JP2933572B2 - Refrigerator cool air circulation device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator for reducing a cost price by reducing fan driving noise of the refrigerator without leaking cold air therein to exterior even in an open state of a cold storage chamber door. SOLUTION: The cold air circulating apparatus of the refrigerator 200 comprises an evaporator 212 installed rear in the refrigerator, a supply fan 213 disposed at one side of the evaporator 212 to discharge cold air heat exchanged by the evaporator 212 into the refrigerator, a rear cover 228 and front cover 229 for forming a discharge channel for guiding the cold air heat exchanged by the evaporator 212 into the refrigerator 200, a cold air discharge duct installed and extended to upper side end in the refrigerator 200 to form an air curtain by injecting the cold air guided from the channel at a front side upper part in the refrigerator 200, a temperature sensor 225 for sensing a temperature in the refrigerator, a door swinging sensor 226 for sensing presence or absence of swinging door, and a controller for driving the fan 223 irrespective of temperature in the refrigerator at the time of opening the door.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technology for circulating cool air in a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a method of effectively forming an air curtain by continuously driving a fan even when a door is opened. The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for circulating cool air in a refrigerator, which prevents cool air in the refrigerator from leaking outside.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional refrigerator, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. As shown in the drawing, in the conventional refrigerator, the interior of the refrigerator main body 100 is divided into a freezer compartment 110 and a refrigerator compartment 120, and respective doors 111, 111 are provided on the front surfaces of the freezer compartment 110 and the refrigerator compartment 120.
112 is installed so as to be openable and closable.

Here, an evaporator 112 connected to a compressor 130 provided in a machine room below the refrigerator main body 100 is installed behind the freezing room 110, and an evaporator is provided above the evaporator 112. The cold air to be heat-exchanged in 112 is
A blower fan 113 for discharging air into the inside of the evaporator 112 is provided.
Cover 116 is installed and the blower fan 113 is installed.
Front cover (Front Cover)
117 are provided respectively to form a discharge flow path and a suction flow path of the cool air heat-exchanged by the evaporator 112.

[0004] An evaporator 122 and a blower fan 123 are also provided above and behind the refrigerating room 120, and a special room 1 for storing foods requiring particularly freshness is provided in front of them.
27, a rear cover 128 is installed on the front of the evaporator 122, and a front cover 129 is installed on the front of the blower fan 123. A freezer compartment temperature sensor 115 for sensing the temperature of the freezer compartment 110 is installed on the upper surface of the freezer compartment 110, and a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor (Sensor) for sensing the temperature of the freezer compartment 120 is provided in the middle of the refrigerator compartment 120. ) 125 is provided, and the refrigerator compartment door 12 is provided on the front panel (Panel) of the refrigerator compartment 120.
1 is provided with a door opening / closing sensor 126 for detecting the presence / absence of opening / closing. In the drawings, reference numerals 114 and 124 denote shelves of each freezing room and refrigerating room, 140 denotes a cool air discharge duct (Duct), and 129a and 129b denote respective cool air discharge holes and suction holes.

[0005] In the refrigerator according to the prior art having the above-described structure, the cooling air circulation path in the refrigerator compartment will be described below. The compressor 130 is driven and the evaporator 1
When the heat exchange of the circulating air sucked in from 22 is performed, a part of the cool air heat exchanged by the operation of the blower fan 123 flows into the special room 127 through the cool air discharge holes 129a, and the other part is refrigerated. Each shelf 12 of the refrigerator compartment 120 is passed through a cool air discharge duct 140 formed on the rear wall of the compartment 120.
4 is discharged.

