JP7759536B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to refrigerators.

Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator in which the storage compartment is located on one side of the cold storage material and the cooling unit is located on the other side, so that temperature fluctuations in the storage compartment are suppressed by the cold storage material. When the cooling unit is projected toward the interior space of the storage compartment, the projection surface overlaps the cold storage material.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-139591

The disclosure states that the storage chamber is positioned so that its projection surface overlaps the cold storage material, but does not disclose the relative positions of the cold storage material and the cooling unit. If heat exchange between the cooling unit and the cold storage material is not efficient, the cold storage capacity may decrease and the temperature fluctuations in the storage chamber may become greater.

The refrigerator disclosed herein is equipped with a refrigeration cooler and cold storage material that cool the refrigeration compartment, and a low-temperature compartment partitioned within the refrigeration compartment, with the cold storage material disposed between the low-temperature compartment and the refrigeration cooler, the outer casing of the refrigeration cooler being formed by a substantially flat surface, and the cold storage material being disposed in thermal contact with the substantially flat surface.

The refrigerator disclosed herein has improved heat exchange between the cold storage material and the cooler, suppressing temperature fluctuations inside the refrigerator and enabling energy savings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; Refrigeration cycle diagram showing the refrigeration cycle of embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigeration cooler according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a refrigerating cooler and a regenerator material according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a protection plate according to a first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main part of a modified example.

Embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of matters that are already well known or duplicate explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following explanation unnecessarily redundant and to make it easier for those skilled in the art to understand.

The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[1-1. Configuration]
[Refrigerator configuration]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of a refrigerator according to the present invention.

As shown in Figure 1, the refrigerator 1 has a main body 10 that is an insulated box. At two locations on the top and bottom of the main body 10, there are upper and lower partition plates 11 and 12, which are made of insulating plates that divide the interior of the main body 10 into three upper and lower spaces.

The space above the upper partition plate 11 is the refrigerator compartment 13, the space between the upper partition plate 11 and the lower partition plate 12 is the freezer compartment 14, and the space below the lower partition plate 12 is the vegetable compartment 15.

A low-temperature compartment 16, which is kept at a lower temperature than the refrigerator compartment 13, is provided below the refrigerator compartment 13. The temperature of the low-temperature compartment 16 can be set to a range below 0°C and down to a slightly freezing temperature (for example, approximately -7°C). Inside the refrigerator compartment 13, shelves 17 are provided on which food can be placed.

An ice-making compartment 18 for storing ice is provided inside the freezer compartment 14.

A side-opening refrigerator compartment door 20 is provided on the front of the refrigerator compartment 13 so that it can be opened and closed freely.

A freezer compartment drawer door 21 is provided on the front of the freezer compartment 14 so that it can be opened and closed freely, and a freezer drawer case 22 for storing food is provided inside the freezer compartment drawer door 21.

A vegetable compartment drawer door 23 is provided at the front opening of the vegetable compartment 15 so that it can be opened and closed freely, and a vegetable compartment drawer case 24 for storing food is provided inside the vegetable compartment drawer door 23.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a refrigeration cooling compartment 30 is provided on the rear side of the refrigeration compartment 13 of the refrigerator 1. A refrigeration compartment duct 31 extending above the refrigeration compartment 13 is connected to the top of the refrigeration cooling compartment 30. A duct cover 31a is also provided to separate the refrigeration compartment 13 from the refrigeration compartment duct 31 and the refrigeration cooling compartment 30 into front and rear compartments.

The refrigeration compartment 30 houses a refrigeration cooler 32. The refrigeration cooler 32 is a microchannel cooler. A microchannel cooler is, for example, a cooler composed of a flat perforated pipe and fins. The flat perforated pipe is a flat pipe with multiple flow paths through which the refrigerant flows. Details of the refrigeration cooler 32 will be described later.

In addition, a cold storage material 100 is provided at the rear of the low-temperature chamber 16. Details will be described later.

A refrigeration fan 33 is located above the refrigeration cooler 32 in the refrigeration cooling compartment 30. The refrigeration fan 33 is, for example, a centrifugal fan. The centrifugal fan draws in cold air that has passed through the refrigeration cooler 32 from the center of one side of the axial direction of the rotating blades and blows it out in a centrifugal direction. The centrifugal fan also draws in cold air from the rear of the refrigeration cooling compartment 30 and blows it out in a centrifugal direction. By using a centrifugal fan, it is possible to ensure sufficient airflow even with a narrow duct.

