REFRIGERATOR

Abstract

 A refrigerator has: a refrigerator main body having a storage room defined such that the room is thermally insulated; a door through which food is placed in and removed from a freezing room as the storage room; a container extending to the outside of the refrigerator main body at the time of opening the door; and a cooling material attached to the container. After opening and closing the door, by the coldness storing effect of the cooling material, suppression of temperature rise in frozen food stored in advance and quick cooling of put-in food can be performed. While maintaining the structure of easily transfer of food, the refrigerator realizing suppression of temperature rise in the container when the door is opened, improved speed of cooling food, and improved a performance to maintain freshness of food is provided.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator capable of improving a preservation of a freshness of frozen foods.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In a recent refrigerator, as an invention aiming to improve a preservation of a freshness of frozen foods and a speed to freeze the frozen foods, there is an example that endeavored to shorten a freezing time by arranging a metal tray at a bottom part of a container of a freezing room and flowing a cooled air through a duct disposed at the bottom part of the container below the metal tray (e.g., patent document 1).

[0003] Fig. 17 is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a conventional refrigerator in one embodiment as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2000-304435, which is the patent document 1.

[0004] As shown in Fig. 17, freezing room 8, which is a part of storage rooms of refrigerator main body 2 composed by thermally insulated box body 1, is partitioned from refrigerating room 7 and vegetable room 9 having different temperature ranges by upper thermally insulating partition 5 at an upper part and lower thermally insulating partition 6 at a lower part thereof. Moreover, in between left and right sides of an opening of freezing room 8, partition 11 that partitions the opening to an upper part and lower part thereof is arranged.

[0005] In cooled air generation room 12 arranged behind freezing room 8 includes evaporator 13 for generating a cooled air and fan 14 for providing and circulating the cooled air to refrigerating room 7, freezing room 8, and vegetable room 9, and in a space below evaporator 13, defrosting heater 15 that is turned on upon defrosting is arranged.

[0006] Door 21 and lower door 22 are both drawer-type doors of freezing room 8, and behind them are container 27 and lower container 28 supported by frame bodies 24, 25 respectively and arranged integrally. Moreover, behind freezing room 8 is cooled air distributing room 30 that distributes the cooled air generated by evaporator 13 to respective rooms, and at a front side thereof, a plurality of cooled air providing opening is formed.

[0007] Moreover, at bottom parts of container 27 and lower container 28 inside freezing room 8, trays 31 are arranged respectively, and in each of container 27 and lower container 28, cooled air passage 27a, 28a is formed between the front and rear thereof.

[0008] Further, at a front side of cooled air distributing room 30, cooled air providing openings 30a, 30b opening toward upper opening planes of container 27 and lower container 28, cooled air providing opening 30c corresponding to cooled air passage 27a of container 27 as well as cooled air providing opening 30d corresponding to cooled air passage 28a of lower container 28 are arranged. Hence, the cooled air from cooled air distributing room 30 can directly be circulated not only to container 27 but also to cooled air passage 28a of lower container 28, and a cooling speed of foods can thereby be increased.

[0009] As according to the above, due to trays 31 within container 27 and lower container 28 being rapidly cooled, and at the same time, the cooled air being provided to the upper opening planes of the respective containers, the foods inside the containers are cooled from above and below, and thus the foods can be frozen within a short period of time.

[0010] According to the aforementioned conventional configuration, when door 21 is opened, container 27 storing the food is pulled out to an outside in connection with door 21; thus, there are advantages such as obtaining easy view of the stored foods, being able to take out and put in the food very easily, and the like.

[0011] However, in the aforementioned conventional configuration, in a case where an unfrozen food is put in, especially when a food with high temperature is put in, tray 31 is immediately warmed due to tray 31 not having a cooling function; although the food itself is cooled, other foods are warmed by the temperature transmitted thereto via tray 31, and a possibility of melting of a surface of a freeze-stored food and a procreation of bacteria whose activity had been suppressed is concerned. In a case where a degree of the melting of the surface of the stored food is large, degradation in the quality in being frozen again is concerned. Moreover, when the cooling is started, the foods and tray 31 itself need to be cooled due to warmed tray 31, and thus the speed of cooling the foods becomes slow, and the quality of freezing is degraded.

[0012] Further, when door 21 is opened, if the cooled air is being discharged from cooled air providing opening 30c, a distance from cooled air providing opening 30c to cooled air passage 27a of container 27 is elongated, and an amount of cooled air being discharged from cooled air providing opening 30c and flowing into cooled air passage 27a is dramatically decreased, and most of it is dispersed to parts other than cooled air passage 27a. Thus, the frozen foods stored in the upper part of cooled air passage 27a are not cooled, are exposed to an external air, and a temperature thereof is raised; along with this, since air inside freezing room 8 is stirred, and a ventilation of the external air and the cooled air within freezing room 8 becomes active, the cooling after having closed door 21 takes much time, and a time during which the frozen foods experience a temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature of freezing room 8 is elongated. Due to this, there is the possibility of the surfaces of the frozen foods being melted, and the bacteria whose activity had been suppressed being procreated. Especially, as the degree of the melting of the surfaces of the stored foods is larger, parts to be frozen again after having closed door 21 becomes larger, and the degradation in the quality becomes more severe. In a case of putting the food in from the outside as well, the temperature inside container 27 raises due to an inflow of the external air accompanied in opening door 21 upon the input, and the cooling after having closed door 21 also takes time to cool to the predetermined temperature, and thereby the freezing time of the put-in food is elongated.

[0013] Further, even in a case where the cooling is stopped when door 21 is opened, i.e., measures are taken such that the cooled air is not discharged from cooled air providing openings 30a and 30c, although the degree thereof is decreased, the frozen foods are exposed to the external air, thus the temperature is raised, and an incident similar to the above occurs.

[0014] Accordingly, by the conventional configuration, there is a problem that a suppression of a thermal interference to other foods and a rapid cooling of a put-in food cannot be compatible, and a technique to maintain the quality by suppressing the raise in the temperature caused by the external air while maintaining a convenience of being able to take out and put in a food easily is being desired.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2000-304435

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention attends to the aforementioned problem of the conventional technique, and aims to provide a refrigerator that realizes to suppress a raise in a temperature caused by putting in a food, maintain a storing quality of stored foods, and maintain an effect of shortening a freezing speed.

[0016] In order to attend to the aforementioned problem of the conventional technique, a refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigerator main body having a storage room defined such that the room is thermally insulated; a door through which food is placed in and removed from the storage room; a container extending from an outer body of the storage room at the time of opening the door; and a cooling material attached to the container.

[0017] According to this, while maintaining the convenience of being able to take out and put in the food easily, when the door is opened, i.e., when the container is taken out to an outside and exposed to an external air, an inside of the container is maintained at a low temperature by absorbing a heat load caused by an inflow of the external air by the cooling material, and it is possible to suppress the raise in the temperature of the stored foods, and suppress a quality degradation. Moreover, when the food is put in, the heat load caused by the inflow of the external air and a heat load of the put-in food are absorbed by the cooling material even before closing the door, and as such, the food is cooled and the inside of the container is kept at a low temperature compared to the conventional technique, and the food can be cooled in a short period of time and a preserving capability of freshness can be improved.

[0018] Further, in order to attend to the aforementioned problem of the conventional technique, a refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigerator main body having a storage room defined such that the room is thermally insulated; a door through which food is placed in and removed from the storage room; a container for holding the food; a cooling promoting member attached to at least one of the containers and having a cooling function; and a plurality of cooling means for cooling the cooling promoting member and the storage room.

[0019] According to this, even in a case where a high temperature food is put in, a raise in the temperature inside the container can be suppressed to a minimum by a relatively large heat capacity constituted by the cooling promoting member, and along with this, due to the raise in the temperature of a part being in direct contact therewith being minor, an effect of improving the speed of directly cooling the stored food using the cooling promoting member can be maintained. Moreover, even in the case where the cooling promoting member is warmed by the input of the food, by having the plurality of cooling means, the refreezing time can be shortened thereby.

[0020] According to the above configurations, the refrigerator of the present invention is able to suppress the raise in the temperature upon the input of the food, secure the storing quality of the stored food, and maintain the effect of shortening the freezing speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] 

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator in first embodiment of the present invention upon opening a door.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional side view of the primary parts of the refrigerator in first embodiment of the present invention upon closing the door.

Fig. 3A is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator in second embodiment of the present invention upon opening a door.

Fig. 3B is a perspective view of a container including a cooling material of the refrigerator of second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3C is a perspective view of the cooling material of second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3D is a cross sectional view along a 3D-3D direction of the cooling material of second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional side view of the primary parts of the refrigerator in second embodiment of the present invention upon closing the door.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6A is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator of fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6B is a perspective view of a container including a cooling material of fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6C is a perspective view of the cooling material of fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6D is a cross sectional view along a 6D-6D direction of the cooling material of fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional side view of the primary parts of the refrigerator in fourth embodiment of the present invention upon closing a door.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional side view of the primary parts of fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9A is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator of fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9B is a perspective view of a cooling material of fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9C is a cross sectional side view along a 9C-9C direction of the cooling material of fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a comparison diagram of a rapid freezing of fifth embodiment of the present invention and other types of freezing.

Fig. 11A shows a picture of cells of a tuna that is frozen by an institutional-use refrigerator, YASUDA chest freezer, from a -60°C freezing that is used in an experiment of fifth embodiment taken with a SEM picture.

Fig. 11B shows a picture of the rapid freezing on the cooling material and constantly providing cooled air from upper and lower directions.

Fig. 11C shows a picture of a freezing from a normal freezing on an aluminum plate by providing cooled air from the above intermittently so as to control to a set freezing temperature.

Fig. 12A shows a time that was required for the rapid freezing in a result of an experiment of cooling a freshly cooked rice by the rapid freezing according to a configuration of fifth embodiment.

Fig. 12B shows a result of a tasting test comparing tastes of the freshly cooked rice and a frozen rice frozen by the rapid freezing.

Fig. 12C shows a result of a comparison in water contents of the freshly cooked rice and the frozen rice frozen by the rapid freezing.

Fig. 13 is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator in sixth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14A is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator in seventh embodiment of the present invention upon opening a door.

Fig. 14B is a perspective view of a container of seventh embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14C is a perspective view of a cooling material of seventh embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14D is a cross sectional side view along a 14D-14D direction of the cooling material of seventh embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator in seventh embodiment of the present invention upon closing a door.

Fig. 16 is a cross sectional side view of the primary parts of seventh embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a conventional refrigerator.

REFERENCE MARKS IN THE DRAWINGS

[0022] 

101

thermally insulated box body

102

refrigerator main body

105

thermally insulating partition

107

refrigerating room

108

freezing room

109

vegetable room

113

evaporator

114

fan

121

door

122

door

127

container

127a

border (fixing module)

127b

inclined part

128

container

150

cooling material (cooling member)

151

caster

152

ground surface

153

Freezing room discharge opening

153a, 153b

freezing room discharge port

154

freezing room exhaust port

155

supply duct

156

projection (fixing module)

157

frozen food

158

put-in food

160

recess (fixing module)

161

food retaining module

162

food disposing surface

163

storing part

170

attachment and detachment auxiliary part

171

attachment and detachment auxiliary part

172

cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part

173

cooling material attachment and detachment holder

257

coolant (heat accumulating material)

258

gas

259

food disposing surface

259a

marker

259b

marker center

260

absorption part

263

storing part

280

noncontact detecting module

302

refrigerator main body

303

freezing room (storage room)

306

refrigerating room (storage room)

307

vegetable room (storage room)

321

cold air discharge port

322

cold air discharge port

323

door

324

door

327

upper container (container)

328

lower container (container)

329

cooling promoting member

329a

cooling material

329b

food placement part

332

middle container (container)

333

cold air discharge port

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT OF THE INVENTION

[0023] A refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigerator main body having a storage room defined such that the room is thermally insulated; a door through which food is placed in and removed from the storage room; a container extending from an outer body of the storage room at the time of opening the door; and a cooling material attached to the container; thus, in addition to being able to maintain a storage capability of the foods, upon extending out of the container in connection to opening the door, a raise in a temperature of the food stored under a low temperature of the container kept by the cooling material can be suppressed, and along with this, a heat load caused by the put-in food or a flown-in external air is absorbed by the cooling material and be cooled thereby, and the food can be cooled in a short period of time.

[0024] The refrigerator of the present invention has the cooling material attached to the door side of the container, and thus, in addition to being able to maintain a storage capability of the foods, suppress the warming of the stored food and shorten the cooling time upon the input of a food, the cooling material is exposed to the external air at a timing earlier than any other parts upon opening the door and left exposed to the external air longer than any other parts in closing of the door; due to the cooling material being attached on the door side that is most affected by the external air and has the largest heat load, the suppression of the warming of the stored food and the shortening of the cooling time upon the input of the food are further enabled. Moreover, since the cooling material is positioned on a front side, the food can be stored in a vicinity of the cooling material without extending an entirety of the container out to an outer body and rapidly freeze thereby, the inflow of the external air into the container can be suppressed, and the storing of the food is enabled easily.

[0025] The refrigerator of the present invention has a detachable structure of the cooling material, thus, in addition to being able to maintain the storage capability of the foods, suppress the warming of the stored food and shorten the cooling time upon the input of the food, cleaning can be performed easily, and a diversion to other use is possible. Moreover, in a case of using the cooling material under a minus temperature, even if a hand makes contact with the cooling material and adheres thereto when storing foods with a wet hand and the like, the cooling material can be taken out, and a process to separate the hand and the cooling material e.g. by heating can easily be performed.

[0026] The refrigerator of the present invention has at least a part of the container having the cooling material at a height from 600 mm to 1200mm from a mounting surface of the refrigerator main body; due to being the storage room that is at the height from 600 mm to 1200mm from the mounting surface , which is a height at which a user can most conveniently put in and take out a food, in the storage room that possibly is opened and closed at a high frequency, while being able to maintain the storage capability of the foods, suppress the warming of the stored food after having opened and closed the door, and shorten the cooling time upon the input of the food, the preserving capability of freshness of the food can further be improved.

[0027] In addition, since the cooling material is positioned at a height to which hands of many can easily reach, a detachment and attachment of the cooling material can be performed easily, and in the case where it adheres to the hand and become inseparable, many people can easily relieve the situation.

[0028] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the cooling material is positioned on an upper surface of a bottom part of the container, and the food can be cooled by a direct contact therewith; thus, it is further possible to maintain the storage capability of the foods, suppress the warming of the stored food and shorten the cooling time upon the input of the food.

[0029] The refrigerator of the present invention is a refrigerator that includes a fixing module for fixing the cooling material, and a food retaining module for retaining the food such that the food does not move to places other than a food placing surface; it is possible to maintain the conventional storage capability of the foods, suppress the warming of the food, upon the extending out of the container due to the opening of the door, that is stored under the low temperature of the container being kept by the cooling material, and cool the food with a short period of time due to the cooling by absorbing heat of the heat load from the put-in food and the flown-in external air with the cooling material. Moreover, even in a case where the opening and closing of the door are performed repeatedly or at a relatively high speed due to the opening and closing of the door being performed roughly or frequently, since the cooling material does not move inside the container, the heat of the food is absorbed by the cooling material, and further suppression of the warming of the stored food and the shortening of the cooling time upon the input of the food becomes possible.