The cool air circulated inside the refrigerator compartment 120 cools the refrigerated food stored in each shelf 124, flows into the evaporator 122 through the cool air suction hole 129b, and is cooled again by the evaporator 122 to blow air. The circulation of the cool air is repeatedly performed by being discharged into the special room 127 and the refrigerating room 120 by the fan 123. As described above, the cold air circulation path of the refrigerator refrigerator according to the related art is based on the refrigerator evaporator 12.
The cool air exchanged in step 2 is discharged by the blower fan 123 through the cool air discharge holes 129 a to the special room 127 installed in front of the evaporator 122 and through the cool air discharge duct 128 installed on the rear wall of the refrigerator 120. Each shelf 12
Therefore, there is a problem that the cold air in the refrigerator easily leaks to the outside when the door 121 of the refrigerator compartment is opened because the air is dispersed and discharged.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are a partially cutaway perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator having an air curtain generator according to the prior art. In order to solve the above problems, Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 59-91580 discloses
As shown in FIGS. 12 (A) and 12 (B), a duct 2 is mounted in the refrigerator body 1, a blower fan 3 is installed in the duct 2, and a seal is provided in the air outlet 4 of the duct 2. There is disclosed a refrigerator with an air curtain generator in which an air guide groove 5 is mounted at a required position facing the same.

[0008]

However, the air curtain structure as described above is different from another cross floor fan (Cro
There is a problem that the cost increases because it is necessary to install the ss floor fan. Further, in the refrigerator as described above, there is also a problem that the driving noise of the fan is increased because the flow path resistance by the duct is large.

Accordingly, the present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which cool air in the refrigerator does not leak outside even when the refrigerator compartment door is open. It is to be. A second object of the present invention is to use only one blower fan without using an expensive cross-floor fan, thereby preventing the cool air in the refrigerator from leaking to the outside, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.
A third object of the present invention is to reduce the fan driving noise of a refrigerator without using another fan.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator for circulating cool air according to the present invention, comprising: an evaporator installed at the rear of the refrigerator; and an evaporator installed at one side of the evaporator. A blower fan for discharging the cool air heat exchanged into the refrigerator, a rear cover and a front cover forming a discharge flow path for guiding the cool air heat exchanged by the evaporator into the refrigerator, and an upper end portion in the refrigerator. A cold air discharge duct that forms an air curtain by injecting cold air guided from the discharge flow path at the upper front side inside the refrigerator by extending the installation, a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature inside the refrigerator, and opening and closing of the door It is characterized by comprising a door opening / closing detection sensor for detecting the presence / absence and a control unit for driving the blower fan regardless of the temperature inside the refrigerator when the door is opened.

Here, the cold air discharge duct has a Coanda surface formed from a rear end portion, which is a connection portion with the discharge flow path, to a front end to be discharged from the cool air into the refrigerator. It is preferable that an air guide (Air Guide) for uniformly dispersing the cool air into the flow path of the cool air discharge duct is provided at a rear end portion which is a connection portion with the discharge flow path. Preferably, the air conditioner further includes an air curtain selection switch (Switch) for selecting driving or stopping of the blower fan when the door is opened.

In the method of circulating cool air of a refrigerator using the cool air circulating device of the refrigerator, a step of sensing a temperature in the refrigerator and a step of turning off a compressor and a blower fan when the temperature in the refrigerator is lower than a set temperature (Off). ), And when the temperature in the refrigerator is higher than the set temperature, the compressor and the blower fan are turned on (O).
n) and a step of turning on the blower fan when the door is opened, regardless of the temperature in the refrigerator, and injecting cool air directly downward from above the front part of the refrigerator compartment to form an air curtain. And The method may further include selecting an air curtain mode.

The air curtain mode (Air
When the door is opened with Curtain Mode selected, the blower fan is turned on regardless of the inside temperature, and when the door is opened with the air curtain mode not selected, the inside temperature is set. Regardless, the blower fan can be turned off.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a cool air circulation device for a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator shown as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion A shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator compartment which shows the cold-air discharge duct of the refrigerator shown as.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator body 2
00 is divided by the freezer compartment 210 and the refrigerator compartment 220, and each door 211, 22 is provided on the front surface of the freezer compartment 210 and the refrigerator compartment 220.
The evaporators 212 and 222 and the blower fan 2 are located behind the freezer compartment 210 and the refrigerating compartment 220.
13 and 223 are installed in the refrigerator compartment evaporator 22 respectively.
A special room 227 is provided in front of 2 and a compressor 230 is installed in the machine room. One shelf 214 is installed in the freezer compartment, and many shelves 224 are installed in the refrigerator compartment.

