JP2020063879A - Refrigerator and closed vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve the usability of an atmosphere adjusting chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator has an atmosphere adjusting chamber an atmosphere within which can be adjusted and which can accommodate a closed vessel, and carries out a notification to a user when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the atmosphere adjusting chamber starts the adjustment of the atmosphere.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a closed container.

  Patent Document 1 describes an airtight pack 9 for exclusive use of exhaust having a deformable bag-shaped exhaust port 10 having a valve action, and a refrigerating chamber for storing the same. The pack 9 is supposed to be placed in another refrigerating room.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-174271

  According to Patent Document 1, the fact that the exhaust of the exhaust airtight pack 9 is almost completed must be judged by the user himself or herself by visually observing the exhaust airtight pack 9. In the case of exhaust, it may be possible to make a visual judgment based on the fact that the pack 9 is deformed, but for example, since the refrigerator does not exhaust much (decompression), the pack 9 and the lid that can be deformed If the amount of deformation is small, adjust the humidity or the amount of a specific component in the air, or if you make adjustments that are difficult to judge through the five senses, such as decompressing using a hard pack, the user should complete the exhaust etc. There is a risk that it will be inconvenient to judge.

  In addition, when air is exhausted using the deformable and bag-shaped pack 9, in such a structure, the exhaust port 10 is blocked by its own deformation, or the blocking action of the exhaust port 10 is obstructed and the outside air is blocked. There is a risk that it will not function or will be difficult to function, such as inhaling.

The refrigerator of the present invention made in view of the above circumstances,
It has an atmosphere adjustment chamber that can adjust the atmosphere inside and can store a closed container.
After the atmosphere adjusting room starts adjusting the atmosphere, the user is notified when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Further, the closed container of the present invention made in view of the above circumstances,
A closed container capable of discharging gas in a decompressed space,
A body having an opening,
A lid that can open and close the opening,
A packing arranged between the body and the lid,
Ribs located on the outer peripheral side of the packing and substantially contacting the packing,
A support portion located on the inner circumference side of the packing and substantially in contact with the packing; a vent hole for discharging gas to the outside; and a check valve for blocking the inflow of gas through the vent hole, A box-shaped closed container having at least a portion having a thickness of 2 mm or more.

It is a center longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present invention. It is a cross-sectional perspective view of the lowermost space part of the refrigerator compartment of FIG. It is an appearance perspective view in the state where the lid of the decompression storage room of an embodiment was closed. It is a perspective view of the state which opened the lid except the upper surface wall of the decompression storage room main part of an embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the vacuum airtight container of embodiment. It is a flowchart at the time of decompressing the vacuum sealed container of the embodiment in a decompression storage room. It is a graph which showed the pressure in a vacuum airtight container at the time of transferring after decompressing the vacuum airtight container of an embodiment in a decompression storage room, and moving it into a lower freezer. It is the photograph which compared how the frost was formed when the minced meat of Example was frozen and preserved. It is a graph which compared the vitamin C content when the long onion of an Example is cryopreserved. It is a graph which compared the vitamin C content when the boiled potatoes of the Example were frozen and preserved. It is a graph which compared with the K value which is an index of freshness when the salmon of an Example is frozen and preserved. It is the photograph which compared the external appearance after freezing when the boiled broccoli of the Example was frozen and preserved. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the upper stage freezer compartment of embodiment. It is an appearance perspective view of the upper part freezer compartment of an embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the lowermost space portion of the refrigerating chamber of FIG. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the reduced pressure storage chamber with the lid closed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lid is opened except the top wall of the reduced pressure storage chamber body.

  The refrigerator includes a box-shaped refrigerator body 1 and a plurality of doors 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 that are openably and closably attached to the opening of the refrigerator body 1. The refrigerator body 1 includes an outer box 11 made of a steel plate, an inner box 12 made of resin, a urethane foam heat insulating material 13 and a vacuum heat insulating material (not shown) provided between the outer box 11 and the inner box 12. Composed.

