SHIELDING DEVICE AND REFRIGERATOR COMPRISING SAME

Abstract

 The present invention aims to provide a shielding device (70) that occupies less volume of storage compartments, and a refrigerator (10, 100). The shielding device (70) is used to properly close air passages (109) for supplying cold air in the refrigerator (10, 100). The shielding device (70) comprises: a plurality of rotatable shielding walls (71, 711, 712, 713, 714, 715) disposed surrounding a blower (47) from radially outward, and a shielding wall driving mechanism (60) configured to drive the rotatable shielding walls (71, 711, 712, 713, 714, 715) to perform the opening or closing action. The shielding device (70) makes the air passages (109) in the open state by making the rotatable shielding walls (71, 711, 712, 713, 714, 715) tilt inwardly.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a shielding device and a refrigerator having the same, and particularly to a shielding device for properly closing air passages connecting a cooling chamber with storage compartments, and a refrigerator having the shielding device.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Conventionally, a refrigerator disclosed in patent document D1 (JP Patent Laid-open 2013-2664) is known in which a plurality of storage compartments are cooled properly by a cooler.

[0003] FIG 24 illustrates a refrigerator 100 disclosed in D1. In the refrigerator 100 shown in the figure, a refrigerating compartment 101, a freezing compartment 102 and a vegetable compartment 103 are formed in turn from top to bottom. A cooling chamber 104 accommodating a cooler 108 is formed on an inner side of the freezing compartment 102, an opening portion 106 is formed in a partition wall 105 which partitions the cooling chamber 104 from the freezing compartment 102, and the opening portion 106 is used to supply cold air to each storage compartment. In addition, a blower fan 107 for blowing cold air is disposed at the opening portion 106, and a blower cover 110 for covering the blower fan 107 is disposed on the side of the freezing compartment 102. A damper 114 is disposed in an air passage 109 through which the cold air supplied to the refrigerating compartment 101 flows.

[0004] The blower cover 110 is described in detail with reference to FIG 25. The blower cover 110 is formed with a recess 111 having a substantially rectangular shape, and an opening portion 113 is formed by notching an upper portion of the recess 111. Here, when the blower cover 110 covers the blower fan 107, the opening portion 113 of the blower cover 110 communicates with the air passage 109 on the side of the main body of the refrigerator.

[0005] During operation of the refrigerator 100 with the above configuration, when both the refrigerating compartment 101 and the freezing compartment 102 are cooled simultaneously, the blower cover 110 is separated from the blower fan 107, the damper 114 is opened, and the blower fan 107 rotates in this state. As such, part of the cold air cooled by the cooler 108 in the cooling chamber 104 is blown into the freezing compartment 102 by a blowing force of the blower fan 107. In addition, a remaining part of the cold air is blown into the refrigerating compartment 101 via the air passage 109, the damper 114 and the air passage 109. Thereby, both the freezing compartment 102 and the refrigerating compartment 101 are cooled.

[0006] On the other hand, when only the refrigerating compartment 101 needs to be cooled, the blower fan 107 is covered by the blower cover 110, the damper 114 is opened, and the blower fan 107 blows the cold air cooled by the cooler 108 in this state. When the blower cover 110 is in a closed state, the opening portion 113 formed in the upper portion of the blower cover 110 communicates with the air passage 109. Therefore, the cold air blown by the blower fan 107 is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 101 via the opening portion 113, the damper 114 and the air passage 109.

[0007] As described above, a plurality of storage compartments can be cooled with one cooler 108 by using the blower cover 110 formed with the opening portion 113.

[0008] However, the blower cover 110 having the abovementioned configuration closes the opening portion 106 of the cooling chamber 104 by moving backward, and opens the opening portion 106 of the cooling chamber 104 by moving forward. In addition, a driving mechanism for driving the blower cover 110 to move in a front-rear direction needs to be disposed.

[0009] The blower cover 110 needs a space for performing opening or closing action in the front-rear direction. Therefore, in the interior of the refrigerator 100, a large space is required to perform the opening or closing action of the blower cover 110. As a result, there occurs the following problem: an internal volume of the freezing compartment 102 formed in front of the blower cover 110 is reduced, and the amount of articles that can be accommodated in the freezing compartment 102 is limited. In addition, a driving sound is generated when the blower cover 110 is moved in the front-rear direction by a motor, and the driving sound might be uncomfortable to the user when it is loud.

SUMMARY

[0010] In view of the above situations, an object of the present invention is to provide a shielding that does not occupy the internal volume of the refrigerator and exhibits a small driving sound, and a refrigerator having the shielding device.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a shielding device, wherein the shielding device is configured to close air passages through which cold air is blown in a refrigerator, the shielding device comprising: rotatable shielding walls surrounding a blower from radially outward, and a shielding wall driving mechanism configured to drive the rotatable shielding wall to rotate, the rotatable shielding walls open the air passages by rotating radially inward until lying down, and close the air passages by rotating radially outward until standing up.

[0012] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the shielding device comprises: a disc-shaped rotary disk formed with moving shaft sliding slots; cams formed with moving shafts engaging with the moving shaft sliding slots and rotatably connected with the rotatable shielding walls; and a drive motor for driving the rotary disk to rotate, with the rotary disk rotating, the moving shafts slide in the moving shaft sliding slots, so that when the cams move radially inward, the rotatable shielding walls close the air passages; with the rotary disk rotating, the moving shafts slide in the moving shaft sliding slots, so that when the cams move radially outward, the rotatable shielding walls open the air passages.

[0013] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the shielding device is further comprises a support base formed with a cam-receiving portion, the rotatable shielding walls are rotatably mounted on the support base, and the cams are slideably received in the cam-receiving portion in the radial direction.

[0014] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, a space is formed between the blower and the rotatable shielding walls, and the space allows the rotatable shielding walls to tilt radially inward.

[0015] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerator, comprising: a freezing circuit having a cooler for cooling air to be supplied through air passages to storage compartments, a cooling chamber formed with an air blowing vent communicated with the storage compartments, the cooler being disposed in the cooling chamber, a blower configured to blow air supplied through the air blowing vent to the storage compartments, and the shielding device as mentioned above at least partially closing the air passages.

[0016] Effects of the present invention are as follows: in the shielding device according to the present invention, the rotatable shielding wall rotate radially outward to shield the air passages so that the direction in which the rotatable shielding walls shield is consistent with the direction of the air flow blown by the blower. Therefore, the airtightness upon shielding can be improved.

[0017] In addition, as compared with a conventional shielding device whose parts move in the depth direction, the shielding device according to the present invention can occupy less volume, and does not occupy the volume in the refrigerator.

[0018] In addition, according to the present invention, the movement direction of the cam is limited to the radial direction in the cam-receiving portion of the support base, so that the rotatable shielding walls can be preferably driven by the sliding action of the cam to open and close.

[0019] In addition, according to the present invention, when the rotatable shielding walls are in the open state, a space in which the rotatable shielding walls can tilt is ensured between the blower and the rotatable shielding walls. On the other hand, when the rotatable shielding walls are in the open state, a space in which cold air can circulate can be ensured between the rotatable shielding walls and the blower.

