JP7606418B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Conventionally, refrigerators have been proposed that are equipped with a purification device that sterilizes and deodorizes the air circulating within the storage compartment (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-66161 A

Refrigerators equipped with a purification device can achieve a high purification effect by operating the purification device for a long period of time, but this requires a large amount of power consumption.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can achieve a high purification effect while reducing the power consumption of the purification device.

A refrigerator according to one embodiment includes a refrigerator main body, an internal space formed inside the refrigerator main body, a cooling device that cools air in the internal space, a blower that circulates the air cooled by the cooling device in the internal space , a first space and a second space that are formed in the internal space and partitioned to allow air to flow in and out, a first opening/closing unit that partitions the first space so as to be openable and closable, a second opening/closing unit that partitions the second space so as to be openable and closable, a first purification device that purifies the first space, a second purification device that purifies the second space, and a control unit that controls the first purification device and the second purification device. and a control unit which, when the first opening/closing unit is open and the second opening/closing unit is closed, stops the first purification device and operates the second purification device, when the second opening/closing unit is open and the first opening/closing unit is closed, stops the second purification device and operates the first purification device, and when the first opening/closing unit and the second opening/closing unit are closed, controls the first purification device and the second purification device to repeatedly operate and stop so that a simultaneous operation time is generated during which the first purification device and the second purification device operate simultaneously .

1 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; Enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1 Block diagram of the refrigerator in FIG. Timing chart for a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention Timing chart for a refrigerator according to the first modification of the present invention

1. EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are illustrative, and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto. The following embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The following embodiments and their modifications are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

In the following explanation, left-right, front-back, and up-down refer to the directions when the refrigerator is viewed from the front, and the left-right direction corresponds to the width of the refrigerator. Additionally, right, left, top, bottom, back, back, and front refer to the position or side when the refrigerator is viewed from the front, unless otherwise specified.

(1) Configuration of Refrigerator 1 First, the overall configuration of refrigerator 1 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, refrigerator 1 includes refrigerator body 2 which is an insulated box having an opening on the front side. Refrigerator body 2 is an insulated box having a space opening on the front side formed therein, and includes an outer box made of steel plate, an inner box made of synthetic resin provided by vacuum forming, and an insulating material such as a vacuum insulation panel or urethane foam arranged in the gap between the outer box and the inner box.

The space formed inside the refrigerator body 2 is insulated and divided by a thermally insulated partition wall 2a into an upper refrigeration space and a lower freezer space.

The refrigerated space is an internal space that is cooled to a refrigeration temperature range (e.g., 0 to 4°C) by circulating cooled air. The interior of the refrigerated space is partitioned by partition plate 2b, cooler chamber forming member 12, and flow path forming member 24 to allow air to flow in and out, and is divided into storage spaces for storing food, such as the refrigerator chamber 3, chilled chamber 3c, and vegetable chamber 4, and cold air generation spaces that generate cold air and supply it to the storage space, such as the refrigerator cooler chamber 13, rear flow path 14, and return flow path 29. In other words, the storage space and cold air generation space that make up the refrigerated space are partitioned so that they share the circulating air.

Specifically, the interior of the refrigeration space is divided into upper and lower sections by a partition plate 2b, a refrigeration chamber 3 with multiple shelves 3b is provided above the partition plate 2b, and a vegetable chamber 4 in which a pull-out vegetable container 40 is placed is provided below the partition plate 2b. The refrigeration chamber 3 and the vegetable chamber 4 are connected by an inlet 2c provided behind the partition plate 2b.

The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 3 is closed by a pair of thermally insulated refrigerator compartment doors 3a that open like doors on the left and right sides of the refrigerator body and divide the opening in the width direction. The refrigerator compartment doors 3a are pivotally supported by hinges on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator body and function as opening/closing sections that divide the front of the refrigerator compartment 3 so that it can be opened and closed. On the front side of the refrigerator compartment door 3a, there is an operation display unit 7 that receives settings for the refrigerator 1 from the user and displays the setting status of the refrigerator 1, and an outside temperature detection unit 8 that detects the outside temperature around the refrigerator 1.

The interior of the refrigerator compartment 3 is divided into multiple levels by multiple shelves 3b, and a chilled compartment 3c that communicates with the refrigerator compartment 3 is defined in the space below the lowest shelf 3b. The chilled compartment 3c contains a storage container 30 that is divided into upper and lower sections to allow air to flow in and out, forming two upper and lower levels of space.

A refrigerator temperature detector 23 for measuring the temperature of the refrigerator space is provided on the rear side of the refrigerator compartment 3. In addition, an open/close detector 9a for detecting the opening/closing of the right refrigerator compartment door 3a and an open/close detector 9b for detecting the opening/closing of the left refrigerator compartment door 3a are provided on the periphery of the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 3 (see Figure 3).

The front opening of the vegetable compartment 4 is closed by a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 4a. The vegetable compartment door 4a functions as an opening/closing section that divides the front of the vegetable compartment 4 so that it can be opened and closed. An opening/closing detection section 9c that detects the opening and closing of the vegetable compartment door 4a is provided on the periphery of the front opening of the vegetable compartment 4. A pair of left and right support frames that hold the vegetable container 40 are fixed to the inside of the vegetable compartment door 4a.

At the rear of the refrigerator compartment 3, a rear flow path 14 is provided, which is divided into front and rear by a flow path forming member 24, and at the rear of the chilled compartment 3c and the vegetable compartment 4, a refrigerator cooler compartment 13 and a return flow path 29 are provided, which are divided into front and rear by a cooler compartment forming member 12. The refrigerator cooler compartment 13 houses the refrigerator cooler 10 and a refrigerator air blower device 11 such as a fan.

The cooler chamber forming member 12 is also provided with a first purification device 50 that irradiates ultraviolet light into the inside of the upper container 31 provided in the chilled chamber 3c, and a second purification device 51 that irradiates ultraviolet light into the inside of the upper container 42 of the vegetable container 40 provided in the vegetable chamber 4.