  The refrigerator body 1 is provided with a plurality of storage chambers in the order of a refrigerating chamber 2, an upper freezing chamber 3b, an ice making chamber (not shown), a lower freezing chamber 4, and a vegetable chamber 5 from the top. In other words, the refrigerating compartment 2 is formed in the uppermost stage, and the vegetable compartment 5 is formed in the lowermost stage. An upper stage freezing chamber 3b and a lower stage freezing chamber 4 are provided between the refrigerating chamber 2 and the vegetable chamber 5 so as to be thermally insulated from these chambers. The refrigerating compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 5 are storage compartments (for example, about 5 ° C.) in the refrigerating temperature zone. The upper stage freezing chamber 3b and the lower stage freezing chamber 4 are storage chambers in a freezing temperature zone of 0 ° C or lower (for example, a temperature zone of about -20 ° C to -18 ° C). These storage chambers 2 to 5 are partitioned by partition walls 33, 34 and 35.

  On the front surface of the refrigerator body 1, there are provided doors 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 that can open and close the front openings of the storage chambers 2-5. The refrigerating compartment door 6 is a so-called French door type revolving door provided on the left and right of the left door and the right door. Specifically, the left door is rotatably provided by the upper and lower left hinges 6a, 6a of the refrigerator main body 1, and the right door is rotatably provided by the left and upper hinges (not shown) of the refrigerator main body 1, Open and close the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 2.

  The ice making chamber door (not shown) is a door that opens and closes the front opening of the ice making chamber. The upper freezing compartment door 8 is a door that opens and closes a front opening of the upper freezing compartment 3b. The lower freezing compartment door 9 is a door that opens and closes the front opening of the lower freezing compartment 4. The vegetable compartment door 10 is a door that opens and closes the front opening of the vegetable compartment 5. The ice making chamber door 7, the upper freezing chamber door 8, the freezing chamber door 9 and the vegetable chamber door 10 are constituted by drawer type doors, and the container in the storage chamber is pulled out together with the drawer doors.

  The layout of the storage room and the door is not limited to this embodiment, and any known layout can be adopted. For example, a bottom freezer structure in which a freezer compartment is arranged in the lower stage of the refrigerator body, a top freezer structure in which the freezer compartment is arranged in the upper stage, and a side-by-side structure in which a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment are arranged side by side may be used.

  Next, a refrigeration cycle is installed in the refrigerator body 1. This refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting a compressor 14, a condenser (not shown), a capillary tube (not shown) and a cooler 15, and then the compressor 14 again in this order in an annular shape. The compressor 14 and the condenser are installed in a machine room 100 provided in the lower rear portion of the refrigerator body 1. The cooler 15 is installed in the cooler room 110 provided behind the ice making room, the upper freezing room 3b, and the lower freezing room 4, and the blower fan 16 is installed above the cooler 15 in the cooler room 110. ing.

  The cool air sent by the blower fan 16 to the respective storage compartments of the refrigerating compartment 2, the upper freezing compartment 3b, the ice making compartment, the lower freezing compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5 cools the respective storage compartments and then returns to the respective cold air return passages. It is returned to the cooler chamber 110 through (not shown). As described above, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment has a cold air circulation structure and maintains each of the storage chambers 2 to 5 at an appropriate temperature.

  In the refrigerating compartment 2, a plurality of storage shelves 17 to 20 made of transparent resin plates or glass plates are detachably installed in the vertical direction. The lowermost storage shelf 20 is installed so as to contact the back surface and both side surfaces of the inner box 12, and a lowermost space 21 is formed between the partition wall 34 and the storage shelf 20 so as to be separated from the upper space. . Further, a plurality of stages of door pockets 25 to 27 are installed inside the refrigerating compartment door 6, and these door pockets 25 to 27 project into the refrigerating compartment 2 when the refrigerating compartment door 6 is closed. It is provided in. On the back surface of the refrigerating compartment 2, there is provided a back panel 30 which forms a passage for passing the cool air supplied from the blower fan 16.

  In the lowermost space 21, in order from the left, an ice making water tank 22 for supplying ice making water to the ice making tray of the freezer compartment 3, a storage case 23 for storing food such as a dessert, and decompressing the interior of the room to store food. A decompression storage room 24 is installed for keeping freshness and storing for a long time. The reduced pressure storage chamber 24 has a width smaller than that of the refrigerating compartment 2 and is arranged adjacent to the side surface of the refrigerating compartment 2.