[0020] In addition, the volume in the refrigerator according to the present invention occupied by the shielding device can be reduced, a large effective volume of the storage compartments can be ensured. In addition, the resistance in the air passages of the shielding device is small, so a large amount of supplied cold air can be achieved with less energy, and the storage compartments can be cooled efficiently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] 

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing a structure nearby a cooling chamber of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a state after a shielding device used in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is assembled, wherein FIG. 4(A) is a perspective view, FIG. 4(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along a section line A-A, and FIG. 4(C) is a view showing the configuration of air passages as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 5 is a view of the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 5(A) is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 5(B) is an exploded cross-sectional view.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 6(A) is an exploded perspective view partially showing the shielding device, and FIG. 6(B) is a perspective view of a cam.

FIG. 7 is a view showing the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 7(A) is a view of rotatable shielding walls of the shielding device as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 7(B) is a view showing the configuration of a rotary disk as viewed from rear.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a fully-closed state of the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 8(A) is a view of the shielding device as viewed from the rear, FIG. 8(B) is a cross-sectional view of the shielding device taken along a section line B-B of FIG. 8(A), FIG. 8(C) is a view showing a rotary disk as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 8(D) is a partially-enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 8(B).

FIG. 9 is a view showing a fully-open state of the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 9(A) is a view showing the shielding device as viewed from the rear, FIG. 9(B) is a cross-sectional view of the shielding device taken along a section line C-C of FIG. 9(A), FIG. 9(C) is a view showing a rotary disk as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 9(D) is a partially-enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 9(B).

FIG. 10 is a view showing a state in which the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to a lower freezing compartment only as viewed from the rear, wherein FIG. 10(A) is a view showing the shielding device, and FIG. 10(B) is a view showing a rotary disk.

FIG. 11 is a view showing conditions of air passages when the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the lower freezing compartment only, as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a state in which the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to a freezing compartment only as viewed from the rear, wherein FIG. 12(A) is a view showing the shielding device, and FIG. 12(B) is a view showing a rotary disk.

FIG. 13 is a view showing conditions of air passages when the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the freezing compartment only, as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 14 is a view showing a state in which the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to an upper freezing compartment only as viewed from the rear, wherein FIG. 14(A) is a view showing the shielding device, and FIG. 14(B) is a view showing a rotary disk.

FIG. 15 is a view showing conditions of air passages when the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the upper freezing compartment as a whole only, as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 16 is a view showing a state in which the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention does not supply cold air, as viewed from the rear, wherein FIG. 16(A) is a view showing the shielding device, and FIG. 16(B) is a view showing a rotary disk.

FIG. 17 is a view showing conditions of air passages when the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention does not supply cold air, as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 18 is a view showing a state in which the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the refrigerating compartment only, as viewed from the rear, wherein FIG. 18(A) is a view showing the shielding device, and FIG. 18(B) is a view showing a rotary disk.

FIG. 19 is a view showing conditions of air passages when the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the refrigerating compartment only, as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 20 is a view showing a state in which the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the upper freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, as viewed from the rear, wherein FIG. 20(A) is a view showing the shielding device, and FIG. 20(B) is a view showing a rotary disk.

FIG. 21 is a view showing conditions of air passages when the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the upper freezing compartment and refrigerating compartment, as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 22 is a view showing a state in which the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the freezing compartment as a whole and the refrigerating compartment, as viewed from the arear, wherein FIG. 22(A) is a view showing the shielding device, and FIG. 22(B) is a view showing a rotary disk.

FIG. 23 is a view showing conditions of air passages when the shielding device according to the embodiment of the present invention supplies cold air to the freezing compartment as a whole and refrigerating compartment, as viewed from the rear.

FIG. 24 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a refrigerator as stated in the Background.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a blower cover used in the refrigerator as stated in the Background.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The figures are only for illustrative purposes and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention; to better illustrate the embodiments, some parts of the figures may be omitted, enlarged or reduced, and do not represent the dimensions of the actual product; those skilled in the art appreciate that some well-known structures in the figures and depictions thereof may be omitted.

[0023] Hereinafter, a shielding device 70 and a refrigerator 10 according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the figures. In the following depictions, the same component is denoted by the same symbol in principle, and repeated depictions will be omitted. In addition, in the following depictions, directions such as up, down, front, back, left and right are appropriately used, wherein left and right indicate left and right when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the rear. Furthermore, in the following depictions, rotation directions will be expressed by clockwise direction and counter-clockwise direction. These rotation directions indicate directions as viewed from a back side of the refrigerator 10. In addition, in the following depictions, the clockwise direction is sometimes referred to as a forward direction, and the counter-clockwise direction is sometimes referred to as a reverse direction.

[0024] FIG 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG 1, the refrigerator 10 has a heat-insulating cabinet 11 as a main body, and storage compartments for storing foods and the like are formed in the interior of the heat-insulating cabinet 11. As for the storage compartments, the uppermost layer is a refrigerating compartment 15, an upper freezing compartment 18 is below the refrigerating compartment 15, a lower freezing compartment 19 is below the upper freezing compartment 18, and the lowermost layer is a vegetable compartment 20. In addition, the upper freezing compartment 18 and the lower freezing compartment 19 are both storage compartments within a freezing temperature range, and they are sometimes collectively referred to as a freezing compartment 17 in the following depictions. Here, the upper freezing compartment 18 may be partitioned in a left-right direction, and one side may be used as an ice making compartment.

[0025] The front of the heat-insulating cabinet 11 has an opening, the openings corresponding to the abovementioned storage compartments are each provided with a heat-insulating door 21, and these heat-insulating doors may be opened and closed freely. The refrigerating compartment 15 is divided in the left-right direction and the left and right parts are closed by respective heat-insulating doors 21. Upper and lower ends of the heat-insulating doors 21 on outer sides in a widthwise direction are rotatably mounted on the heat-insulating cabinet 11. In addition, the heat-insulating doors 23, 24 and 25 are integrally assembled with respective storage containers, may be drawn freely along the front of the refrigerator 10, and be supported by the heat-insulating cabinet 11. Specifically, the heat-insulating door 23 closes the upper freezing compartment 18, the heat-insulating door 24 closes the lower freezing compartment 19, and the heat-insulating door 25 closes the vegetable compartment 20.

[0026] FIG 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the refrigerator 10. The heat-insulating cabinet 11 as the main body of the refrigerator 10 comprises a housing 12 made of a steel plate with an opening in the front, and a liner 13 made of a synthetic resin, disposed within the housing 12 with a gap between the liner 13 and the housing 12 and having an opening in the front. The gap between the housing 12 and the liner 13 is filled with a heat-insulating material 14 made of foamed polyurethane. In addition, each of the above-mentioned heat-insulating doors 21 employs the same heat-insulating structure as the heat-insulating cabinet 11.

[0027] The refrigerating compartment 15 and the freezing compartment 17 located at the layer therebelow are partitioned by a heat-insulating partition wall 42. In addition, the upper freezing compartment 18 and the lower freezing compartment 19 disposed at the layer therebelow communicate with each other, and the cooled air, namely, the cold air may circulate freely. Furthermore, the freezing compartment 17 and the vegetable compartment 20 are partitioned by a heat-insulating partition wall 43.

[0028] The rear of the refrigerating compartment 15 is partitioned by a partition 65 made of a synthetic resin to form a refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 29 for supplying cold air to the refrigerating compartment 15. In the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 29, air outlets 33 through which cold air flows into the refrigerating compartment 15 are formed.