In this embodiment, the centrifugal fan is configured to draw in cold air from the rear of the refrigeration compartment 30, but it may also be configured to draw in cold air from the front of the refrigeration compartment 30.

The refrigeration fan 33 may also be, for example, an axial fan. The axial fan is tilted so that the outlet side faces upward, so that the cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 32 can be efficiently blown into the refrigeration compartment 13. Using an axial fan makes it easier to discharge the cold air downward as well.

Frost that has adhered to the refrigeration cooler 32 can be defrosted using the air inside the refrigerator compartment. In this case, it is preferable to switch the switching valve 52 (described below) so that no refrigerant flows through the refrigeration cooler 32, or to drive the refrigeration fan 33 while the compressor 50 is stopped.

The refrigerator compartment duct 31 is connected to the casing 33a on the outlet side of the refrigerator fan 33, and is tapered so that its width gradually increases upward.

The refrigerator compartment duct 31 has a low-temperature compartment duct 34 extending midway. In the refrigerator compartment 13, a refrigeration air outlet 35 communicating with the refrigerator compartment duct 31 is formed in the duct cover 31a.

When cooling the interior of the refrigerator compartment 13, a temperature sensor (not shown) detects the temperature and forces the cold air generated by the refrigerator cooler 32 into the refrigerator compartment duct 31 using the refrigerator fan 33, which then cools the refrigerator compartment 13 to a predetermined temperature through the connected air outlet 35.

When the temperature sensor in the refrigerator compartment 13 reaches a predetermined temperature, the refrigerator fan 33 stops.

In addition, a low-temperature room duct 34 is formed by branching off midway from the refrigerator room duct 31, and a low-temperature room damper 36 is provided within the low-temperature room duct 34. The low-temperature room damper 36 is configured to open and close to switch between blowing and stopping the cold air cooled by the refrigerator cooler 32 and forcibly blown by the refrigerator fan 33 into the low-temperature room 16.

A top duct 16b is formed within the top wall 16a of the low-temperature chamber 16, connecting downstream from the low-temperature chamber damper 36, and a top outlet 16c is formed to blow air into the low-temperature chamber 16.

A shielding plate 39 is provided on the underside of the refrigeration cooler 32, below the header (described below). By covering the bottom of the header, the shielding plate 39 prevents the air sent from the refrigerator compartment 13 from passing through the header without passing through the fins 73 (described below), and guides it into the air flow path (described below) of the refrigeration cooler 3.

The shielding plate 39 may also be provided in the refrigerating compartment 30. In this case, the shielding plate 39 is provided in a position corresponding to the bottom of the header, which will be described later.

A freezer cooling compartment 40 is provided on the rear side of the freezer compartment 14 of the refrigerator 1. The freezer cooling compartment 40 houses a freezer cooler 41.

The freezer cooler 41 is, for example, a finned tube cooler. A finned tube cooler is a cooler composed of, for example, a circular pipe and flat fins. A freezer fan 42 is arranged above the freezer cooler 41, sending the cold air cooled by the freezer cooler 41 into the freezer compartment 14.

Compared to microchannel coolers, finned tube coolers have poor thermal conduction efficiency due to the large distance between the refrigerant pipe and the tips of the fins, making it difficult for the temperature at the tips of the fins to decrease. This reduces clogging caused by frost and reduces the number of times the heater needs to be energized for defrosting, thereby reducing power consumption.

The freezer fan 42 is, for example, an axial fan. The axial fan is tilted so that the outlet side faces upward, allowing the cold air cooled by the freezer cooler 41 to be efficiently blown into the freezer compartment 14. A freezer outlet 43 is formed on the back of the freezer compartment 14.

The refrigeration fan 42 may be, for example, a centrifugal fan.

A glass tube heater 44 is located below the refrigeration cooler 41 to defrost any frost that has accumulated on the refrigeration cooler 41.

In addition, instead of using the glass tube heater 44, a pipe heater that directly heats the cryocooler 41 may be used to defrost the frost that has adhered to the cryocooler 41.

The cold air from the freezer cooling compartment 40 is sent to the vegetable compartment 15 through a communication hole 45 formed in the lower partition plate 12.