  The ice-making water tank 22 and the storage case 23 are arranged behind the refrigerating compartment door 6 on the left side. Thereby, the user can pull out the ice making water tank 22 and the storage case 23 only by opening the left refrigerating compartment door 6. The width of the lid 60 of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 is arranged within the opening range of the refrigerating chamber door 6 on the right side. Thereby, the lid 60 of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 can be pulled out only by opening the refrigerating chamber door 6 on the right side. Further, inside the reduced pressure storage chamber 24, a reduced pressure storage chamber container 60 a for placing food is provided. The reduced pressure storage chamber container 60a is engaged with the lid 60 and is pulled out forward as the lid 60 is pulled out. That is, by simply opening the left refrigerating compartment door 6 or the right refrigerating compartment door 6, the desired food can be taken out and the water in the ice making water tank 22 can be replenished or replaced. It is possible to prevent the cold air from leaking out of the refrigerator.

  The ice-making water tank 22 and the storage case 23 are located behind the lowermost door pocket 27 of the left refrigerating compartment door 6, and the decompression storage room 24 is the lowermost door pocket of the right refrigerating compartment door 6. It will be located behind 27. Here, the cool air cooled by the cooler 15 and sent to the refrigerating chamber 2 passes around the depressurized storing chamber 24 and indirectly cools the inside of the depressurizing storing chamber 24. Note that the arrangement of the ice making water tank 22, the storage case 23, and the reduced pressure storage chamber 21 is not limited to this. For example, the storage case 23 may be omitted to widen the width of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 to increase the size, or the ice making water. The tank 22 may be arranged at different places.

  An ice making water pump 28 is installed behind the ice making water tank 22. A negative pressure pump 29, which is an example of a decompression unit for decompressing the decompression storage chamber 24, is arranged in the space behind the storage case 23 and on the rear side of the decompression storage chamber 24. The negative pressure pump 29 is connected to a pump connection portion 40a provided on the side surface of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 via a conduit.

  When the storage case 23 is omitted and the width of the reduced pressure storage chamber 23 is widened, the negative pressure pump 29 is located behind the reduced pressure storage chamber 24.

  The reduced pressure storage chamber 24 includes a box-shaped reduced pressure storage chamber body 40 having an opening for loading and unloading food, a lid 60 for opening and closing the opening for loading and unloading food of the reduced pressure storage chamber body 40, and a lid 60 for accommodating food. It is provided with a decompression storage chamber container 60a which is put in and taken out together. By operating the handle 70 of the lid 60, the space surrounded by the reduced pressure storage chamber main body 40 and the lid 60 is decompressed and formed as a low pressure space. The reduced pressure storage chamber container 60a is attached to the back side of the lid 60 and can move back and forth as the lid 60 moves.

  The reduced pressure storage chamber 24 is a gas control chamber in which the air inside is sucked by the negative pressure pump 29 and is reduced to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, for example, 0.8 atmospheric pressure (80 kPa).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 is provided with ribs 40s as protrusions on the upper surface. As a result, the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 and the storage shelf 20 immediately above it are supported with a proper gap. A cold air intake port (not shown) of the refrigeration chamber 2 is provided at the rear of the decompression storage chamber 24. The decompression storage chamber 24 is indirectly operated by sucking air around the decompression storage chamber 24 and flowing the cool air. Cool to.

  Further, the decompression storage chamber 24 has a front opening and is formed by a flat and substantially long rectangular parallelepiped decompression storage chamber main body 40 and a lid 60 that moves forward and backward to open and close the front opening. Are formed. In other words, the reduced pressure storage chamber body 40 is integrally formed in a box shape having an opening. Specifically, resin molding is performed using ABS (resin containing acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene), AS (resin containing acrylonitrile, styrene), etc., and both side walls 40a, 40b, bottom wall 40c, rear wall 40d, and top wall. 40e is formed in a shape with an open front surface.

  It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the reduced pressure storage chamber main body 40 is formed in a box shape by dividing the resin member into two or more pieces and integrally heat-sealing the divided pieces.

  That is, a lid 60 that opens and closes is provided in order to put a storage item in and out of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24. Further, on the outer surface of the reduced pressure storage chamber body 40, reinforcing ribs for increasing the section modulus and improving the strength are erected in a linear or lattice shape. The shape of the reinforcing rib is not limited to these, and any shape may be used as long as it increases the sectional modulus of the reduced pressure storage chamber body 40 to improve the strength.

  Support shafts 60s are provided on both sides of the reduced pressure storage chamber body 40. An opening / closing handle 70 is rotatably supported around the support shaft 60s. Further, the lid 60 is provided with a differential pressure release valve V.

  A user grips the opening / closing handle 70 to open / close the lid 60 and lock the lid 60 when the lid 60 is closed, and the differential pressure release valve V is opened / closed.