The freezer space below the insulating partition wall 2a is a space that is kept cooled to a freezing temperature range (for example, -18°C to -20°C) and includes an ice-making compartment, a first freezer compartment 5, and a second freezer compartment 6. The ice-making compartment and the first freezer compartment 5 are arranged side by side below the vegetable compartment 4, with the insulating partition wall 2a in between. Below the ice-making compartment and the first freezer compartment 5, the second freezer compartment 6, which includes a lower case and an upper case, is located. The openings of the ice-making compartment, the first freezer compartment 5, and the second freezer compartment 6 are closed by drawer-type doors 5a, 6a, just like the vegetable compartment 4. A freezer temperature detector 25 is provided on the back of the second freezer compartment 6 to measure the temperature inside the second freezer compartment 6.

A cover body 17 that forms a duct 18 is provided at the rear of the storage compartments (ice-making compartment, first freezer compartment 5, second freezer compartment 6) provided in the freezer space. The cover body 17 defines a freezer cooler compartment 19 behind the storage compartments in the freezer temperature range.

Inside the freezer cooler chamber 19, there is a freezer cooler 15 that is cooled to a lower temperature than the refrigerated cooler 10, a freezer blower 16 such as a fan, and the like. The freezer blower 16 provided in the freezer cooler chamber 19 cools the ice making chamber, the first freezer chamber 5, and the second freezer chamber 6 by supplying the air in the freezer cooler chamber 19 that has been cooled by the freezer cooler 15 through a duct 18 to the ice making chamber, the first freezer chamber 5, and the second freezer chamber 6.

The refrigeration cooler 10 and the freezer cooler 15, together with a compressor 21 and a condenser (not shown) housed in a machine room 20 provided at the bottom of the back of the refrigerator body 2, constitute a cooling device called a refrigeration cycle. The cooling device alternately cools the refrigeration cooler 10 and the freezer cooler 15 to a predetermined temperature by supplying the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 21 to one of the refrigeration cooler 10 and the freezer cooler 15 by a switching valve 22 (see FIG. 3). The refrigeration cooler 10 is provided with a refrigeration cooler temperature detection unit 26 that detects the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 10, and the freezer cooler 15 is provided with a freezer cooler temperature detection unit 27 that detects the temperature of the freezer cooler 15.

In addition, a control unit 28 consisting of a control board equipped with a microcomputer and the like that controls the refrigerator 1 is provided on the outside of the refrigerator body 2, for example, on the upper rear part of the ceiling wall of the refrigerator body 2.

(2) Storage Container 30
The storage container 30 stored in the chilled compartment 3c comprises a drawer-type upper container 31 and a lower container 32 stacked one on top of the other, and a lid 33 rotatably attached to the front end of the lowest shelf 3b.

The upper container 31 is a synthetic resin container with an opening at the top surface of a roughly rectangular planar shape, and has a storage space formed inside for storing food and other stored items. At the front end of the upper container 31, a front wall 34 is provided that rises upward from the bottom surface of the upper container 31 and defines the front end of the storage space. An opening is formed between the top end of the front wall of the upper container 31 and the bottom surface of the shelf board 3b, and the opening is closed by a lid 33.

When the upper container 31 is pulled forward from the chilled compartment 3c, it slides on a rail (not shown) while pushing up the lid 33, moving to the front of the chilled compartment 3c, opening the top opening of the upper container 31 and allowing storage items to be put in and taken out. When the upper container 31 is pushed backward from the state pulled out to the front of the chilled compartment 3c and stored in the chilled compartment 3c, the top opening of the upper container 31 is blocked by the lid 33 and the lowest shelf 3b. In other words, the lid 33 constitutes an opening/closing section that partitions a part of the storage space formed inside the upper container 31 in an openable and closable manner. The chilled compartment 3c is provided with an opening/closing detection section 9d that detects the opening and closing of the lid 33 (see FIG. 2). The opening/closing detection section 9d detects the opening and closing of the lid 33 and detects that the upper container 31 has been pulled out to the front of the chilled compartment 3c.

The lower container 32 is a synthetic resin container with an opening at the top, which is roughly rectangular in plan view, and has a storage space formed inside for storing food and other stored items. When the lower container 32 is pulled out forward from its state of being stored in the chilled chamber 3c, it slides along a rail (not shown) and moves to the front of the chilled chamber 3c, opening the top opening of the lower container 32 and allowing stored items to be put in and taken out. When the lower container 32 is pushed backward from its state of being pulled out to the front of the chilled chamber 3c and stored in the chilled chamber 3c, the top opening is blocked by the bottom surface of the upper container 31 provided above. In other words, the bottom surface of the upper container 31 forms a blocking portion that partitions a portion of the storage space formed inside the lower container 32 in an openable and closable manner.

The lower container 32 is connected to the upper container 31 through a vent 35 provided at the front end of the bottom surface of the upper container 31. The lower container 32 is also provided with an exhaust port 36 at the rear end of the bottom surface of the lower container 32, which opens into the chilled chamber 3c.

(3) Vegetable container 40
The vegetable container 40 provided in the vegetable chamber 4 has a two-tiered structure including a lower container 41 provided across almost the entire width of the vegetable chamber 4 and an upper container 42 provided above the lower container 41.

The lower container 41 is a box-shaped container with a bottom surrounded by a front wall, a rear wall, and left and right side walls, and is designed so that stored items can be put in and taken out from the inside through an opening at the top that opens upward. The lower container 41 is held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back side of the vegetable compartment door 4a, and is configured so as to be pulled out to the outside when the vegetable compartment door 4a is opened.

The lower container 41 is provided with a front-rear partition 43 that protrudes upward from the inner bottom surface. This front-rear partition 43 is provided to connect the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls of the lower container 41, and a lower front container 44 is formed in front of the front-rear partition 43, and a lower rear container 45 is formed in the rear.

The upper opening of the lower rear container 45 is blocked by the bottom of the upper container 42 and the functional sheet 72 stored in the case 70 when the vegetable compartment door 4a is closed (the vegetable compartment 40 is stored in the vegetable compartment 4) as shown in Figure 1.

The functional sheet 72 is a waterproof and moisture-permeable sheet material, for example, a porous sheet material with many holes with a diameter of 0.5 μm to 3 μm, which allows water vapor and air to pass through but also has a certain wind-blocking property that restricts the direct intrusion of wind. As an example, a moisture-permeable waterproof sheet made by laminating polyester long-fiber nonwoven fabric and polyethylene porous film can be used for the functional sheet 72.

Such a functional sheet 72 restricts the air (wind) circulating in the vegetable compartment 4 from entering the lower rear container 45 directly, while allowing a certain degree of air movement between the vegetable compartment 4 and the lower rear container 45.