A refrigeration dew tray 37 is located below the refrigeration cooler 32. A freezer dew tray 46 is located below the freezer cooler 41.

An evaporation tray 47 is located below the rear side of the vegetable compartment 15.

A refrigeration drain pipe 38 is connected to the refrigeration dew tray 37. A freezer drain pipe 48 is connected to the freezer dew tray 46. The lower ends of the refrigeration drain pipe 38 and the freezer drain pipe 48 pass through the upper partition plate 11 and the lower partition plate 12, respectively, and extend to near the top of the evaporation tray 47.

This allows the drainage collected in the refrigeration dew tray 37 and the refrigeration dew tray 46 to be sent to the evaporation tray 47 via the refrigeration drain pipe 38 and the freezer drain pipe 48, allowing the drainage to evaporate in the evaporation tray 47.

A compressor 50 is installed at the upper rear of the main body.

[Configuration of refrigeration cycle device]
Next, the refrigeration cycle configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described.

Figure 3 is a refrigeration cycle diagram showing the refrigeration cycle of refrigerator 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator 1 is composed of a compressor 50, a condenser 51, a switching valve 52, a refrigeration pressure reducing means 53, a refrigeration cooler 32, a refrigeration return pipe 55a, a freezing pressure reducing means 54, a freezing cooler 41, and a freezing return pipe 55b, all connected by a refrigerant return pipe 55. A refrigeration capillary tube 53 is provided as the refrigeration pressure reducing means 53, and a freezing capillary tube 54 is provided as the freezing pressure reducing means 54.

The refrigeration pressure reduction means 53 and the refrigeration cooler 32, and the freezing pressure reduction means 54 and the freezing cooler 41 are connected in parallel to each other via the switching valve 52.

[Configuration of refrigerating cooler 32]
Next, the configuration of the refrigeration cooler 32 mounted in the refrigerator 1 will be described.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the refrigeration cooler 32 of embodiment 1. Figure 5 is a plan view showing the refrigeration cooler 32 of embodiment 1. Figure 6 is a front view showing the refrigeration cooler 32 of embodiment 1.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the refrigerant cooler 32 is equipped with a refrigerant conducting member 60 through which the refrigerant flows. The refrigerant conducting member 60 is composed of a porous flat tube with multiple, approximately rectangular passages arranged in succession.

The refrigerant conducting member 60 is formed in a serpentine shape and includes multiple flat tubes 61 arranged approximately parallel to each other at a predetermined interval, and bent portions 62 connecting the ends of each of these flat tubes 61.

In this embodiment, there are four flat tubes 61 between the headers described below.

Note that the number of flat tubes 61 is not limited to this and can be set arbitrarily.

Alternatively, each flat tube 61 and the bent portion 62 may be integral, and a single flat tube 61 may be formed between the headers in a serpentine shape.

In addition, in this embodiment, the flat tube 61 and the curved portion 62 are divided into three regions in the vertical direction: an upper region 63, a middle region 64, and a lower region 65.

In this embodiment, the image is divided into three regions vertically, but it may also be divided into two regions vertically, or four or more regions vertically.

An inlet header 66 and an outlet header 67 extending vertically are provided at one end of the outermost flat tube 61.

The inlet header 66 and the outlet header 67 are made of, for example, circular pipes.

The inlet header 66 and the outlet header 67 are positioned with offset positions in the width direction (left-right direction) of the refrigeration heat exchanger 32, with the inlet header 66 positioned close to the flat tubes 61 and the outlet header 67 positioned farther away from the flat tubes 61 than the inlet header 66, and the inlet headers 66 and the outlet headers 67 are arranged alternately.

In addition, the outlet side header 67 may be positioned near the flat tubes 61, and the inlet side header 66 may be positioned farther away from the flat tubes 61 than the outlet side header 67.

The inlet header 66 and outlet header 67 are mounted so as not to protrude from the end faces of the flat tubes 61 in the depth direction (front-to-back direction). The inlet header 66 is connected to the flat tubes 61 via a bent portion 61a formed by bending the end of the flat tube 61, and the outlet header 67 is connected to the flat tubes 61 via a bent portion 61a formed by bending the end of the flat tube 61.

By positioning the inlet side header 66 and the outlet side header 67 in this manner, the end faces of the inlet side header 66 and the outlet side header 67 are flush with the outer surfaces of the flat tubes 61 of the refrigerant conducting member 60, and the sides of the inlet side header 66 and the outlet side header 67 are positioned so that they do not protrude beyond the thickness of the flat tubes 61.