  When the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 is decompressed by the negative pressure pump 29, the load applied to the lid 60 by the pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure outside the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 and the reduced pressure inside the reduced pressure storage chamber 24. Grows larger. As a result, the user needs a considerable amount of force to directly open the lid 60.

  Therefore, by opening the differential pressure release valve V, the inner space and the outer space of the lid 60 are inserted, the inner and outer pressure difference is eliminated, the load due to the differential pressure is eliminated, and the lid 60 can be easily opened.

  Next, a portable vacuum sealed container that can be stored in the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 will be described. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the vacuum sealed container 80. The vacuum closed container 80 includes an open box-shaped vacuum closed container body 80a, a vacuum closed container lid 80b that can open and close the opening of the vacuum closed container body 80a, and a container lid 80b and a body 80a when the container lid 80b is attached. It has a packing 81 located between and, a vent hole 82 and a check valve 83 that allow the gas inside to be discharged.

  The packing 81 may be attached to either the main body 80a or the container lid 80b, but is provided on the container lid 80b in the present embodiment. A rib of the container lid 80b or the main body 80a is arranged at a position on the outer peripheral side of the packing 81 and substantially in contact with the packing 81, and a container lid 80b or the other main body 80a is provided on a position on the inner peripheral side of the packing 81 and substantially in contact with the packing 81. Arrange the department.

  As a result, when the vacuum sealed container 80 is depressurized, the packing 81 is pressed and deformed by the ribs and the packing 80 is supported by the other part, so that the sealing property between the main body 80a and the lid 80b is reduced. Can be improved. Therefore, even if the vacuum sealed container 80 is subsequently moved to the atmospheric pressure atmosphere, it is easy to maintain the sealed condition.

  The vacuum-sealed container body 80a and the vacuum-sealed container lid 80b are made of materials and thicknesses that can withstand freezing and decompression, and are made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene or polystyrene, and can have a thickness of 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less. . Further, the vacuum closed container lid 80b is provided with a vent hole 82 for discharging the gas in the vacuum closed container 80 to the outside, and a check valve 83 for blocking the inflow of gas from the outside through the vent hole 82. Has been. The vent hole 82 and the check valve 83 may be arranged on the main body 80a.

  The check valve 83 opens when the atmospheric pressure (internal pressure) inside the vacuum sealed container 80 becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure (external pressure) outside the vacuum sealed container 80, so that the gas inside the vacuum sealed container 80 can be released to the outside. The minimum atmospheric pressure difference required to open the check valve 83 is manufactured so as to be smaller than the atmospheric pressure value for reducing the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 from the atmospheric pressure. More specifically, since the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 of the present embodiment can reduce the pressure to 0.2 atm, the check valve 83 is manufactured to be openable with a pressure difference below that, for example, 0.15 atm or less. . Ideally, the air pressure in the vacuum sealed container 80 eventually matches the air pressure in the decompression storage chamber 24, so it is more preferable that the pressure is smaller, for example, 0.05 atm or less in the check valve 83. To be openable.

    Food is put in the vacuum closed container body 80a, the vacuum closed container lid 80b is closed, and the food is put in the reduced pressure storage chamber 24. When the lid 60 is locked by the opening / closing handle 70, the decompression storage chamber 24 is decompressed by the negative pressure pump 29. At this time, the air in the vacuum airtight container 80 is discharged to the outside of the vacuum airtight container 80 through the ventilation hole 82 and approaches the atmospheric pressure in the reduced pressure storage chamber 24. When the pressure in the vacuum sealed container 80 is reduced and the pressure becomes constant, the check valve 83 closes the vent hole 82 and the pressure is reduced to a pressure equivalent to the pressure in the reduced pressure storage chamber 24. With the packing 81 and the check valve 83 provided on the vacuum sealed container lid 80b, the vacuum sealed container 80 can be kept in a depressurized state even if the vacuum sealed container 80 is taken out from the depressurized storage chamber 24. After the depressurization is completed, the user can remove the vacuum sealed container 80 from the depressurized storage chamber 24 and transfer it to another storage chamber.

