CN1989383B - Storage compartment and refrigerator having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage compartment and a refrigerator using the storage compartment. The storage compartment comprises a box and a mist sprayer. The box comprises storerooms for field crops therein. The mist sprayer generates mist by spraying a liquid into the storerooms. Then, the mist sprayer raises harmful substances adhered to the surfaces of the field crops stored in the storerooms or adhere the mist to the harmful substances adhered to the surfaces of the field crops stored in the storerooms.

Description

Storage room and cold storage using the storage room

technical field

The present invention relates to a storage with a spraying device for easily removing harmful substances such as pesticides adhering to crops such as vegetables and fruits by using mist, and to a refrigerator using the same .

Background technique

In recent years, consumers have become very concerned about food safety. According to the results of a survey, the results show that about 90% of consumers are particularly concerned about pesticide residues in food. In response to this, in order to ensure the safety of pesticide residues, laws and regulations on the use of pesticides by farmers and laws and regulations on the amount of pesticide residues in food from the perspective of human health are being perfected. Even so, inspection results sometimes show that the amount of residual pesticides exceeds the specified amount. In this way, crops exceeding the standard are detected. Pesticide residues with a high rate of exceeding the standard are mainly pesticides imported from overseas and used after harvesting. Among them, there are many pesticides that have been banned in Japan.

In the actual situation of such residual pesticides, in order to allow consumers to enjoy food and drink life with peace of mind, there is a high need for a device for removing residual pesticides. For example, JP-A-9-75050 discloses a food washing device. This food cleaning device has the function of removing harmful substances such as pesticides adhering to vegetables and fruits. Fig. 48 shows such a conventional food cleaning device.

Cleaning solution 2 usually uses tap water. A supply pipe 12 for supplying the cleaning liquid 2 is connected to the side wall of the cleaning tank 1 , and a discharge pipe 13 for discharging the cleaning liquid is connected to the bottom of the cleaning tank 1 . In addition, solenoid valves 14 and 15 are provided in the supply pipe 12 and the discharge pipe 13 .

Bubble generating unit 3 that generates fine bubbles in cleaning liquid 2 includes an ejector 6 , a fluid pump 4 and a branch unit 9 . The injector 6 is provided with a suction pipe 7 for sucking gas that becomes fine bubbles. The fluid pump 4 delivers the cleaning liquid 2 and pressurizes the cleaning liquid 2 to dissolve the gas. The branch portion 9 returns the cleaning solution 2 in the cleaning tank 1 to the injector 6 again. The cleaning liquid 2 contains fine air bubbles deposited by depressurizing the dissolved gas. The delivery pipe 5 for delivering the cleaning liquid 2 connects the cleaning tank 1 and the injector 6 , and the injector 6 and the fluid pump 4 . The discharge pipe 8 connects the fluid pump 4 and the branch part 9 via the liquid reforming part 16 . A return line 11 connects the branch 9 and the injector 6 .

The liquid modifying unit 16 dissolves the pollutants adhering to the food. The liquid reforming part 16 is provided between the fluid pump 4 and the branch part 9 . In the liquid reforming unit 16, the cleaning liquid 2 is brought into contact with the cyclosilicate compound to elute the pollutants and modify them.

The pollution decomposition unit 17 includes an ozone generator 18 , a gas pump 19 and a solenoid valve 20 . The ozone generating device 18 utilizes high-voltage discharge to generate ozone. The gas pump 19 supplies the ozone generated by the ozone generator 18 to the cleaning tank 1 . The solenoid valve 20 prevents the supply of ozone and the inflow of the cleaning liquid 2 .

Hereinafter, the operation|movement of the food washing apparatus comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated. When a signal to start cleaning is issued from a control unit (not shown), the solenoid valve 14 is opened, and the cleaning liquid 2 is supplied from the supply pipe 12 to the cleaning tank 1 . When the cleaning solution 2 in the cleaning tank 1 reaches a predetermined amount, the solenoid valve 14 is closed to stop supply.

Then, the fluid pump 4 operates to deliver the cleaning fluid 2 to the injector 6 through the delivery pipe 5 . The cleaning fluid 2 is entrained by the air sucked by the suction pipe 7 provided on the injector 6 . The air entrained in the cleaning solution 2 is pressurized by the fluid pump 4 and dissolved in the cleaning solution 2 .

Thereafter, the cleaning liquid 2 passes through the discharge pipe 8 and is activated by the liquid reforming unit 16 . Then, in the decompression nozzle 10 , the cleaning liquid 2 is sprayed into the cleaning tank 1 in a state where fine air bubbles are generated due to the release of pressurized and dissolved air. In the decompression nozzle 10, in order to decompress the pressurized cleaning liquid 2, the pressure drop is increased and the discharge flow rate is reduced. Therefore, the excess cleaning liquid 2 is guided to the return pipe 11 to circulate in the air bubble generating part 3 .

On the other hand, simultaneously with the operation of the fluid pump 4 , the pollution decomposing unit 17 is operated to supply ozone to the cleaning solution 2 in the cleaning tank 1 . Use the cleaning liquid 2 to clean the crops such as vegetables or fruits in the cleaning tank 1 .

In the conventional structure described above, agricultural chemicals and other harmful substances are removed by immersing crops in a cleaning solution, utilizing the physical action and chemical action of fine bubbles containing ozone gas. Such dedicated equipment requires the cleaning tank 1 and the drain pipe, and becomes a complicated and large-scale device. In addition, in the conventional structure described above, since the crops are immersed in the washing liquid 2, a large amount of water is required.

Contents of the invention

The storage of the present invention includes a box body and a spraying device. The box has a storage compartment for crops inside. The spray device sprays liquid into the storage chamber to generate mist. The spraying device floats harmful substances adhering to the surface of the crops stored in the storage room by using mist, or makes the mist adhere to the harmful substances adhering to the surface of the crops stored in the storage room. In this way, harmful substances can be easily removed by mist with a small amount of water in the vegetable storage chamber without using a dedicated cleaning device, and therefore, the user can easily remove harmful substances. In addition, the refrigerator according to the present invention is configured by adding a cooling device to the above-mentioned storage and using a heat-insulating box as the box.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of a storage according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of a replenishment portion of the storage shown in Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view of a replenishment portion of the storage shown in Fig. 1 .