This allows the thickness of the refrigeration cooler 32 to be reduced, and when the refrigeration cooler 32 is housed inside the refrigeration cooling compartment 30, the internal space of the refrigeration compartment duct 31 can be reduced. As a result, the internal space of the refrigeration compartment 13 can be increased.

Furthermore, an inlet-side piping 68 is connected to the side of the inlet-side header 66 on the rear side of the refrigeration compartment 13 at a height corresponding to the lower region 65. Specifically, the inlet-side piping 68 is connected to the side of the inlet-side header 66 in a direction toward the flat tubes 61 to which the outlet-side header 67 is connected. Furthermore, it is preferable that the inlet-side piping 68 is connected approximately parallel to the depth direction (front-to-back direction) of the refrigeration cooler 32.

The outlet-side header 67 is formed to be taller than the inlet-side header 66. An outlet-side piping 69 is connected to the side of the outlet-side header 67, on the side facing the front of the refrigeration compartment 13, at a position above the top end of the upper region 63. Specifically, the outlet-side piping 69 is connected to the side of the outlet-side header 67 in a direction toward the flat tubes 61 to which the inlet-side header 66 is connected. Furthermore, it is preferable that the outlet-side piping 69 be connected approximately parallel to the inlet-side piping 68. In other words, the outlet-side piping 69 is connected at a position above the top end of the uppermost flat tube.

The inlet side pipe 68 extends upward generally parallel to the inlet side header 66, and the outlet side pipe 69 extends upward generally parallel to the outlet side header 67. Furthermore, the inlet side pipe 68 protrudes in the thickness direction (front-to-back direction) of the flat tube 61 toward the outlet side header 67, and the outlet side pipe 69 protrudes in the thickness direction (front-to-back direction) of the flat tube 61 toward the inlet side header 66.

The inlet side piping 68 and the outlet side piping 69 have a smaller diameter than the inlet side header 66 and the outlet side header 67.

By arranging the inlet side pipe 68 and the outlet side pipe 69 as described above, less space is required for arranging the inlet side pipe 68 and the outlet side pipe 69.

In addition, a refrigeration capillary tube 53 is connected to the inlet pipe 68, and a refrigeration return pipe 55a is connected to the outlet pipe 69.

The refrigeration capillary tube 53 extends above the inlet header 66 and is then embedded in the rear insulation wall of the main body 10. The refrigeration return pipe 55a extends above the outlet header 67 and is then embedded in the rear insulation wall of the main body 10.

The refrigeration capillary tube 53 and the refrigeration return pipe 55a are tightly connected within the rear insulating wall to allow heat exchange.

Furthermore, there is no accumulator (gas-liquid separator) between the outlet side pipe 69 and the refrigeration return pipe 55a connected downstream to prevent liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor 50.

As shown in Figure 4, a partition plate 70 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the lower region 65 and the middle region 64 of the inlet header 66. The middle region 64 and the upper region 63 of the inlet header 66 are connected to each other.

A partition plate 71 that blocks communication within the outlet header 67 is provided at a position corresponding to the boundary between the upper region 63 and the middle region 64 of the outlet header 67. The middle region 64 and the lower region 65 of the outlet header 67 are connected to each other.

The refrigerant that flows in from the bottom of the inlet header 66 passes through the inside of the lower region 65 of the refrigerant conducting member 60 and flows to the outlet header 67. The refrigerant that flows into the outlet header 67 flows into the middle region 64 of the refrigerant conducting member 60 and flows to the inlet header 66, flows through the lower region 65 via the inlet header 66, and then flows out from the top of the outlet header 67.

That is, the refrigerant that flows into the inlet header 66 flows in series through the lower region 65, middle region 64, and upper region 63 of the flat tubes 61, before reaching the outlet header 67. Here, each flat tube 61 is connected in series. This prevents the refrigerant from accumulating at the bottom due to gravity, even when the flow direction of the cold air is aligned with the direction of gravity. This allows the refrigerant to be distributed throughout the entire heat exchanger, preventing a decrease in heat exchange efficiency.

An air flow path 72 is formed between each flat tube 61 of the refrigerant conducting member 60.