[0030] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the fixing module is composed by a part of components of the container; in addition to being able to maintain the conventional storage capability of the foods, suppress the warming of the stored food, and shorten the cooling time upon the input of the food, it is possible to include a fixing module or a food retaining module having a higher hardness compared to ones formed separately by realizing the fixing module and the food retaining module with simple structures.

[0031] The refrigerator of the present invention is a refrigerator in which a heat accumulating material primarily exists as the cooling material and includes the food placing surface for placing the foods thereon, and an absorption part that absorbs a change in a volume that accompanies a phase transformation of the heat accumulating material; thus, when the door is opened, the heat load due to the external air flowing in is absorbed by the cooling material, thereby, the raise in the temperature of the food stored under the low temperature of the container kept by the cooling material can be suppressed, and the suppression of the quality degradation is possible. Moreover, when the food is put in, the cooling material absorbs the heat load of the flown-in external air and the heat load of the put-in food even before closing the door, the food is cooled and the inside of the storage room is maintained at a low temperature compared to the conventional technique, the food can be cooled in a short period of time, and the improvement in the preservation of freshness becomes possible. Moreover, a space for absorbing the change in the volume that becomes an obstacle for heat transmission does not exist, and thus the heat is transmitted smoothly. Further, since the food placing surface is prone to withstanding an influence of the change in the volume due to the phase transformation of the heat accumulating material, a deformation accompanying the change in the volume is reduced, and the contact with the food is maintained. Due to this, the warming of the food can further be suppressed, and the shortening of the cooling time upon the input of the food is possible.

[0032] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the absorption part projects upward than the food placing surface; in addition to being able to suppress the warming of the stored food and shorten the cooling time upon the input of the food, the stored food is prevented from slipping off of the food placing surface by a repulse of the opening and closing operation of the door. The warming of the stored food can further be suppressed, and the cooling time upon the input of the food can further be shortened.

[0033] The refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigerator main body having a storage room defined such that the room is thermally insulated;, a door through which food is placed in and removed from the storage room, a container for holding the food, a cooling promoting member attached to at least one of the containers and having a cooling function; and a plurality of cooling modules for cooling the cooling promoting member and the storage room, and according to this, even in the case where a high temperature food is put in, due to the relatively large heat capacity of the cooling promoting member having the cooling function, the raise in the temperature of the inside of the container and the cooling promoting member can be suppressed to the minimum, and along with this, due to being able to quickly cool the cooling promoting member that had been warmed, the effect of shortening the freezing time of the stored food can be maintained over a long period of time.

[0034] The refrigerator of the present invention arranges a plurality of containers within a storage room in an up and down direction, and between the containers, the cooling promoting member is attached to an upper container; at the same time as suppressing the raise in the temperature inside the upper container, the raise in the temperature inside a lower container close to the cooling promoting member can simultaneously be suppressed.

[0035] The refrigerator of the present invention provides a plurality of cold air discharge ports that send out the cooled air into the storage rooms; by having the cooled air sent out from the cold air discharge ports, the cooling promoting member can effectively be cooled from both the upper and lower surfaces.

[0036] In the refrigerator of the present invention, by having the cooling promoting member to be the cooling material, a temperature of a contact surface with the food can voluntarily be set; a direct cooling surface having a high heat conduction efficiency that is suited for the temperature inside the rooms of the refrigerator can be set.

[0037] The refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in having an outer layer of the cooling material made with a material having satisfactory heat conductivity; thus, the heat conduction efficiency from the food to the coolant can be improved, and the freezing speed of the food can be improved.

[0038] In the refrigerator of the present invention, due to a reservoir for air bubbles for omitting the air within the cooling material from the contact surface with the food is provided in the cooling material, an aired layer of the contact surface with the food and the cooling material can be eliminated, and the heat conduction efficiency from the food to the cooling material can be improved, and the freezing speed of the food can be improved.

[0039] The refrigerator of the present invention is characteristic in having a concavo-convex pattern on the outer layer of the cooling material and a concavo and a convex thereof having identical thickness; due to these, a surface area of the cooling material is increased, and the refreezing speed of the food after having melted can be improved, thus the improved function in the freezing speed for direct cooling by the cooling material can be maintained over a long period of time.

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings. Note that, for parts that are identical to conventional ones and parts that are not different from the conventional ones, the detailed description thereof is omitted. Further, the present invention is not to be restricted by the embodiments to be described hereinbelow.

(First Embodiment)

[0041] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are cross sectional side views of primary parts of a refrigerator of the present invention.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, freezing room 108 that is a part of a storage room of refrigerator main body 102 that is composed by thermally insulated box body 101 is partitioned by upper and lower thermally insulating partitions 105 from refrigerating room 107 and vegetable room 109 having different temperature ranges. Moreover, between left and right sides of an opening of freezing room 108, partition 111 that partitions the opening into the top and the bottom is arranged.

[0043] Cooled air generation room 112 arranged on a rear side of freezing room 108 is disposed with evaporator 113 that generates the cooled air, and fan 114 that supplies and circulates the cooled air to refrigerating room 107, freezing room 108, and vegetable room 109. In a space below evaporator 113, defrosting heater 115 that is turned on upon defrosting is arranged.

[0044] In freezing room 108, containers 127 and 128 which are drawer type storage rooms are configured in two room levels being above and below one another, and at front sides thereof, doors 121 and 122 for taking out and putting in foods from and into the storage room are fixed respectively. Cooling material 150 which is the cooling member having the cooling function is disposed on recess 160 that is arranged at an inner bottom part of container 127 located on the upper side on door 121 side. This recess functions as the fixing module for fixing the cooling material. Container 127 extends out from the outer body when door 121 on the upper side is opened so as to take out and put in food from and into the storage room. According to this, it is configured such that cooling material 150 does not easily move to the rear side of container 127 due to an inertia generated by container 127 moving at a relatively high speed in the front and rear direction upon opening and closing door 121. That is, in the container of freezing room 108 that is the storage room including cooling material 150, a front side section located on door 121 side is used as a storage region having cooling material 150, and a section located on the rear side can be distinctly used as a storing part that is a general freezing region that does not include cooling material 150.

[0045] Moreover, an upper surface of cooling material 150 provided in freezing room 108 is arranged above caster 151 provided on a lower surface of thermally insulated box body 101 so that refrigerator main body 102 can easily be moved and vegetable room 109 that is the storage room arranged below freezing room 108, and is at a position having a height of 800 mm from ground surface 152.

[0046] Further, it is preferable that a latent heat of cooling material 150 is lower than a freezing temperature of a general food to be frozen, and lower than a temperature in a maximum ice crystal generating range; by setting a freezing point temperature of cooling material 150 as above, the cooling speed when a food is placed in cooling material 150 can be improved to its maximum. However, when it is set too low, cooling material 150 cannot be sufficiently frozen, and if the coolant provided in cooling material 150 transforms from solid to liquid, its cooling ability significantly decreases. Thus, it is made of a material having the latent heat of -15°C, which is a temperature higher than a temperature of freezing room 108 in a general household refrigerator, such that the cooling material can be sufficiently frozen in freezing room 108. Moreover, this cooling material 150 is configured to have a width of 300 mm, a depth of 300 mm, and a thickness which becomes a height of 20 mm. In determining such an outer dimension, i.e. a filling amount within cooling material 150, an optimized amount is set with considerations to a quantity of heat held by a presumed food. The filling within cooling material 150 preferably has a quantity of heat having a quantity of heat corresponding to a quantity of an external temperature corresponding to a mass of the foods to be placed on the upper surface, e.g., a sum of the quantity of latent heat and a quantity of detectable heat from 30°C to -10°C. Due to this, when cooling material 150 is frozen, a complete melting does not occur upon the input of a food in general, i.e., even in a case where a high-temperature food from outside is disposed in contact on cooling material 150, a rapid cooling is carried out by cooling material 150 being frozen without melting.

[0047] Freezing room discharge opening 153 is a discharge opening for the cooled air for cooling freezing room 108 to be discharged, and freezing room exhaust port 154 is an exhaust port for the cooled air having cooled freezing room 108 to be returned to evaporator 113 from freezing room 108. Supply duct 155 is a duct through which the cooled air for cooling refrigerating room 107 circulates.

[0048] The foods stored in container 127 provided with cooling material 150 include frozen food 157 that is already stored and put-in food 158 that is newly put in onto cooling material 150.

[0049] Further, cooled air supplies and circulations for cooling refrigerating room 107 and vegetable room 109 are not depicted.

[0050] Regarding the refrigerator configured as above, its operation will hereinbelow be described.

[0051] Cooling material 150 and frozen food 157 are cooled to a predetermined temperature of freezing room 108, which is -20°C and frozen. As shown in Fig. 1, when door 121 is opened and put-in food 158 is placed on the upper surface of cooling material 150, the cooling of put-in food 158 is started immediately from after the input by a heat thereof being taken away by cooling material 150 frozen at -20°C. Further, the external air that had flown into container 127 along with the opening and closing of the door for putting the food in is also cooled by cooling material 150; an air inside container 127 is maintained at a low temperature compared to the conventional technique, and by this low temperature air also, put-in food 158 is cooled.

[0052] Further, in a case where door 121 is opened and in the rear side section adjacent to cooling material 150 includes frozen food 157 that previously has been stored, due to cooling material 150 cooling the external air flowing into container 127, a periphery of frozen food 157 is maintained at a low temperature compared to the conventional technique. Moreover, even in a case where put-in food 158 having a relatively high-temperature is disposed within the same container 127, the warming due to a thermal interference from put-in food 158 can be suppressed compared to the conventional technique.

[0053] Accordingly, in the container of freezing room 108 that is the storage room provided with cooling material 150, the front side section located on door 121 side can be used as the storage region having cooling material 150, and the section located on the rear side can be distinctly used as the storing part that is a general freezing region that does not include cooling material 150. Thereby, for the user, a region to which put-in food is to be stored in a case of inputting a warm food would become clearer, and the heat influence to frozen food 157 that precedingly has been stored from put-in food 158 can be decreased.

[0054] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 2, when door 121 is closed, a detecting module not depicted determines that door 121 has been closed, and an operation of a freezing cycle (not shown in the figures) is started. Here, at the same time as when a refrigerant flows in evaporator 113 and the cooled air is generated, fan 114 is driven, and the cooling is started by circulation of the cooled air. The cooled air is supplied to freezing room 108 from freezing room discharge opening 153, and cools frozen food 157 and put-in food 158. At this occasion, frozen food 157 is cooled by both of an indirect cooling by the cooled air flowing in the periphery thereof and a direct cooling by cooling material 150 from its lower surface.

[0055] At this time, at the same time as cooling put-in food 158, a part of the cooled air is also used to cool cooling material 150. However, the cooling of freezing room 108 is performed when it is higher than the predetermined temperature of -20°C, thus, a temperature difference with the latent heat temperature of -15°C of cooling material 150 being small, the cooled air is used mainly for cooling the foods. Moreover, the cooled air having been supplied from freezing room discharge opening 153 to freezing room 108 flows through the inside of container 127. At this occasion, frozen food 157 that is positioned to a upper stream side of an air passage for the low-temperature cooled air having been discharged from freezing room discharge opening 153 and put-in food 158 placed on the upper surface of cooling material 150 that is positioned to a lower stream side of the air passage are cooled. Here, as frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 get closer to the latent heat temperature of -15°C of cooling material 150, a temperature difference between frozen food 157 as well as put-in food 158 and the cooled air becomes similar to the temperature difference between the cooled air and cooling material 150; and a weight of the cooled air being used to cool cooling material 150 is increased. However, when frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are e.g. fish or meat, due to minerals and amino acids being included therein, most foods have their maximum ice crystal generating range between 0°C to -10°C, and in this temperature range, a majority of the cooled air cools frozen food 157 and put-in food 158. In addition to the cooling by this cooled air, with the cooling by cooling material 150, the maximum ice crystal generating range is quickly passed over.

[0056] Accordingly, during when container 127 is drawn outside with door 121 being opened, the warming of frozen food 157 stored with the inside of container 127 being cooled by cooling material 150 can be suppressed, and put-in food 158 having been put in and the external air having flown in are cooled by cooling material 150, and thus, freezing in a short period of time becomes possible.

[0057] Further, by having cooling material 150 at a position that is exposed to the external air at the timing earlier than any other parts upon opening the door and left exposed to the external air longer than any other parts in closing of the door, the warming of frozen food 157 can further be suppressed, and the cooling time for put-in food 158 can further be shortened. Further, due to the cooling material being attached on the front side, the foods can be stored in a vicinity of the cooling material without extending an entirety of the container out to the outer body, the inflow of the external air into the container can be suppressed, and the storing of the food is enabled easily.

[0058] Further, cooling material 150 has a structure that can easily be detached from or attached to container 127, and thus cleaning is easy, and can be divertedly used for other purposes. Moreover, when put-in food 158 is to be stored using a wet hand, if the hand makes contact with the cooling material and adheres thereto, cooling material 150 as a whole can be taken out, and the process to separate the hand and cooling material 150 e.g. by heating can easily be performed.

[0059] Further, due to configuring at least a part of the container including cooling material 150 comes to be at a height to which a woman can reach by her hand without having have to bend over, the height from the set surface is around 800 mm to which it is assumed that hands of many can easily reach,. At the same time, cooling material 150 is similarly positioned at the height of 800 mm from the set surface, thus attachment and detachment of cooling material 150 becomes possible, and thus can easily be processed when cooling material 150 adheres to the hand and becomes impossible to separate. Note that, in first embodiment, at least a part of the container including cooling material 150 comes to be at the height of 800 mm, however, generally, since a range from 600 mm to 1200 mm is believed to be the most convenient position, it is preferable to make adjustment within this range.

[0060] Further, since cooling material 150 has the width and depth of 300 mm, the height dimension of 20 mm is small; even with identical amount of the coolant inside the cooling material, a set surface area of the foods increases; even with identical amount of the coolant inside the cooling material, a contacting area of the foods increases; while being able to maintain a storage capability of the foods, the warming of the stored foods can be suppressed, and the cooling time upon the input of the food can be shortened. In addition to this, a large quantity of frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 can be stored, and a large-sized frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 can be stored. Moreover, since the contacting area between frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 and cooling material 150 becomes large, further suppression of the warming and shortening of the cooling time becomes possible.

[0061] Note that, in first embodiment, the cooling material is used as the cooling member having the cooling function, however, a cooling plate having a thickness of more than or equal to 5 mm and being made of metal can be applied so long as it includes the cooling function.

[0062] Furthermore, since door 121 is of the drawer type, compared to a rotating door, the low-temperature cooled air cannot easily be released from the upper plane of the container. The suppression of the warming of frozen food 157 and the shortening of the cooling time for put-in food 158 are possible.

(Second Embodiment)

[0063] Fig. 3A shows a cross sectional view of primary parts of a refrigerator of second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3B is a perspective view of a container having a cooling material of second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3C is a perspective view of the cooling material of second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3D is a cross sectional view along a 3D-3D direction of the cooling material of second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 4 is a cross sectional side view of the refrigerator of second embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] Note that, for second embodiment, structures and technical concepts that are identical to those explained in first embodiment will be omitted of the detailed description. For structures to which identical technical concepts as the contents described in first embodiment can be applied, a configuration of a combination of those described in first embodiment with the technical concept can be realized.