A freezer compartment temperature sensor 215 is provided in the freezer compartment 210, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 225 is provided in the refrigerator compartment, and a door opening / closing sensor is provided on a front panel of the refrigerator compartment 220. A sensor 226 is provided.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the rear cover 228 and the front cover 229 are separated so that the flow path through which the cool air exchanged by the refrigerator compartment evaporator 222 is discharged and the flow path through which the cool air is sucked are separated.
And a cool air discharge duct 240 that is connected to the discharge flow path and that injects cool air downward from above the refrigerating chamber 220 is provided on a lower surface of the special fresh room 227.

In the cool air discharge duct 240, a number of air guides 241 for dispersing cool air to the left and right sides are installed at the rear end of the duct, and the flow path of the cool air discharge duct 240 gradually widens toward the front end. A spacer duct 242 having a linear surface 242a whose inner surface is radial is installed on both sides. Cold air discharge duct 2 as described above
According to 40, the cool air that has passed through the evaporator 222 is evenly dispersed by the air guide 241 and the linear surface 242a of the spacer duct 242
As a result, it is guided so as to be distributed on the left and right sides of the discharge flow path of the cool air discharge duct 240 and is injected from the end of the cool air discharge duct 240.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator compartment showing a cool air discharge duct of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the inner surface of the spacer duct 242 'is formed by a Coanda surface 242a',
2a 'produces a Coanda effect that allows cool air to flow along the wall surface of spacer duct 242'.

When the inner surface of the spacer duct 242 'is formed by the Coanda surface 242a' as described above, the cool air dispersed and guided to the left and right sides by the air guide 241 is closely discharged along the Coanda surface 242a 'while discharging the cool air. There is an effect that the tip of the duct 240 discharges uniformly.

Unexplained reference numerals 216 and 217 denote a rear cover and a front cover of the freezer compartment, and 229a and 229b denote cool air discharge holes and cool air intake holes of the freezer compartment. A method for circulating cool air in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a state of circulating cool air when the door is closed in the refrigerator according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a state of circulating cool air when the door is opened in the refrigerator of FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a microcomputer control unit according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method of circulating cold air in a refrigerator according to the present invention.

When power is applied to the refrigerator, the temperature of the freezer compartment is sensed by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 215 and the detected value is sent to the control unit. In the control unit, the temperature of the freezer compartment 210 is higher than the set temperature. , The compressor 230 and the blower fan 21 of the freezing room
When the temperature of the freezer compartment is lower than the set temperature, the compressor 230 and the freezer fan 213 are stopped.

Next, in the refrigerator compartment 220, if the temperature of the refrigerator compartment is higher than the set temperature than the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 220 detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 225, the control section drives the refrigerator compartment fan 223. If the temperature of the refrigerator compartment is lower than the set temperature, the refrigerator compartment fan 223 is stopped. As described above, the driving of the refrigerator compartment fan 223 is performed in the refrigerator compartment 2.
20 is the same as the related art, but in the present invention, even if the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 220 is lower than the set temperature, the refrigerator compartment fan 223 remains open when the refrigerator compartment door 221 is opened. Will be driven.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment 220 is higher than the set temperature with the refrigerating compartment door 221 closed, the refrigerating compartment fan 223 is naturally driven to discharge the cool air. The cool air discharged into the hole 229a is supplied to the special-purpose room 227, and the cool air discharge duct 240
The cool air discharged through the cooler 220 is uniformly dispersed above the refrigerating compartment 220 and descends, is circulated in the space of each shelf 224, and is returned to the evaporator 222 through the cool air suction hole 229b.

As shown in FIG. 6, even when the refrigerator compartment door 221 is open, the control unit activates the refrigerator compartment fan 223 regardless of the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment, thereby controlling the special compartment 227. The cool air is discharged through the cool air discharge duct 240, and particularly, the cool air discharged to the cool air discharge duct 240 is lowered through the distal end of the cool air discharge duct 240 by the air guide 241 of the cool air discharge duct, so that the air is cooled at the front of the refrigerator compartment 220. Even when the curtain 250 is formed and the refrigerator compartment door 221 is opened, the refrigerator compartment 22 is opened.
No internal cold air leaks out.