The upper container 42 is a box-shaped container with a bottom made of synthetic resin material that transmits ultraviolet light, and is designed to allow stored items to be put in and taken out from the inside through an upper opening that opens upward. The upper container 42 is designed to be able to be pulled out to the outside of the container independently of the lower container 41 by sliding in the front-to-rear direction between the inner box rails provided on the left and right inner wall surfaces of the vegetable compartment 4 and the upper ends of the left and right side walls of the lower container 41.

When such a vegetable container 40 is stored in the vegetable chamber 4 with the vegetable chamber door 4a closed, the top opening of the lower rear container 45 is closed by the bottom surface of the upper container 42 and the functional sheet 72 stored in the case 70. The top opening of the lower front container 44 and the top opening of the upper container 42 are open into the vegetable chamber 4 when the vegetable container 40 is stored in the vegetable chamber 4.

When the vegetable compartment door 4a is opened, the vegetable compartment 40 is pulled out to the outside of the refrigerator, and the top opening of the lower front container 44 and the top opening of the upper container 42 are opened to the outside of the refrigerator. At this time, the upper container 42 is also pulled out to the outside of the refrigerator together with the lower container 41, so the top of the lower rear container 45 is blocked by the upper container 42 and the functional sheet 72. Then, by sliding the upper container 42 backward relative to the lower container 41, the top opening of the lower rear container 45 is opened. In other words, the vegetable compartment door 4a constitutes an opening/closing part that partitions a part of the storage space formed inside the upper container 42 and the lower front container 44 in an openable/closable manner, and the upper container 42 constitutes an opening/closing part that partitions a part of the storage space formed inside the lower rear container 45 in an openable/closable manner.

(4) Refrigerating chamber 13, rear flow passage 14 and return flow passage 29
The refrigerator cooler chamber 13, the rear flow path 14, and the return flow path 29 are provided on the rear of the refrigerator chamber 3, the chilled chamber 3c, and the vegetable chamber 4, and are spaces for generating cold air to cool the refrigerated space partitioned inside the refrigerator body 2 and circulating it in the refrigerated space. In other words, the refrigerator cooler chamber 13, the rear flow path 14, and the return flow path 29, together with the refrigerator chamber 3, the chilled chamber 3c, and the vegetable chamber 4, form an internal space formed inside the refrigerator body 2, and are spaces through which air blown from a common blower (refrigerated blower 11) flows. In other words, the refrigerator chamber 3, the chilled chamber 3c, the vegetable chamber 4, the refrigerator cooler chamber 13, the rear flow path 14, and the return flow path 29 constituting the internal space are spaces that form part of the flow path through which air blown from the blower flows, or are spaces that are connected to the flow path through which air blown from the blower flows.

Specifically, the refrigeration cooler chamber 13 is a space formed between the cooler chamber forming member 12 and the rear wall of the refrigerator body 2, and is a space for cooling the air in the refrigeration cooler chamber 13 to generate cold air by the refrigeration cooler 10 provided therein. The cooler chamber forming member 12 is provided with an air outlet 12a that opens at a position above the top opening of the upper container 31 provided in the chilled chamber 3c, and the refrigeration cooler chamber 13 is connected to the chilled chamber 3c via the air outlet 12a.

The rear flow passage 14 is a space formed between the flow passage forming member 24 and the rear wall of the refrigerator body 2. The lower end of the rear flow passage 14 is connected to the refrigerator cooling chamber 13, and extends vertically along the rear surface of the refrigerator chamber 3. The rear flow passage 14 is provided with air outlets 14a spaced apart in the vertical direction, which open to the rear surface of the refrigerator chamber 3.

The return flow path 29 is a space formed at the upper rear of the vegetable compartment 4 by the cooler compartment forming member 12, and is connected to the lower end of the refrigerated cooler compartment 13. The return flow path 29 is provided with an intake port 12b that opens at the rear end of the partition plate 2b and an intake port 12c that opens at the rear of the vegetable compartment 4, and the chilled compartment 3c and the vegetable compartment 4 are connected to the return flow path 29 via the intake ports 12b and 12c.

The refrigerator cooler chamber 13 and rear flow path 14 supply the cold air generated by the refrigerator cooler 10 in the refrigerator cooler chamber 13 through the air outlet 12a to the chilled chamber 3c by the operation of the refrigerator air blower 11, and also supply the cold air through the rear flow path 14 to the refrigerator chamber 3 through the air outlet 14a provided on the rear of the refrigerator chamber 3.

The cold air supplied from the air outlet 12a to the chilled compartment 3c is introduced into the upper container 31 from the rear of the top opening of the upper container 31, flows forward while cooling the interior of the upper container 31, and flows into the lower container 32 through the ventilation opening 35. The cold air that flows from the upper container 31 into the lower container 32 flows backward while cooling the interior of the lower container 32, and is discharged to the outside of the lower container 32 from the exhaust opening 36 provided at the rear of the bottom surface of the lower container 32. The cold air discharged from the exhaust opening 36 flows into the return flow path 29 from the intake opening 12b opposite the exhaust opening 36 and returns to the refrigeration cooler compartment 13.

After the cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 3 from the air outlet 14a flows through the refrigerator compartment 3, a part of it returns to the refrigerator cooler compartment 13 through the return flow path 29 from the suction port 12b provided behind the partition plate 2b, and the other part flows into the vegetable compartment 4 through the inlet port 2c drilled in the partition plate 2b. The cold air that flows into the vegetable compartment 4 cools the upper container 42, the lower front container 44, and the lower rear container 45 provided in the vegetable compartment 4, and then flows into the return flow path 29 from the suction port 4b provided on the back of the vegetable compartment 4 and returns to the refrigerator cooler compartment 13.

(5) First purification device 50 and second purification device 51
The first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are provided inside a flat box-shaped fixture, and include a light source such as an LED that irradiates ultraviolet light, and perform purification such as sterilization and deodorization of the air, etc. The first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are provided at different positions from each other.

The first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 can irradiate ultraviolet light of any wavelength between 200 nm and 400 nm, such as UVC with a wavelength of less than 280 nm, UVB with a wavelength between 280 and 315 nm, and UVA with a wavelength between 315 and 400 nm, and may also irradiate ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 222 nm.