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of the storage according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a side sectional view of the spraying device of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 5 .

Fig. 7 is an A-A sectional view of the spray device shown in Fig. 6 .

Fig. 8 is a graph showing the pesticide removal performance of the spraying device shown in Fig. 6 .

Fig. 9 is a graph showing characteristics of the pesticide removal performance of the spray device shown in Fig. 6 with respect to the particle size of the mist.

Fig. 10 is a graph showing the characteristics of the pesticide removal performance of the spray device shown in Fig. 6 with respect to the spray amount.

Fig. 11 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the spraying device of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 11 .

Fig. 13 is a front view of the vicinity of the spray device shown in Fig. 12 .

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of the spray device shown in Fig. 12 .

Fig. 15 is a functional block diagram of the spray device shown in Fig. 12 .

Fig. 16 is a control flowchart of the spray device shown in Fig. 12 .

Fig. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of another spray device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a graph showing characteristics of the pesticide removal performance of the spray device shown in Fig. 12 with respect to the particle size of the mist.

Fig. 19 is a graph showing the characteristics of the pesticide removal performance of the spraying device shown in Fig. 12 with respect to the spray amount.

Fig. 20 is a graph showing the correlation between the particle size of the mist, the spray amount, and the pesticide removal effect in Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

Fig. 21A is a graph showing characteristics of pesticide removal performance with respect to mist particle size in Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

21B is a graph showing the characteristics of the pesticide removal performance with respect to the spray amount in Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

Fig. 22 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

Fig. 23 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the spray unit of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 22 .

Fig. 24 is a longitudinal sectional view of another spray device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

Fig. 25 is a front view of the vicinity of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention.

Fig. 26 is a vertical cross-sectional view along line A-A in the vicinity of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 25 .

Fig. 27A is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention.

Fig. 27B is a partial front view showing the outline of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 27A .

Fig. 28 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

Fig. 29 is a front sectional view of the vicinity of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 28 .

Fig. 30 is a sectional view of main parts showing the A-A section in Fig. 29 .

Fig. 31 is a sectional view of main parts showing the B-B section in Fig. 29 .

Fig. 32 is a graph showing the particle size distribution ratio of mist sprayed in Embodiment 9 of the present invention.

Fig. 33 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention.

Fig. 34 is a side sectional view of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 33 .

Fig. 35 is an enlarged view of main parts of the spraying device of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 33 .

Fig. 36 is a graph showing the pesticide removal performance of the ozone water spray in the refrigerator shown in Fig. 33 .

Fig. 37 is an enlarged view of main parts of another spraying device of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention.

Fig. 38 is an enlarged view of a main part of still another spraying device of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention.

Fig. 39 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 11 of the present invention.

Fig. 40 is a block diagram of a control system of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 39 .

Fig. 41 is a graph showing the pesticide removal performance of the spraying device and the decomposition unit of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 39 .

Fig. 42 is a graph showing the ratio of pesticides remaining in the washing water treated by the spraying device of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 39 and the decomposition unit.

Fig. 43 is a side sectional view of another refrigerator according to Embodiment 11 of the present invention.

Fig. 44 is a block diagram of a control system of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 43 .

Fig. 45 is a graph showing the decomposition performance by the irradiation time of the disassembly unit of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 43 .

Fig. 46 is a side sectional view of still another refrigerator according to Embodiment 11 of the present invention.

Fig. 47 is a block diagram of a control system of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 46 .

Fig. 48 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional food cleaning device.

Symbol Description

1 cleaning tank

2 cleaning fluid

3 Bubble generating part

4 Fluid pumps

5 delivery pipe

6 injectors

7 suction tube

8 ejection pipe

9 branches

10 decompression nozzle

11 return pipe

12 supply pipe

13 discharge pipe

14, 15, 20 Solenoid valve

16 Liquid modification department

17 Pollution Decomposition Department

18 Ozone generator

19 gas pump

21 spray device

22 water tank

23 spray nozzles

24 Ozone water supply port

25 ozone generator

27 Ozone water path

28 water supply path

29 electrodes

30 power

31 Water supply port

40 Storage Water Supply Department

41 Spray front end

42 capillary supply structure

43 electrodes

60, 63 Box

61 spray device

62 cars

70, 90 Storage library

71 storage room

72, 72A water storage tank

73 water supply path

74 Supplementary Department

76 Spray Department

77 Air supply department

80 ultrasonic components

81 metal sieve

82 sheet metal

83 power supply

84 store water

85 temperature sensor

102 evaporator

103 Mechanical room

104 compressor

105 condenser

106, 107, 108 Control Department

110 Insulated box

111, 111A, 111B partition board

112 cold room

113 switch room

114 vegetable room

115 freezer

116 insulation wall

120 spray device

121, 200 Decomposition Department

122 water tank

123 Spray Department

124 Store water

128 Power

129 Air supply department

132 Spray front end

133 capillary supply structure

134 Cathode

135 anode

202 outer wall

227 ice room

228, 228A container

228B Specific container

229 wind road

301 Spray Department

302, 302A spray device

303 Ministry of Water Supply

304 Supply Department

305 connection part

306 cover parts

307 Circulating air path

308, 309 Circulating air duct opening

310 Trumpet (horn)

310A spray front

311 piezoelectric element

312 flange part

313 water storage tank

314 Control Department

317 Air supply department

321 water collection plate

323 Ozone generators

325 Vegetable room temperature detection department

326 Vegetable room humidity detection department

327 Water collection plate temperature detection unit

328 heating department

330 Door opening and closing detection department

350 stomata

351 long diameter

352 short diameter

400A, 400B doors

402 Visor

403 switch

404, 404A spray device

405 bracket (holder)