Here, if the inner surface of the spacer duct 242 'of the cool air discharge duct 240 is formed by the surface of the Coanda 242a', the Coanda surface 242a 'produces a Coanda effect in which cool air flows along the wall surface. The cool air is more uniformly discharged at the tip of 240.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a method of circulating cool air when another air curtain selection switch (not shown) is provided. According to such a cool air circulation method, the user can selectively drive or stop the refrigerator compartment fan 223 when the refrigerator compartment door 221 is opened and closed.

[0027]

As described above, the present invention is configured such that the discharge path of the cool air discharged from the evaporator is uniformly dispersed and lowered at the upper side of the refrigerating chamber, so that the refrigerating chamber door is formed. Even when the refrigerator is opened, an air curtain is formed at the front of the refrigerator compartment, so that the cool air in the refrigerator does not leak to the outside.

Further, when the door of the refrigerator is opened, there is also an effect that the refrigerator fan is driven regardless of the temperature in the refrigerator to smoothly circulate cool air. Thus, the present invention
Since a single refrigerator fan is used to form the air curtain, manufacturing costs can be reduced, and noise generated by overdriving the fan can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator shown as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of a portion A surrounded by a dashed line in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator compartment showing a cool air discharge duct of the refrigerator shown as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator compartment showing a cool air discharge duct of a refrigerator shown as another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state of circulating cool air with the door closed in the refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a cool air circulation state in the refrigerator of FIG. 5 with a door closed.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a microcomputer control unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for circulating cool air in a refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating another embodiment of a method for circulating cool air in a refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to the related art.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a refrigerator provided with an air curtain generator according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100, 200 Refrigerator body 110, 210 Freezer compartment 111, 211 Freezer compartment door 112, 122, 212, 222 Evaporator 113, 123, 213, 223 Blower fan 115, 215 Freezer compartment temperature sensor 116, 128, 228 Rear cover 117, 129,229 Front cover 120,220 Refrigerating room 121,221 Refrigerating room door 124,214,224 Shelf 125,225 Refrigerating room temperature sensor 126,226 Door opening / closing sensor 127,227 Special room 128,140,240 Cold air discharge Ducts 129a, 229a Cold air discharge holes 129b, 229b Cold air suction holes 130, 230 Compressor 223 Refrigerator fan 241, 250 Air guide 242, 242 'Spacer duct 242a Linear surface 242a' Coanda surface

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F25D 17/08 F25D 11/02

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] An evaporator installed at the rear of the refrigerator; a blower fan installed at one side of the evaporator for discharging cold air heat-exchanged by the evaporator into the refrigerator; A rear cover and a front cover forming a discharge channel for guiding the cooled air into the refrigerator, and extending to the upper end in the refrigerator to inject cold air guided from the discharge channel at an upper front side in the refrigerator. A cold air discharge duct that forms an air curtain by performing the operation, a temperature sensor that senses the temperature inside the refrigerator, a door open / close sensor that detects whether the door is open or closed, and a door A cool air circulation device for a refrigerator, comprising: a control unit that drives a blower fan. 2. The cold air discharge duct is characterized in that a surface from a rear end portion, which is a connection portion with a discharge flow path, to a front end portion from which cool air is discharged into a refrigerator is formed as a Coanda surface. Item 7. A refrigerator according to Item 1. 3. An air guide for uniformly dispersing cool air in the flow path of the cool air discharge duct is provided at a rear end portion which is a connection portion between the cool air discharge duct and the discharge flow path of the evaporator. The cool air circulation device for a refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein 4. The cool air circulation device for a refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an air curtain selection switch for selecting whether to drive or stop the blower fan when the door is opened. 5. A step of sensing a temperature in the refrigerator, a step of turning off a compressor and a blower fan when the temperature in the refrigerator is lower than a preset temperature, and a step of turning off the compressor when the temperature in the refrigerator is higher than a preset temperature. And turning on the blower fan, and, when the door is opened, turning on the blower fan regardless of the temperature inside the refrigerator and injecting cool air from the upper part of the front inside the refrigerator to form an air curtain. Refrigerator cool air circulation method. 6. The method further includes selecting an air curtain mode by opening a door in a state where the air curtain mode is selected, turning on a blower fan regardless of a temperature in the refrigerator, and selecting the air curtain mode. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the blower fan is turned off regardless of the temperature inside the refrigerator when the door is opened without the refrigerator.