[0065] As shown in the figures, cooling material 150 which is the cooling member having the cooling function is disposed on the inner bottom part, i.e. on an upper surface of the bottom surface, on door 121 side of container 127 located on the upper side of the two room level structure in freezing room 108 which is the storage room.

[0066] Further, the fixing module for restricting the movement of cooling material 150 is recess 160, and this recess 160 is formed integral with container 127 as being a part of a resin material that is a constituent of container 127.

[0067] Accordingly, recess 160 is arranged such that cooling material 150 that is arranged on door 121 side that is on the front side of container 127 is not moved toward the rear side by the inertia generated by the opening and closing operations of door 121.

[0068] Food retaining module 161 is arranged on food placing surface 162 for placing the foods on the upper surface of cooling material 150, and has a shape that is protruding at least to the rear side of cooling material 150, i.e. to an opposite side of door 121 side, toward the upper direction than food placing surface 162. Due to this, put-in food 158 placed on food placing surface 162 of cooling material 150 is restricted from moving toward the rear side storing unit or storing part 163 over beyond cooling material 150 by the inertia generated by the opening and closing operations of door 121.

[0069] Further, food retaining module 161 may not only be arranged at the rear side of cooling material 150, but may alternatively be arranged at each of four sides so as to surround food placing surface 162, and in second embodiment, food retaining module 161 is consecutively arranged along an outer periphery of food placing surface 162.

[0070] Accordingly, in container 127 of freezing room 108 that is the storage room provided with cooling material 150, the front side section positioned toward door 121 side is distinctively used as the storage region having cooling material 150, and the section positioned toward the rear side (back side) beyond the storage region is distinctively used as storing part 163 that is the general region that is not provided with cooling material 150.

[0071] Further, border 127a between food retaining module 161 provided in the storage region with the cooling material and storing part 163 that is the general freezing region without the cooling material is formed smoothly via inclined part 127b. Border section 127a and inclined part 127b are both parts of constituents of the container, and are formed integrally so as to strengthen the hardness, and this border 127a is also the fixing module that prevents the movement of cooling material 150 in cooperation with recess 160.

[0072] Cooling material 150 is capable of being attached and detached, and at the front side of recess 160 of container 127, includes attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 that is formed with a recessed part to which the user's finger can be inserted upon attaching or detaching cooling material 150, and attachment and detachment holder 171 formed with a recessed part at the back side of the container opposite to this attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170. These are provided respectively for cooling material 150, and engage with cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 formed with a recessed part and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 formed with a protruding part.

[0073] In second embodiment, this cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 is composed by an injecting section through which a cooling liquid is injected into an outer body container of the cooling material.

[0074] Further, a line 3D-3D that connects this cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 extends through a center line of a cooling material with respect to its left and right direction.

[0075] Further, the upper surface of cooling material 150 constituted by freezing room 108 is provided at the lower surface of thermally insulated box body 101, and is positioned at the height of 800 mm from ground surface 152 by caster 151 for enabling refrigerator main body 102 to move easily and vegetable room 109 that is the storage room arranged below freezing room 108.

[0076] Furthermore, cooling material 150 is composed of a material having the latent heat of -15°C, which is a temperature that is lower than the freezing temperature of a general food to be frozen, lower than a temperature in the maximum ice crystal generating range, and higher than the temperature of freezing room 108, and has a width of 300 mm, a depth of 300 mm, and a thickness which becomes a height of 20 mm. The filling within cooling material 150 preferably has the quantity of heat having a quantity of heat corresponding to a quantity of an external temperature corresponding to a mass of the foods to be placed on the upper surface, e.g., a sum of the quantity of latent heat and a quantity of detectable heat from 30°C to -10°C. That is, when cooling material 150 is frozen, a complete melting in a normal use does not occur upon the input of the food in general.

[0077] Freezing room discharge opening 153 is a discharge opening for the cooled air for cooling freezing room 108 to be discharged, and freezing room exhaust port 154 is an exhaust port through which the cooled air having cooled freezing room 108 is returned to evaporator 113 from freezing room 108. Supply duct 155 is a duct for the cooled air for cooling refrigerating room 107 to flow through.

[0078] Inside container 127, frozen food 157 that already is stored and newly inputted put-in food 158 placed on the upper surface of cooling material 150 are stored.

[0079] Further, with respect to horizontal height 163a of storing part 163 of the freezing region in which frozen food 157 is stored in container 127, horizontal height 162a of food placement part 162 of the freezing region in which put-in food 158 is stored is arranged at a higher position.

[0080] Furthermore, the cooled air supplies and circulations for the cooling of refrigerating room 107 and vegetable room 109 are not depicted, however, the cooled air supplies and circulations are performed by a cooled air passage that is different from the cooled air passage for cooling the freezing room.

[0081] Regarding the refrigerator of second embodiment configured as above, its operation will hereinbelow be described.

[0082] Cooling material 150 and frozen food 157 are cooled to the predetermined temperature of freezing room 108, which is -20°C and frozen. As shown in the figures, when door 121 is opened and put-in food 158 is placed on food placing surface 162 of cooling material 150, the cooling of put-in food 158 is started immediately from after the input by the heat thereof being taken away by cooling material 150 frozen at -20°C. Further, the external air that had flown into container 127 is also cooled by cooling material 150; the air inside container 127 is maintained at a low temperature compared to the conventional technique, and by this low temperature air also, put-in food 158 is cooled.

[0083] Further, in the case where door 121 is opened and frozen food 157 that has been stored exists on food placing surface 162 of cooling material 150, cooling material 150 cools frozen food 157, and cooling material 150 cools the external air flowing into container 127, and the periphery of frozen food 157 is maintained at a low temperature compared to the conventional technique. Moreover, the warming due to the thermal interference from put-in food 158 can be suppressed compared to the conventional technique.

[0084] Thereafter, as shown in the figures, when door 121 is closed, the detecting module not depicted determines that door 121 has been closed, and the operation of the freezing cycle not shown in the figures is started; at a same time as the refrigerant flows in evaporator 113 and the cooled air is generated, fan 114 is driven, and the cooling is started by the circulation of the cooled air. The cooled air is supplied to freezing room 108 from freezing room discharge opening 153, and cools frozen food 157 and put-in food 158. At this occasion, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are cooled by both of the cooled air flowing in the periphery thereof and cooling material 150 from their lower surface. A part of the cooled air is also used to cool cooling material 150. However, the cooling of freezing room 108 is performed when it is higher than the predetermined temperature of -20°C, thus, the temperature difference with the latent heat temperature of -15°C of cooling material 150 being small, the cooled air is used mainly for cooling the foods. Moreover, the cooled air flows through the inside of container 127 by an air-flow structure not shown in the figures. At this occasion, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are placed on food placing surface 162 of cooling material 150 and cover thereof, thus, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are primarily cooled. Here, as frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 get closer to the latent heat temperature of -15°C of cooling material 150, the weight of the cooled air being used to cool cooling material 150 is increased. However, when frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are e.g. fish or meat, their freezing temperature is around 0°C, and their maximum ice crystal generating range is in most cases in between 0°C to -10°C, and in this temperature range, the majority of the cooled air cools frozen food 157 and put-in food 158. In addition to the cooling by this cooled air, with the cooling by cooling material 150, the maximum ice crystal generating range is quickly passed over.

[0085] Accordingly, as in the case where container 127 is drawn outside from refrigerator main body 102 with door 121 being opened and cooling material 150 being exposed to the external air, the warming of frozen food 157 stored with the inside of container 127 being cooled by cooling material 150 can be suppressed, and put-in food 158 that had been put in and the external air having flown in are cooled by cooling material 150, and thus, the freezing in a short period of time becomes possible.

[0086] Further, since cooling material 150 has a large heat capacity, a part of moisture in the external air accompanied by the inflow of the external air by the opening and closing of door 121 condenses or forms frost on cooling material 150. When a time until a subsequent opening and closing of door 121 is long, such is sublimated or evaporated by the cooling air circulating by the cooling operation and is removed from the surface of cooling material 150, and a highly moist air forms frost on evaporator 113, a dehumidified low-temperature air is again circulated in the periphery of cooling material 150 and thereby removes moisture from cooling material 150; by such circulation of the cooled air during the cooling operation, the moisture and frosts that had adhered to the surface of cooling material 150 are removed. However, when the subsequent opening and closing of door 121 is performed within a short period of time, i.e., a case in which a food is put in by opening door 121 in a state where the moisture and frosts that had adhered by the previous opening and closing of door 121 still remain on cooling material 150, especially when the food has a relatively low-temperature, in closing door 121 after having input put-in food 158, by the repulse thereof, put-in food 158 is prone to slip on cooling material 150. Further, thereafter, the moisture existing in between that food and cooling material 150, i.e., the frost and ice cannot easily be sublimated or evaporated due to the cooled air not being able to flow therethrough easily, and are left remaining thereon. When door 121 is opened again in the state where such are remaining, the food may possibly slip due to the repulse thereof. As stated above, even in an occasion where a force that moves cooling material 150, frozen food 157, or put-in food 158 toward the rear side by a slippage is generated by the performing of the opening and closing of door 121 roughly or frequently, cooling material 150 makes contact with border 127a that is the fixing module, and frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 makes contact with food retaining module 161. Accordingly, cooling material 150 is prevented from moving toward rear storing part 163 by border 127a that is the fixing module, and frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are prevented by food retaining module 161 of cooling material 150 moving from food placing surface 162 to storing part 163, and it stops at a position above food placing surface 162. Moreover, the movements of cooling material 150, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 toward the front side are all prevented by a front side wall of container 127.

[0087] According to this, in addition to being able to prevent deviation of put-in food 158 from food placing surface 162 accompanied by the movement of cooling material 150, the movement of put-in food 158 itself by the slippage can be prevented; in spite of the repulse due to the opening and closing of door 121, the heat of frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 can be absorbed by cooling material 150 efficiently, and the suppression of the warming and the shortening of cooling time upon the input of the food are possible.

[0088] As stated above, in second embodiment, food retaining module 161 is arranged on food placing surface 162 for placing the food on the upper surface of cooling material 150, and has a shape that projects upward than food placing surface 162 at the opposite side of door 121 side, which is on the rear side of cooling material 150. Due to this, put-in food 158 placed on food placing surface 162 of cooling material 150 is prevented from moving to storing part 163 that is the storing part located in the rear side of cooling material 150 by the opening and closing operation of door 121.

[0089] Further, food retaining module 161 is arranged at each of four sides so as to surround food placing surface 162, and in second embodiment, food retaining module 161 is consecutively arranged along the outer periphery of food placing surface 162; and by having the outer body formed with resin as in second embodiment, in a case where the food placing surface has a small coefficient of friction and have a structure in which the food is easily slipped and the food is slipped to multi-direction with the opening and closing of the drawer, by having food retaining module 161 formed at all of the four sides of the food placement part, the movement of put-in food 158 by its slippage can be suppressed, and even if there is the repulse of the opening and closing of door 121, the heat of put-in food 158 can be absorbed by cooling material 150 efficiently, and the suppression of the warming and the shortening of cooling time upon the input of the food are possible.

[0090] Note that, with a structure in which door 121 is a drawer type door and container 127 is drawn out to the outside of the refrigerator, cooling material 150 arranged in container 127 is easily exposed to the external air, the condensation and frost-forming on cooling material 150 becomes significant, and the possibility of the food slippage is increased; thus, the effect of preventing the slippage of foods by border 127a, recess 160, and food retaining module 161 which are fixing modules of second embodiment are especially effective.

[0091] Further, border 127a between food retaining module 161 provided in the storage region with the cooling material and storing part 163 that is the general freezing region without the cooling material is formed smoothly via inclined part 127b; in other words, it does not form a right-angle step in the general freezing region section, and thus, a drag in the air passage in the flowing direction of the cooled air from the rear surface side can be decreased, and the cooled air can be flown smoothly to the storage region having cooling material 150 on the lower stream thereof. Due to not having a structure that hinders the flow of the cooled air from the rear to the front of the stepped section, etc., occurrences such as the cooled air from the storing part for storing warm items being reversely flown to storing part 163 which is the freezing region by a generation of swirls in the flow of the cooled air can be suppressed, and the cooling efficiency can further be improved.

[0092] Further, in second embodiment, with respect to horizontal height 163a of storing part 163 of the freezing region in which frozen food 157 is stored in container 127, horizontal height 162a of food placement part 162 of the storing region in which put-in food 158 is stored is arranged at the higher position. Due to this, even when put-in food 158 to be inputted onto the food placing surface is a food having a relatively high temperature, a warm air does not flow downward but flows upward, thus, in a case where the warm air is generated above the food placing surface, the warm air can be prevented from flowing at least to horizontal height 163a of the storage surface of storing part 163, and the thermal influence to frozen food 157 stored in storing part 163 of the freezing region from put-in food 158 can further be decreased.

[0093] Further, cooling material 150 is capable of being attached and detached, and at recess 160, includes attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 that is formed with the recessed part to which the user's finger can be inserted upon attaching or detaching cooling material 150, and attachment and detachment holder 171 formed with the recessed part at the container on the opposite side of this attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170. These are engaged with cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 formed with the recessed part formed in cooling material 150 and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 formed with the protruding part respectively, and can be used satisfactorily upon the attachment and detachment, and a positioning in the attachment can surely be performed. That is, in a state where cooling material 150 is attached to recess 160, by attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 on a container 127 side being communicated by their recessed shapes, the user can insert his or her finger therein, and the convenience in the usage is thereby improved. Moreover, by cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 being inserted within attachment and detachment holder 171 arranged on container 127 side, the positioning in attaching the cooling material can surely be made, and in the case of detaching the cooling material also, these attachment and detachment holder s become a fulcrum points so that the cooling material can be detached easily; the convenience in the usage is thereby improved.

[0094] In second embodiment, this cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 is composed by the injecting section through which the cooling liquid is injected into the outer body container of the cooling material, thus, cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 is formed by even more reasonable configuration.

[0095] Further, the line 3D-3D that connects this cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 extends through the center line of the cooling material with respect to its left and right direction, the cooling material can be attached and detached without having its weight biased toward either the left or the right, thus, a smoother feeling in the attachment and detachment can be provided to the user.

[0096] Further, as in second embodiment, the arranged height of cooling material 150 arranged in container 127 of door 121 is 800 mm, and thus, the position of door 121 is also located around 800 mm; due to door 121 being located within 500 mm to 1200 mm which is a height at which a person in general can relatively operate easily, a man-oriented force can easily be applied, and the repulse accompanied in opening and closing door 121 may become large, thus, the effect of preventing a food slippage by border 127a, recess 160, and food retaining module 161, which are fixing modules of second embodiment, is especially effective.

[0097] Note that, in second embodiment, as a supplemental structure for the user to insert his or her finger upon the attachment or detachment of cooling material 150 attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 are formed, and as a retaining structure for ensuring smoother attachment and detachment, cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 is provided in attachment and detachment holder 171, however, both of these may not necessarily be provided; in accordance with the needs of the user and structures of the storage rooms and cooling material 150, e.g., an application of attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 that is the supplemental structure for inserting a finger and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 being limitedly formed may limitedly be made, and as the retaining structure for ensuring smoother attachment and detachment, an application of arranging only cooling material attachment/detachment holder 173 in attachment and detachment holder 171 may limitedly be made.