    At that time, a means for notifying the user that the decompression is completed may be provided. A pressure sensor (not shown) is provided at the pump connecting portion 40a that connects the decompression storage chamber 24 and the negative pressure pump 29. The pressure in the decompression storage chamber 24 is detected by a pressure sensor, and after confirming that the pressure has been reduced to a prescribed pressure, the notification is given. The flowchart is shown in FIG. First, the open / closed state of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 and the lid 60 of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 is detected (step S10). For this detection, it is preferable to provide an open / close sensor on the lid 60, but the door switch for detecting the open / closed state of the door 6 of the refrigerating compartment 2 indirectly determines the opening / closing of the lid 60 of the reduced pressure storage compartment 24. But it's okay.

    In this embodiment, when it is confirmed that the door 6 of the refrigerating compartment 2 is closed based on a signal from a door switch that detects the open / closed state of the door 6 of the refrigerating compartment 2 (step (S10: YES), the negative pressure pump 29 is driven (step S11), and the air in the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 is discharged. When the door 6 is not closed (step S10: NO), the negative pressure pump 29 is not driven. The detection signal from the pressure sensor is monitored to determine whether the pressure P1 of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 has become equal to or lower than a preset predetermined pressure Pth (step S12). The negative pressure pump 29 is operated until the pressure P1 of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure Pth (step S12: NO), and when the pressure P1 of the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure Pth (step S12: YES). The negative pressure pump 29 is stopped (step S13). When the negative pressure pump 29 is stopped, the user is informed that the pressure reduction in the vacuum sealed container 80 is completed by an alarm or the like and the vacuum sealed container 80 can be moved to another storage chamber (step S14). The notification may be performed by outputting sound, voice, or light from the refrigerator, or a notification may be sent from the refrigerator or a server associated with the refrigerator to the user's terminal device. .

  FIG. 7 is a graph showing the pressure in the vacuum closed container 80 when the vacuum closed container 80 is put in the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 for 3 minutes and then transferred to the lower freezing chamber 4. From this, by putting in the vacuum storage container 24, the inside of the vacuum sealed container 80 is made to have the same pressure as the inside of the vacuum storage container 24 (here, about 0.8 atm), and then transferred to the lower freezing chamber 4 at atmospheric pressure. It can be seen that the inside of the vacuum sealed container 80 is maintained at about 0.8 atm.

  Here, the effect of the present embodiment will be described. In the following examples, the vacuum sealed container 80 was placed in the reduced pressure storage chamber 24 for 3 minutes as described above, and then transferred to the lower freezing chamber 4.

(Example 1)
FIG. 8 shows 7 of the minced meat, (a) frozen in a vacuum sealed container 80, (b) wrapped in a wrap and quickly frozen on an aluminum tray, and (c) frozen in a pack after purchase. It shows the appearance after freezing for a day. From this, frost is seen in the food in the quick-frozen one and the one frozen in the pack, whereas the frost is not seen in the food in the one frozen by the vacuum sealed container 80, and the frost is suppressed. You can see that it can be frozen.

(Example 2)
FIG. 9 is a graph showing the measurement of the vitamin C content in long onions after long-term storage after cutting the long green onion into small pieces, frozen in a vacuum sealed container 80 and frozen in a food storage bag. Due to the increase in dual-income families, it is often seen that food items purchased in a spare time are collectively prepared to facilitate cooking. Although prepared and stored, the convenience during cooking is improved, but deterioration may progress from the cut surface. However, as shown in FIG. 9, the long-term onions frozen in the vacuum-sealed container 80 after being frozen for 5 days have higher vitamin C than those frozen in a bag for food storage, and the decrease in vitamin C is suppressed. You can see that

(Example 3)
FIG. 10 is a graph in which the vitamin C content in boiled potatoes after 7 days of storage, which were frozen in a vacuum sealed container 80 and frozen in a food storage bag, was measured. Potatoes frozen in a vacuum-sealed container 80 have higher vitamin C after 7 days of freezing than those frozen in a bag for food storage, and the reduction of vitamin C is suppressed in vegetables cooked like raw vegetables. You can see that

(Example 4)
FIG. 11 is a graph in which the salmon K value after freezing for 7 days was measured for a product frozen in a vacuum sealed container 80 and a product frozen as a pack. The K value is an index showing the freshness of fresh fish, and the lower this value is, the better the freshness is. It can be seen from FIG. 11 that the K value of the raw salmon frozen in the vacuum sealed container 80 after 7 days of freezing is lower than that of the frozen product in the packed state, which suppresses deterioration of freshness.

