH
has become smaller, so R _TH and R ₁ of the temperature control device 18
The potential at point A determined by is higher than the potential at point B determined by resistors R ₂ and R ₃ and
Since the output of 0 becomes "H", the output of the OR circuit 21 also becomes "H", the relay 15 is turned on via a driver circuit such as a transistor (not shown), and the compressor 9 is operated. At this time, quick freeze switch 22
is in the OFF state, so b of the rapid cooling timer 23,
The c output is "L", the relay 16 is on, and the blower 5 is operated. In addition, the relay 17 is also turned on at the same time, and the suction coil of the flow path switching valve 13 is energized, and the refrigerant circuit is connected from the compressor 9 to the condenser 10.
A circulation cycle of → first capillary tube 11 → main cooler 4 → compressor 9 is configured to perform cooling. After that, when the inside of the refrigerator is cooled to a certain temperature, the resistance value _RTH of the thermistor 19 increases and the A potential becomes smaller than the B potential, so the output of the comparator 20 becomes "L".
Therefore, together with the "L" signal from the b output of the quenching timer 23, the output of the OR circuit 21 is also "L".
Therefore, the relay 15 is turned off and the compressor 9 and blower 5 are stopped. Thereafter, this action is repeated to perform the normal cooling action.

Next, the rapid freezing operation will be explained. If you turn on the quick freezing switch 22 at your discretion, the quick cooling timer 2 will start.
Of the outputs in step 3, output b is “H” throughout the quenching time T.
In order to continue generating the signal, one input of the OR circuit 21 becomes "H", the output of the OR circuit 21 becomes "H" regardless of the output of the temperature control device 18, the relay 15 is turned on, and the compressor 9 is turned on. Driven instantly. At the same time, the relay 17 is turned OFF, the flow path switching valve 13 is de-energized, the flow path is switched to the quick freezing flow path, and the auxiliary cooler 8 starts its cooling action. On the other hand, the c output of the rapid cooling timer 23 is "H" during time t ₁ after the start of rapid freezing, then becomes "L" for time t ₂ , and again "H" during t ₁ and "H" during t ₂ . L” and repeat this until the quick freezing is completed. In the illustrated embodiment, t ₁ > t ₂ is set, but as a result, the relay 16 is turned on, that is, the blower 5 is operated only while the c output is “L”, and during that time, the freezing compartment 6 and the refrigerator compartment Since cold air is forced into the freezer compartment 7 and the quick-freezing freezer compartment 6', the temperature rise inside the refrigerator can be suppressed each time.
In addition, the forced ventilation action promotes cooling of foods that have a small contact area with the irregularly shaped auxiliary cooler 8, particularly the plate-shaped auxiliary cooler 8, in the quick freezing chamber 6'.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above configuration, the present invention provides a quick freezing chamber equipped with a direct cooling type auxiliary cooler in the freezer compartment of a forced ventilation type refrigerator-freezer, and during normal cooling, only the main cooler is used. During rapid cooling, the flow path control device switches the refrigerant so that it flows through the main cooler and the auxiliary cooler, and during rapid cooling, the blower is switched on periodically or irregularly for a fixed or undefined period of time. This system is configured to operate continuously, and has the effect of suppressing the rise in temperature in the freezer and refrigerator compartments each time the blower is stopped, and unlike conventional methods, the temperature inside the refrigerator rises at an accelerating rate during quick freezing. There is no risk of deteriorating the quality of the food inside, and for foods that have a small contact area with the auxiliary cooler, cooling can be accelerated during the forced ventilation period, regardless of the shape of the food. , the practical effects such as good refrigeration are extremely high.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional refrigerator, Fig. 2 is a piping diagram of its refrigeration cycle, Fig. 3a is a control circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3b is the operation of the blower control device. It is an operation|movement explanatory diagram which shows a situation. 3... Cooling room, 4... Main cooler, 5... Blower, 8... Auxiliary cooler, 6'... Rapid freezing room, 9
... Compressor, 13 ... Flow path control device, 22 ... Rapid freezing switch, 24 ... Blower control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A blower that circulates the air cooled by the main cooler installed in the cooling room to the freezer and refrigerator compartments, a quick-freezing room through which the air cooled by the main cooler passes through the freezer compartment, and a A direct cooling type auxiliary cooler installed, a flow path control device that controls whether the refrigerant flows only to the main cooler or both the main cooler and the auxiliary cooler, and a compressor of the refrigeration cycle are connected continuously. A quick freezing switch is operated to perform quick freezing by continuously flowing refrigerant to the auxiliary cooler, and during the quick freezing, the blower is operated periodically or irregularly for a fixed or irregular time, and other A quick freezing device for a refrigerator, comprising: a blower control device that stops the blower during certain hours.