Fins 73 are arranged inside the air flow path 72. The fins 73 are inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the flat tubes 61 and are bent in a zigzag pattern. These fins 73 form a continuous air flow path 72 with a roughly triangular cross-section inside the air flow path 72.

In addition, the air flow path 72 may be formed continuously with a rectangular cross section.

The air flow path 72 is formed in the vertical direction so as to follow the vertical direction of the refrigeration cooling compartment 30.

As a result, the air inside the refrigerator cooling chamber 30 flows from the bottom to the top through the air flow path 72, and at this time exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant conducting member 60, thereby being cooled to a predetermined temperature.
[Configuration of cold storage material]
The cold storage material 100 is composed of an internal cold storage agent that has a freezing point in the range of -10°C to 0°C and changes phase between solid and liquid, and an external cold storage container in which the cold storage agent is sealed. The cold storage container is made of a metal material such as aluminum, and is flexible and deformable.

As shown in the figure, a metal cold storage material case 101 is fixed to the outer casing of the refrigeration cooler 32, which faces the back of the low-temperature chamber 16. The cold storage material case 101 has a generally L-shaped cross section, and the cold storage material 100 is placed inside the cold storage material case 101 so that it can be freely attached and detached from above.

One side of the cold storage material 100 stored in the cold storage material case 101 is in contact with or close to the flat surface of the outer flat tube 61 located on the outer casing of the refrigeration cooler 32, and the other side is in contact with the cold storage material case 101. The bottom surface 101a of the cold storage material case 101 is fixed to the lower end of the refrigeration cooler 32 without any gaps.

As shown in Figure 4, the flat tubes 61 are formed in three sections, an upper region 63, a middle region 64, and a lower region 65, in the upper and lower stages and in the left and right width directions, and the cold storage material 100 is arranged so that it contacts or is close to the front surfaces of these flat tubes 61.

Multiple openings 102 are formed in the duct cover 31a at the back of the low-temperature chamber 16, and the cold storage case 101 is positioned in contact with the duct cover 31a.

Furthermore, a refrigerator compartment return port 103 is provided below the opening 102 at the bottom of the duct cover 31a.

[1-2. Operation]
The operation of the refrigerator 1 configured as above will now be described.

First, the compressor 50 is driven to send the refrigerant to the condenser 31, and then the switching valve 52 is switched to send the refrigerant to either the refrigeration cooler 32 or the freezing cooler 41.

The refrigerant sent to the refrigeration cooler 32 flows in through the inlet header 66 of the refrigerant conducting member 60 and flows through the upper region 63. The refrigerant that flows to the outlet header 67 flows through the middle region 64 via the outlet header 67, is sent to the inlet header 66, and flows through the lower region 65 via the inlet header 66. The refrigerant that flows through the lower region 65 flows out through the outlet header 67 and is returned to the compressor 50.

When the refrigerant fan 33 is driven while refrigerant is flowing through the refrigerant conducting member 60, air circulating within the refrigerating compartment 13 is drawn into the refrigerating cooling compartment 30 through the intake port 103 formed in the duct cover 31a. The fins 73 of the refrigerating cooler 32 increase the heat transfer area, improving the efficiency of heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant conducting member 60. The generated cold air then passes from bottom to top through the air flow path 72.

This causes cold air to be blown out from the refrigeration outlet 35, cooling the refrigerator compartment 13 to the appropriate temperature.

In addition, the low-temperature chamber damper 36 is controlled to open or close depending on the set temperature of the low-temperature chamber 16, and the volume-controlled cold air passes through the top duct 16b and is blown out from the top outlet 16c, thereby controlling the temperature of the low-temperature chamber 16 through forced ventilation from the top wall 16a and radiant heat from the cold storage material 100 on the back.

The regenerator material 100 has a freezing point of -10°C and is placed in direct contact with or close to the flat surface of the flat tube 61 on the outside of the refrigeration cooler 32. It is cooled by thermal conduction from the refrigeration cooler 32, which has an evaporation temperature of approximately -15°C.