  By using the vacuum closed container 80 and the reduced pressure storage container 24 in this way, even if the amount of food materials to be stored increases, it is possible to store under reduced pressure if the vacuum closed container 80 is prepared, rather than expanding the reduced pressure storage space in the refrigerator. It can be realized easily and cheaply. Further, after depressurizing the vacuum sealed container in the depressurized storage container, it can be stored in a refrigerating room or a vegetable room other than the freezing room, and the depressurized storage can be easily performed in any storage temperature zone.

  Here, the advantages of using the vacuum sealed container 80 will be described. As a related technique, there is a method of making a vacuum pack using a vacuum bag. However, the bag-like shape has a drawback that liquid things such as curry and cooked food are easily spilled and are difficult to handle. However, in the vacuum closed container 80, even liquid things and simmered liquid can be easily decompressed and stored. Further, after vacuum storage, when the microwave oven is heated, the whole container can be carried out if it is the vacuum sealed container 80, but in the bag shape, the contents have to be once transferred to a tapper or a dish, which is troublesome. Further, the merits of freezing using the vacuum sealed container 80 will be described.

  FIG. 12 compares the appearance of broccoli immediately after freezing when the pressure is reduced using a vacuum sealed container 80 and a vacuum bag. In the vacuum-sealed container 80, foods are immediately peeled off even after freezing, and it is possible to utilize as much as necessary for cooking and save the rest, but when frozen in a vacuum bag, foods will stick to each other and will not peel off. However, it is inconvenient because it cannot be cooked unless it is thawed. By thus forming the vacuum sealed container 80 in a box structure, it is more convenient to store and cook than the vacuum bag.

  Here, a cooling method when the vacuum sealed container 80 is decompressed in the decompression storage chamber 24 and then moved to another storage chamber will be described. Here, as an example, a case will be described in which, after decompressing the vacuum sealed container 80 in the decompression storage chamber 24, it is moved to one of the freezing chambers, for example, the upper freezing chamber 3b and frozen. The vacuum closed container 80 has a box shape with a material and thickness that can withstand freezing and decompression. When such a vacuum closed container 80 is housed in a freezing chamber, the box closed container holds food and cold air inside the container. The spaces are insulated, and the food in the vacuum sealed container 80 is not cooled easily. Generally, quick cooling is important to maintain the freshness of food, and a means for quickly cooling the vacuum sealed container 80 is required.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the rapid cooling setting instruction unit that receives the instruction for rapid cooling is provided in the refrigerator or a terminal that can be operated by the user, or the control software that the refrigerator determines by itself. The rapid cooling setting instruction unit controls the cold air supplied to the upper freezing chamber 3b. When the vacuum closed container 80 is put in the upper freezing chamber 3b and the rapid cooling mode is executed, for example, a damper dedicated to the rapid cooling chamber 4 is opened and cold air is supplied from the cold air outlet 46 through the cold air supply passage 45. ing. The cold air at this time is preferably in the freezing temperature range. Cold air in the freezing temperature zone is intensively sent to the rapid cooling chamber 4 to quickly reduce the temperature of food. The cool air whose flow rate is adjusted by a damper or shutter of the upper freezing chamber 3b is supplied into the upper freezing chamber 3b so as to be blown out from the cold air outlet 46 through the cold air supply passage 45. .

  The cold air outlet 46 is opened toward the wall surface on the outer peripheral side of the container 44 of the upper freezing chamber 3b. Therefore, the cool air supplied from the cold air outlet 46 is on the outer peripheral side of the container 44 of the upper freezing chamber 3b. It will flow along the wall. As a result, the food in the upper freezer compartment 3b is indirectly cooled.

  When the rapid cooling setting instruction unit is provided in the control software, the trigger for performing rapid cooling is preferably further provided with an entrance / exit detection unit capable of detecting the entrance / exit of food in / from the decompression storage container 24 and / or the upper freezer compartment 3b. (1) open the reduced pressure storage container 24, (2) take out food from the reduced pressure storage container 24, (2-2) close the reduced pressure storage container 24, (2-3) open the upper freezing chamber 3b, It is also possible to detect (3) the feeding of food into the upper freezing chamber 3b and (4) the closing of the upper freezing chamber in this order. Moreover, the order of (2-2) and (2-3) may be reversed.

  Further, on the bottom surface of the container of the upper freezing chamber 3b which performs rapid cooling, a heat conductive member having a high thermal conductivity, for example, a metal tray 48 made of aluminum is installed, and the supplied cold air rapidly cools the food. You may allow it. Further, the container itself of the upper freezing chamber 3b may be formed of a good heat conductive member having high thermal conductivity so as to have a shape suitable for rapid cooling.