[0098] Further, as the structure for inserting the finger to the cooling material, in second embodiment, a combination of attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 on container 127 side and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 on cooling material 150 side had been used, however, e.g., an attachment and detachment assisting structure in which the finger can easily be caught only by cooling material 150 may be provided, and the attachment and detachment thereof may be smoothed.

[0099] Similarly, as the retaining structure for ensuring smoother attachment and detachment, cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 having the protruding part structure on the cooling material side is arranged in attachment and detachment holder 171 having the recessed part structure on container 127 side, however, so long as these members are engaged by the protrusion and the recess, it is not limited to the aforementioned combination.

(Third Embodiment)

[0100] Hereinbelow, third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the figures.

[0101] Note that, in third embodiment, parts that are identical to the structures and technical concepts explained in first and second embodiments will be omitted of the detailed description, and for structures to which the identical technical concepts can be applied, a configuration of a combination of technical contents and configurations described in first and second embodiments can be realized.

[0102] Fig. 5 shows a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator of third embodiment of the present invention. Note that the present invention is not limited by this third embodiment.

[0103] In Fig. 5, the height of projection 156 on the freezing region side to which cooling material 150 is not provided, i.e. the rear surface side of cooling material 150 of recess 160, is configured higher than food placing surface 162 of cooling material 150, and in addition to the function as the fixing module, it also has the function as food retaining module 161 for suppressing the movement of the foods placed on cooling material 150.

[0104] Regarding the refrigerator configured as above, its operation will hereinbelow be described.

[0105] In the case where the slippage of frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 toward the rear side due to the opening and closing operation of door 121 has occurred, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 run into projection 156 that projects more toward the upper side than food placing surface 162, and remain placed on food placing surface 162 without having to move to storing part 163.

[0106] Due to this, even if there is a vibration due to the opening and closing of door 121, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are cooled by having their heat efficiently taken away by cooling material 150, the prevention of the warming and the shortening of the cooling time upon the input of the food are possible. Moreover, since projection 156 that is the fixing module is a part of the bottom surface of the resin of container 127 being protruded upward, it may e.g. be integrally molded in the resin molding of container 127, thus, it is possible to include the fixing module and the food retaining module having a high hardness by the simple structure and the integral molding.

(Fourth Embodiment)

[0107] Fig. 6A is a cross sectional side view of primary parts of a refrigerator of fourth embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 6B is a perspective view of a container including a cooling material of fourth embodiment, Fig. 6C is a perspective view of the cooling material of fourth embodiment, Fig. 6D is a cross sectional view along a 6D-6D direction of the cooling material of fourth embodiment, Fig. 7 is a cross sectional side view of the primary parts of the refrigerator in fourth embodiment, and Fig. 8 is a cross sectional side view of the primary parts of fourth embodiment.

[0108] Note that, in fourth embodiment, parts that are identical to the structures and technical concepts explained in first to third embodiments will be omitted of the detailed description, and for structures to which the identical technical concepts can be applied, a configuration of a combination of technical contents and configurations described in first to third embodiments can be realized.

[0109] As shown in Figs. 6A to 6D, cooling material 150 which is the cooling member having the cooling function is disposed on door 121 side of the inner bottom part of container 127 located on the upper side of freezing room 108 that is composed by two room levels. Further, projection 156 which is a fixing module for preventing cooling material 150 to move in connection with the opening and closing of the door is provided. Protruding section 156 aims to prevent the movement in the front and rear direction, which is the opening and closing direction of door 121, and as such, it is formed such that its longitudinal direction becomes the left and right direction, which is perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of door 121.

[0110] Further, the resin casing of cooling material 150 includes a relatively flat food placing surface 259 for placing foods on the upper surface thereof, and absorption part 260 that projects upward in the periphery of food placing surface 259 while surrounding food placing surface 259. This absorption part 260 has the function as the food retaining module that suppresses the movement of the foods placed on cooling material 150. Moreover, the food placing surface includes marker 259a that is a center of a placement part for placing food, and in marker 259a, at a rear side than a center line 6D-6D in the front and rear direction that is the opening and closing direction of the drawer of the food placing surface, marker center 259b that is a center part of marker 259a is positioned.

[0111] Further, on an upper wall surface facing marker 259a, noncontact detecting module 280 such as an infrared sensor is provided, and this noncontact detecting module is provided at a position facing the food placing surface. That is, marker 259a is provided at the rear side on the center line 6D-6D in the front and rear direction that is the opening and closing direction of the drawer of the food placing surface, and noncontact detecting module 280 is positioned on a projected plane in the up and down direction of this center line 6D-6D. That is, marker center 259b that is the center part of marker 259a and noncontact detecting module 280 coincide with each other along a projected line in the up and down direction.

[0112] An inner space of absorption part 260 which is the food retaining module contains gas 258 at an upper side, and has a capacity that can store a majority of gas 258 within the inside of absorption part 260 even in a case where cooling material 150 is tilted for 5°. Due to this, in a case where cooling material 150 is horizontally arranged with an inclination within 5° with respect to the horizontal direction, gas 258 does not exist below food placing surface 259, and a majority thereof is filled with the cooling material (may also be referred to as heat accumulating material, "coolant" hereinbelow) 257.

[0113] Accordingly, in fourth embodiment, a part of gas 258 that is generated inside cooling material 150 in forming the food retaining module is proficiently used, and a reasonable structure of forming the food retaining module is realized.

[0114] Further, cooling material 150 is capable of being attached and detached, and includes attachment/detachment auxiliary part 170 that is formed with the recessed part to which the user's finger can be inserted upon attaching or detaching cooling material 150, and attachment and detachment holder 171 formed with the recessed part at the container on the opposite side of this attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170. These are engaged with cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 formed with the recessed part formed in cooling material 150 and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 formed with the protruding part respectively, and can be used satisfactorily upon the attachment and detachment, and the positioning in the attachment can surely be performed. That is, in the state where cooling material 150 is attached to recess 160, by attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 on container 127 side being communicated by their recessed shapes, the user can insert his or her finger therein, and the convenience in the usage is thereby improved. Moreover, by cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 being inserted within attachment and detachment holder 171 arranged on container 127 side, the positioning in attaching the cooling material can surely be made, and in the case of detaching the cooling material also, these attachment and detachment holder s become the fulcrum points so that the cooling material can be detached easily; and the convenience in the usage is thereby improved.

[0115] Further, in fourth embodiment, attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 having this part to which the user's finger can be inserted are arranged such that they are arranged on the right side when the user opens the storage room provided with cooling material 150. That is, due to attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 being arranged on the right side, a structure in which an operation by a general right-handed user in attaching or detaching cooling material 150 can be further smoothed and the taking out is made easier is realized.

[0116] Further, by configuring the outer body of cooling material 150 that is the member having the cooling function with resin, the finger of the user does not adhere to the cooling member upon the attachment and detachment, and a structure in which the operation in attaching or detaching cooling material 150 is made safer and smoother, and the taking out is made easier is realized.

[0117] Further, in fourth embodiment, this cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 is composed by the injecting section used when the cooling liquid is injected into the outer body container of the cooling material, thus, cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 is formed by even more reasonable configuration.

[0118] Further, the line 6C-6C that connects this cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 extends through the center line of the cooling material with respect to its front and rear direction, the cooling material can be attached and detached without having its weight biased toward either the front or the rear, thus, a smoother feeling in the attachment and detachment can be provided to the user.

[0119] Further, the height dimension to the top surface of cooling material 150 constituted by freezing room 108 is set to be 800 mm above from ground surface 152 by caster 151 for enabling refrigerator main body 102 arranged at the lower surface of thermally insulated box body 101 to move easily and vegetable room 109 arranged below freezing room 108.

[0120] Freezing room discharge opening 153 is the discharge opening from which the cooled air for cooling freezing room 108 is discharged, and freezing room exhaust port 154 is the exhaust port for the cooled air having cooled freezing room 108 returns from freezing room 108 to evaporator 113. Supply duct 155 is the duct for the cooled air for cooling refrigerating room 107 is to pass through.

[0121] Cooling material 150 is arranged at the bottom of container 127, the front surface of cooling material 150 is arranged to make contact with a front inner surface of container 127 on door 121 side, the rear surface of cooling material 150 is arranged to make contact with a front surface of projection 156 that is the fixing module protruding from the bottom part of container 127, and thereby is fixed so as not to move in the front and rear direction.

[0122] Further, in cooling material 150, coolant 257 and gas 258 exist within the air-tight resin casing. Gas 258 is air. The resin casing is a blow molded product made of polyethylene having an outer dimension of a width of 300 mm, a depth of 300 mm, a height of 20 mm, and a thickness of 1.5 mm. Coolant 257 is a material that has the latent heat of -15°C, which is lower than the freezing temperature of the general food to be frozen, lower than the temperature in the maximum ice crystal generating range, and higher than the temperature of freezing room 108. Its quantity of filling is the amount corresponding to the mass of the foods to be placed on the upper surface, e.g., having the quantity of heat having the quantity of latent heat corresponding to the sum of the quantity of the latent heat and the quantity of detectable heat from 30°C to -10°C. Therefore, when cooling material 150 is frozen, the complete melting does not occur upon the input of the food in general.

[0123] Container 127 includes storing part 263 that is the general storage space, i.e. the freezing region at behind projection 156.

[0124] In container 127, frozen food 157 that already had been stored and put-in food 158 that has newly been input are placed.

[0125] Further, although the cooled air supplies and circulations for the cooling of refrigerating room 107 and vegetable room 109 are not depicted, they are constituted by a cooled air passage that is different from the cooled air supply passage that cools the storage room having the cooling material and being capable of being set in the freezing temperature range.

[0126] Regarding the refrigerator configured as above, its operation will hereinbelow be described.

[0127] Cooling material 150 and frozen food 157 are cooled to and frozen at -20°C, which is the predetermined temperature for freezing room 108. As shown in Fig. 6A, when door 121 is opened and put-in food 158 of 5°C corresponding to the refrigerating temperature is placed on food placing surface 259 of cooling material 150, from immediately after the input, the heat of put-in food 158 is taken away by cooling material 150 of -20°C, and the cooling thereof is started. At this occasion, cooling material 150 is warmed to -15°C from -20°C that is a detectable heat range due to the heat absorption, and a part thereof is melted while having a temperature difference with put-in food 158 at -15°C that is a latent heat range. Moreover, the external air that had flown into container 127 is also cooled by cooling material 150, and the air inside container 127 is maintained at a lower temperature than in the conventional technique, and even by this low-temperature air, put-in food 158 is cooled. In this occasion, coolant 257 of cooling material 150 is warmed to -15°C from -20°C that is the detectable heat range due to the heat absorption, and a part thereof is melted while having an appropriate temperature difference in -15°C that is the latent heat range so as to perform heat exchange with put-in food 158 and the flown-in external air. In a case where the cooling material is not a latent heat type, the temperature difference is curtailed as the heat exchange is progressed by the lowering of the temperature of put-in food 158 due to its cooling and the warming of the cooling material, and takes time until put-in food 158 is cooled to the predetermined temperature, however, in fourth embodiment, by using cooling material 150 having the latent heat temperature of -15°C, a large temperature difference can be secured during the heat exchange to about -10°C, which becomes the maximum ice crystal generating range that relates to the freezing quality of put-in food 158, and the maximum ice crystal generating range can be quickly passed over. Moreover, since the latent heat temperature is higher than the freezing room temperature of -20°C, a heat exchange temperature difference that is required for freezing cooling material 150 can be secured.

[0128] Further, when door 121 is opened and if there is frozen food 157 already stored, cooling material 150 cools the external air that flows into container 127, and the periphery of frozen food 157 is maintained at a lower temperature compared to the conventional technique. Moreover, the thermal interference from put-in food 158 can be suppressed compared to the conventional technique.

[0129] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 7, when door 121 is closed, the temperature of put-in food 158 is detected by noncontact detecting module 280 such as the infrared sensor, etc., and if it is over a certain temperature, it is determined that a rapid freezing should be performed, and the operation of the freezing cycle (not depicted) is started; at the same time as the refrigerant flows in evaporator 113 and the cooled air is generated, fan 114 is driven, and the cooling is started by the circulation of the cooled air. As stated above, in fourth embodiment, the temperature of put-in food 158 is detected by noncontact detecting module 280, and when it is over the certain temperature, the operation of the rapid freezing is automatically started.

[0130] Accordingly, the cooled air is supplied from freezing room discharge opening 153 to freezing room 108, and rapidly cools frozen food 157 and put-in food 158. At this occasion, put-in food 158 is cooled by both the flowing cooled air and the cooling from food placing surface 259 of cooling material 150. Due to this, even when put-in food 158 with a relatively high temperature is put in, by performing the rapid freezing automatically and quickly, the thermal influence to frozen food 157 that already had been stored can be prevented; and as a result, the temperature of entire container 127 of the freezing room is prevented from affecting other parts. By focusingly cooling high-temperature put-in food 158 by both cooling material 150 and the low-temperature cooled air, a freezing load on the refrigerator as a whole is rapidly decreased, it becomes possible to realize an energy-saving and high-quality freezing preservation.

[0131] Further, a part of the cooled air is used to cool cooling material 150. However, since the cooling of freezing room 108 is performed in the case of being higher than -20°C, which is the predetermined temperature, the temperature difference with the latent heat temperature of -15°C of cooling material 150 is small; thus, the cooled air is mainly used for the cooling of the foods. Moreover, the flow of the cooled air is circulated in container 127 via the air-flow structure not shown in the figures. At this occasion, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are placed on food placing surface 259 of cooling material 150 and cover thereof, thus, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are primarily cooled. Here, as frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 get closer to the latent heat temperature of -15°C of cooling material 150, the weight of the cooled air being used to cool cooling material 150 is increased. However, when frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are e.g. fish or meat, their freezing temperature is around 0°C, and their maximum ice crystal generating range is in most cases in between 0°C to -10°C, and in this temperature range, the majority of the cooled air cools frozen food 157 and put-in food 158. In addition to the cooling by this cooled air, with the cooling by cooling material 150, the maximum ice crystal generating range is quickly passed over.

[0132] Accordingly, as in the case where container 127 is drawn outside from refrigerator main body 102 with door 121 being opened and cooling material 150 being exposed to the external air, the warming of frozen food 157 stored with the inside of container 127 being cooled by cooling material 150 can be suppressed, and put-in food 158 that had been put in and the external air having flown in are cooled by cooling material 150, and are frozen in a short period of time.