406 Applied electrodes

406A Spray front end

407 Water retention parts

408 opposite electrode

409 voltage application part

412 Temperature Detection Department

413 heating department

414 Control Department

420 recessed part

425, 425B, 425C water storage tank

425A Bottom

426 supply water

431 Spray Department

431A lower end

441 Ministry of Water Supply

442 water supply path

444 Water Supply Regulation Department

501 cover parts

501A bottom face

512 rail parts

514 cover

515 Maintenance Department

516 protrusion

523 Irradiation Department

524 Diffusion plate

617 Insulated box

619, 620 storage room

624 circulation catheter

625 circulating air path

626 Spray Department

627 Diffusion Department

628 jet outlet

629 suction port

630 Circulation Department

631 Selection Department

632 drain pipe (drain)

633, 634 temperature sensor

635 slide rail

636 food storage container

637 Vent

638 heater

Detailed ways

The storage of the present invention includes a box body and a spraying device. The box has a storage compartment for crops inside. The spray device sprays liquid into the storage room to generate mist, and uses the mist to float the harmful substances of the pesticides attached to the surface of the crops stored in the storage room, or to make the mist adhere to the harmful substances of the pesticides attached to the surface of the crops stored in the storage room. Materially. As a result, the sprayed mist enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops, and the harmful substances of pesticides remaining in the recesses are removed by utilizing the synergistic effect of the physical action and chemical action of the mist. Alternatively, by attaching mist to harmful substances such as residual pesticides, the harmful substances are floated with a small amount of water and removed easily. Such a structure can be applied to various forms for storing crops, such as a vegetable compartment of a refrigerator and a container for circulation.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each embodiment, the part which comprises the same structure as the previous embodiment is demonstrated using the same code|symbol, and the detailed description is abbreviate|omitted.

(Embodiment 1)

In the storage of this invention, the transport box for transporting crops is used as a box body. Thereby, harmful substances can be removed or floated before sending the food stored in the storage room to a place of consumption.

Usually, vegetables or fruits are transported to markets or supermarkets, etc. after harvesting, but the transport takes a long time. Use this time to spray vegetables or fruits that are stored in the storage room. Thereby, it is possible to perform pretreatment for easily removing residual pesticides so that consumers can enjoy a dietary life with peace of mind.

1 is a side sectional view of a storage according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a water replenishment portion of the storage shown in FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a water replenishment portion of the storage shown in FIG. Plane section view.

The storage room 70 is provided with a storage room 71 for storing crops in the box body 60 . In addition, the storage 70 has the spray device 61 inside the storage room 71 . The box body 60 is a transport box, and is mounted on a car 62 for transportation. In addition, it can also be carried on a plane or a ship for transportation.

The spray device 61 has a water storage tank 72 , a water supply path 73 , and a replenishment unit 74 . The water supply path 73 supplies water from the water storage tank 72 to the replenishment unit 74 . The replenishment portion 74 is provided on the upper top surface of the storage compartment 71 . The replenishment unit 74 includes a water storage tank 75 as a holding unit for storing water, a spray unit 76 , and an air blower 77 that blows mist generated by the spray unit 76 into the storage chamber 71 .

The spray unit 76 includes a metal screen 81 and a metal plate 82 located at the bottom of the water storage tank 75 , and an ultrasonic element 80 and a power source 83 provided outside. The ultrasonic element 80 atomizes water by means of ultrasonic waves. The metal sieve 81 transmits only mist below a predetermined particle size. In addition, the stored water 84 in the water storage tank 75 is supplied from the water supply path 73 and stored in the water storage tank 75 . In addition, at one corner of the storage room 71, a temperature sensor 85 for detecting the temperature in the storage room is installed.

The operation and action of the storage configured as above will be described. First, the water stored in the water storage tank 72 is supplied into the water storage tank 75 through the water supply path 73 and stored as stored water 84 . Subsequently, the stored water 84 is atomized by means of the ultrasonic element 80 . Only the fine mist with a predetermined particle size or less in the generated mist is sprayed from the metal sieve 81 . In this way, the inside of the supplementary part 74 is in a state filled with mist having a predetermined particle size or less. The fine mist in the replenishment unit 74 is blown into the storage room 71 by the air blower 77 to form a mist. The fine mist adheres to the surfaces of crops such as vegetables and fruits in the storage room 71, and enters the fine recesses on the surfaces of the crops. Harmful substances such as residual pesticides and wax float up due to the internal pressure energy of the fine mist. In this way, by floating the harmful substances, when the user washes the vegetables with water, it is easier to remove the harmful substances than when no mist is attached. In addition, when the mist is charged, it enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops by electrical action, and chemically reacts with residual pesticides or waxes. Thereby, the hydrophilicity of harmful substances is improved, absorbed into the mist, and decomposed and removed. In addition, even if the mist does not chemically react with harmful substances in this way, for example, only the mist may be attached to the harmful substances. As a result, the harmful substance is dissolved into the mist, or the mist is dissolved into the harmful substance to dilute the harmful substance. As a result, when the user washes vegetables with water, it is easier to remove harmful substances than when no mist is attached.

In addition, mist refers to finely divided water in the state of ultrafine particles, and its particle size ranges from a few μm visible to the eyes to a few nm invisible to the eyes, and has the property of a liquid.

As described above, in the storage room 70 according to the present embodiment, the crops stored in the storage room 71 are sprayed with an appropriate amount of fine mist that can enter the recesses of the intercellular space by the spraying device 61 . As a result, the sprayed mist enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops, causing harmful substances such as residual pesticides adhering to the surface of the crops stored in the storage room 71 to float up, or by making the mist adhere to the harmful substances, the user can wash the vegetables with water. When , it is easier to remove harmful substances than when no mist is attached. In addition, in addition to the above-mentioned physical effect of mist on harmful substances remaining in the recess, the synergy of physical action and chemical action can be utilized by making ozone or OH radicals generated simultaneously with the mist reliably adhere to the vegetable surface. The effect is to remove harmful substances, so that the removal of harmful substances can be performed more effectively. In this way, a small amount of water is sprayed as mist to float harmful substances or to attach mist to harmful substances, thereby facilitating the removal of harmful substances.

Vegetables or fruits are transported to markets or supermarkets etc. after harvesting, but transportation takes a long time. During this time, the vegetables and fruits stored in the storage room 71 are sprayed. Thereby, it is possible to perform pretreatment for easily removing residual pesticides so that consumers can enjoy a dietary life with peace of mind.