[0029] A freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31 is formed on an inner side of the refrigerating compartment 17, and cold air cooled by a cooler 45 flows through the freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31 into the freezing compartment 17. A cooling chamber 26 is formed on an inner side behind the freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31. A cooler 45 is disposed in the cooling chamber 26 and is an evaporator for cooling air circulating in the refrigerator. The freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31 is a space surrounded by a front cover 67 in the front and a partition 66 in the rear.

[0030] The cooler 45 is connected to a compressor 44, a heat radiator (not shown), and a capillary tube (not shown) as an expansion means via a refrigerant pipe, and is a member constituting a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle circuit.

[0031] FIG 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing a structure nearby the cooling chamber 26 of the refrigerator 10. The cooling chamber 26 is disposed in an interior of the heat-insulating cabinet 11 and inside the freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31. The cooling chamber 26 and the freezing compartment 17 are partitioned by the partition 66 made of a synthetic resin.

[0032] The refrigerator compartment cold air supply passage 31 formed in the front of the cooling chamber 26 is a space formed between the cooling chamber 26 and the front cover 67 made of the synthetic resin and assembled in the front of the freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31, and is an air passage through which the cold air cooled by the cooler 45 flows into the freezing compartment 17. The front cover 67 is formed with air outlets 34 which are openings through which cold air is blown into the freezing compartment 17.

[0033] An air return vent 38 for returning air from the freezing compartment 17 to the cooling chamber 26 is formed on a back side of a lower portion of the lower freezing compartment 19. Furthermore, an air return vent 28 is formed below the cooling chamber 26 and communicated with the air return vent 38, and sucks return cold air from respective storage compartments into the cooling chamber 26. The cold air returning through an air return vent 39 (FIG. 2) of the vegetable compartment 20 and a vegetable compartment cold air return passage 37 also flows into the air return vent 28.

[0034] In addition, a defrosting heater 46 is disposed below the cooler 45 to melt the frost attached to the cooler 45. The defrosting heater 46 is a resistive heater.

[0035] An air blowing vent 27 is formed in an upper portion of the cooling chamber 26 and is an opening connected to the respective storage compartments. The air blowing vent 27 is an opening into which the cold air cooled by the cooler 45 flows, and enables the cooling chamber 26, the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 29 and the freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31 to be communicated with one another. The air blowing vent 27 is provided with a blower 47 that blows cold air to the freezing compartment 17 and the like from the front. In addition, a function of a damper is assumed by a rotatable shielding wall 71 of a shielding device 70 described later, so the damper may be omitted.

[0036] The shielding device 70 is disposed outside the air blowing vent 27 of the cooling chamber 26, and configured to to properly close the air passages connected to the air blowing vent 27. The shielding device 70 is covered by the front cover 67 from the front.

[0037] Reference is made to FIG 4 to illustrate a configuration in which the shielding device 70 for limiting the air passage is assembled. FIG 4(A) is a perspective view of the partition 66 with the shielding device 70 being assembled, FIG 4(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG 4(A), and FIG 4(C) is a view showing the configuration of the air passages when the front cover 67 is viewed from the rear.

[0038] Referring to FIG 4(A), in the partition 66, the air blowing vent 27 penetrating in a thickness direction is formed in an upper portion of the partition 66, and the blower 47 and the shielding device 70 are disposed in front of the air blowing vent 27. Here, the shielding device 70 is hidden by the partition 66. In addition, an opening section 59 formed on an upper end side of the partition 66 is communicated with the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 29 shown in FIG 3.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 4(B), as described above, the freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31 is formed in a space surrounded by the partition 66 and the front cover 67. As described later, the freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31 is divided into a plurality of air passages. In addition, the shielding device 70 and a shielding wall driving mechanism 60 are disposed between the partition 66 and the front cover 67. The shielding device 70 shields the blower 47, and the shielding wall driving mechanism 60 drives the shielding device 70. The configuration of the shielding device 70 and the shielding wall driving mechanism 60 will be described below with reference to FIG. 5.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 4(C), a plurality of air passages are formed by partitioning an internal space of the front cover 67. Specifically, rib-shaped air passage partition walls 50 and 56 extending rearward from a rear main surface of the front cover 67 are formed. The rear ends of the air passage partition walls 50 and 56 abut against the partition 66 shown in FIG. 4(B).

[0041] Here, the air passage through which the cold air is blown and supplied is divided into a refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 51, an upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52, and a lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53 in turn from top. The cold air blown to the refrigerating compartment 15 circulates in the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 51, the cold air blown to the upper freezing compartment 18 circulates in the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52, and the cold air blown to the lower freezing compartment 19 circulates in the lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53. The cold air flowing through the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 51 is blown through the opening section 59 to the refrigerating compartment 15 shown in FIG. 2. The cold air flowing through the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52 is blown through the air outlet 34 to the upper freezing compartment 18 shown in FIG. 2. The cold air flowing through the lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53 is blown through the air outlet 34 to the lower freezing compartment 19 shown in FIG. 2. Here, the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 51, the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52 and the lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53 spread around with the shielding device 70 as a center.

[0042] The refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 51 and the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52 are partitioned by an air passage partitioning wall 50. Then, the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52 and the lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53 are partitioned by an air passage partitioning wall 56.

[0043] Reference is made to FIG. 5 to illustrate the configuration of the shielding device 70. FIG. 5(A) is an exploded perspective view showing the shielding device 70, and FIG. 5(B) is a side cross-sectional view showing the shielding device 70.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 5(A) and FIG. 5(B), the shielding device 70 has a support base 63, rotatable shielding walls 71 and shielding wall driving mechanisms 60. The shielding device 70 is a device that shields the air passages of the cold air blown by the blower 47. The air passages connecting the cooling chamber 26 with respective storage compartments are made communicated by making the shielding device 70 in an open state, and, the air passages are cut off by making the shielding device 70 in a closed state.

[0045] The blower 47 is disposed at a center of a front side of the support base 63 by fastening with screws. Although not shown here, the blower 47 has for example a centrifugal fan such as a turbo fan, and a blowing motor that rotates the centrifugal fan, and blows cold air outward in a radial direction.

[0046] The support base 63 is an integrally-formed member made of a synthetic resin. The rotatable shielding walls 71 are rotatably disposed on a rear side of the support base 63. In addition, on the front side of the support base 63 is formed a cam-receiving portion 62 for receiving a cam 61. The cam-receiving portion 62 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6. In addition, a rotary disk 73 is rotatably mounted on the front side of the support base 63. Furthermore, a drive motor 74 is mounted on the support base 63, and the motor 74 generates the driving force that drives the rotatable shielding walls 71 to perform the opening or closing action.

[0047] Side wall portions 58 are formed in a peripheral portion of the support base 63. The side wall portions 58 are portions extending rearward from the support base 63. A plurality of side wall portions 58 are disposed at substantially equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the support base 63. The side wall portions 58 are disposed between the rotatable shielding walls 71. The rear ends of the side wall portions 58 are fastened to a partition 66 shown in FIG. 4(B) in a fastening manner such as screws.