Furthermore, the cold storage material 100 maintains its freezing point temperature of -10°C for a predetermined period of time without temperature change due to latent heat associated with the phase change from solid to liquid. Thermal conduction occurs through the metal cold storage material case 101, and radiant heat is released from the back of the low-temperature chamber 16 through the opening 102 of the duct cover 31a, allowing the interior to be cooled to temperatures below 0°C. Therefore, when cold air is not being blown out from the top outlet 16c, i.e., when no refrigerant is flowing to the refrigeration cooler 32, such as when the compressor 50 is stopped or when the switching valve 52 is causing refrigerant to flow to the freezing cooler 41, the radiant heat from the cold storage material 100 can suppress temperature fluctuations in the low-temperature chamber 16.

The cold storage material 100 is formed in a cold storage container made of a flexible material, and is housed in a metal cold storage material case 101 by being pressed into contact with the flat surfaces of the upper and lower multiple tiers of flat tubes 61 located on the outer casing of the refrigeration cooler 32, allowing it to be in close contact with the refrigeration cooler 32 and reducing contact thermal resistance, improving heat exchange and cold storage efficiency.

In addition, the bottom surface 101a of the cold storage case 101 is fixed to the lower end of the refrigeration cooler 32 without any gaps, which prevents the return cold air circulating within the refrigerator compartment 13 from passing between the cold storage material 100 and the refrigeration cooler 32, further improving the heat exchange between the cold storage material 100 and the refrigeration cooler 32.

The cold storage case 101 is placed in contact with the duct cover 31a at the back of the low-temperature chamber 16, and radiant heat is used to cool the inside of the low-temperature chamber 16 through the opening 102, forming the back wall of the low-temperature chamber 16 and maintaining cooling performance.

Furthermore, as shown in the figure, a case opening 101b may also be partially formed in the cold storage material case 101.

This allows radiant heat from the regenerator material 100 to pass directly from the case opening 101b through the opening 102, cooling the inside of the low-temperature chamber 13.

In addition, to improve the rate at which the cold storage material 100 stores heat, the refrigeration fan 33 is stopped, reducing heat exchange with the air in the refrigeration cooler 32, thereby lowering the evaporation temperature and efficiently cooling the cold storage material 100 to below its freezing point. The refrigeration fan 33 is then operated, and the low-temperature chamber damper 34a is controlled according to the set temperature of the low-temperature chamber 16, allowing the material to be cooled to an appropriate temperature.

In addition, although the cold storage material 100 is in direct contact with the refrigeration cooler 32, the front surface of the flat tubes 61 of the refrigeration cooler 32 may be provided with a protective plate 104 made of the same material as the flat tubes 61 or a metal with high thermal conductivity to prevent corrosion due to dissimilar metal contact, and the flat tubes 61 and protective plate 104 may be fixed in contact with each other, and the cold storage material 100 may be pressed into the protective plate 104 and placed in contact with it, thereby storing cold from the refrigeration cooler 32.

The protective plate 104 is formed in a flat plate shape across the three regions of the refrigerated cooler 32: the upper region 63, the middle region 64, and the lower region 65.

This protects the cold storage container of the cold storage material 100 and the flat tubes 61.

The protective plate 104 and the flat tubes 61 may be positioned close to each other while being in thermal contact with each other. This allows the protective plate 104 to be made of a material with high thermal conductivity different from that of the flat tubes 61, and even when positioned close to each other, the heat exchange performance between the refrigeration cooler 32 and the regenerator material 100 can be maintained. Furthermore, by switching the switching valve 52 and driving the freezer fan 42, the refrigerant sent to the freezer cooler 41 exchanges heat with the air flowing from the bottom to the top of the freezer cooling chamber 40, and the generated cold air is blown out from the freezer outlet 43 into the freezer chamber 14, cooling it to the appropriate temperature.

[1-3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, in this embodiment, in a refrigerator equipped with a refrigeration cooler 32 and a cold storage material 100 for cooling the refrigeration compartment 13, and a low temperature compartment 16 partitioned and arranged within the refrigeration compartment 13, the cold storage material 100 is arranged between the low temperature compartment 16 and the refrigeration cooler 32, the outer casing of the refrigeration cooler 32 is formed by a substantially flat surface, and the cold storage material 100 is arranged in thermal contact with the substantially flat surface.

This allows the cold storage material 100 and the refrigeration cooler 32 to face each other and be in thermal contact, improving heat exchange performance and the efficiency of storing cold in the cold storage material 100.

In addition, in this embodiment, the regenerator material 100 is in surface contact with the substantially flat surface.