In addition, in the storage room 71 , green leafy vegetables, fruits, etc. among the vegetables as fruits and vegetables are stored, and these fruits and vegetables tend to wilt due to evaporation during transportation. However, the box body 60 is a transport box used for transportation, thereby preventing moisture evaporation and reduction of nutritional components of the food stored in the storage room 71 during transportation, and the food can be transported in a fresh state. In addition, it is possible to transport vegetables for a long time even if they have been transported only to places where they can be reached without wilting.

In addition, in the above description, the description was made on the premise of spraying tap water, but it is not limited thereto. If functional water such as ozone water, acidic water, or alkaline water is sprayed as liquid for spraying, the functional water mist will enter the fine pores on the surface of vegetables or fruits. Therefore, the effect of floating and removing harmful substances such as dirt and agricultural chemicals inside the fine pores, the effect of oxidative decomposition of harmful substances, or the effect of acid-alkali decomposition are improved.

In addition, the effects of removing dirt adhering to the storage room 71 and ozone in the storage room 71 and acid/alkali decomposition are also improved. In particular, the spray unit 76 of the type that generates mist using vibration energy in this way uses high-frequency vibration energy to atomize water droplets. That is, the type of atomizing device that generates mist using vibration energy does not decompose water particles such as electrolysis, so it may be possible to atomize water without changing its composition. In this way, in the case of using a device that directly atomizes the components of water by applying vibration energy, for example, even if functional water with some components added to pure water such as alkaline ionized water or negative ion water is used, it is possible to This component is directly atomized, so that any water can be atomized and supplied according to the user's needs.

In addition, if a cooling device for cooling the storage room 71 is provided, the temperature zone can be adjusted. Keep crops fresh in the refrigerated temperature zone.

In addition, when the storage room 71 has a high humidity of 90% or more, the evaporation of food, especially vegetables, is suppressed, so the deterioration rate of the food stored in the storage room 71 is slowed down. Therefore, the water replenishment efficiency of the mist is improved. In order to obtain such an effect, a humidity sensor is provided in the storage room 71, and the spraying part 76 is driven according to the change of the air quality in the storage room 71, so that the water replenishment efficiency of the mist can be further improved. In addition, the spray unit 76 of the type that generates mist using vibration energy as described above uses high-frequency vibration energy to atomize water droplets. Therefore, when generating fine mist, high voltage is not required, and fine mist can be obtained with low voltage. This is especially effective in the case of a transport box or the like, when an engine of a transport vehicle uses a flammable substance such as gasoline. That is, even if a flammable substance leaks into the storage chamber 71, since the spray part 76 does not generate a high voltage, the risk of explosion or the like is low, and the safety associated with the generation of mist is further improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the particle size of the mist is adjusted by using the ultrasonic element 80 and the metal sieve 81 in the spraying part 76, but the metal plate 82 facing the metal sieve 81 is provided, and the metal sieve 81 and the metal plate are supplied with a power supply 83. A high voltage is applied between 82 to further micronize the particle size of the mist, thereby also being able to adjust the particle size of the mist. In this case, it is possible to charge the mist particles with static electricity simultaneously with the atomization of the mist. As a result, the negatively charged fine mist adheres to the positively charged inner walls of the storage and the surfaces of vegetables and fruits, and the mist enters the microscopic pores on the inner walls of the storage and the surfaces of vegetables and fruits. Therefore, the effect of floating and removing harmful substances adhering to the vegetable surface can also be enhanced.

(Embodiment 2)

In the storage of this invention, the storage box for storing harvested crops is used as a box body. Thereby, harmful substances can be removed or floated before the food stored in the storage room is transported out. In addition, harmful substances can be removed or floated during storage.

Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of the storage according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The storage 90 of the present embodiment includes a box body 63 and a spray device 61 . The box body 63 is a storage box for storing harvested crops. Other configurations are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

The box body 63 is used to store harvested foods such as vegetables and fruits stored in the storage room 71 . By installing the spraying device 61 in the storage room 71 in the housing 63 , the crops stored in the storage room 71 are sprayed by using the time of storage in the storage room 71 . Thereby, it is possible to perform pretreatment for easily removing residual pesticides so that consumers can enjoy a dietary life with peace of mind. Thereby, for example, pesticides can be removed in a storage state before being sold in a store, and safer vegetables can be provided to consumers.

The preferred liquid for atomization, the electrification effect of the mist, the effect of having a temperature adjustment function, and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Next, an example in which the storage of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator will be described together with Embodiment 3 to Embodiment 10. FIG.

The storage of the present invention includes a box body and a spraying device. The box body has a storage room for storing crops. The spray device has a spray unit that sprays the liquid into the storage compartment. The spraying device uses the generated mist to float harmful substances such as pesticide residues adhering to the surface of crops. Alternatively, the mist is made to adhere to harmful substances such as residual pesticides. Thus, the sprayed mist enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops, and the synergistic effect of the physical action and the chemical action of the mist removes the harmful substances of the pesticide remaining in the recesses. Therefore, with a small amount of water, harmful substances such as pesticides are floated, or mist is attached to harmful substances such as residual pesticides. Thus, harmful substances are easily removed.

In addition, in the housing of the storage of the present invention, a water storage tank is provided as a holding portion for holding liquid. Thereby, a certain amount of stored water can be stored in advance, and thus water can be replenished to the spray device at any timing. Accordingly, it is possible to stably spray the crops stored in the storage room.

Moreover, the spray apparatus of the storage of this invention has the water storage tank as a supply part. Water is supplied from the outside to the water storage tank by the user to keep stored water. Thereby, the user can always replenish fresh water, and can store a certain amount of stored water in advance. Therefore, in many cases, a sufficient amount of water can be replenished to the food stored in the storage room.

Moreover, the holding part of the storage of this invention holds the water extracted from the moisture contained in the air in a storage room. The stored water thus held is held in the water retaining device. Accordingly, even if the user does not replenish water from the outside, the food stored inside the storage compartment can be replenished with water, so maintenance and management are not troublesome.