[0048] The rotatable shielding walls 71 each are a rectangular plate-shaped member formed of a synthetic resin, and have long sides along the outer side of the rotary disk 73. The rotatable shielding walls 71 are mounted adjacent to the edges of the support base 63 and rotatable rearward about an axis parallel to a plane of the support base 63. A plurality of rotatable shielding walls 71 (five in the present embodiment) are disposed adjacent to the periphery of the support base 63. The rotatable shielding walls 71 are disposed on paths through which the cold air blown by the blower 47 circulates, and shield respective air passages.

[0049] The rotary disk 73 is formed of a steel plate or a synthetic resin plate which is substantially disc-shaped as viewed from the front, and is freely rotatably disposed on the front side of the support base 63. The rotary disk 73 is formed with moving shaft sliding slots 80 for rotating the rotatable shielding wall 71. A gear portion 77 for transmitting a torque is formed on a circumferential portion of the rotary disk 73. As described later, the drive motor 74 is driven, and the torque is transmitted via the gear portion 77 of a gear 30 to rotate the rotary disk 73, so that the rotatable shielding walls 71 perform the opening or closing action.

[0050] A flange is formed at a right portion of the support base 63 and configured to mount the drive motor 74 for driving the rotary disk 73 into rotation. A gear (not shown here) is disposed between the gear portion 77 of the rotary disk 73 and the drive motor 74.

[0051] Reference is made to FIG. 6 to illustrate the shielding wall driving mechanism 60 for driving the rotatable shielding wall 71. FIG. 6(A) is an exploded perspective view showing a left part of the shielding device 70, and FIG. 6(B) is a perspective view of the cam 61.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 6(A), the shielding wall driving mechanism 60 has a cam 61, the rotary disk 73 engaging with the moving shaft 76 of the cam 61, and the drive motor 74 that rotates the rotary disk 73 (see FIG. 5(A).

[0053] The cam 61 is a flat rectangular parallelepiped member formed of a synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 6(B), an end of the cam 61 is formed with a rotatable connection portion 48 in which is formed a hole portion through which a pin 55 can run. The cam 61 is received in the cam-receiving portion 62 of the support base 63.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6(B), the moving shaft 76 is a cylindrical protrusion protruding from the front of the cam 61. A diameter of the moving shaft 76 is slightly shorter than a width of the moving shaft sliding slot 80 formed in the rotary disk 73. The moving shaft 76 slidably engages with the moving shaft sliding slot 80.

[0055] The cam-receiving portion 62 is a groove formed on the support base 63, and formed elongated in a radial direction of the support base 63. The cam-receiving portion 62 is formed corresponding to each rotatable shielding wall 71 and formed by recessing the support base 63 from the front side. The cam-receiving portion 62 is sized to receive the cam 61 to a degree to which the cam 61 can slide in the radial direction.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6(A), the rotatable shielding wall 71 is formed with a rotatable connection portion 68 which protrudes obliquely from an end of the rotatable shielding wall 71. The rotatable connection portion 68 is formed with a hole portion through which a pin 55 can run. In addition, rotational connection portions 64 are formed adjacent to both ends of a lateral side of the rotatable shielding wall 71. The rotatable connection portions 64 each are formed with a hole portion through which a pin 69 can run.

[0057] Rotatable connection portions 54 are formed adjacent to the peripheral portion of the support base 63. The rotatable connection portions 54 are disposed corresponding to the rotatable connection portions 64 of the rotatable shielding walls 71. A hole portion through which the pin 69 runs is formed in the rotatable connection portions 54.

[0058] The pin 55 runs through the hole portion of the rotatable connection portion 48 of the cam 61 and the hole portion of the rotatable connection portions 68 of the rotatable shielding wall 71, and the cam 61 is connected with the rotatable shielding wall 71 and rotatable about the pin 55. In addition, the support base 63 is rotatably connected with the rotatable shielding wall 71 via the pin 69 which runs through the rotatable connection portions 54 of the support base 63 and through the hole portion of the rotatable connection portions 64 of the rotatable shielding wall 71.

[0059] Through the shielding wall driving device 60 with the above configuration, the drive motor 74 is driven to rotate the rotary disk 73, and the moving shaft 76 slides in the moving shaft sliding slot 80. In this way, the cam 61 slides in the cam-receiving portion 62. The rotatable shielding wall 71 can be made rotate about the pin 55 by making the cam 61 slide.

[0060] Specifically, when the cam 61 slides towards a central side of the support base 63, the rotatable shielding wall 71 rotates to an upstanding state about the rotatable connection portions 64 as a rotation center, and gets into a state in which the rotatable shielding wall 71 intersects perpendicularly with a main surface of the support base 63. On the other hand, when the cam 61 is made slide towards the peripheral side of the support base 63, the rotatable shielding wall 71 rotates about the rotatable connection portions 64 as the rotation center and gets into a horizontally-lying state in which the rotatable shielding wall 71 is substantially parallel to the main surface of the support base 63.

[0061] Therefore, if the moving shaft sliding slot 80 is formed at the peripheral side of the support base 63, the rotatable shielding wall 71 can be made in an open state. On the contrary, if the moving shaft sliding slot 80 is formed at the central side of the support base 63, the rotatable shielding wall 71 can be made in a closed state. If shapes of the moving shaft sliding slots 80 corresponding to the rotatable shielding walls 71 are selected by employing the above principle, the open state or closed state of the rotatable shielding walls 71 can be set arbitrarily. In this way, it is possible to make the rotatable shielding walls 71 in a fully-open state or a fully-closed state without using a complicated configuration, and possible to make part of the rotatable shielding walls 71 in the open state or closed state.

[0062] Here, as shown in FIG. 6(A), the rotary disk 73 and the cam 61 constituting the shielding wall driving mechanism 60 are disposed more forward as compared with the support base 63. Hence, as shown in FIG. 4(B), members constituting the shielding wall driving mechanism 60 are not exposed to the freezing compartment cold air supply passage 31 in which cold air circulates. Therefore, cold air does not blow on the shielding wall driving device 60, thereby preventing the shielding wall driving device 60 from freezing.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 6(A), when the rotatable shielding wall 71 is in the closed state, ends of the rotatable shielding wall 71 in a lengthwise direction abut against the side wall portions 58. As such, with the side wall portions 58 being formed at the ends of the rotatable shielding wall 71 in the lengthwise direction, airtightness when the rotatable shielding wall 71 is in the closed state can be improved, and therefore the leakage of cold air upon cooling and the ingress of warm air upon defrosting can be substantially suppressed.

[0064] Furthermore, a frame 41 is formed between the side wall portions 58. The size of the frame 41 is approximately the same as the size of the rotatable shielding wall 71. When the rotatable shielding wall 71 is in the abovementioned upstanding state, it abuts against the frame 41 from the inside. With this configuration, a peripheral portion of the rotatable shielding wall 71 is sealed with the frame 41, so that the air passage is closed with higher airtightness.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a view showing the shielding device 70 according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 7(A) is a view of rotatable shielding walls of the shielding device as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 7(B) is a view showing the configuration of a rotary disk as viewed from rear.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 7(A), the shielding device 70 has rotatable shielding walls 711, 712, 713, 714 and 715 as the rotatable shielding wall 71. The rotatable shielding walls 711-715 have a rectangular shape having long sides substantially parallel to a line tangential to the rotary disk 73. In addition, the rotatable shielding walls 711-715 are rotatably mounted on the peripheral portion of the support base 63 shown in FIG. 5(A).