The first purification device 50 is fixed to the cooler chamber forming member 12 so that the light source is located behind the upper container 31 stored in the chilled chamber 3c. The first purification device 50 mainly purifies the air inside the upper container 31 and the stored items stored in the upper container 31.

The second purification device 51 is fixed to the cooler chamber forming member 12 so that the light source is located at the rear upper part of the upper container 42 stored in the vegetable chamber 4. The second purification device 51 mainly purifies the air inside the upper container 42 and the stored items stored in the upper container 42.

In this specification, "mainly" means that the purification effect of the purification device extends to the upper container 31 compared to other spaces. In other words, in this embodiment, the first purification device 50 irradiates ultraviolet light from the rear of the upper container 31 toward the upper container 31, so that the purification effect of the first purification device 50 extends to the air inside the upper container 31 and the stored goods stored in the upper container 31 compared to other spaces. Also, the second purification device 51 irradiates ultraviolet light from the rear upper part of the upper container 42 toward the bottom surface of the upper container 42, so that the purification effect of the second purification device 51 extends to the air inside the upper container 42 and the stored goods stored in the upper container 42 compared to other spaces.

As a method of varying the space in which the purification effect is primarily exerted, for example, multiple purification devices may be placed in different spaces, separated by components or the like, or multiple purification devices may be provided with different directions for irradiating ultraviolet light, and the multiple purification devices may irradiate ultraviolet light into different spaces.

(6) Electrical Configuration of Refrigerator 1 As shown in FIG. 3 , control unit 28 provided on the upper part of refrigerator body 2 is electrically connected to electrical components provided inside or outside of refrigerator body 2, such as operation display unit 7, outside air temperature detection unit 8, open/close detection units 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, refrigerated air blower 11, freezer air blower 16, compressor 21, switching valve 22, refrigerated temperature detection unit 23, freezer temperature detection unit 25, refrigerated cooler temperature detection unit 26, freezer cooler temperature detection unit 27, first purification device 50, second purification device 51, etc. When the control unit 28 receives signals from various detection units or signals from the operation display unit 7 by user operation, the control unit 28 controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 1 by controlling the display on the operation display unit 7, the setting of the operating intensity of the refrigerated air blower 11 and the freezer air blower 16, the setting of the operating frequency of the compressor 21, the switching setting between the refrigerated cooler 10 and the freezer cooler 15 by the switching valve 22, the output of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51, etc., based on a control program previously stored in the memory.

(7) Cooling operation of refrigerator 1 In refrigerator 1, based on the internal temperatures of the refrigerator space and the freezer space detected by the refrigerator temperature detection unit 23 and the freezer temperature detection unit 25, the refrigerator 1 switches between a refrigeration cooling operation for cooling the refrigerator compartment 3, chilled compartment 3c, and vegetable compartment 4 in the refrigeration temperature range, and a freezing cooling operation for cooling the ice-making compartment, first freezer compartment 5, and second freezer compartment 6 in the freezing temperature range.

In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the compressor 21 is driven at all times, and in principle either the refrigeration cooling operation or the freezing cooling operation is performed at all times. However, when certain conditions are met, such as when the temperatures of both the refrigeration space and the freezing space are below the OFF temperature and the PID calculation is below a certain value, the compressor 21, the refrigeration blower 11, and the freezing blower 16 may be stopped, and the refrigeration cooling operation and the freezing cooling operation may be stopped.

When the refrigeration cooling start conditions are met, the control unit 28 drives the compressor 21 at a predetermined frequency while opening the outlet of the switching valve 22 on the refrigeration refrigerant flow path side to allow the refrigerant to flow into the refrigeration cooler 10, and further rotates the refrigeration blower 11 at a predetermined rotation speed to start the refrigeration cooling operation. One example of a refrigeration cooling start condition is when the temperature detected by the refrigeration temperature detection unit 23 becomes equal to or higher than the ON temperature (e.g., 5°C) set for the refrigeration space.

During refrigeration cooling operation, the low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant that flows into the refrigeration cooler 10 vaporizes to generate cold air in the refrigeration cooler chamber 13. The generated cold air is supplied by the blowing action of the refrigeration blower device 11 to the refrigeration chamber 3, the upper container 31 and the lower container 32 provided in the chilled chamber 3c, and the upper container 42, the lower front container 44, and the lower rear container 45 provided in the vegetable chamber 4, thereby cooling the storage space partitioned inside the refrigeration space.

When the refrigeration cooling end condition is satisfied during the execution of the refrigeration cooling operation, the control unit 28 ends the refrigeration cooling operation. Examples of the refrigeration cooling end condition include (1) when the temperature detected by the refrigeration temperature detection unit 23 reaches the OFF temperature (e.g., 2°C) set for the refrigeration space, (2) when the longest cooling time (e.g., 40 minutes) or more has elapsed since the start of the refrigeration cooling operation, or (3) when the temperature detected by the freezing temperature detection unit 25 reaches or exceeds the ON temperature (e.g., -18°C) set for the freezing space.

When the refrigeration/cooling operation is completed, the control unit 28 drives the compressor 21 at a predetermined frequency while opening the outlet of the switching valve 22 on the refrigeration/cooling passage side to allow the refrigerant to flow into the refrigeration/cooler 15, and further rotates the refrigeration/blower device 16 at a predetermined rotation speed to perform the refrigeration/cooling operation.

During freezing and cooling operation, the low-pressure, low-temperature refrigerant that flows into the freezing and cooling device 15 vaporizes to generate cold air in the freezing and cooling device chamber 19. The generated cold air circulates through the ice-making chamber, the first freezing chamber 5, and the second freezing chamber 6 by the blowing action of the freezing and cooling device 16, cooling the ice-making chamber, the first freezing chamber 5, and the second freezing chamber 6 to a specified freezing temperature range.

The cold air that has circulated through the ice-making compartment, the first freezer compartment 5, and the second freezer compartment 6 returns to the freezer cooler compartment 19 through an intake port provided on the back of the second freezer compartment 6, where it is cooled by the freezer cooler 15, and then sent back to the ice-making compartment, the first freezer compartment 5, and the second freezer compartment 6.