Moreover, the spray part of the storage of this invention has the spray front part which is a part which sprays mist, and at least a spray front part is provided in a storage room. Therefore, the mist particles can be sprayed directly to the storage room in which the crops are stored. In addition, the distance between the spray tip and the crops can be further shortened. Therefore, for example, vaporization of the mist particles can be prevented compared to the case where the mist is sprayed outside the storage room and then delivered to the storage room. In addition, the flow velocity of the mist in the floating state can be increased, and the adhesion rate of the mist to the surface of the crops can be further increased.

Moreover, the supply part of the spraying apparatus of the storage of this invention is provided with the area|region which has a spraying part, and another area|region. That is, the supply unit can be installed at any position where it is easy to replenish water in the water storage tank and easy to clean the water storage tank, regardless of the arrangement position of the spraying unit. Therefore, the user's convenience is improved.

In addition, the spray unit of the present invention generates mist with a particle diameter of 0.003 μm to 20 μm, whereby the mist efficiently enters the fine recesses on the surface of crops. Therefore, it is possible to float harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals over minute parts.

In addition, by setting the spray amount of the spray unit of the present invention to 0.0007 to 0.14 g/h·L, it is possible to spray mist of an amount required to float harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals. Thereby, the removal effect of harmful substances, such as an agricultural chemical, and preservability can coexist.

In addition, by making the mist generated in the spraying device of the present invention an oxidatively decomposable mist, the mist has an oxidatively decomposable ability to oxidatively decompose harmful substances such as pesticides and improve hydrophilicity. Therefore, the effect of floating harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals is improved.

In addition, by making the mist generated in the spraying device of the present invention an ozone mist, harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals can be oxidized and decomposed powerfully, and the harmful substances can be decomposed into safe substances.

In addition, by making the mist generated by the spraying device of the present invention an alkali-decomposable mist, the mist has alkali-decomposable properties, whereby harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals can be alkali-decomposed into safe substances.

In addition, by making the mist generated in the spraying device of the present invention a mist containing free radicals, the strong oxidative decomposition ability of free radicals can decompose harmful substances such as pesticides into safe substances.

In addition, the spray unit of the present invention generates mist by electrostatic atomization. In this method, electric energy such as high voltage is used to split water droplets, and fine mist is generated through subdivision, so the generated mist is charged. Therefore, the mist adheres to the crops by utilizing the positive and negative adsorption forces of the charge, so that the mist adheres more uniformly to the surface of the vegetables. In addition, the adhesion rate of the mist is further improved compared to the mist of the non-charged type. As a result, removal of pesticides can be performed more efficiently.

In addition, it is preferable that the spray amount of the spray part of the electrostatic atomization method of the present invention is 0.0007 to 0.007 g/h·L. The mist generated by the spraying part of the electrostatic atomization method is charged, and the adhesion rate of the mist to the crops is high. Therefore, compared with the case of spraying non-charged mist, the same adhesion rate can be obtained, and the pesticide can be removed more efficiently.

In addition, the spray unit of the present invention generates mist with a particle diameter of 0.003 to 0.5 μm. When using an electrostatic atomization spray unit, the larger the particle size of the mist, the weaker the charge energy. However, by using the electrostatic atomization method within the above-mentioned particle size range, it is possible to generate mist with a sufficient charge to increase the adhesion rate to vegetables, and to remove pesticides more effectively by the electrostatic atomization method.

In addition, in the present invention, a spray unit of an ultrasonic atomization method can be used. When the mist is generated by such a spray unit, water droplets are atomized using high-frequency vibration energy. Therefore, when generating fine mist, high voltage is not required, and fine mist can be obtained with low voltage. As a result, safety associated with generation of mist can be further improved, and energy can be saved.

In addition, it is preferable that the spray amount of the spray part of the ultrasonic atomization method of the present invention is 0.014 to 0.14 g/h·L. In the case of using an ultrasonic atomization spray unit, high-frequency vibration energy is used to atomize water droplets. Therefore, as the spray volume decreases, the generated vibration energy decreases, and the kinetic energy of the sprayed mist decreases. Therefore, the flying distance of the fog tends to be reduced. However, by using the ultrasonic atomization method in the range of the above-mentioned spray amount, it is possible to generate a mist that is diffusible into the storehouse and has a flight distance to the surface of the vegetables, so that the ultrasonic atomization method can be used more effectively for pesticide spraying. remove.

Moreover, it is preferable that the mist particle diameter of the spray part of the ultrasonic atomization method of this invention is 0.5-20 micrometers. In the case of using the spray unit of the ultrasonic atomization method, as the particle size of the mist becomes smaller, it is necessary to use high-frequency vibration energy to atomize the water droplets. Therefore, the higher the frequency, the higher the number of vibrations, and the shorter the durability of the ultrasonic atomization method. However, by using the ultrasonic atomization method within the above particle size range, sufficient durability can be obtained even in home appliances with an average service life of about 10 years, especially in refrigerators that require long-term durability. sex. Therefore, the reliability of pesticide removal by ultrasonic atomization can be improved.

(Embodiment 3)

Fig. 5 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

6 and 7 are a side sectional view and an A-A line sectional view of the spraying device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 , respectively.

In this refrigerator, a heat insulating box 110 is partitioned into a refrigerator compartment 112 , a switch compartment 113 , a vegetable compartment 114 , and a freezer compartment 115 from above by a partition plate 111 . An evaporator 102 is provided behind the freezing compartment 115 . The evaporator 102 is connected to the compressor 104 installed in the machine room 103, the condenser 105 installed at the lower part of the refrigerator, and an expansion valve (not shown) through conduits. A cooling device for cooling the inside of a refrigerator. The cold air generated in evaporator 102 is sent to each storage room via air duct 229 to cool the inside of refrigerator room 112 and the inside of vegetable room 114 . The inside of the switching chamber 113 is cooled by the evaporator 102 through an unillustrated air supply path, so that it can be switched between being kept at a freezing temperature or kept at a refrigerated temperature. 111 A of partition plates for partitioning the air duct 229 and the vegetable compartment 114 are arrange|positioned at the back of the vegetable compartment 114. As shown in FIG. An air passage 229 is provided between the partition plate 111A and the main body outer wall 202 . Air duct 229 sends, for example, cool air generated in evaporator 102 to each storage room, or sends heat-exchanged air from each storage room to evaporator 102 . That is, a storage room for storing crops, that is, a vegetable room 114 is provided inside the heat-insulating box 110 as a box. The cooling device cools the inside of the vegetable compartment 114 .