[0067] A radially inner end of the rotatable shielding wall 711 is rotatably connected to a cam 611 on which a moving shaft 761 is formed. Similarly, a radially outer end of the rotatable shielding wall 712 is rotatably connected to a cam 612 on which a moving shaft 762 is formed. A radially outer end of the rotatable shielding wall 711 is rotatably connected to a cam 613 on which a moving shaft 763 is formed. A radially outer end of the rotatable shielding wall 714 is rotatably connected to a cam 614 on which a moving shaft 764 is formed. A radially outer end of the rotatable shielding wall 715 is rotatably connected to a cam 615 on which a moving shaft 765 is formed

[0068] Here, the cam 611 is rotatably connected to the inner edge of the rotatable shielding wall 711. In this way, when the cam 611 is arranged outside, and the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the upstanding state; when the cam 611 is arranged inside, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in a horizontally-lying state.

[0069] On the other hand, the cams 612-615 are rotatably connected to the outer edges of the rotatable shielding walls 712-715, respectively. As such, when the cams 612-615 are arranged inside, and the rotatable shielding walls 712-715 are in the upstanding state. On the other hand, when the cams 612-615 are arranged outside, the rotatable shielding walls 712-715 are the horizontally-lying state.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 7(B), the rotary disk 73 is a steel plate formed in a substantially disk shape, and is formed with a plurality of moving shaft sliding slots 80 for managing the opening or closing action of the rotatable shielding walls such as the rotatable shielding walls 711. In addition, the gear portion 77 is formed at a portion of the peripheral portion of the rotary disk 73. The drive motor 74 meshes with the gear portion 77 as shown in FIG. 5(A), so that the rotary disk 73 rotates via the torque of the drive motor 74.

[0071] The rotary disk 73 is formed with moving shaft sliding slots 801, 802, 804 and 805 as the moving shaft sliding slots 80. The moving shaft sliding slots 801-805 are slot-shaped portions formed in a circumferential direction of the rotary disk 73. The moving shaft sliding slots 801-805 have a predetermined meandering shape in order to slide the cams 611-615 shown in FIG. 7(A) in the radial direction.

[0072] The moving shaft sliding slots 801-805 mate with the moving shafts 761-765 shown in FIG. 7(A). Specifically, the moving shaft sliding slot 801 mates with the moving shaft 761, the moving shaft sliding slot 802 mates with the moving shaft 762 and the moving shaft 763, the moving shaft sliding slot 804 mates with the moving shaft 764, and the moving shaft sliding slot 805 mates with the moving shaft 765.

[0073] The moving shaft sliding slot 801 comprise slot portions 8011-8013. The slot portion 8011 extends in a circumferential direction, the slot portion 8012 tilts radially inward in a counterclockwise direction, and the slot portion 8013 extends in the circumferential direction.

[0074] The moving shaft sliding slot 802 comprises slot portions 8021-8029. The slot portion 8021 tilts radially inward in the counterclockwise direction, the slot potion 8022 extends in the circumferential direction, the slot portion 8023 tilts radially outward in the counterclockwise direction, and the slot portion 8024 extends in the circumferential direction. In addition, the slot portion 8025 tilts radially inward in the counterclockwise direction, the slot portion 8026 extends in the circumferential direction, and the slot portion 8027 tilts outside in the counterclockwise direction. Furthermore, the slot portion 8028 extends in the circumferential direction, and the slot portion 8029 tilts radially inward in the counterclockwise direction.

[0075] The moving shaft sliding slot 804 comprises slot portions 8041-8044. The slot portion 8041 extends in the circumferential direction, the slot portion 8042 tilts radially outward in the counterclockwise direction, the slot portion 8043 extends in the circumferential direction, and the slot portion 8044 tilts radially inward in the counterclockwise direction.

[0076] The moving shaft sliding slot 805 comprises slot portions 8051-8056. The slot portion 8051 tilts radially inward in the counterclockwise direction, the slot potion 8052 extends in the circumferential direction, the slot portion 8053 tilts radially outward in the counterclockwise direction, and the slot portion 8054 extends in the circumferential direction. The slot portion 8055 tilts radially inward in the counterclockwise direction, and the slot portion 8056 extends in the circumferential direction.

[0077] In addition, rotary shaft sliding slots 79 extending in the circumferential direction are formed on an inner circumferential portion of the rotary disk 73. Here, three rotary shaft sliding slots 79 are formed at equal intervals. The rotary disk 73 is retained on the support base 63 via rotary shafts 75 (referring to FIG. 8(C)), and the rotary shafts slidably mate with the rotary shaft sliding slots 79.

[0078] FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the shielding device 70 in a fully-closed state. FIG. 8(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 in the fully-closed state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 8(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along a section line B-B of FIG. 8(A), FIG. 8(C) is a view of rotary disks 73 in the fully-closed state as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 8(D) is an enlarged view of main points of FIG. 8(B). Here, the fully-closed state refers to a state in which the surrounding of the blower 47 is shielded by the rotatable shielding walls 71 to thereby close the air blowing vent 27 shown in FIG. 4. In addition, in the fully-closed state, the blower 47 does not rotate.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 8(A), the shielding device 70 prevents air from flowing out from the blower 47 to the outside in the fully-closed state. That is, in the fully-closed state, all the rotatable shielding walls 71, namely, rotatable shielding walls 711-715 are in the upstanding state, and the communication with the air passages for supplying cold air is cut off so that cold air is not supplied to the refrigerating compartment 15 and the freezing compartment 17. In addition, during the defrosting process of defrosting the cooler 45 shown in FIG. 2, the shielding device 70 is also in the fully-closed state so that ward air does not flow from the cooling chamber 26 into the refrigerating compartment 15 and the freezing compartment 17.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 8(B), in the fully-closed state, the rotatable shielding wall 715 and rotatable shielding wall 712 are in a closed state in which the rotatable shielding walls stand substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the support base 63. Here, in this state, the rear ends of the rotatable shielding wall 715 and rotatable shielding wall 712 abut against the partition 66 shown in FIG. 4 or is arranged close to the partition 66. With such a configuration, the airtightness when the rotatable shielding wall 71 closes the air passages can be improved.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 8(C), when the shielding device 70 is in the fully-closed state, first, the drive motor 74 is turned on to rotate the rotary disk 73 via the gear 30. Here, the rotary disk 73 rotates so that the moving shaft 76 is disposed at a radially outward portion of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. In addition, the moving shaft 762 and moving shaft 763 are disposed at a radially inward portion of the moving shaft sliding slot 802. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is disposed at a radially inward portion of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is disposed at a radially inward portion of the moving shaft sliding slot 805. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8(D), with the moving shaft 765 being disposed at the radially inward portion, the cam 615 moves radially inward. Then, the rotatable shielding wall 715 rotatably connected with the cam 615 rotates radially outward with the vicinity of the rotatable connection portion 68 as a rotation center, and gets in a closed state in which the rotatable shielding wall 715 stands up substantially at a right angle to the main surface of the support base 63.