When the freezing/cooling end condition is satisfied while the freezing/cooling operation is being performed, the control unit 28 ends the freezing/cooling operation. Examples of the freezing/cooling end condition include (1) when the temperature detected by the freezing temperature detection unit 25 reaches a predetermined temperature (e.g., -21°C), (2) when the longest cooling time (e.g., 90 minutes) or more has elapsed since the start of the freezing operation, or (3) when the temperature detected by the refrigeration temperature detection unit 23 reaches or exceeds the ON temperature (e.g., 5°C) set for the refrigerated space.

(8) Defrosting Operation In the refrigerator 1, while switching between a refrigeration/cooling operation and a freezing/cooling operation and sequentially executing the same, when a predetermined defrosting start condition is satisfied, a first defrosting operation and a second defrosting operation are executed.

The first defrosting operation is an operation in which the frost adhering to the refrigeration cooler 10 is melted to remove it, and the moisture from the melted frost is supplied to the refrigeration space to humidify the refrigeration space.

Specifically, the control unit 28 closes the outlet of the switching valve 22 on the refrigerated refrigerant flow path side, or stops or reduces the operating frequency of the compressor 21, thereby stopping or reducing the supply of refrigerant to the refrigerated cooler 10 and driving the refrigerated air blower 11.

The first defrosting operation may be performed during the freezing and cooling operation, or may be performed when both the refrigeration and cooling operation are stopped. As a result of these controls, with the supply of refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 10 restricted, air from the refrigeration space that is warmer than 0°C is introduced into the refrigeration cooler chamber 13, where it exchanges heat with the frosted refrigeration cooler 10 and is then returned to the refrigeration space.

This raises the temperature of the refrigeration cooler 10, melting the frost on the refrigeration cooler 10, and vaporizes the moisture in the melted frost to generate humidified air. The generated humidified air is blown into the refrigerator compartment 3 and chilled compartment 3c by the blowing action of the refrigerator blower 11, humidifying the refrigerator compartment 3, chilled compartment 3c, and the vegetable compartment 4 that is connected to the refrigerator compartment 3.

The second defrosting operation is an operation for removing frost adhering to the cryocooler 15 by melting it. Specifically, the control unit 28 closes the outlet of the switching valve 22 on the side of the refrigeration refrigerant flow path, stops the compressor 21 or reduces the operating frequency, thereby stopping or reducing the supply of refrigerant to the cryocooler 15, stopping the refrigeration blower 16, and energizing the defrost heater. With these controls, the cryocooler 15 is heated by the heat from the defrost heater while the supply of refrigerant to the cryocooler 15 is restricted, and the frost adhering to the cryocooler 15 is melted.

(9) Control of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 In the refrigerator 1, when a predetermined start condition is satisfied, the control unit 28 operates the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 at a predetermined power supply rate to perform a purification operation that sterilizes and deodorizes the air in the refrigerated space.

Examples of conditions for starting the purification operation include when the refrigerator 1 is turned on, when the user issues a command to start the purification operation via the operation display unit 7, or when the odor detection unit installed in the refrigeration space detects a specific odorous substance.

Examples of conditions for terminating the purification operation include when the power supply to the refrigerator 1 is stopped, when the user instructs the operation display unit 7 or the like to stop the purification operation or switch to power saving mode, or when the odor detection unit installed in the refrigeration space no longer detects a specific odorous substance.

The control unit 28 sets a drive period in which a predetermined time T (e.g., 20 minutes) is one cycle, and during the drive period, sets the time during which the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are driven to irradiate ultraviolet light (hereinafter, this time may be referred to as the operating time), and the time during which the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are stopped to stop irradiating ultraviolet light (hereinafter, this time may be referred to as the stop time), and performs purification operation by controlling the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 to repeatedly operate and stop so that the current flow rate, which is the proportion of the operating time in one cycle, becomes a predetermined value.

When controlling the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51, the control unit 28 controls the operation of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 so that the operating time of the first purification device 50 and the operating time of the second purification device 51 overlap at least partially.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the refrigerator door 3a and the vegetable compartment door 4a are closed, the control unit 28 sets the operation time (e.g., 7 minutes) and stop time (e.g., 13 minutes) of the first purification device 50 during the drive period, and sets the power supply rate P1 (e.g., 35%) of the first purification device 50. The control unit 28 then controls the first purification device 50 to operate for the operation time and then stop for the stop time, which constitutes one cycle, and repeats such operation and stop during the purification operation.

The control unit 28 also sets a drive period in which the same predetermined time T as the first purification device 50 is one cycle, sets the operation time (e.g., 10 minutes) and stop time (e.g., 10 minutes) of the second purification device 51 within the drive period, and sets the power supply rate P2 (e.g., 50%) of the second purification device 51. The control unit 28 then matches the start timing of the operation time of the second purification device 51 (i.e., the time (point) at which the second purification device 51 starts operation) with the start timing of the operation time of the first purification device 50 (i.e., the time (point) at which the first purification device 50 starts operation), and controls the second purification device 51 to operate for the operation time and then stop for the stop time, which is one cycle, and repeats such operation and stop during the purification operation.

As a result, the control unit 28 controls the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 so that a simultaneous operation time tm occurs during which the multiple purification devices 50, 51 operate simultaneously during at least a portion of the operation time of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51.

Note that multiple purification devices 50, 51 operating simultaneously means that one of the multiple purification devices 50, 51 is operating while the other purification devices are also operating. The start and end timings of operation (the time (point) at which the purification device ends operation) may be different for each purification device, but since the purification effect can be efficiently obtained for each of the multiple purification devices 50, 51, it is preferable to synchronize either the start timing or the end timing, and it is more preferable to synchronize both the start timing and the end timing.

The simultaneous operation time tm (i.e., the time period during which at least two or more of the multiple purifiers installed in the space sharing the circulating cold air inside the refrigerator are in operation) can be set to any time, but it is preferable to set it long. For example, it is preferable that the ratio of the simultaneous operation time tm to the longest operation time among the multiple purifiers 50, 51 (e.g., the operation time of the second purifier 51) is 50% or more, and more preferably 70% or more.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the control unit 28 detects that the lid 33 is open during the above-described purification operation, it stops the first purification device 50 until it is closed by the lid 33, and when it detects that the vegetable compartment door 4a is open, it stops the second purification device 51 until it is closed by the vegetable compartment door 4a.