The vegetable compartment 114 is constituted by an insulating wall 116, and the inside of the vegetable compartment 114 is kept at a humidity of approximately 90% RH or higher (when food is stored), and is cooled to 4 to 6°C. A spray device 120 is provided on the upper top surface of the vegetable compartment 114 .

Spraying device 120 includes water storage tank 122 storing stored water 124 , spraying unit 123 , and air blower 129 that blows mist generated by spraying unit 123 into vegetable compartment 114 . The spray unit 123 is located inside the water storage tank 122 . The spray unit 123 includes a capillary supply structure 133 , a cathode 134 as a first electrode, an anode 135 as a second electrode, and a power source 128 . One end of the capillary supply structure 133 is immersed in the stored water 124 , and the other end forms a spray tip 132 in the water storage tank 122 . That is, the spray tip portion 132 is installed in the vegetable compartment 114 . The cathode 134 and the anode 135 are provided on a part of the water storage tank 122 . The cathode 134 applies a negative high voltage to the stored water 124 . The anode 135 is opposed to the cathode 134 . The power supply 128 applies a high voltage between the cathode 134 and the anode 135 .

Hereinafter, the operation and function of the spray device 120 configured as above will be described. First, defrosting water is stored in water storage tank 122 as storage water 124 . That is, water storage tank 122 is a holding unit that extracts and holds moisture contained in the air in vegetable compartment 114 .

Next, the power supply 128 applies a high voltage between the cathode 134 and the anode 135 . In this way, a plurality of liquid lines are drawn from the spray tip 132 by the electric field existing between the spray tip 132 and the anode 135 . These liquid lines are further dispersed into charged droplets to form a fine mist of 0.1 μm or less. In addition, since discharge is performed during electrostatic atomization, when mist is generated, a small amount of ozone and free radicals are simultaneously generated. This ozone immediately mixes with the mist to produce a low concentration ozone mist. In addition, the so-called free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons and strong oxidizing ability.

The ozone mist is sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 by the air blower 129 . Since the sprayed ozone mist is charged with static electricity, in the vegetable compartment 114, the ozone mist electrically adheres to the surfaces of crops such as positively charged vegetables and fruits and the inner wall surface of the compartment. Then, it enters into the fine recesses on the surface of the crops. Harmful substances such as residual pesticides and wax float up due to the internal pressure energy of the mist. As a result, when the user washes the crops with water, it is easier to remove the pesticide than when no mist is attached. In addition, using the oxidative decomposition of ozone, harmful substances are oxidatively decomposed and removed. Alternatively, the mist entering the fine recesses by electrical action reacts chemically with harmful substances. As a result, the hydrophilicity of harmful substances is increased, absorbed into the mist, and decomposed.

In addition, even if no chemical reaction occurs with harmful substances in this way, for example, only the mist is attached to the harmful substances, and the harmful substances are dissolved in the mist. Alternatively, the mist dissolves the harmful substance and dilutes the harmful substance. As a result, when the user washes the crops with water, the pesticide can be removed more easily than when the mist is not attached.

In this way, the spray device 120 splits water droplets using electric energy, and generates fine mist through subdivision. In this way, the electrostatic atomization method is used in the spray device 120 . Therefore, the generated mist is charged, and the mist adheres to the crops using the positive and negative adsorption forces that the charge has. Thus, the mist is evenly attached to the crop surface. In addition, compared with non-charged mist, the adhesion rate to crops is improved. Therefore, harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals are effectively removed.

In addition, by charging the mist with static electricity, the water molecules in the mist are radicalized to generate OH radicals. Therefore, in addition to the oxidizing ability of ozone, the oxidizing ability of OH radicals improves the decomposing performance of harmful substances.

In addition, the mist enters the fine pores of the heat insulating wall 116, similarly floats dirt and harmful substances inside the pores, and decomposes and removes them by ozone oxidation decomposition.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a comparison of the pesticide removal performance of the spray device 120 shown in FIG. 6 with a conventional immersion method and water washing. In this experiment, about 3 ppm of malathion (malathion) adhered to each of 10 mini tomatoes was used, and the removal treatment was performed according to each method. Then, the residual malathion concentration after the treatment was measured by gas chromatography (GC), and the removal rate was calculated.

Next, each removal processing method will be described. In treatment A, the above 10 mini tomatoes were placed in a strainer and washed under running water for about 10 seconds. In the treatment B, 10 mini tomatoes were immersed in 2 L of water containing 1 ppm of ozone for 1 hour, and bubble washing was performed with ozone, corresponding to the treatment using a normal food washing apparatus. In treatment C, 10 mini tomatoes were sprayed with the spray device 120 for 12 hours. In treatment D, 10 mini tomatoes were washed under running water for about 10 seconds in a strainer after spraying for 12 hours. In addition, in process C and process D, the ozone gas density|concentration in a chamber was about 0.03 ppm. In addition, the particle size of the mist in Treatment C and Treatment D was 0.003 μm, and the spray amount was 0.0007 g/h·L.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the removal rate in Treatment A was 20%, and it was found that 80% of the residual pesticides were not removed but ingested by the human body in the case of washing with water in general households. Additionally, 55% of the residual pesticides were removed in Treatment B.

On the other hand, the removal rate of Treatment C was 50%, showing almost the same pesticide removal performance as that of Treatment B. In addition, the removal rate of treatment D was 70%. This is considered to be due to the physical action of the ultra-fine mist, which floats the adhering pesticides and becomes easy to fall off. From the above results, it can be seen that the refrigerator equipped with the spraying device 120 of this embodiment has substantially the same pesticide removal performance as that of the dedicated equipment for washing food.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal effect of the spray device 120 according to this embodiment and the water particle size of the mist. The spraying time and spraying amount of the mist are the same as those of the treatments C and D in FIG. 8 .