[0082] FIG. 9 shows the configuration of the shielding device 70 in a fully-open state. FIG. 9(A) is a view showing the shielding device 70 in the fully-open state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 9(B) is a cross-sectional view of the shielding device taken along a section line C-C of FIG. 9(A), FIG. 9(C) is a view showing rotary disk 73 in the fully-open state as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 9(D) is an enlarged view of main points of FIG. 9(B). Here, the fully-open state refers to a state in which the communication between the blower 47 and the air passages for supplying cold air is not shielded by the rotatable shielding walls 71, so that the cold air blown by the blower 47 diffuses around.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 9(A), the shielding device 70, in the fully-open state, does not hinder air from flowing from the blower 47 to the outside. That is, in the fully-open state, the cold air blown from the blower 47 to the shielding device 70 is blown to the refrigerating compartment 15 and the freezing compartment 17 without being interfered by the rotatable shielding wall 71, namely, the rotatable shielding walls 711-715. As shown in FIG. 9(A), in the fully-open state, the rotatable shielding wall 711 tilt radially outward and get into a horizontally-lying state.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 9(B), in the fully-open state, the rotatable shielding wall 715 and rotatable shielding wall 712 are in the horizontally-lying state in which they are substantially parallel to the main surface of the support base 63. Since all the rotatable shielding walls 71 of the shielding device 70 are in the open state, there are no rotatable shielding walls 71 in the air passages through which the blower 47 blows cold air, so that the flow resistance of the air passages can be reduced and the amount of the cold air supplied by the blower 47 can be increased.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 9(C), when the shielding device 70 is in the fully-open state, the drive motor 74 is driven to rotate the rotary disk 73 via the gear 30 so that the moving shaft 76 slides in the moving shaft sliding slot 80. Specifically, the moving shaft 761 is arranged at a radially inward portion of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. In addition, the moving shaft 762 and moving shaft 763 are arranged at a radially outward portion of the moving shaft sliding slot 802. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is arranged at a radially outward portion of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a radially outward portion of the moving shaft sliding slot 805. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9(D), the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a radially outward portion, and the cam 615 moves radially outward. The rotatable shielding wall 715 rotatably connected with the upper end of the cam 615 and being rotatable relative thereto rotates and tilts radially inward with the vicinity of the rotatable connection portion 68 as a rotation center, and gets into a state in which the main surface of the rotatable shielding wall 715 is substantially parallel to the main surface of the cam-receiving portion 62.

[0086] Reference is made to FIG. 10 through FIG. 23 to illustrate a method of switching air passages using the shielding device 70 with the above configuration.

[0087] FIG. 10 shows a state in which the cold air is supplied to the lower freezing compartment 19 only, FIG. 10(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 10(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 as viewed from the front. FIG. 11 is a view showing conditions of the air passage when cold air is supplied to the lower freezing compartment 19 only, as viewed from the rear. FIG. 12 shows a situation when cold air is supplied to the freezing compartment 17 only, FIG. 12(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 12(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 13 is a view of a state of the air passage when cold air is supplied to the freezing compartment 17 only, as viewed from the rear. FIG. 14 shows a state in which the cold air is supplied to the upper freezing compartment 18 only, FIG. 14(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 14(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 15 is a view of conditions of the air passage when cold air is supplied to the upper freezing compartment 18 only as viewed from the rear. FIG. 16 shows a state when cold air is not supplied, FIG. 16(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 16(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 17 is a view of a state of air passages when cold air is not supplied, as viewed from the rear.

[0088] FIG. 18 shows a state when cold air is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 15 only. FIG. 18(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 18(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 19 is a view of a state of the air passage when cold air is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 15 only, as viewed from the rear. FIG. 20 shows a state when cold air is supplied to the upper freezing compartment 18 and the refrigerating compartment 15, FIG. 20(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 20(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 21 is a view of conditions of air passages when cold air is supplied to the upper freezing compartment 18 and the refrigerating compartment 15 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 22 shows a state when cold air is supplied to the entire freezing compartment 17 and the refrigerating compartment 15. FIG. 22(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 22(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 23 is a view of conditions of air passages when cold air is supplied to the entire freezing compartment 17 and the refrigerating compartment 15 as viewed from the rear.

[0089] In the following figures, the clockwise direction is sometimes referred to as a "forward direction", and the counterclockwise direction is sometimes referred to as a "reverse direction". Furthermore, in the following depictions, a radial direction and a circumferential direction of the rotary disk 73 are briefly referred to as a radial direction and a circumferential direction.

[0090] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 show a state in which cold air is supplied to the lower freezing compartment 19. FIG. 10(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 in this state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 10(B) is a view of a rotary disk in this state as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 11 is a view of conditions of air passages in this state as viewed from rear.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 10 (A), in a case where cold air is supplied to the lower freezing compartment 19 only, the rotatable shielding wall 711, the rotatable shielding wall 712 and the rotatable shielding wall 715 are in the closed state, and the rotatable shielding wall 713 and the rotatable shielding wall 714 are in the open state. With the closed state and the open state being set, cold air can be blown by the blower 47 to the lower freezing compartment 19 only.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 10(B), the moving shaft 761 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8011 of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. In addition, the moving shaft 762 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8022 of the moving shaft sliding slot 802, and the moving shaft 763 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8027. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is arranged at a forward-direction end of the slot portion 8043 of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8052 of the moving shaft sliding slot 805.

[0093] At this time, with the moving shaft 761 being arranged radially outward, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the closed state. In addition, with the moving shaft 762 and the moving shaft 765 being arranged radially inward, the rotatable shielding wall 712 and the rotatable shielding wall 715 are in the closed state. In addition, with the moving shaft 763 and the moving shaft 764 being arranged radially outward, the rotatable shielding wall 713 and the rotatable shielding wall 714 are in the open state.

[0094] Here, referring to FIG. 10(A), in the present embodiment, the rotatable shielding wall 712 and the rotatable shielding wall 715 tilt radially inward to get into the open state, so the rotatable shielding wall 712 and the rotatable shielding wall 715 are sufficiently separate from the blower 47. With this configuration, the cold air generated by the rotation of the blower 47 can well pass through a space between the rotatable shielding wall 712 and the rotatable shielding wall 715 and the blower 47.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 11, when the shielding device 70 is in the state shown in FIG. 10, the rotatable shielding walls 713, 714 are in the open state, so cold air is blown from the lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53. The cold air that has flowed into the lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53 is blown out through the air outlet 34 to the lower freezing compartment 19 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0096] On the other hand, when the rotatable shielding walls 711, 712, 715 are in the closed state, cold air is not blown to the refrigerating compartment 15 and the upper freezing compartment 18 shown in FIG. 2.

[0097] FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 each show a state in which cold air is supplied to the freezing compartment 17 only. FIG. 12(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 in this state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 12(B) is a view of the rotary disk 73 in this state as seen from the rear, and FIG. 13 is a view of conditions of the air passages in this state as viewed from rear.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 12(A), in a case where cold air is supplied to the freezing compartment 17 only, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the closed state, and the rotatable shielding walls 712, 713, 714, 715 are in the open state. With the open state and closed state being set, cold air can be blown by the blower 47 to the freezing compartment 17 shown in FIG. 2.

[0099] Referring to FIG. 12(B), the state shown in FIG. 10(B) changes into a state in which the rotary disk 73 rotates in the forward direction.