[0133] Further, a part of the moisture in the external air accompanied by the inflow of the external air by the opening and closing of door 121 condenses or forms frost on cooling material 150. When the time until the subsequent opening and closing of door 121 is long, such is sublimated or evaporated by the cooling air circulating by the cooling operation and is removed from the surface of cooling material 150, and the highly moist air forms frost on evaporator 113, the dehumidified low-temperature air is again circulated in the periphery of cooling material 150 and thereby removes the moisture from cooling material 150; by such circulation of the cooled air during the cooling operation, the moisture and frosts that had adhered to the surface of cooling material 150 are removed. However, when the subsequent opening and closing of door 121 is performed within a short period of time, i.e., the case in which the food is put in by opening door 121 in the state where the moisture and frosts that had adhered by the previous opening and closing of door 121 still remain on cooling material 150, especially when the food has a relatively low-temperature, in closing door 121 after having input put-in food 158, by the repulse thereof, put-in food 158 is prone to slip on food placing surface 259. Further, thereafter, the moisture existing in between that food and cooling material 150, i.e., the frost and ice cannot easily be sublimated or evaporated due to the cooled air not being able to flow therethrough easily, and are left remaining thereon. When door 121 is opened again in the state where such are remaining, the food may possibly slip due to the repulse thereof. As stated above, even in the occasion where the force that moves cooling material 150, frozen food 157, or put-in food 158 toward the rear side by slipping is generated by the performing of the opening and closing of door 121 roughly or frequently, cooling material 150 is not moved for being fixed by projection 156 of container 127, which is the fixing module. Moreover, projection 156 that is the fixing module for preventing cooling material 150 to move in connection with the opening and closing of the door aims to prevent the movement in the front and rear direction, which is the opening and closing direction of door 121, and as such, it is formed such that its longitudinal direction becomes the left and right direction, which is perpendicular to the opening and closing direction of door 121. Hence, the movement of cooling material 150 in connection with the opening and closing of door 121 can surely be suppressed.

[0134] Further, since frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 run into protruding absorption part 260 of cooling material 150, the movement from food placing surface 259 to storing part 263 on the rear side can be prevented thereby, and can be efficiently cooled on food placing surface 259.

[0135] Further, the food placing surface includes marker 259a that is the center of the placement part for placing food, and in marker 259a, at a rear side than the center line 6C-6C in the front and rear direction that is the opening and closing direction of the drawer of the food placing surface, marker center 259b that is the center part of marker 259a is positioned. Even if put-in food 158 is moved by the inertia accompanying a stuck of the drawer, when put-in food 158 that was in the vicinity of marker center 259b is moved, it encourages put-in food 158 to be positioned within the food placing surface.

[0136] Accordingly, the movement of cooling material 150, frozen food 157, and put-in food 158 toward the front is prevented by the front side wall of container 127. Thus, the movement of frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 due to slipping can be suppressed, and even if there is repulse due to the opening and closing of door 121, the heat of frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 is efficiently absorbed by cooling material 150, and the suppression of the warming of frozen food 157 and the shortening of the cooling time for put-in food 158 are possible.

[0137] Further, in fourth embodiment, attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 which are the part to which the finger of the user is to be inserted are arranged on the right side when the user opens the storage room provided with cooling material 150. That is, due to attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 being arranged on the right side, it is in the structure that the operation by the general right-handed user in attaching or detaching cooling material 150 can be further smoothed and the taking out is made easier. Attachable and detachable cooling material 150 realizing a universal design that further takes into consideration the convenience of the user can be provided.

[0138] Moreover, in fourth embodiment, in the case where put-in food 158 having a relatively high temperature is put in, by performing the rapid freezing automatically and quickly, the thermal influence to frozen food 157 that already had been stored can be prevented; and as a result, the temperature of entire container 127 of the freezing room is prevented from affecting other parts. By focusingly cooling high-temperature put-in food 158 by both cooling material 150 and the low-temperature cooled air, the freezing load on the refrigerator as a whole is rapidly decreased, it becomes possible to realize the energy-saving and high-quality freezing preservation.

[0139] Moreover, in a state where coolant 257 of cooling material 150 is completely melted, e.g., just after purchase or by a long-term stoppage of power supply, a liquid surface thereof is positioned at absorption part 260 that is positioned above food placing surface 259. Thereafter, by cooling, coolant 257 freezes with expansion in its volume. This expansion in the volume is absorbed by gas 258 inside absorption part 260 and coolant 257 freezes with its liquid surface raising, it becomes difficult for gas 258 for absorbing the expansion that becomes an hindrance to heat conduction to exist in food placing surface 259. Furthermore, since a deformation of food placing surface 259 due to the freezing expansion is decreased, and the contact with frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 can be maintained satisfactorily. That is, absorption part 260 is for absorbing a volume change that accompanies a phase transformation of the heat accumulating material. Due to this, frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are cooled efficiently, and the suppression of the warming of frozen food 157 and the shortening of the cooling time upon the input of a food are possible.

[0140] Note that, in the structure in which door 121 is a drawer type door and container 127 is pulled out to the outside of the refrigerator, cooling material 150 arranged in container 127 is easily exposed to the external air, and the condensation and frost-forming on cooling material 150 becomes significant, and the possibility of the food slippage is increased. Thus, the effect of suppressing the food slippage by absorption part 260 of fourth embodiment is especially effective therefor.

[0141] Further, as in fourth embodiment, the arranged height of cooling material 150 arranged in container 127 of door 121 is 800 mm, and thus, the position of door 121 is also located around 800 mm; due to door 121 being located within 500 mm to 1200 mm which is the height at which a person in general can relatively operate easily, the man-oriented force can easily be applied, and the repulse accompanied in opening and closing door 121 may become large, thus, the effect of preventing the food slippage by absorption part 260 of fourth embodiment is especially effective.

[0142] Note that, in fourth embodiment, noncontact detecting module 280 is positioned at the position facing marker 259a, however, even if they do not coincide with each other, so long as noncontact detecting module 280 is positioned on one of projected planes in the up and down direction of the center line 6D-6D, detecting by noncontact detecting module 280 can surely be performed even if the food is moved upon opening and closing the door. Preferably, the noncontact detecting module is provided at the center part of the food placing surface, and marker 259a is provided at the rear side of the food placement part; such configuration is preferable, because in the state where the door is closed, noncontact detecting module 280 is positioned to the front side in the front and rear direction than the center part 259b of marker 259a, hence, even if put-in food 158 is moved by the inertia accompanying the stuck of the drawer, due to the forward movement of put-in food 158 which was placed near marker center 259b already having been assumed, put-in food 158 will be positioned within an accurate detecting scope of noncontact detecting module 280, and the temperature detecting of put-in food 158 can be performed with even higher accuracy.

(Fifth Embodiment)

[0143] FIG. 9A is a side sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator in a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9B is a perspective view of a cooling material in the fifth embodiment. FIG. 9C is a side view taken along 9C-9C of the cooling material in the fifth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram of comparison between freezing time in quick freezing and freezing time in freezing in other ways in the fifth embodiment.

[0144] In the fifth embodiment, the detailed description on the same part in the configurations and technical ideas described in the first to fourth embodiments will not be repeated. With respect to configurations to which similar technical ideas can be applied, a configuration obtained by combining the techniques and configurations described in the first to fourth embodiments can be realized.

[0145] In FIGS. 9A to 9C, freezing room 303 as a part of a storage room of refrigerator main body 302 constructed by thermally insulated box body 301 is defined from a refrigerating room 306 and vegetable room 307 having different temperature zones by an upper insulating partition 304 on the upper side and a lower insulating partition 305 on the lower side. An opening in the front face of freezing room 303 is provided with a partition 308 connecting the right and left ends of the opening.

[0146] In a cold air generating room 309 provided at the rear face of freezing room 303, an evaporator 310 for generating cold air and a fan 311 for supplying and circulating the cold air to refrigerating room 306, freezing room 303, and vegetable room 307 are placed. In a lower space of evaporator 310, a heater 312 for defrosting which is energized at the time of defrosting is disposed. A cold air distributing room 319 is provided on the rear side of freezing room 303, and cold air discharge ports 321 and 322 are provided so as to be continued from cold air distributing room 319. To cold air discharge ports 321 and 322, the air cooled to low temperature by evaporator 310 is directly supplied. Cold air discharge port 321 or 322 serves as a discharge port of the cold air supplied from evaporator 310 via the shortest path.

[0147] An opening in the front face of freezing room 303 is provided with doors 323 and 324 by which freezing room 303 is closed so that the cold air does not flow from freezing room 303. Each of doors 323 and 324 is a drawer-type door. In the case of taking food in and out, doors 323 and 324 are used to be pulled to the front side of the refrigerator, that is, to the left direction in FIG. 9A. On the rear side of doors 323 and 324, frame members 325 and 326 are provided, respectively. On frame members 325 and 326, upper container 327 and lower container 328 are put, respectively.

[0148] Cooling promoting member 329 is placed on the bottom of upper container 327. Cooling promoting member 329 is a cooling material 329a, and its melting temperature is generally set to -15 °C which is rather lower than the freezing temperature of food to be frozen, lower than the temperature of the zone of maximum ice crystal formation, and higher than the temperature of freezing room 303. The filling amount of cooling material 329a is set to an amount at which cooling material 329a does not completely melt even in the case where food is input and placed on cooling material 329a.

[0149] Outer skin of the cooling material 329a is formed of a metal having high thermal conductivity and high corrosion resistance, such as aluminum.

[0150] On the outline of the top face of cooling material 329a, a bubble pool 329c for removing air included in an outline container of cooling material 329a from food placement part 329b as a face on which food and cooling material 329a are in contact is provided. Specifically, since bubble pool 329c is positioned on the upper side of food placement part 329b in the vertical direction (gravity direction), in the case of putting a cooling material, a coolant 329d in cooling material 329a moves downward due to the gravity force, and air included in the outline container of cooling material 329a moves to bubble pool 329c positioned on the upper side. Consequently, the coolant is reliably in contact with the inner face of food placement part 329b, so that the thermal conduction efficiency of food placement part 329b can be further enhanced.

[0151] To make coolant 329d reliably come in contact with the inner face of food placement part 329b, uppermost part 329da of coolant 329d in the case where cooling material 329a is mounted horizontally and frozen is positioned above at least inner face side 329ba of the outer container of the cooling material of food placement part 329b.

[0152] Further, cooling material 329a is detachable, and has a cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 372 formed as a recess in cooling material 329a in which a finger of the user can be inserted at the time of attaching and detaching cooling material 329a to and from the container and a cooling material attachment and detachment holder 373 formed as a projection. Attachment and detachment holder 373 engages with the recess formed in the container side, thereby enabling attachment and detachment and positioning of the cooling material to be performed with reliability. For example, when the user attaches/detaches cooling material 329a, bubble pool 329 can be always positioned on the upper side by the positioning of cooling material 329a. Therefore, coolant 329d is reliably in contact with almost the entire inner face of food placement part 329b, so that the thermal conductivity of food placement part 329b can be further enhanced.

[0153] In the fifth embodiment, cooling material attachment/detachment auxiliary part 372 is formed as an injection part used at the time of injecting coolant 329d as a cooling solution into the outline container of the cooling material.

[0154] The line 9C-9C connecting cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 372 and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 373 extends on a center line in the horizontal direction of the cooling material.

[0155] Bubble pool 329c has the function of food holding means for holding food so that the food does not go out from food placement part 329b. In the fifth embodiment, the food holding means is provided continuously along the four sides so as to surround the outer periphery of food placement part 329b. In the case where the coefficient of friction of the food placement part is low and food easily slips since cooling material 329a is made of resin and forms the outline as in the fifth embodiment, even if the food slides in multiple directions as the drawer door is opened or closed, since the food holding means is formed in all of the four sides of the food placement part, movement due to sliding of the food itself is suppressed. Even when there is a repulse of opening or closing of the door or the like, heat of the put-in food is efficiently absorbed by the cooling material, and suppression of temperature rise and shortening of cooling time when food is put is possible.

[0156] In a lower part of the rear face of freezing room 303, a cold air suction port 330 for sucking cold air and guiding it to evaporator 310 is provided.

[0157] Food items 331 are put on cooling material 329a and stored by a hand of the user.

[0158] The operation and action of the refrigerator constructed as described above will be described below.

[0159] First, after power-on, the operation of a not-shown refrigeration cycle is started, refrigerant is distributed to evaporator 310, and cold air is generated. The generated cold air is sent by fan 311 to cold air distributing room 319, distributed from cold air discharge ports 321 and 322, and discharged into freezing room 303.

[0160] Freezing room 303 is cooled to predetermined temperature by the cold air discharged into freezing room 303 and, simultaneously, cooling material 329a is also cooled. At this time, the temperature of freezing room 303 is adjusted to a temperature at which food can be frozen and stored for a certain period, for example, -20 °C. Cooling material 329a whose melting temperature is set to -15 °C which is higher than the setting temperature of the storage room by about 5 °C is used. Consequently, freezing room 303 is sufficiently cooled and, after lapse of predetermined time, cooling material 329a is completely frozen.

[0161] Cold air which cooled the inside of the freezing room 303 enters cold air generating room 309 from cold air suction port 330 and is cooled again by evaporator 310.

[0162] In the case where the user tries to store food 331, the user performs operation of pulling door 323 to the front side of the refrigerator, that is, to the left side in FIG. 9A. Since frame member 325 is fixed to door 323, accompanying the operation of pulling door 323, frame member 325, upper container 327 mounted on frame member 325, and cooling material 329a mounted on the bottom of upper container 327 are simultaneously pulled. The user performs an operation of placing food 331 on cooling material 329a and closing door 323. When the temperature of freezing room 303 rises due to opening of door 323 and input of food 331 whose temperature is higher than that of freezing room 303, the refrigerator temperature rising is detected by refrigerator temperature detecting means (not shown), the operation of the refrigeration cycle is adjusted by control means (not shown), and operation of cooling freezing room 303 again to predetermined temperature is performed.

[0163] Cold air discharge port 321 is disposed above upper container 327, and cold air is discharged from cold air discharge port 321 toward the opening in the top face of upper container 327. Food 331 stored on cooling material 329a is cooled by heat transfer of the cold air discharged from cold air discharge port 321 and, simultaneously, the heat is also directly taken from cooling material 329a itself. That is, by performing the cooling by combination of heat conduction and heat transfer, as compared with the case where only upper container 327 is provided without cooling material 329a, food 331 can be frozen at higher speed in energy-saving manner.

[0164] Further, since cooling material 329a which directly cooled food 331 can be cooled from downward by cold air discharge port 322, cold air as cooling means is cooled by low-temperature cold air discharged from the plurality of discharge ports; cold air discharge port 321 positioned above food placement part 329b, and cold air discharge port 322 positioned below cooling material 329a. Conselquently, even in the case where the temperature of cooling material 329a rises or cooling material 329a melts when food having relatively high temperature is put on cooling material 329a, the capability of quickly cooling the food can be recovered and the cooling capacity can be maintained.

[0165] Further, in the fifth embodiment, the cold air cooled to low temperature by evaporator 310 is directly supplied to cold air discharge ports 321 and 322. Cold air discharge port 322 serves as a discharge port of cold air supplied via the shortest path from evaporator 310, and cold air discharge port 321 serves as a discharge port of the second-shortest path from evaporator 310. With the configuration, the cold air of the lowest temperature among low-temperature cold airs in the refrigerator are supplied to cold air discharge ports 321 and 322, and the cooling means is formed by low-temperature cold air with further reduced heat loss. Therefore, the capability of quick cooling is improved.

[0166] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, cooling is performed by the plurality of cooling means of the low-temperature cold air from cold air discharge port 321 as cooling means and the low-temperature cold air from cold air discharge port 322. Moreover, the cooling is performed more quickly by cooling material 329a as a cooling promoting member.