It can be seen from Fig. 9 that the removal rate of malathion is about 50%, and the particle size of the mist is below 0.5 μm. In addition, the malathion removal rate was about 70%, and the particle size of the mist was 0.1 μm or less. This is considered to be because the finer the particle size of the mist, the easier it is to enter the irregularities on the surface of the crops. That is, it is considered that the finer the particle size of the mist, the easier it is for harmful substances to adhere to the mist particles, or it is easier for the harmful substances to be absorbed into the mist particles.

In addition, when the particle size of the mist exceeds 0.5 μm, the removal rate decreases. This is considered to be because, when the spray unit 123 is an electrostatic atomization method, as the particle size of the mist increases, the charge energy for charging becomes weaker. Therefore, in the case of applying the electrostatic atomization method, by controlling the particle size of the mist to 0.5 μm or less, mist with a sufficient charge to increase the adhesion rate to crops will be generated.

In addition, the malathion removal rate was about 50%, and the particle size of the mist was 0.003 μm or more. In addition, the malathion removal rate was about 70%, and the particle size of the mist was 0.005 μm or more. This is considered to be because when the water particle size is less than 0.003 μm, the particle size is too small, the frequency of contact with malathion decreases, and the removal effect decreases.

In addition, when the particle size of the mist is 0.005 μm or more and 0.1 μm or less, the removal rate is higher than when the particle size of the mist exceeds 0.1 μm. This is considered to be because the number of radicals increases when the particle size is small. Therefore, it is considered that this is because the reactivity with malathion is improved, and the removal rate becomes high.

Based on the above results, in the spray device 120 of the electrostatic atomization method, in order to make the pesticide removal rate 50% or more, the particle size of the mist may be 0.003 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less. In order to make the pesticide removal rate 70% or more , The particle size of the mist may be 0.005 μm or more and 0.1 μm or less. In order to control the particle size of the mist in this way, in this experiment, the particle size was adjusted by changing the voltage applied to the spray device 120 , but the particle size may also be adjusted by changing the diameter or length of the capillary supply structure 133 , for example. This is due to the fact that by changing the size of the cluster of supplied water, even if the same energy is supplied, the particle size after being divided by the spray device 120 is different. Therefore, when the target particle size is roughly determined, this method is effective because it can obtain the mist with the target particle size with a simple structure.

FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal effect and the spray amount of the spray device 120 according to this embodiment. The spraying time and the particle size of the mist are the same as those of the treatments C and D in Fig. 8 . In addition, in this experiment, the volume of the vegetable compartment was 70 liters (L).

It can be seen from Figure 10 that in order to make the removal rate of malathion about 50%, the spray volume needs to be above 0.0007 g/h·L, and the pesticide removal effect increases with the increase of the spray volume.

In addition, when the spray amount exceeds 0.007g/h.L, the ozone concentration generated by a certain device exceeds 0.03ppm in terms of the pesticide removal effect. Therefore, from the perspective of human body safety, the current electrostatic atomization technology is difficult. Applied to household refrigerators. The ozone concentration of 0.03ppm is a level that has no ozone smell, does not cause adverse effects such as tissue damage to vegetables, and is the upper limit of the ozone concentration that has the effect of decomposing pesticides. Thus, the appropriate range of the spray amount is not less than 0.0007 g/h·L and not more than 0.007 g/h·L. However, in the future, if the current technology is further developed, even if the spray volume exceeds 0.007g/h·L in the electrostatic atomization method, the ozone concentration can be suppressed below 0.03ppm, and the spray volume can be expanded. In addition, when adding an ozone decomposing catalyst or an ozone decomposing device to make the ozone concentration below 0.03ppm, even if the spraying amount is 0.007g/h·L or more, as long as the ozone decomposing catalyst or an ozone decomposing device can be used to reduce the concentration of ozone, The amount of spray can be increased to, for example, 10 times 0.07 g/h·L. The upper limit is expanded depending on the capacity of the ozonolysis catalyst to increase.

As described above, in the present embodiment, a refrigerator having a function of removing harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals with a simple structure can be obtained. A user can easily remove harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals by storing vegetables or fruits in a refrigerator.

In addition, spray device 120 sprays into vegetable compartment 114 . As a result, the sprayed mist enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops, and the synergistic effect of physical and chemical actions removes harmful substances such as pesticides remaining in the recesses. In this way, harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals can be removed with a small amount of water.

In addition, ozone or OH radicals generated simultaneously with the fine mist reliably adhere to the vegetable surface. Thereby, the fine mist enters the fine recesses, and the harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals remaining in the recesses are removed by utilizing the synergistic effect of physical action and chemical action. In this way, harmful substances such as pesticides can be removed and decomposed with a small amount of water.

In addition, the spray device 120 generates a mist having a particle size useful for removing pesticides on the surface of crops. As a result, the mist efficiently enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops, and removes harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals throughout the fine parts. Specifically, the particle size of the mist is preferably not less than 0.003 μm and not more than 0.5 μm.

In addition, it is preferable that the spray amount of the spray device 120 is not less than 0.0007 g/h·L and not more than 0.07 g/h·L. Thereby, the amount of spray required for removing harmful substances can be ensured, the effect of removing harmful substances can be exerted, and the preservability of crops can be ensured.

In addition, using the potential difference between the fine mist and the crops, the fine mist adheres to the surface of the crops. Thereby, mist can adhere efficiently.

In the above description, an example in which the mist is generated by electrostatic atomization to generate the mist containing ozone is described, but it is also possible to spray oxidatively decomposing mist other than ozone or alkali decomposing mist. In this case as well, the effect of decomposing harmful substances such as pesticides on the surface of crops is improved as in ozone water. In addition, the removal effect and decomposition effect of the dirt attached to the chamber and the ozone in the chamber are also improved.

In addition, the spray unit 123 of the present embodiment generates mist by electrostatic atomization. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, a spray unit that electrostatically charges the miniaturized mist using an ultrasonic element and a metal mesh may be used. Alternatively, the same effect can also be obtained by using a spray unit that electrostatically charges the mist miniaturized by increasing the frequency of the ultrasonic element.

In the present embodiment, ozone gas generated by electric discharge is dissolved in the sprayed mist. In addition, the same effect can also be obtained by using ozone water or highly reactive functional water as storage water. That is, the water storage tank 122 holds liquid for mist generation, and is not necessarily limited to holding water.