[0100] Specifically, the moving shaft 761 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8011 of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. In addition, the moving shaft 762 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8023 of the moving shaft sliding slot 802, and the moving shaft 763 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8028. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8043 of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8053 of the moving shaft sliding slot 805.

[0101] In the above manner, the moving shaft 761 is arranged at the radially outward, and the rotatable shielding wall 711 remains in the original state, namely, the closed state. On the other hand, the moving shafts 762, 763, 764, 765 are arranged radially outward, the rotatable shielding walls 712, 713, 714, 715 are in the open state.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 13, when the shielding device 70 is in the state shown in FIG. 12, the rotatable shielding walls 712, 715 are in the open state, so cold air is blown to the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52, and blown to the upper freezing compartment 18 shown in FIG. 2 through the air outlet 34. In addition, when the rotatable shielding walls 713, 714 are in the open state, cold air is blown to the lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53, and blown to the lower freezing compartment 19 shown in FIG. 2 via the air outlet 34.

[0103] On the other hand, with the rotatable shielding wall 711 being in the closed state, cold air is not blown to the refrigerating compartment 15.

[0104] FIG 14 and FIG. 15 show a state in which the cold air is supplied to the upper freezing compartment 18 only. FIG. 14(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 in this state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 14(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 in this state as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 15 is a view of conditions of air passages in this state as viewed from the rear.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 14(A), in the case where cold air is supplied to the upper freezing compartment 18 only as shown in FIG. 2, the rotatable shielding walls 711, 713, 714 are in the closed state, and the rotatable shielding walls 712, 715 are in the open state. With the open state and the closed state being set, cold air is blown to the upper freezing compartment 18 only by the blower 47.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 14(B), the state shown in FIG. 12(B) changes into a state in which the rotary disk 73 rotates in the reverse direction.

[0107] Specifically, the moving shaft 761 is arranged at a forward-direction end of the slot portion 8011 of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. In addition, the moving shaft 762 is arranged at a forward-direction end of the slot portion 8021 of the moving shaft sliding slot 802, and the moving shaft 763 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8026. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is arranged at a forward-direction end of the slot portion 8041 of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a forward-direction end of the slot portion 8051 of the moving shaft sliding slot 805.

[0108] At this time, with the moving shaft 761 being arranged radially outward, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the closed state. In addition, with the moving shaft 762 and the moving shaft 765 being arranged radially outward, the rotatable shielding wall 712 and the rotatable shielding wall 715 are in the open state. Furthermore, with the moving shaft 763 and the moving shaft 764 being arranged radially inward, the rotatable shielding wall 713 and the rotatable shielding wall 714 are in the closed state.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 15, when the shielding device 70 is in the state shown in FIG. 14, the rotatable shielding walls 712, 715 are in the open state, and the cold air is blown to the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52 and blown out through the air outlet 34 to the upper freezing compartment 18.

[0110] On the other hand, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the closed state, so cold air is not blown to the refrigerating compartment 15. In addition, the rotatable shielding walls 713 and 714 are also in the closed state, so cold air is not blown to the lower freezing compartment 19.

[0111] FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 show the fully-closed state in which the shielding device 70 closes all the air passages. FIG. 16(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 in this state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 16(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 in this state as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 17 is a view of conditions of air passages in this state as viewed from the rear.

[0112] Referring to FIG. 16 (A), in the fully-closed state, the rotatable shielding walls 711-715 are in the closed state. In this state, air can be prevented from flowing into respective air passages.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 16(B), the state shown in FIG. 14(B) changes into a state in which the rotary disk 73 rotates in the forward direction.

[0114] Specifically, the moving shaft 761 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8011 of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. The moving shaft 762 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8021 of the moving shaft sliding slot 802, and the moving shaft 763 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8026 of the moving shaft 763. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8041 of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8051 of the moving shaft sliding slot 805.

[0115] At this time, with the moving shaft 761 being arranged radially outward, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the closed state. In addition, with the moving shafts 762-765 being arranged radially inward, the rotatable shielding walls 712-715 are in the closed state.

[0116] Referring to FIG. 17, when the shielding device 70 is in the state shown in FIG. 16, the rotatable shielding walls 711-715 are in the closed state, and cold air is not supplied to all the storage compartments. In other words, the cooling chamber 26 and the air passages can be shielded by the rotatable shielding wall 71. Therefore, when the interior of the cooling chamber 26 is heated during the defrosting process, the warm air in the interior of the cooling chamber 26 can be prevented from leaking to the respective storage compartments via the respective air passages. In the present embodiment, the rotatable shielding wall 71 can shield the air passages with high airtightness, so the shielding effect can be enhanced.

[0117] FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 show a state in which cold air is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 15 only. FIG. 18(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 in this state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 18(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 in this state as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 19 is a view of conditions of air passages in this state as viewed from the rear.

[0118] Referring to FIG. 18 (A), in a case where cold air is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 15 only, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the open state, and the rotatable shielding walls 712-715 are in the closed state. With the open state and the closed state being set, cold air can be blown by the blower 47 to the refrigerating compartment 15 only, as described later.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 18(B), the state shown in FIG. 16(B) changes into a state in which the rotary disk 73 rotates in the forward direction.

[0120] Specifically, the moving shaft 761 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8013 of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. In addition, the moving shaft 762 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8026 of the moving shaft sliding slot 802, and the moving shaft 763 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8029. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8044 of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8056 of the moving shaft sliding slot 805.

[0121] At this time, with the moving shaft 761 being arranged radially inward, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the open state. In addition, with the moving shafts 762-765 being arranged radially inward, the rotatable shielding walls 712-715 are in the closed state.

[0122] Referring to FIG. 19, when the shielding device 70 is in the state shown in FIG. 18, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the open state, cold air is blown to the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 51, and blown via the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 29 to the refrigerating compartment 15. In addition, part of the cold air blown to the refrigerating compartment 15 can also be blown to the vegetable compartment 20. On the other hand, when the rotatable shielding walls 712-715 are in the closed state, cold air is not blown to the freezing compartment 17.

[0123] FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 show a state in which the shielding device 70 supplies cold air to the refrigerating compartment 15 and the upper freezing compartment 18. FIG. 20(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 in this state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 20(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 in this state as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 21 is a view of conditions of air passages in this state as viewed from the rear.

[0124] Referring to FIG. 20(A), in a case where cold air is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 15 and the upper freezing compartment 18 shown in FIG. 2, the rotatable shielding walls 711, 712,715 are in the open state, and the rotatable shielding walls 713, 714 are in the closed state. With the open state and the closed state being set, cold air can be blown by the blower 47 to the refrigerating compartment 15 and the upper freezing compartment 18.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 20(B), the state shown in FIG. 18(B) changes into a state in which the rotary disk 73 rotates in the reverse direction.

[0126] Specifically, the moving shaft 761 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8013 of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. In addition, the moving shaft 762 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8025 of the moving shaft sliding slot 802, and the moving shaft 763 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8028. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8043 of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8055 of the moving shaft sliding slot 805.