In other words, during the purification operation as described above, when the opening/closing detectors 9a and 9b detect the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 3a and the opening/closing detector 9d detects the opening of the lid 33 provided in the chilled compartment 3c and detects that the upper container 31 has been pulled out to the front of the chilled compartment 3c, the control unit 28 stops the first purification device 50, which mainly exerts a purification effect on the internal space of the upper container 31 that was blocked by the lid 33 while the lid 33 was open.

Note that, if the open/close detectors 9a and 9b detect the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 3a during purification operation, but the open/close detector 9d detects the closing of the lid 33 provided on the chilled compartment 3c, the control unit 28 may operate the first purification device 50. Also, if the vegetable compartment door 4a is closed when the lid 33 is open, the control unit 28 may operate the second purification device 51 without stopping it.

In addition, when the open/close detection unit 9c detects the opening of the vegetable compartment door 4a during the purification operation as described above, the control unit 28 stops the second purification device 51, which mainly exerts a purification effect on the internal space of the upper container 42 that was blocked by the vegetable compartment door 4a while the vegetable compartment door 4a is open. Note that if the lid body 33 is blocked when the vegetable compartment door 4a is opened, the control unit 28 may operate the first purification device 50 without stopping it.

If the first purification device 50 or the second purification device 51 is stopped during operation due to the opening of the lid body 33 or the vegetable compartment door 4a, the timing of the operation time continues without being stopped, and if the operation time has not elapsed when the lid body 33 or the vegetable compartment door 4a is closed, the purification operation may be resumed.

(10) Effects In the present embodiment as described above, by controlling the operations of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 so that at least a part of the operation time of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51, which mainly have a purification effect on different spaces, overlaps, the inside of the refrigerated space can be purified more efficiently than when the operation times of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are not overlapped. Therefore, a high purification effect can be obtained while suppressing the power consumption by the purification device.

In this embodiment, the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 repeatedly start and stop during purification operation, so that the inside of the refrigerator space can be purified while reducing power consumption, and deterioration of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 over time can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the drive cycle consisting of the operation time and stop time of the purifier is set to be the same for the multiple purifiers 50, 51. Therefore, even if the multiple purifiers 50, 51 are controlled to repeatedly operate and stop, the operation of the multiple purifiers 50, 51 can be linked to ensure the desired simultaneous operation time. In this case, even if the first purifier 50 or the second purifier 51 that is operating is stopped by opening the lid body 33 or the vegetable compartment door 4a, the operation time is continued, so that the timing of operation does not change between the multiple purifiers 50, 51, and the simultaneous operation time can be prevented from becoming undesirably short.

In this embodiment, during purification operation, the first purification device 50 is stopped when the opening of the lid body 33 is detected, and the second purification device 51 is stopped when the opening of the vegetable compartment door 4a is detected. Therefore, the ultraviolet rays emitted from the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are not directly irradiated to the user, improving safety.

In this embodiment, if the vegetable compartment door 4a is closed while the lid body 33 is open, the second purification device 51 operates without stopping, and if the vegetable compartment door 4a is open and the lid body 33 is closed, the control unit 28 operates the first purification device 50 without stopping, so that the purification device can be operated without risking direct exposure of the user to ultraviolet rays, and a decrease in the purification effect in the refrigerated space due to a reduction in the operation time of the purification device can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the opening/closing detection units 9a and 9b detect the opening of the refrigerator compartment door 3a during purification operation, but if the opening/closing detection unit 9d detects the closing of the lid body 33 provided in the chilled compartment 3c, the control unit 28 operates the first purification device 50, so that the purification device can be operated without risking direct exposure of the user to ultraviolet rays, and the reduction in the purification effect in the refrigerator space due to a reduction in the operation time of the purification device can be suppressed.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents set forth in the claims.

2. Modifications Modifications of the above embodiment will be described. Any one of the multiple modifications described below may be applied to the above embodiment, or any two or more of the modifications described below may be applied in combination. In the following description of the modifications, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in the above embodiment.

(1) Modification Example 1
The refrigeration air blower 11 may be operated while the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are operating to circulate air in the refrigerated space.

For example, when performing purification operation during refrigeration cooling operation as shown in FIG. 5 (P1, P3, P5 in FIG. 5), the control unit 28 controls the compressor 21 and the switching valve 22 in conjunction with the execution of refrigeration cooling operation to flow refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 10, while operating the refrigeration air blower 11 at a predetermined rotation speed r1. This allows the cold air generated in the refrigeration cooler chamber 13 to circulate in the refrigeration space to cool the storage space partitioned inside the refrigeration space, and allows the air purified by the operation of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 to circulate in the refrigeration space.

When performing purification operation when refrigeration cooling operation is not being performed, such as during freezing and cooling operation or when the compressor 21 is stopped, and the first defrosting operation is not being performed either (P2, P7 in FIG. 5), the control unit 28 rotates the refrigeration air blower 11 at a predetermined rotation speed r2 when at least one of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 is operating. This allows the air purified by the operation of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 to be circulated into the refrigerated space.

When performing a purification operation during the first defrost operation (P6 in FIG. 5), the control unit 28 controls the compressor 21 and the switching valve 22 in conjunction with the execution of the first defrost operation to stop or reduce the supply of refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 10, while rotating the refrigeration blower 11 at a predetermined rotation speed r3. This allows the humidified air generated by the evaporation of frost adhering to the refrigeration cooler 10 to be circulated in the refrigeration space to humidify the storage space partitioned inside the refrigeration space, and allows the air purified by the operation of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 to be circulated in the refrigeration space.

In addition, when the refrigeration blower 11 is operated during the operation of the first purification device 50 or the second purification device 51, the refrigeration blower 11 can be operated at any rotation speed, but it is preferable that the rotation speed r1 of the refrigeration blower 11 when performing the purification operation during the refrigeration cooling operation is greater than the rotation speed r2 of the refrigeration blower 11 when performing the purification operation when the refrigeration cooling operation is not being performed and the first defrosting operation is not being performed, and is greater than the rotation speed r3 of the refrigeration blower 11 when performing the purification operation during the first defrosting operation. In other words, it is preferable that the rotation speed of the refrigeration blower 11 when the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are operated simultaneously is set to the same rotation speed r1 as the rotation speed of the refrigeration blower 11 during the refrigeration cooling operation, or to a rotation speed r2 smaller than the rotation speed r1. By setting the rotation speeds r1 and r2 of the refrigeration blower 11 in this manner, the rotation speed of the refrigeration blower 11 can be set high during refrigeration cooling operation, allowing the refrigeration space to be cooled quickly, and when refrigeration cooling operation is not being performed, the rotation speed of the refrigeration blower 11 can be set low, allowing purified air to circulate through the refrigeration space while suppressing a rise in temperature in the refrigeration space.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the rotation speed r3 of the refrigeration blower 11 when performing the purification operation during the first defrost operation is smaller than the rotation speed r2 of the refrigeration blower 11 when performing the purification operation when the refrigeration cooling operation is not being performed and the first defrost operation is not being performed. By setting the rotation speeds r2 and r3 of the refrigeration blower 11 in this manner, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise in the refrigeration space caused by the refrigeration blower 11 operating continuously at a high rotation speed during the first defrost operation, and to efficiently circulate purified air to the refrigeration space.