[0167] In addition, the storage rooms are positioned on the upper and lower sides of freezing room 303 in which quick cooling is performed in the zone of maximum ice crystal formation. With the configuration, as compared with a refrigerator having a storage configuration such that freezing room 303 whose upper or lower part is in contact to the outside via a thermal insulator is positioned in the uppermost or lowermost part, also in the case where the cold air of quick cooling is leaked by thermal conduction via a thermally insulated wall, the cold air of the quick cooling is used to cool the storage rooms such as refrigerating room 306 or vegetable room 307. Therefore, energy saving can be realized in the entire refrigerator.

[0168] Considering the case where food 331 is already stored and frozen in upper container 327 and food 331 of high temperature is additionally put in upper container 327, as compared with the case where there is no cooling material 329a, by the direct cooling action of cooling material 329a, the thermal influence on food 331 stored and frozen is suppressed, and temperature rise can be suppressed.

[0169] By using cooling material 329a as cooling promoting member 329, the temperature of the face which is in contact with food can be arbitrarily set by selecting a cooling material, and the cooling maintenance temperature can be arbitrarily selected in accordance with storage environment temperature.

[0170] The melting temperature of cooling material 329a is generally set to -15 °C as a temperature which is lower than the freezing temperature of food 331 to be frozen, lower than the temperature of the zone of maximum ice crystal formation, and higher than the temperature of freezing room 303 by about 5°C, so that cooling material 329a can be frozen with reliability. The latent heat of the highest cooling maintenance capability of cooling material 329a can be used to cool food and, generally, the temperature difference from put-in food of around room temperature can be increased. Therefore, the heat conductivity between cooling material 329a and food can be improved, and the speed of freezing food 331 can be improved.

[0171] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, the food cooling speed is improved by cooling material 329a as the cooling promoting member and, further, cooling material 329a is cooled by the low-temperature cold air directly supplied from evaporator 310 from above and below. With the configuration, the cooling speed comparable to that of an industrial refrigerator whose freezing temperature is -60 °C which cannot be conventionally realized by a general household refrigerator can be obtained.

[0172] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing comparison of freezing time between the quick cooling in the fifth embodiment and the freezing of other methods.

[0173] The test overview of an experiment of FIG. 10 is as follows.

[0174] A test object is lean tuna fish of 200g, having a thickness of 2 cm and wrapped. In the test method, the object on a cooling material (-15 °C freezing, 810g, and outer skin thickness of 1.3 mm) is quickly frozen by cold air always supplied from above and below by the novel refrigeration as the method of the fifth embodiment. From the quick freezing, the object on an aluminum plate is quickly frozen by cold air always supplied from above. The object on the aluminum plate is quickly frozen (1TFC upper quick-freezing space at 25 °C) by the cold air always supplied from above, frozen at -60 °C, and put in a chest freezer of Yasuda Denki Co., Ltd. as an industrial refrigerator.

[0175] According to FIG. 10, as the cooling speed of the "novel refrigeration" in which the cooling material as the configuration of the fifth embodiment is used and the cold air as the cooling means is supplied from both above and below, the time from the time point when the temperature of food reaches 0 °C to the time point when the temperature reaches -5 °C as a temperature in the zone of maximum ice crystal formation was 60 minutes. It is the half of 120 minutes of the normal freezing, and 3/5 of 100 minutes of the conventional quick freezing. The speed is largely improved, and the cooling speed is comparable to or slightly higher than that of an industrial refrigerator having a freezing temperature of -60 °C which is the same as that of a general industrial freezer.

[0176] As described above, even a household refrigerator can realize cooling speed comparable to that of an industrial refrigerator whose freezing temperature is -60 °C, and can perform quick cooling with saved energy. In an actual household refrigerator, conspicuous effects are obtained in a practical configuration and an energy consumption amount.

[0177] The qualities of food as a result of realizing the cooling speed comparable to that of an industrial refrigerator as the freezing temperature of -60 °C by a household refrigerator as described above are compared by FIGS. 11A to 11C.

[0178] FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C are SEM pictures of cells of the tuna used in the above-described experiment. FIG. 11A shows the cells frozen at -60 °C by a Yasuda chest freezer as an industrial refrigerator. FIG. 11B shows the cells frozen by cold air always supplied from above and below on the cooling material (frozen at -15 °C, 810g, and outer skin thickness of 1.3 mm). FIG. 11C is the cells frozen by cold air always supplied from above on the plate so as to adjust to the freezing temperature setting from normal freezing.

[0179] When those cell tissues are observed, the sizes of the cells of the tuna frozen in the industrial refrigerator of -60 °C are almost uniform, and destruction of cell walls positioned between the cells is hardly seen. In the quick freezing of the fifth embodiment, although some tissues in which the cell walls positioned between cells are slightly adhered are seen, the sizes and the like of the cells are almost the same. In contrast, the cells of the tuna which is normally frozen collapse largely and are irregular cells largely different from those of FIGS. 11A and 11B.

[0180] As described above, it is understood that, in the quick cooling of the fifth embodiment, although freezing quality is lower than that of an industrial refrigerator of -60 °C, energy saving is realized and freezing quality which is almost equal to that of an industrial refrigerator of -60 °C can be realized by a general household refrigerator.

[0181] It can be realized by the direct cooling effect produced by thermal conduction of the cooling material as the cooling promoting member and the quick cooling performed by a plurality of cooling means which cool food and the cooling material simultaneously from above and below. The invention produces a wonderful practical effect that freezing quality can be improved to a degree almost comparable to that of an industrial refrigerator of -60 °C as described above, by a simpler refrigerator configuration with reduced energy consumption.

[0182] FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C show experimental results in the case of cooling just-cooked rice by the quick cooling with the configuration of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 12A shows time required for the quick freezing. FIG. 12B shows a result of sensory evaluation by comparison of taste between just-cooked rice and rice frozen by the quick freezing. FIG. 12C shows a result of comparison of water content between just-cooked rice and rice frozen by the quick freezing.

[0183] The test overview of an experiment of FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C is as follows. A test object is rice of 170g (volume: 70 mm x 80 mm x 35 mm), wrapped, and stored for seven days. In the test method, the object is cooled from both upper and lower faces on a cooling material like in the fifth embodiment. The object is put in at 40 °C, wrapped, naturally cooled until the core temperature becomes 40 °C (outside temperature 25 °C) and, after that, quickly frozen on the cooling material.

[0184] Next, wrapped just-cooked rice of 70 °C is put in and after that, quickly frozen on a cooling material. The rice frozen by the above-described method is stored for seven days and, after that, thawed by being warmed in a microwave at 600W for three minutes.

Sensory evaluation: 7-stage relative evaluation (blank: novel refrigeration) sensory evaluations made by ten persons (N = 10)

[0185] As a result of evaluations on the experiment, a more preferable result in the sensory evaluation was obtained in the case of quickly freezing the just-cooked rice of 70 °C as it is (novel refrigeration) than the case of cooling just-cooked rice to room temperature of 40 °C and, then, quickly freezing the rice (novel refrigeration) (FIG. 11B).

[0186] As for water content, in the case where the just-cooked rice of 70 °C is quickly frozen as it is, the water content of 60% or higher was maintained like just-cooked rice. However, the water of the rice cooled to 40 °C and then quickly refrigerated decreased to 60% or less. It is considered that decrease in water exerts an influence on the texture (FIG. 11C).

[0187] In the result of the experiment, the water content of the just-cooked rice which was wrapped and then frozen is larger than that of the just-cooked rice. The reason is considered that by promptly wrapping rice, the air existing around the rice largely decreases, and evaporation of water from rice is suppressed more.

[0188] As described above, the freezing speed of food is expressed by the general formula of heat-transfer speed q = h (coefficient of heat transfer), A (contact area), Δt (temperature difference). In the case where both h and A are constant, the temperature difference between food 331 and cooling material 329a is the cause of changing the heat transfer speed. To maximize the temperature difference between cooling material 329a and food, make food completely frozen, and use the latent heat of melting having high cooling enduring strength for cooling, a cooling material having a latent heat of melting higher than the temperature of freezing room 303 by five degrees is selected.

[0189] In the case of selecting a cooling material of the cooling material, if the cooling material melts due to input of food having high temperature, the cooling efficiency largely deteriorates. Consequently, in a household refrigerator used in a standard home, it is conventionally difficult to select a cooling material having latent heat of melting higher than the temperature of freezing room 303 by five degrees due to deterioration in quality in the case where the cooling material melts. By employing the configuration of supplying cold air in the refrigerant temperature band of fresh air supplied from evaporator 310 from both upper and lower faces of cooling material 329a as in the fifth embodiment, the cooling material having a melting temperature closer to the refrigeration room temperature can be provided. In this case, as more reliable setting of the cooling material, by setting the melting temperature which is within 7 °C, desirably, within 5 °C from the highest setting temperature, as a reference, using the highest setting temperature among setting temperatures of freezing room 303 as a storage room, a cooling promoting member having higher cooling capability can be provided.

[0190] For the minimum cooling function of cooling material 329a, at the time of freezing 200g of wrapped tuna as food 331, for example, within 60 minutes, 460 kcal/mm2 or higher is necessary. For thickness, 0.63 kcal/mm or higher is necessary. Desirably, by using cooling material 329a having a cooling function of 1,040 kcal/mm2 or higher, even food 331 is five pieces of rice of 170g of 80 °C, it can be quickly frozen without increasing the temperature of freezing room 303.

[0191] As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, by employing the configuration of supplying cold air in the refrigeration temperature of fresh air supplied from evaporator 310 from upper and lower faces of cooling material 329a, without increasing the temperature of frozen food which is preliminarily stored in freezing room 303, even hot food 331 is put in, it can be quickly frozen.

[0192] In addition, since a bubble pool for removing air included in a container of cooling material 329a from a contact face between food and cooling material 329a is provided on the outline of the top face of cooling material 329a, the efficiency of thermal conduction between food and cooling material 329a can be improved, so that the food freezing speed can be improved. Since a projection and a recess are provided for the outer skin of cooling material 329a, the surface area of the cooling material can be increased, and heat-exchange capability between the cooling material and the cooling means can be improved. Consequently, even when cooling material 329 melts due to input of food or opening/closing of the door, time to re-freeze the cooling material can be shortened.

[0193] Although the outer skin of cooling material 329a is made of aluminum having excellent thermal conductivity, it may be made by resin molding. The resin molding is less expensive and easy and cooling material 329a can be easily handled at the time of transportation and manufacture.

[0194] By making the outer skin of cooling material 329a thin like an aluminum laminate film, the heat-transfer rate between the cooling material and food is made higher, and food freezing speed can be improved.

[0195] Although the refrigerator of the fifth embodiment having the configuration that cooling material 329a is mounted on the bottom of upper container 327 has been described, by opening a hole in a part of upper container 327 so that cold air from cold air discharge port 322 comes into direct contact with cooling material 329a, cooling material 329a can be cooled more quickly. The hole formed in upper container 327 may be formed in a part of the bottom face of upper container 327 or in a rear face of upper container 327 near cold air discharge port 322.

[0196] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, a refrigerator body having a storage room defined to be thermally insulated, a door from or to which food is put in or taken out from the storage room, a container for housing food, a cooling promoting member attached to at least one of the containers, and a plurality of cooling means for cooling the cooling promoting member and the inside of the storage room are provided. With the configuration, rise in temperature in the container can be minimized by relatively large heat capacity of the cooling promoting member. In addition, temperature rise in a direct contact part is small, so that the speed improvement effect of directly cooling housed food by the cooling promoting member can be maintained. Even in the case where the temperature of the cooling promoting member rises due to input of food, by having a plurality of cooling means, re-refrigeration time can be shortened.

[0197] In the fifth embodiment, a plurality of cold air discharge ports for transmitting cold air into the storage room are provided. By the cold air sent from the cold air discharge ports, the cooling promoting member can be cooled efficiently from both above and below.

[0198] In the fifth embodiment, the cold air discharge ports are provided in upper and lower part in the container to which the cooling material is attached, so that the cooling promoting member can be cooled more efficiently.

(Sixth Embodiment)

[0199] In the sixth embodiment, the detailed description on the same part in the configurations and technical ideas described in the first to fifth embodiments will not be repeated. With respect to configurations to which similar technical ideas can be applied, a configuration obtained by combining the techniques and configurations described in the first to fifth embodiments can be realized.

[0200] FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator in a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 13, door 324 provided for an opening in the front face of freezing room 303 is a drawer-type door. In the case of taking food in and out, door 324 is used to be pulled to the front side of the refrigerator, that is, to the left direction in FIG. 13. On the rear side of door 324, frame member 326 is provided, on which lower container 328 is put. Further, in an upper part of lower container 328, middle container 332 is put. Accompanying the operation of pulling door 324, middle container 332 is pulled interlockingly with lower container 328. Further, middle container 332 can be slid in the upper part of lower container 328 in a predetermined range in the front and rear direction of the refrigerator and a lateral direction illustrated in FIG. 13.

[0201] In the rear face (right side in the diagram) of freezing room 303, cold air discharge port 333 is provided in addition to cold air discharge ports 321 and 322. Cold air discharge port 321 is disposed above upper container 327, cold air discharge port 322 is disposed below upper container 327 and above middle container 332, and cold air discharge port 333 is disposed below middle container 332 and positioned above the upper end of the rear side face of lower container 328.

[0202] Cooling material 329a as cooling promoting member 329 is placed on the bottom of middle container 332.

[0203] Since the other configuration is similar to that of the fifth embodiment, its description will not be repeated.

[0204] The operation and action of the refrigerator constructed as described above will be described below.

[0205] Cold air discharge port 321 is disposed above upper container 327. First, Cold air is discharged from cold air discharge port 321 toward an opening in the top face of upper container 327 to cool the inside of upper container 327.

[0206] Cold air discharge port 322 is positioned below upper container 327 and between upper and middle containers 327 and 332. Cold air is discharged from cold air discharge port 322 toward an opening in the top face of middle container 332.

[0207] Food 331 housed on cooling material 329a is cooled by the cold air discharged from cold air discharge port 322 and heat of food 331 is taken directly from the cooling material itself. In this case, as compared with the case where only middle container 332 is provided without cooling material 329a, food 331 can be frozen more quickly.

[0208] Cold air discharge port 333 can directly cool cooling material 329a from below, which melts after directly cooling food 331. Therefore, the capability of quickly cooling food is reset promptly, and capability can be continued.

[0209] In the case where food 331 is already housed and freeze-stored in middle container 332 and high-temperature food is additionally put in middle container 332, the thermal influence on food 331 already frozen and stored is suppressed and temperature rise can be suppressed more than the case where there is no cooling material 329a.

[0210] The refrigerator of the sixth embodiment having a configuration that cooling material 329a is put on the bottom of middle container 332 has been described. By opening a hole in a part of middle container 332 so that cold air from cold air discharge port 333 comes into direct contact with cooling material 329a, cooling material 329a can be cooled more quickly. The hole formed in middle container 332 may be formed in a part of the bottom face of middle container 332 or in a rear face of middle container 332 near cold air discharge port 333.

[0211] The position in the vertical direction of cold air discharge port 333 may be any position as long as cold air flows to the bottom of middle container 332 and does not always have to be below upper container 327. For a similar reason, the positions in the vertical direction of cold air discharge ports 333 and lower container 328 may be any positions as long as cold air flows to the bottom of middle container 332 and do not always have to be above middle container 332.