This allows the cold storage material 100 and the refrigeration cooler 32 to be arranged face-to-face, increasing the surface contact area, improving heat exchange performance and increasing the efficiency of cold storage in the cold storage material 100.

In addition, in this embodiment, the approximately flat surface portion is formed by flat tubes 61 arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction.

This further increases the contact area with the cold storage material 100, improving the cold storage efficiency of the cold storage material 100 and enabling improved cooling capacity by the cold storage material 100.

The substantially flat surface is also made of a thermally conductive protective plate 104. Specifically, the protective plate 104 is made of the same material as the flat tubes 61 or is made of a metal that prevents corrosion due to dissimilar metal contact, and is provided in fixed contact with the flat tubes 61.

This prevents and protects the cold storage container of the cold storage material 100 from being damaged or the flat tubes 61 from corrosion.

The cold storage material 100 is held on the substantially flat surface side of the refrigeration cooler 32.

This reduces variations in the contact area between the cold storage material 100 and the refrigeration cooler 32, improving heat exchange and increasing the cold storage speed.

The cold storage material 100 is composed of a cold storage agent with a freezing point in the range of -10°C to 0°C and a cold storage container made of a flexible material that contains the cold storage agent.

This allows the cold storage material 100 to be press-fitted and held within the cold storage case 101, improving heat exchange and increasing the cold storage speed, allowing for efficient cooling to the freezing point.

A refrigeration cooler 32 is also provided at the back of the low-temperature compartment 16.

This suppresses temperature fluctuations in the low-temperature chamber 16, such as when the compressor 50 is turned on and off, or when the refrigerant flows to the refrigeration cooler 41 by switching the switching valve 52.

(Modification)
Next, a modified example of the present invention will be described.

The figure is a plan view showing a modified example of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the cold storage material 100 is held in the duct cover 31a. A resin holding member 105 is formed on the resin duct cover 31a, and the cold storage material 100 is held in the holding member 105.

The holding member 105 is configured so that when the duct cover 31a is fixed to the main body 10 from the front of the refrigeration cooler 32 with the cold storage material 100 held in the holding member 105, the cold storage material 100 comes into direct contact with the refrigeration cooler 32.

In this modified example, the cold storage material 100 is held in the duct cover 31a, making installation easier during the manufacturing process.

The retaining member 105 is formed on the duct cover 31a so as to be positioned above the upper ends of the upper flat tubes 61 of the refrigeration cooler 32 and below the lower ends of the lower flat tubes 61.

In addition, in the left-right direction, retaining means (not shown) are formed at positions corresponding to the bent portions 61a and curved portions 62 outside the horizontal portion of each flat tube 61.

This prevents the holding member 105 from coming into contact with the flat tubes 61, and the contact of the cold storage material 100 with the flat tubes 61 increases the contact area between the refrigeration cooler 32 and the cold storage material 100, improving heat exchange performance.

As mentioned above, embodiment 1 has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to this and can also be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in embodiment 1 above to create new embodiments.

This disclosure is suitable for use in refrigerators that can improve the heat exchange efficiency of refrigeration heat exchangers.

REFRIGERATOR LIST 1 Refrigerator 10 Main body 11 Upper partition plate 12 Lower partition plate 13 Refrigerator compartment 14 Freezer compartment 15 Vegetable compartment 16 Low temperature compartment 18 Ice making compartment 30 Refrigerator cooling compartment 31 Refrigerator compartment duct 31a Duct cover 32 Refrigerator cooler 33 Refrigerator fan 61 Flat tube 100 Cooling storage material 104 Protective plate

Claims (4)

A refrigerator comprising: a refrigeration cooler for cooling a refrigeration compartment; a low-temperature compartment disposed within the refrigeration compartment; and a cold storage material disposed between the refrigeration cooler and the low-temperature compartment;
a heat-conductive protective plate on a front surface of the refrigerating cooler, the protective plate being in contact and fixed with the refrigerating cooler, and the cold storage material being detachably attached from above and pressed into the protective plate so as to be in surface contact with the protective plate. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the protection plate is fixed in contact with flat surfaces of flat tubes arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction of the refrigerating cooler . 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cold storage material is disposed behind an opening of a duct cover located at the rear of the low-temperature compartment. The refrigerator described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cold storage material is composed of a cold storage agent with a freezing point in the range of -10°C to 0°C and a cold storage container made of a flexible material that contains the cold storage material.