In addition, when performing purification operation during refrigeration/cooling operation, it is preferable to circulate air in the refrigeration space regardless of whether the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are operating or stopped. In other words, it is preferable to control the refrigeration air blower 11 by prioritizing control by the refrigeration/cooling operation over purification operation.

In addition, when performing the purification operation during the first defrost operation, it is preferable to circulate air in the refrigerated space regardless of whether the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are operating or stopped. In other words, it is preferable to control the refrigeration air blower 11 by prioritizing control by the first defrost operation over the purification operation.

(2) Modification Example 2
The first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 need only be provided so as to purify the space sharing the circulating air, and are not limited to the locations in the above embodiment.

For example, a purification device may be provided in the refrigerator cooler chamber 13 to primarily purify the air in the refrigerator cooler chamber 13, a purification device may be provided on the ceiling wall of the refrigerator chamber 3 or on the rear side (inside the chamber) of the refrigerator chamber door 3a to primarily purify the air in the refrigerator chamber 3, a purification device may be provided in the rear flow path 14 to primarily purify the air in the rear flow path 14, a purification device may be provided in the return flow path 29 to primarily purify the air in the return flow path 29, or a purification device may be provided in the cooler chamber forming member 12 to primarily purify the air in the lower rear container 45 of the vegetable container 40.

When a purification device is provided to purify the air in the rear flow path 14 or to purify the air in the return flow path 29, and the ultraviolet irradiation device is provided as a purification device in a location where ultraviolet rays are blocked by walls, shelves, containers, etc. inside the refrigerator and the influence on the user is small, it does not have to be stopped even if the refrigerator door 3a, vegetable compartment door 4a, or lid body 33 is opened, so that the purification device can be operated for a sufficient amount of time to obtain a large purification effect.

For example, a purification device provided on the ceiling wall of the refrigerator compartment 3 may purify the space above the refrigerator compartment 3, such as above the top shelf 3b, while a purification device provided on the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 3a may purify the space sandwiched between the shelves 3b. In such a case, the relatively large refrigerator compartment 3 can be efficiently purified while minimizing the effects of stored goods placed on the shelves 3b.

(3) Modification Example 3
In the above embodiment, the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are described as being purification devices that irradiate ultraviolet rays to purify the air in the refrigeration space, but various purification devices can be applied as long as they are purification devices whose driving timing (i.e., ON/OFF timing) can be controlled.

For example, a purification device that irradiates a filter carrying a photocatalyst with excitation light such as visible light or ultraviolet light to purify the air passing through the filter, a purification device that purifies the air with charged particles containing water generated by applying a voltage to a discharge electrode, a purification device that purifies the air with ozone generated by high-voltage discharge, and a purification device that purifies the air by spraying a chemical that has a sterilizing or deodorizing effect may be used.

Different types of purification devices may be used to purify different partitioned spaces that allow air to flow in and out. For example, a purification device that irradiates ultraviolet light toward the upper container 31 of the storage container 30 may be provided in the cooler chamber forming member 12 to purify the air in the upper container 31, and a purification device that irradiates a filter carrying a photocatalyst with excitation light to purify the air that passes through the filter may be provided in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13 to purify the air in the refrigerating cooler chamber 13.

By combining and using multiple different types of purification devices in this way, various substances to be purified can be efficiently decomposed and removed, and the purification effects of each purification device can be synergistically obtained.

(4) Modification Example 4
In the above embodiment, the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 are provided to primarily purify two different spaces. However, it is also possible to provide three or more purification devices to primarily purify three or more different spaces, such as providing purification devices that primarily purify the upper container 31 of the storage container 30, the upper container 42 of the vegetable container 40, and the refrigeration cooler chamber 13, or providing purification devices that primarily purify the upper container 31 of the storage container 30, the upper container 42 of the vegetable container 40, the refrigeration cooler chamber 13, and the refrigerator chamber 3.

In addition, when three or more purification devices are provided to primarily purify three or more different spaces, the more purification devices that are operated simultaneously (purification devices that share a simultaneous operation time), the higher the purification effect that can be obtained, and it is preferable to control the multiple purification devices so that there is a time period during which all purification devices installed in spaces that share circulating air are operating.

(5) Modification Example 5
In the above embodiment, when the lid body 33 is opened while the vegetable compartment door 4a is closed, the second purification device 51 is operated without stopping, and when the lid body 33 is closed and the vegetable compartment door 4a is opened, the control unit 28 operates the first purification device 50 without stopping, but when either the lid body 33 or the vegetable compartment door 4a is opened, the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 may be stopped.

In this way, when a user opens one of the openings that close off multiple spaces formed within the refrigerated space, the purification device that purifies the opened space and the purification devices that purify the other spaces are stopped. Even if the purification device releases ozone or chemicals into the refrigerated space, the user is less likely to be exposed to ozone or chemicals, thereby increasing safety.

(6) Modification Example 6
The first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 can irradiate ultraviolet light of any wavelength, but may irradiate ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 222 nm to purify the inside of the upper container 31 and the upper container 42. Since ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 222 nm is considered to have little effect on the human body, it is not necessary to stop the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 even if the lid body 33 or the vegetable compartment door 4a is opened during purification operation, and a decrease in the purification effect in the refrigerated space due to a decrease in the operation time of the purification device can be suppressed.

(7) Modification Example 7
In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the phases of the drive cycles (i.e., the timings at which the drive cycles of the purifiers 50, 51 start) are made the same by setting the drive cycles to the same time between the multiple purifiers 50, 51. Making the drive cycles and the start timings of each cycle the same for the multiple purifiers is preferable because it provides a long period of time during which the purifiers are commonly driven, but this is not limited thereto, and the present invention can be implemented by setting a common drive cycle and drive start timing so that the drive times of the multiple purifiers overlap.