[0212] In the case where the user opens door 324 to store food, the user performs operation of pulling door 324 to the front side of the refrigerator, that is, to the left side in the drawing. Since frame member 326 is fixed to door 324, accompanying the operation of pulling door 324, frame member 326, lower container 328 mounted on frame member 326, and middle container 332 mounted on lower container 328 are simultaneously pulled. After storing food in lower container 328 or middle container 332, the user performs an operation of closing door 324. When the temperature of freezing room 303 rises due to opening of door 324 and input of food 331 whose temperature is higher than that of freezing room 303, the refrigerator temperature rising is detected by refrigerator temperature detecting means (not shown), the operation of the refrigeration cycle is adjusted by control means (not shown), and operation of cooling freezing room 303 again to predetermined temperature is performed.

[0213] During operation of the refrigerator, at a timing of defrosting of periodically removing frost adhered to evaporator 310, to minimize thermal influence on food housed in freezing room 303 of heat generation of heater 312 for defrosting, the operation of fan 311 is stopped during the defrosting period, and control of preventing inflow of high-temperature air to freezing room 303 is performed.

[0214] In the case where the defrosting timing and the opening of door 324 occur at the same timing, it is considered the temperature in lower container 328 and middle container 332 further increases due to inflow of room air by opening of the door in addition to the fact the temperature in freezing room 303 is higher than that in normal operation by the defrosting control. In particular, when door 324 is open, the temperature in middle container 332 which is more easily exposed to room air rises more than that in lower container 328 which is in a state where most part of the opening of the top face is closed with middle container 332. Also in such a case, since cooling material 329a is mounted in middle container 332, temperature rise in middle container 332 can be suppressed without positive circulation of cold air by relatively large heat capacity of cooling material 329a. Since cooling material 329 is positioned above lower container 328, when temperature of lower container 328 rises due to opening of the door, without positive circulation of cold air, the inside of lower container 328 can be cooled.

[0215] Since the other action and operation are similar to those in the case of the fifth embodiment, the description will not be repeated.

[0216] As described above, in the sixth embodiment, a refrigerator body having a storage room defined to be thermally insulated, a door from or to which food is put in or taken out from the storage room, a plurality of containers for housing food, and a cooling material attached to at least one of the containers. With the configuration, even in the case where the door is opened and room air flows in the container, temperature rise in the container or the contact face between cooling material 329a and food 331 can be minimized by relatively large heat capacity of the cooling material. Even in the case where cooling material 329a melts, since the cooling air ports are provided above and below, cooling material 329a can be cooled promptly. Further, by directly cooling stored food by cooling material 329a, freezing speed of housed food can be shortened.

[0217] Since a projection and a recess are provided for the outer skin of cooling material 329a, the surface area of the cooling material can be increased, and heat-exchange capability between the cooling material and the cooling means can be improved. Consequently, even when cooling material 329a melts due to input of food or opening and closing of the door, time to re-freeze cooling material 329a can be shortened.

[0218] In the sixth embodiment, by disposing a plurality of containers in the vertical direction in the storage room and attaching cooling material 329a as cooling promoting member 329 to the middle container in the containers, temperature rise in the middle container is suppressed and temperature rise in the lower container close to the cooling material can be simultaneously suppressed.

[0219] In the sixth embodiment, a plurality of cold air discharge ports for transmitting cold air to the inside of the storage room are provided. By the cold air transmitted from the discharge ports, the cooling material can be efficiently cooled from upper and lower faces.

[0220] In the sixth embodiment, the cold air discharge ports are provided above and below the container to which the cooling material is attached, and the cooling material can be cooled more efficiently.

[0221] In the fifth or sixth embodiment, in the case of storing cold energy in cooling material 329a, each of the rooms in the refrigerator is cooled by the cooling cycle of the refrigerator and reaches predetermined temperature. Using the capability of the cooling cycle when cooling becomes unnecessary, heat is accumulated. With the configuration, in the case where food is put in upper container 327 in the fifth embodiment and middle container 332 in the sixth embodiment, the food can be cooled not only by cooling in the maximum operation capability in the conventional cooling cycle but also the cooling capability of cooling material 329a as an example of the plurality of cooling means in which heat is already stored. Consequently, the food cooling speed can be drastically increased even in the cooling system of the same capability as that in the conventional technique. Cooling with the maximum operating ability in the conventional cooling cycle denotes, for example, cooling operation of a not-shown compressor or fan 311 with the maximum rotation number.

(Seventh Embodiment)

[0222] FIG. 14A is a side sectional view of a main part when a door of a refrigerator is open in a seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14B is a perspective view of a container in the seventh embodiment. FIG. 14C is a perspective view of a cooling material in the seventh embodiment. FIG. 14D is a side sectional view taken along 14D-14D of the cooling material in the seventh embodiment. FIG. 15 is a side sectional view of a main part when the door of the refrigerator is closed in the seventh embodiment operation. FIG. 16 is a side sectional view of a main part of a refrigerator in the seventh embodiment of the invention.

[0223] In the seventh embodiment, the detailed description on the same part in the configurations and technical ideas described in the first to sixth embodiments will not be repeated. With respect to configurations to which similar technical ideas can be applied, a configuration obtained by combining the techniques and configurations described in the first to sixth embodiments can be realized.

[0224] As shown in the drawings, cooling material 150 as the cooling promoting member having the cooling function is provided on the side of door 121 on the inner bottom of container 127 positioned in the upper one of two stages in freezing room 108. Container 127 is provided with projection 156 as fixing means that prevents cooling material 150 from being moved as the door is opened or closed. Since the purpose of projection 156 is to check movement in the front or rear direction as the open or close direction of door 121, projection 156 is formed so that the lateral direction which is in the direction orthogonal to the open/close direction of door 121 becomes a longitudinal direction. Since cooling material 150 is held by recess 160, recess 160 is also similarly fixing means.

[0225] A resin case as an outer container of cooling material 150 has relatively-flat food disposing surface 259 on which food is disposed and absorption part 260 projected upward so as to surround food disposing surface 259 around food disposing surface 259 and having the bubble pool. Absorption part 260 has the function of food holding means of suppressing movement of food mounted on cooling material 150. The food disposing surface has mark 259a as the center of the disposing part at the time of food disposing. Mark center 259b as the center part of mark 259a is positioned on the rear side of center line 14D-14D in the front-rear direction as the drawer opening or closing direction of the food disposing surface.

[0226] In an upper wall face facing the food disposing part, noncontact detecting means 280 such as an infrared light sensor is provided. The noncontact detecting means is provided in a center portion of the food disposing surface. That is, mark 259a is provided on the rear side of center line 14D-14D in the front-rear direction as the drawer opening or closing direction of the food disposing surface. In other words, noncontact detecting means 280 is positioned either one of projection faces in the vertical direction of center line 14D-14D. That is, noncontact detecting means 280 is not mounted so as to coincide with mark center 259b as the center part of mark 259a on a projection line in the vertical direction. In a state where the door is closed, noncontact detecting means 280 is positioned on the front side in the front or rear direction more than center part 259b of mark 259a.

[0227] In internal space of absorption part 260 as food retaining means of holding food in the food disposing part even in the case food is moved by opening or closing the drawer, a part where gas 258 exists is positioned in upper bubble pool. Even in the case where cooling material 150 tilts by 5 °, the capacity that most of gas 258 can be stored in absorption unit 260 is assured. Consequently, in the case of mounting cooling material 150 horizontally at a tilt of 5° or less in the horizontal direction and freezing is performed, gas 258 does not exist under food disposing surface 259 and almost entire face is filled with coolant 257.

[0228] As described above, in the seventh embodiment, utilizing the part of gas 258 well, which is formed in cooling material 150 at the time of forming food retaining means, the food disposing means is formed rationally.

[0229] Further, the bubble pool has the function of food retaining means of holding food so that food does not move from food disposing surface 259. The air bubbles are disposed in all of four sides so as to surround food disposing surface 259. In the seventh embodiment, the food retaining means is continuously provided along the entire outer periphery of food disposing surface 259. With the configuration, in the case where the outer body is formed by resin, so that the friction coefficient of the food disposing part is low and food easily slips like in the seventh embodiment, even if food slides in multiple directions as the drawer door is opened or closed, since the food retaining means is formed in all of four sides of the food disposing part, movement of food due to sliding of the food itself can be suppressed. Even if there is a repulse of opening or closing of the door or the like, heat of the put-in food is efficiently absorbed by the cooling material, and suppression of temperature rise and shortening of cooling time when food is put is possible.

[0230] Further, cooling material 150 is detachable and has attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 formed as a recess in which a finger of the user can be inserted at the time of attaching and detaching cooling material 150 to or from container 127 and attachment and detachment holder 171 formed as a recess in a container on the opposite side via attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material 150. When cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 formed in a recess shape and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 formed in a projection shape are engaged with each other, the usability at the time of attachment and detaching is high, and positioning at the time of attachment can be performed reliably. That is, since attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 on the side of container 127 and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 are communicated with each other via the recesses in a state where cooling material 150 is attached in recess 160, a finger of the user can be inserted, and the usability at the time of attachment and detachment is improved. Further, since cooling material attachment and detaching holder 173 is inserted in attachment and detaching holder 171 formed on the side of container 127, reliable positioning can be performed in the case of attaching the cooling material. Also in the case of detaching the cooling material, the attachment and detaching holders serve as supporting points, and the cooling material can be easily detached. Therefore, usability of the users can be further improved.

[0231] In the seventh embodiment, attachment and detachment auxiliary part 170 and cooling material attachment and detaching auxiliary part 172 as a part in which a finger of the user is inserted are mounted so as to be positioned on the right side in the case where the user opens the storage room having cooling material 150. That is, since the attachment and detachment auxiliary part and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 are formed on the right side of the storage room, the operation of a general right-handed user who attaches and detaches cooling material 150 becomes smoother and cooling material 150 is easily taken.

[0232] Further, by using resin for the outer body of cooling material 150 as the cooling member having the cooling function, a finger of the user is not adhered to the cooling material at the time of attachment and detachment. Therefore, the operation of attaching and detaching cooling material 150 becomes safer and smoother, and cooling material 150 is easily taken out.

[0233] Further, in the seventh embodiment, cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 is formed by an injection part used to inject the cooling material as a cooling solution into the outer container of the cooling material, so that cooling material attachment/detachment auxiliary part 172 is formed by a more rational configuration.

[0234] The line 14D-14D connecting cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 and cooling material attachment and detachment holder 173 extends a center line in the front or rear direction of the cooling material. Consequently, the cooling material can be attached and detached without deviation in the front or rear direction of weight of the cooling material. Thus, smoother attachment and detachment can be given to the user.

[0235] The height to the upper end face of cooling material 150 provided in freezing room 108 from ground surface 152 is set to 800 mm by caster 151 provided on the under face of thermally insulated box body 101 and making refrigerator body 102 easily movable and vegetable room 109 mounted below freezing room 108.

[0236] Freezer room discharge ports 153a and 153b are discharge ports for discharging cold air for cooling freezing room 108 and disposed in the longitudinal direction while sandwiching the cooling material. Freezer room exhaust port 154 is an exhaust port from which the cold air which cooled freezing room 108 returns from freezing room 108 to evaporator 113. Supply duct 155 is a duct in which the cold air for cooling refrigerating room 107 passes.

[0237] Cooling material 150 is mounted at the bottom of container 127, and the front face of cooling material 150 is disposed so as to be in contact with the inner face on the front side as the side of door 121 of container 127. The rear face of cooling material 150 is projected from the bottom of container 127 and is disposed in contact with the front face of projection 156 as fixing means for preventing the cooling material from moving in the front/rear direction, thereby being fixed so as not to be moved in the front or rear direction.

[0238] In cooling material 150, coolant 257 and gas 258 exist in a sealed resin case. Gas 258 is air. The resin case has, as outside dimensions, a width of 300 mm, a depth of 300 mm, and a height of 20 mm and is a blow-molding product made of polyethylene resin having a thickness of 1.5 mm. Coolant 257 is a material having a latent heat at -15 °C as a temperature lower than freezing temperature of general food to be frozen, lower than temperature in the zone of maximum ice crystal formation, and higher than temperature of freezing room 108. The fill amount is an amount corresponding to the volume of food disposed on the top face and has, for example, a heat amount having a latent heat amount corresponding to the sum of a latent heat amount and a detectable heat amount from about 30 °C to -10 °C. That is, in the case where cooling material 150 is frozen, it does not completely melt at the time of inputting general food in normal use.

[0239] Container 127 has storing part 263 as a normal storage space, that is, a freezing region on the rear side of projection 156.

[0240] In container 127, frozen food 157 already stored and put-in food 158 newly input are placed.

[0241] As described above, a freezing region for storing frozen food 157 already stored is formed on the rear side in the refrigerator as the upstream side in the path of cold air flowed from freezing room discharge ports 153a and 153b. On the front side of the refrigerator as the downstream side, a food disposing part in which put-in food 158 which is newly input is mounted is positioned. In the seventh embodiment, the food disposing part is made of cooling material 150.

[0242] Border 127a between food retaining means provided for the housing region having the cooling material and a general freezing region having no cooling material is formed smoothly via inclined part 127b. In other words, a step having a right angle is not formed in the general freezing region. Consequently, the air path resistance is further decreased in the cold air flow direction from the rear side and the cold air can be smoothly passed to the housing region provided with the cooling material on the downstream side. The flow of cold air from the rear side of the step or the like to the front side is not changed. Therefore, for example, flow of the cold air from the housing region that houses warm air backward to storing part 263 as a freezing region due to an eddy or the like which occurs in the flow of the cold air is suppressed, and cooling efficiency can be further increased.

[0243] Although supply and circulation of cold air for cooling refrigerating room 107 and vegetable room 109 are not shown, they form as another air path independent of the cold air supply path for cooling the storage room which has a cooling material and can be set in the freezing temperature band. For example, a large amount of cold air performed by quick freezing does not directly flow to another storage room.

[0244] The operation of the refrigerator constructed as described above will be explained below.

[0245] Cooling material 150 as a cooling promoting member and frozen food 157 are cooled to -20 °C as predetermined temperature of freezing room 108 and frozen by cold air flowed from freezing room discharge ports 153a and 153b as cooling means. As shown in the diagram, in the case where door 121 is opened to put put-in food 158 of 5 °C corresponding to refrigeration temperature, on food disposing surface 259 made of cooling material 150 as the food disposing part, heat is taken from put-in food 158 immediately after input by cooling material 150 frozen at -20 °C, and cooling is started. At this time, in the case there the heat load on put-in food 158 is large, cooling material 150 rises from -20 °C in the detectable heat range by absorption of heat to -15 °C. While maintaining temperature difference from put-in food 158 at -15 °C in the latent heat range, a part starts melting.

[0246] Further, the outside air flowed in container 127 is also cooled by cooling material 150 and held to be lower temperature as compared with that of the conventional technique. Input food 158 is cooled also by the low-temperature air. At this time, coolant 257 of cooling material 150 rises from -20 °C in the detectable heat range by absorption of heat to -15 °C. While maintaining a moderate temperature difference for performing heat exchange with put-in food 158 at -15 °C in the latent heat range or outside air which flows in, a part starts melting. If the cooling material is not of the latent heat type, the temperature difference decreases as the heat exchange advances by temperature rise of the cooling material in addition to lowering of temperature by the cooling of put-in food 158, and it takes time to cool put-in food 158 to predetermined temperature. However, in the seventh embodiment, cooling material 150 having a latent heat temperature of -15 °C is used, at the time of performing heat exchange to about -10 °C in the zone of maximum ice crystal formation related to the freezing quality of put-in food 158, a large temperature difference is assured, and the zone of maximum ice crystal formation can be promptly passed. Further, since the latent temperature is higher than the freezing room temperature by about 5 °C, a heat exchange temperature difference necessary to freeze cooling material 150 can be assured.