[0127] At this time, with the moving shaft 761 being arranged radially inward, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the open state. In addition, with the moving shafts 762, 765 being arranged radially inward, the rotatable shielding walls 715,715 are in the open state. On the other hand, with the moving shafts 763, 764 being arranged radially outward, the rotatable shielding walls 713, 714 are in the closed state.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 21, when the shielding device 70 is in the state shown in FIG. 20, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the open state, and cold air is blown to the refrigerating compartment 15 via the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 29. In addition, with the rotatable shielding walls 712, 715 being in the open state, the cold air is blown to the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52 and blown out via the air outlet 34 to the upper freezing compartment 18. On the other hand, the rotatable shielding walls 713-714 are in the closed state, so cold air is not blown to the lower freezing compartment 19.

[0129] FIG 22 and FIG. 23 show a fully-open state in which cold air is supplied to both the refrigerating compartment 15 and the freezing compartment 17. FIG 22(A) is a view of the shielding device 70 in this state as viewed from the rear, FIG. 22(B) is a view of a rotary disk 73 in this state as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 23 is a view of conditions of air passages in this state as viewed from the rear.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 22(A), in a case where cold air is supplied to the refrigerating compartment 15 and the freezing compartment 17 shown in FIG. 2, the rotatable shielding walls 711, 712, 713, 714, 715 are in the open state. With the fully-open state being set, cold air can be blown by the blower 47 to the refrigerating compartment 15 and the freezing compartment 17 as described later.

[0131] Referring to 22(B), the state shown in FIG. 20(B) changes into a state in which the rotary disk 73 rotates in the reverse direction.

[0132] The moving shaft 761 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8012 of the moving shaft sliding slot 801. The moving shaft 762 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8024 of the moving shaft sliding slot 802, and the moving shaft 763 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8028. In addition, the moving shaft 764 is arranged at a middle section of the slot portion 8043 of the moving shaft sliding slot 804, and the moving shaft 765 is arranged at a reverse-direction end of the slot portion 8054 of the moving shaft sliding slot 805.

[0133] At this time, with the moving shaft 761 being arranged radially inward, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the open state. In addition, with the moving shafts 762-765 being arranged radially outward, the rotatable shielding walls 712-715 are in the open state.

[0134] Referring to FIG. 23, when the shielding device 70 is in the state shown in FIG. 22, the rotatable shielding wall 711 is in the open state, and cold air is blown to the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 51, and blown out to the refrigerating compartment 15 via the refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage 29. In addition, with the rotatable shielding walls 712, 715 being in the open state, the cold air is blown to the upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage 52 and blown out via the air outlet 34 to the upper freezing compartment 18. Then, with the rotatable shielding walls 713,714 being in the open state, cold air can be supplied to the lower freezing compartment 19 via the lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage 53 and the air outlet 34.

[0135] As described above, the shielding device 70 according to the present embodiment can switch the open state and closed state of the rotatable shielding walls 711-715 through the rotary disk 73 shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, components do not move in a radial direction of the blower 47, namely, a depth direction of the refrigerator 10. Therefore, the thickness dimension occupied by the shielding device 70 can be reduced. Furthermore, referring to FIG. 3, since the volume occupied by the shielding device 70 can be reduced, the volume of the freezing compartment 17 formed in front of the shielding device 70 can be increased, and more articles can be stored in the freezing compartment 17.

[0136] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various variations can be implemented without departing from the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

Description of Reference Signs

[0137] 

10 refrigerator

11 Heat-insulating cabinet

12 housing

13 Liner

14 heat-insulating material

15 Refrigerating compartment

17 Freezing compartment

18 Upper freezing compartment

19 Lower freezing compartment

20 Vegetable compartment

21 Heat-insulating door

23 Heat-insulating door

24 Heat-insulating door

25 Heat-insulating door

26 Cooling chamber

27 Air blowing vent

28 Air return vent

29 Refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage

30 Gear

31 Freezing compartment cold air supply passage

33 Air outlet

34 Air outlet

37 Vegetable compartment air return passage

38 Air return vent

39 Air return vent

41 Frame

42 Heat-insulating partition wall

43 Heat-insulating partition wall

44 Compressor

45 Cooler

46 Defrosting heater

47 Blower

48 Rotatable connection portion

50 Air passage partition wall

51 Refrigerating compartment cold air supply passage

52 Upper freezing compartment cold air supply passage

53 Lower freezing compartment cold air supply passage

54 Rotatable connection portion

55 Pin

56 Air passage partition wall

58 Side wall portion

59 Opening section

60 Shielding wall driving mechanism

61, 611, 612, 613, 614, 615 Cam

62 Cam-receiving portion

63 Support base

64 Rotatable connection portion

65 Partition

66 Partition

67 Front cover

68 Rotatable connection portion

69 Pin

70 Shielding device

71, 711, 712, 713, 714, 715 Rotatable shielding wall

73 Rotary disk

74 Drive motor

75 Rotary shaft

76, 761, 762, 763, 764, 765 Moving shaft

77 Gear portion

79 Rotary shaft sliding slot

80, 801, 802, 803, 804, 805 Moving shaft sliding slot

8011, 8012, 8013 Slot portion

8021, 8022, 8023, 8024, 8025, 8026, 8027, 8028, 8029 Slot portion

8041, 8042, 8043, 8044 Slot portion

8051, 8052, 8053, 8054, 8055, 8056 Slot portion

100 Refrigerator

101 Refrigerating compartment

102 Freezing compartment

103 Vegetable compartment

104 Cooling chamber

105 Partition wall

106 Opening portion

107 Blower fan

108 Cooler

109 Air passage

110 Blower cover

111 Recess

113 Opening portion

114 Damper

Claims

1. A shielding device, wherein the shielding device is configured to close air passages through which cold air is blown in a refrigerator, the shielding device comprising:

rotatable shielding walls surrounding a blower from radially outward, and

a shielding wall driving mechanism configured to drive the rotatable shielding wall to rotate,

the rotatable shielding walls open the air passages by rotating radially inward until lying down, and close the air passages by rotating radially outward until standing up.

2. The shielding device according to claim 1, wherein the shielding device comprises:

a disc-shaped rotary disk formed with moving shaft sliding slots;

cams formed with moving shafts engaging with the moving shaft sliding slots and rotatably connected with the rotatable shielding walls; and

a drive motor for driving the rotary disk to rotate,

with the rotary disk rotating, the moving shafts slide in the moving shaft sliding slots, so that when the cams move radially inward, the rotatable shielding walls close the air passages;

with the rotary disk rotating, the moving shafts slide in the moving shaft sliding slots, so that when the cams move radially outward, the rotatable shielding walls open the air passages.

3. The shielding device according to claim 1, wherein the shielding device is further comprises a support base formed with a cam-receiving portion, the rotatable shielding walls are rotatably mounted on the support base, and the cams are slideably received in the cam-receiving portion in the radial direction.

4. The shielding device according to any of claims 1-3, wherein a space is formed between the blower and the rotatable shielding walls, and the space allows the rotatable shielding walls to tilt radially inward.

5. A refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator comprises:

a freezing circuit having a cooler for cooling air to be supplied through air passages to storage compartments,

a cooling chamber formed with an air blowing vent communicated with the storage compartments, the cooler being disposed in the cooling chamber,

a blower configured to blow air supplied through the air blowing vent to the storage compartments, and

the shielding device according to any of claims 1-4 at least partially closing the air passages.

Drawing