For example, if the drive period of the second purification device 51 is set to a length that is a multiple of the drive period of the first purification device 50, the drive period of the second purification device 51 can be timed to ensure that both the second purification device 51 and the first purification device 50 are driven, thereby enabling the present invention to be implemented.

In addition, as long as the drive period of the first purification device 50 and the drive period of the second purification device 51 are the same or one is a multiple of the other, the start timing of each period does not necessarily have to be the same, and the start timing of each period may be different as long as the drive periods of one purification device and the other purification device overlap.

(8) Modification Example 8
In the above embodiment, the drive periods of the multiple purification devices 50, 51 are synchronized by setting the drive periods to the same time, so that even when the multiple purification devices 50, 51 are controlled to repeatedly operate and stop, the operation of the multiple purification devices 50, 51 is linked to ensure the desired simultaneous operation time, but the operation of the multiple purification devices 50, 51 can be linked by various methods to ensure the desired simultaneous operation time.

For example, the start timing of the operation times of the multiple purification devices may be reset when a predetermined condition is met, thereby synchronizing the start timing of the operation times of the multiple purification devices each time the predetermined condition is met.

That is, for example, when an opening/closing part such as the lid body 33 or the vegetable compartment door 4a is opened and a purification device that purifies the space blocked by the opening/closing part is stopped, and then when the space is blocked by the opening/closing part and the operation of the purification device is resumed, the time when the operation is resumed may be set as the start timing of the operation time of the multiple purification devices. In other words, when one purification device that was stopped by the opening/closing part is resumed, the start timing of the operation time of the one purification device that resumed operation and the other purification devices are reset at the time when the operation of the one purification device is resumed. In other words, the operation of the multiple purification devices is started simultaneously, and then the multiple purification devices are repeatedly operated and stopped so as to reach a predetermined current conduction rate.

This allows the start timing of the operation time of the multiple purification devices to be synchronized each time the opening/closing section is opened or closed, and the operation of the multiple purification devices 50, 51 can be linked to ensure the desired simultaneous operation time. Also, immediately after the opening/closing section is opened or closed and outside air or new stored items are introduced into the interior space, the multiple purification devices can be operated simultaneously to quickly purify the interior space.

In addition, for example, the start timing of the operation times of multiple purification devices may be set to coincide every time a predetermined time has elapsed, or the start timing of the operation times of multiple purification devices may be set to coincide when a user instructs purification operation from the operation display unit 7 or the like, or when an odor detection unit installed in the refrigeration space detects a predetermined odorous substance.

4. Example In order to confirm the purification effect according to this embodiment, the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 were set to a power supply rate of 50% (light-on time: 10 minutes, light-off time: 10 minutes), and the following simulation was performed for a case in which the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 were operated simultaneously, and a case in which the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 were operated alternately so as not to operate simultaneously.

That is, during the time T (20 minutes in the above embodiment) of one cycle of operation and stop of the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 repeated during purification operation, 50% of the internal volume of the refrigeration space flows into the upper container 31 and the upper container 42, all the air that flows into the upper container 31 and the upper container 42 flows out of the upper container 31 and the upper container 42 and mixes evenly with the other air in the refrigeration space, and 50% of the bacteria present in the upper container 31 and the upper container 42 are eliminated when the first purification device 50 and the second purification device operate in one cycle. Under these conditions, the total number of bacteria present in the upper container 31 and the upper container 42 was calculated, and the ratio to the initial value (the total number of bacteria in the 0th cycle) was calculated.

The results are shown in Table 1, and it was found that the total number of bacteria was always lower from the first cycle to the fourth cycle when the first purification device 50 and the second purification device 51 were operated simultaneously than when they were operated alternately.

1...refrigerator, 2...refrigerator body, 2a...insulating partition wall, 2b...partition wall, 2c...inlet, 3...refrigerator compartment, 3a...refrigerator compartment door, 3b...shelf, 3c...chilled compartment, 4a...vegetable compartment door, 5...first freezer compartment, 6...second freezer, 10...refrigerator cooler, 11...refrigerator air blower, 12...cooler compartment forming member, 13...refrigerator cooler compartment, 14...rear flow path, 15...freezer cooler, 16...freezer air blower, 17...cover -body, 18...duct, 19...freezer cooling chamber, 24...flow path forming member, 28...controller, 29...return flow path, 30...storage container, 31...upper container, 32...lower container, 33...lid, 34...front wall, 35...vent, 36...exhaust port, 40...vegetable container, 41...lower container, 42...upper container, 43...front/rear partition, 44...lower front container, 45...lower rear container, 50...first purification device, 51...second purification device

Claims (4)

The refrigerator body,
An interior space formed inside the refrigerator body;
A cooling device that cools the air in the interior space;
A blower device that circulates the air cooled by the cooling device in the interior space;
A first space and a second space formed in the interior space and partitioned to allow air to flow in and out;
A first opening/closing part that divides the first space in an openable and closable manner;
A second opening/closing portion that divides the second space in an openable and closable manner;
A first purification device that purifies the first space;
A second purification device that purifies the second space;
A control unit that controls the first purification device and the second purification device,
The control unit is
When the first opening/closing portion is opened and the second opening/closing portion is closed, the first purification device is stopped and the second purification device is operated;
When the second opening/closing portion is opened and the first opening/closing portion is closed, the second purification device is stopped and the first purification device is operated;
a refrigerator that performs control so that the first purification device and the second purification device repeatedly operate and stop when the first opening/closing unit and the second opening/closing unit are closed, so that a simultaneous operation time during which the first purification device and the second purification device operate simultaneously is generated. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit operates the first purification device and the second purification device while operating the air blower. A cooling operation is performed in which the cooling device cools the air in the interior space while the blower is operated,
3. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein a rotation speed of the blower when the first purification device and the second purification device are operated is equal to or lower than a rotation speed of the blower during the cooling operation. A defrosting operation is performed in which the cooling operation of the cooling device is stopped or reduced while the blower device is operated to defrost the cooling device;
4. The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein a rotation speed of the blower during the defrosting operation is smaller than a rotation speed of the blower when the first purification device and the second purification device are operated.

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