[0247] In the case where there is frozen food 157 stored before at the time of opening door 121, cooling material 150 positioned forward cools outside air which flows in container 127, and the periphery of frozen food 157 is kept at lower temperature as compared with the conventional technique. Further, temperature rise caused by thermal interference is suppressed more largely as compared with the case where there is no cooling material.

[0248] After that, as shown in the diagram, when door 121 is closed, temperature of put-in food 158 is detected by noncontact detecting means 280 such as an infrared sensor. When it is detected that food whose temperature is higher than the storage room temperature is put, determination is made to perform quick freezing, and the operation of the refrigeration cycle (not shown) starts. When a refrigerant is distributed to evaporator 113, cold air is generated, simultaneously, fan 114 operates, and the cold air is circulated, quick freezing starts automatically. As described above, in the seventh embodiment, the temperature of put-in food 158 is detected by noncontact detecting means 280 and, then, quick freezing operation is started automatically.

[0249] By the operation, the cold air cooled by evaporator 113 is supplied from freezing room discharge ports 153a and 153b into freezing room 108 to quickly cool frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 from both above and below. At this time, put-in food 158 is cooled by both means of direct cooling by thermal conduction from cooling material 150 on food disposing surface 259 and indirect cooling by thermal conduction from cold air passed. By automatically promptly performing quick freezing operation when put-in food 158 having a relative high temperature is put in, as compared with the case where the user arbitrarily starts the quick freezing operation, freezing can be reliably realized at prompt speed. Since the quick freezing operation starts promptly and the food disposing part provided with the cooling material and in which put-in food 158 is put is positioned on the downstream side of cold air blown from freezing room discharge ports 153a and 153b, the temperature influence on frozen food 157 which is preliminarily stored in storing part 263 on the upstream side of cold air can be prevented. As a result, temperature of entire container 127 of the freezing room and the temperature of frozen food in the lower container are prevented from rising. By focusingly cooling put-in food having high temperature by both cooling material 150 and low-temperature cold air, the freezing load on the entire refrigerator is promptly decreased, and high-quality freezing storage can be realized in an energy saving manner.

[0250] Usually, in many cases, the low-temperature cold air is always discharged in the storage room in the freezing temperature zone. Even when the freezing room is sufficiently cooled, there is a case that the low-temperature cold air flows. Also in this case, the load amount of excessive cooling can be stored as it is in the cooling material, the energy-saving freezing room can be realized.

[0251] A part of the cold air is used also to cool cooling material 150. However, freezing room 108 is cooled in the case where temperature is higher than -20 °C as predetermined temperature. After cooling material 150 is frozen at the time it is initially input, the temperature difference from the latent heat temperature -15 °C of cooling material 150 is small. The cold air is mainly used to cool food. The cold air is passed into container 127 by a not-shown air passage configuration. At this time, put-in food 158 is put on food disposing surface 259 of cooling material 150 as a put-in food disposing part, so that put-in food 158 is mainly cooled. The more the temperature of put-in food 158 becomes close to -15 °C as the latent heat temperature of cooling material 150, the more the cold air is used for cooling of cooling material 150. For example, in the case where frozen food 157 or put-in food 158 is fish or meat, the freezing temperature is around 0 °C, and zone of maximum ice crystal formation is often up to -10 °C. In the temperature zone, put-in food 158 is focusingly cooled by a major part of the cold air. In addition to the cooling, by the direct cooling by heat conduction from cooling material 150, the zone of maximum ice crystal formation is passed promptly.

[0252] When container 127 is taken to the outside of refrigerator body 102 and cooling material 150 is exposed to the outside air like in the case where door 121 is open, temperature rise in frozen food 157 stored in cooled container 127 by cooling material 150 is suppressed. The put-in food 158 and the outside air which is flowed in are cooled by cooling material 150 and frozen in short time.

[0253] A part of moisture in outside air accompanying inflow of outside air when door 121 is opened forms dew or frost on cooling material 150. In the case where time to next opening of door 121 is long, the dew or frost is removed from the surface of cooling material 150 by being sublimated or evaporated by cold air circulating in the cooling operation. High-moisture air forms dew by evaporator 113, dehumidified low-temperature air is re-circulated and distributed around cooling material 150, and moisture and frost adhered to the surface of cooling material 150 is removed by circulation of cold air during cooling operation of removing moisture from cooling material 150. However, next opening of door 121 is performed in short time, that is, when the user opens door 121 and puts food in a state where moisture or frost which is adhered by opening of last time of door 121 remains on cooling material 150, particularly, if the temperature of the put-in food is relatively low, at the time of putting put-in food 158 and closing door 121, put-in food 158 easily slips on food disposing surface 259 by repulse of the closing. After that, cooling air is not easily distributed through moisture existing between the food and cooling material 150, that is, frost and ice, so that sublimation or evaporation does not easily occur, and the frost and ice tend to remain. When door 121 is opened again in the state where frost and ice remain, there is the possibility that the food slides by repulse. As described above, if a force of making cooling material 150, frozen food 157, and put-in food 158 slide and move rearward of container 127 is generated by the operation of opening/closing door roughly or frequently, cooling material 150 is fixed by projection 156 in container 127 so that it does not move. The purpose of projection 156 as fixing means to prevent cooling material 150 from moving accompanying opening or closing of the door is to check movement in the front or rear direction as the open or close direction of door 121. Consequently, since projection 156 is formed so that the lateral direction which is in the direction orthogonal to the open/close direction of door 121 becomes a longitudinal direction, movement of cooling material 150 accompanying opening or closing of door 121 can be reliably suppressed.

[0254] Since frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 come into collide with absorption part 260 projected in cooling material 150, movement from food disposing surface 259 to storing part 263 on the rear side can be prevented, and the food is smoothly cooled on food disposing surface 259, so that put-in food 158 can be quickly frozen more reliably.

[0255] The food disposing surface has mark 259a as the center of the mounting part at the time of food disposing. Mark center 259b as the center part of mark 259a is positioned on the rear side of center line 14D-14D in the front-rear direction as the drawer opening or closing direction of the food disposing surface. Consequently, even if put-in food 158 moves due to the inertia force accompanying closing the drawer, put-in food 158 existing around mark center 259b is prevented from moving forward and colliding door 121, and put-in food 158 is promoted to be positioned in the food disposing surface.

[0256] Further, in an upper wall face facing the food disposing part, noncontact detecting means 280 such as an infrared light sensor is provided. The noncontact detecting means is provided in a center portion of the food disposing surface. That is, mark 259a is provided on the rear side of center line 14D-14D in the front-rear direction as the drawer opening or closing direction of the food disposing surface. In other words, noncontact detecting means 280 is positioned either one of projection faces in the vertical direction of center line 14D-14D. That is, noncontact detecting means 280 is not mounted so as to coincide with mark center 259b as the center part of mark 259a on a projection line in the vertical direction. In a state where the door is closed, noncontact detecting means 280 is positioned on the front side in the front or rear direction more than center part 259b of mark 259a. Consequently, even when put-in food 158 moves due to the inertia force accompanying closing the drawer, since it is assumed that put-in food 158 existing around mark center 259b moves forward, put-in food 158 is positioned in an accurate detection range of noncontact detecting means 280, temperature of put-in food 158 can be detected more precisely and, further, precision of prompt quick cooling can be enhanced.

[0257] As described above, forward movement of cooling material 150, frozen food 157, and put-in food 158 is prevented by the front wall of container 127. Consequently, movement due to sliding of frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 is suppressed. Even there is a repulse of opening or closing of door 121, heat of frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 is absorbed by cooling material 50. Suppression of temperature rise and shortening of cooling time at the time of inputting food can be realized.

[0258] In the seventh embodiment, the attachment and detachment auxiliary part and cooling material attachment and detaching auxiliary part 172 as a part in which a finger of the user is inserted are mounted so as to be positioned on the right side in the case where the user opens the storage room having cooling material 150. That is, since the attachment and detachment auxiliary part and cooling material attachment and detachment auxiliary part 172 are formed on the right side of the storage room, the operation of a general right-handed user who attaches and detaches cooling material 150 becomes smoother and cooling material 150 is easily taken. Detachable cooling material 150 realizing universal design in which usability of the user is considered more can be provided.

[0259] Further, in the seventh embodiment, in the case where put-in food 158 having a relatively high temperature is put, by automatically promptly performing quick freezing operation, the speed of cooling the put-in food can be improved more reliably, and the temperature influence on pre-stored frozen food 157 in the periphery can be prevented. As a result, the influence of the temperature of entire container 27 of the freezing room is prevented from being exerted on the other part. By focusingly cooling put-in food 158 having high temperature by both cooling material 150 and low-temperature cold air, the freezing load on the entire refrigerator is promptly decreased, and high-quality freezing storage can be realized in an energy saving manner.

[0260] In the seventh embodiment, conventionally, quick freezing of about 150 minutes is performed regardless of food temperature. Consequently, by performing quick freezing more than necessary, the power consumption is often increased. In the present invention, food is frozen at a speed which is about three times as fast as that of conventional freezing after food is input. The food temperature is detected by an infrared sensor and, when it reaches the center temperature of -10 °C at which food deterioration hardly occurs, the quick freezing is stopped and normal freezing is performed. Thus, without deteriorating food, necessary quick freezing is performed in an energy-saving manner.

[0261] Therefore, by setting the end of automatic quick freezing at -10 °C which is higher than the normal freezing temperature zone, while maintaining freezing quality, automatic quick freezing can be performed with energy further saved. -10 °C is higher than -20 °C as the center temperature of the normal freezing temperature zone by about 10 °C.

[0262] As described above, although the quick freezing function is already employed in the conventional refrigerator, the use frequency is low. The reasons are that the starting operation by the user is necessary on start of quick freezing and the existence itself of the quick freezing function is not known. According to the present invention, the quick freezing function can be operated automatically without starting operation by the user, so that cooling with saved energy can be performed more promptly.

[0263] Since the conventional quick freezing time is almost constant or until the set temperature of the storage room, excessive cooling operation is performed even after food is frozen, and it causes increase in power consumption. In the present invention, by providing an infrared sensor of detecting food temperature, the automatic quick freezing is employed in which the center temperature is presumed from the surface temperature of food which is input, the quick freezing control is started automatically and, further, after passing the zone of maximum ice crystal formation, the quick freezing control is automatically finished. Thus, high-quality freezing can be realized with further saved energy.

[0264] By the hybrid cooling using both the cooling material and forced circulation of cold air, the freezing function having cooling speed equivalent to that of an industrial freezer of freezing to -60 °C is realized in an energy-saving manner by a household refrigerator using -40 °C for the lowest cold air, and freezing quality of food can be improved dramatically.

[0265] In a state where coolant 257 of cooling material 150 melts completely at the time of purchase or after long-term power stop or the like, the liquid level is at absorption part 260 positioned above food disposing surface 259. After that, by cooling, coolant 257 is frozen while volume expands. The volume expansion is absorbed by gas 258 in absorption part 260, and coolant 257 is frozen with the liquid level rising. Consequently, gas 258 for expansion absorption which disturbs heat conduction does not exist in food disposing surface 259 and, further, warp of food disposing surface 259 caused by freezing expansion is reduced. Therefore, the contact with put-in food 158 is smoothly maintained so that frozen food 157 and put-in food 158 are cooled efficiently.

[0266] As described above, coolant 257 of cooling material 150 is positioned in absorption part 260 as bubble pool in the vertical direction (upper side in the gravity direction) than food disposing surface 259 as the food disposing part. Consequently, in the case of mounting the cooling material, coolant 257 in the cooling material moves downward by the gravity force, and air included in the outer container of cooling material 150 moves to cooling material 257 as a bubble pool positioned above. Therefore, the cooling material is reliably in contact with the inner side of the outer container facing food disposing surface 259, and the thermal conductivity of food disposing surface 259 can be further increased.

[0267] In a structure that door 121 is of the pull type and container 127 is easily pulled to the outside of the refrigerator, cooling material 150 mounted in container 127 is easily exposed to outside air, formation of dew and frost on cooling material 150 increases, and the possibility that food slides increases. Therefore, the food sliding suppression effect in absorption part 260 in the seventh embodiment is particularly high.

[0268] As in the seventh embodiment, since the height from the mounting face of cooling material 150 provided in container 127 in door 121 is 800 mm, the position of door 121 is also about 800 mm, and door 121 is positioned in the range from 500 mm to 1,200 mm which is a height general persons can easily operate. Since the storage room in which quick freezing is performed automatically is positioned in a most usable position, the usability of users can be further improved. The door positioned in the range from 500 mm to 1,200 mm as a height at which human being relatively easily operates is susceptible to human power and the possibility that a repulse accompanying opening or closing door 121 is large is high. In the seventh embodiment, absorption part 260 as food retaining means of suppressing movement of food due to sliding of food at the time of closing the drawer door is particularly effective.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0269] As described above, the refrigerator of the present invention can minimize temperature rise in a container, and storage quality by directly cooling housed food can be assured. Therefore, the refrigerator can be also applied not only to a household refrigerator, but also to an industrial refrigerator and the like.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator main body having a storage room defined such that the room is thermally insulated;

a door through which food is placed in and removed from the storage room;

a container extending from an outer body of the storage room at the time of opening the door; and

a cooling material attached to the container.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cooling material is attached to the door side of the container.

3. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the cooling material has a detachable structure.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein at least a part of a container including the cooling material is positioned at a level of 600 mm to 1,200 mm from a mounting face of the refrigerator body.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cooling material is positioned at a top face of a bottom of the container.

6. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container is provided with fixing means that fixes the cooling material, and the cooling material is provided with food retaining means for preventing food from moving to a place other than the food disposing surface.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the fixing means is formed by a part of components of the container.

8. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cooling material has a food disposing surface in which the coolant mainly exists and on which the food is mounted, and an absorption part for absorbing a change in volume with a phase change in the coolant.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the absorption part is projected upward in an external periphery of the food disposing surface.

10. A refrigerator comprising:

a refrigerator main body having a storage room defined such that the room is thermally insulated;

a door through which food is placed in and removed from the storage room;

a container for holding the food;

a cooling promoting member attached to at least one of the containers and having a cooling function; and

a plurality of cooling means for cooling the cooling promoting member and the storage room.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of cold air discharge ports for sending cold air into the storage room are provided in the storage room, and the cooling promoting member is cooled by upper and lower faces with the cold air sent from the cold air discharge ports.

12. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the cold air discharge port is provided for each of an upper part and a lower part of the container to which the cooling promoting member is attached.

13. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the cooling promoting member is a cooling material.

14. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein an outer skin of the cooling material is made of a material having excellent heat conductivity.

15. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein a bubble pool is provided in the cooling material.

16. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the outer skin of the cooling material is provided with a projection and a recess, and the projection and the recess has the same thickness.

Drawing