    Also, when warm food such as vegetables and curry in sewage is placed in a vacuum sealed container and immediately frozen and stored, the pressure in the vacuum sealed container changes as the temperature of the food becomes lower, Since the pressure in the closed container is reduced, the pressure does not have to be reduced in the reduced pressure storage chamber 24.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, reduced pressure frozen storage may be performed in the upper stage freezing chamber 3b. In this case, a negative pressure pump 29, which is a decompression means for decompressing the decompression storage chamber 24 arranged in a space on the rear side of the decompression storage chamber 24, is used, and is connected to the upper stage freezing chamber 3b by wiring through the back of the refrigerator. It enables decompression. In that case, as shown in FIG. 14, an upper stage refrigerating chamber cover 90 is provided, and the pressure can be reduced by increasing the degree of sealing with the upper stage freezing chamber 3b.

  Note that the vacuum sealed container 80 may be sold together with a refrigerator, or may be sold to general consumers by adding a description of what refrigerator (product name, model number, or manufacturer name that manufactures these) is applicable. May be sold separately in a manner that can assist the purchase decision of the. The refrigerator itself may be sold with instructions mentioning use with such a vacuum sealed container 80.

  Further, the effect of each embodiment is contributed in particular that the amount of oxygen in the vacuum closed container 80 is reduced. Therefore, the decompression storage chamber is not limited to decompression, and the decompression storage chamber can be an atmosphere adjustment chamber capable of adjusting the internal atmosphere (for example, reducing the oxygen partial pressure and other adjustments suitable for food storage). In this case, the vacuum sealed container 80 is not limited to being depressurized, and is therefore preferably referred to as a sealed container. The adjustment of the atmosphere may be, for example, the discharge of air (especially oxygen) in the closed container or the intake of an atmosphere such as high-humidity air (flow of gas into the closed container).

24 Decompression storage room (storage room)
29 Negative pressure pump (pressure reducing means)
40 reduced pressure storage chamber body 60 lid 60a reduced pressure storage chamber container 80 vacuum storage container 80a vacuum storage container body 80b vacuum storage container lid 81 packing 82 vent hole 83 check valve 90 upper freezer compartment cover

Claims (8)

It has an atmosphere adjustment chamber that can adjust the atmosphere inside and can store a closed container.
A refrigerator that notifies a user when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the atmosphere adjustment chamber starts adjusting the atmosphere.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the notification notifies the user that a state suitable for moving the closed container to another storage chamber has been reached. When the adjustment of the atmosphere of the atmosphere adjustment chamber is started by storing the closed container, gas is discharged from inside the closed container toward the outside of the closed container or gas is discharged from outside of the closed container into the closed container. Inflow,
A portable and box-shaped closed container is attached as the closed container, or
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a description referring to the use of a portable and box-shaped closed container as the closed container. Another storage room,
An atmosphere control room and / or an entrance / exit detection unit capable of detecting the entrance / exit of food in the storage room,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein rapid cooling of the storage compartment is performed using a detection result of the entrance / exit detection unit. Another storage room,
A door detection unit capable of detecting opening and closing of the atmosphere control chamber and the storage chamber door,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein rapid cooling of the storage compartment is performed using a detection result of the door detection unit. Another storage room,
An entrance / exit detection unit capable of detecting the entrance / exit of food in the atmosphere adjustment room and / or the storage room,
A door detection unit capable of detecting opening and closing of the atmosphere control chamber and the storage chamber door,
At least when the opening of the atmosphere control chamber, the removal of food, and the closing of the door, and the opening of the storage chamber, the insertion of food, and the closing of the door are detected in this order, rapid cooling of the storage is performed. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A closed container capable of discharging gas in a decompressed space,
A body having an opening,
A lid that can open and close the opening,
A packing arranged between the body and the lid,
Ribs located on the outer peripheral side of the packing and substantially contacting the packing,
A support portion located on the inner peripheral side of the packing and substantially in contact with the packing;
Vents for discharging gas to the outside,
A check valve for preventing the inflow of gas through the ventilation hole,
A box-shaped closed container having at least a portion having a thickness of 2 mm or more.   The airtight container according to claim 7, which is sold together with a description that assists in identifying the name or model number of a product that can realize the decompressed space, or the name of the manufacturer that manufactures the product of the name or model number.

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