In addition, in this embodiment, the holding|maintenance part which holds stored water is the water storage tank 122, and the water storage tank 122 holds the stored water 124 which is defrosting water. In addition, as the holding part, moisture contained in the air in vegetable compartment 114 may be extracted and held using a moisture absorbent. As the moisture absorbent, for example, porous materials such as silica gel, zeolite, and activated carbon can be used. By using the defrosting water and the like in this way, the user can ensure the stored water without supplying the stored water from the outside, and it is not necessary to replenish the water from the outside, and the convenience of use is improved.

(Embodiment 4)

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. 12 and 13 are a longitudinal sectional view and a front view, respectively, of the vicinity of the spraying device of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 11 . Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a longitudinal section and an amplitude waveform of a spray portion of the spray device shown in Fig. 12 . Fig. 15 is a functional block diagram of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 11 . Fig. 16 is a control flowchart of the control unit shown in Fig. 15 . Fig. 18 is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal effect of the spray device shown in Fig. 12 and the water particle size of the mist. Fig. 19 is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal effect and the spraying amount of the spraying device shown in Fig. 12 .

This refrigerator differs from the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 in that spray device 302 is provided on partition plate 111A, and ozone generator 323 is provided on the top surface of vegetable compartment 114 . The basic structure other than that is the same as that of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 . In addition, a container 228 is provided in the vegetable compartment 114 .

A spray device 302 having a spray unit 301 of an ultrasonic atomization method is attached to the partition plate 111A. The partition plate 111A is mainly made of heat insulating materials such as foamed styrene, and its wall thickness is about 30 mm. However, the back surface of the supply part 304 has a wall thickness of 5 mm to 10 mm.

The supply unit 304 holds stored water and supplies the stored water to the spray unit 301 . The supply unit 304 includes a water collecting plate 321 , a heating unit 328 , an air blowing unit 317 , and a cover member 306 . The water collecting plate 321 is provided inside the chamber, and the heating unit 328 is arranged in contact with one surface of the water collecting plate 321 . The heating unit 328 is, for example, a heater made of nickel chrome wire or the like. The blower unit 317 is a box fan or the like, and sends the air in the refrigerator to the water collection plate 321 arranged inside the refrigerator. The cover member 306 constitutes a circulation air path 307 .

As shown in FIG. 13 , a first circulating air passage opening (hereinafter referred to as an opening) 308 and a second circulating air passage opening (hereinafter referred to as an opening) related to the circulating air passage 307 are provided on the cover member 306 . 309. In addition, a water collecting plate temperature detecting unit (hereinafter referred to as a detecting unit) 327 for detecting the temperature of the surface of the water collecting plate 321 is provided on the water collecting plate 321 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 14 , the spray part 301 has a horn-shaped part 310 and a piezoelectric element 311 . The horn-shaped portion 310 is formed into a substantially conical shape by cutting or the like, and the spray tip portion 310A of the horn-shaped portion 310 opens at least in the vegetable compartment 114 . On the piezoelectric element 311 side, a flange portion 312 is integrally formed with the horn portion 310 . In addition, the horn-shaped part 310 is bonded and fixed to the piezoelectric element 311 . Utilizing the shape of the horn 310 , the vibration generated by the piezoelectric element 311 is amplified to the maximum amplitude in the spray front end portion 310A.

Spray unit 301 is attached to connection portion 305 as an attachment member on the refrigerator side via flange portion 312 . Alternatively, mount directly on the cold storage. At this time, the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration is set so that the flange portion 312 becomes a node portion of the amplitude. That is, when the piezoelectric element 311 is driven, each part shown in FIG. 14 vibrates.

By connecting flange portion 312, which is a node portion of propagating vibration, to connection portion 305 in this way, vibration when ultrasonic waves are generated can be prevented from propagating to the refrigerator main body. On the surface, the noise generated by the components of the refrigerator, shelves installed in the refrigerator, etc. due to vibration is reduced. That is, the noise and vibration of the refrigerator installed with the spray device 302 of the type that generates mist using vibration energy are suppressed.

The flared portion 310 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity. For example, it is made of metals such as aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel. In particular, it is preferably composed of a material mainly composed of aluminum from the viewpoints of light weight, high thermal conductivity, and performance of increasing the amplitude of ultrasonic waves. In addition, in order to prolong the life, it is preferable to be composed of a material mainly composed of stainless steel.

As described above, the size of the horn 310 is set so that the amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration becomes the nodal portion of the amplitude at the flange portion 312 and the abdomen of the amplitude at the spray tip 310A at the tip of the horn 310 . In addition, the size of the horn-shaped part 310 is set so that the dimension between the flange part 312 and the spray tip part 310A is 1/4 wavelength of ultrasonic vibration. In this way, the nodal portion of the vibration is fixed to the main body of the refrigerator, and the position at a distance of 1/4 wavelength of the desired frequency becomes the abdomen of the amplitude. Compared with the case where there are a plurality of abdomens between the flange portion 312 and the spray tip portion 310A, this structure can greatly reduce the vibration energy loss and suppress the electric power required for the vibration. By designing the horn portion 310 in this way, a low input, high output, and compact horn portion 310 can be obtained.

In recent household refrigerators, there is a tendency to increase the internal capacity of the refrigerators while maintaining the existing external dimensions, so as to improve the usability of the user. In this type of refrigerator, the heat insulating wall becomes thinner due to high heat insulation, and the equipment storage space on the rear side is also made more compact. In this way, by using the high-power, small-sized horn portion 310, it is possible to obtain a sufficient amount of generated mist while preventing the spray device 302 from extending into the refrigerator, thereby improving usability of the refrigerator.

In addition, the length of the horn-shaped part 310 is determined by the particle size of the generated mist, the oscillation frequency of the piezoelectric element 311 , and the material of the horn-shaped part 310 . For example, when the particle size of the mist is about 10 μm, if the material of the horn 310 is aluminum and the oscillation frequency of the piezoelectric element 311 is about 270 kHz, the length of the horn 310 is about 6 mm. In addition, when the particle size of the mist is about 15 μm, if the material of the horn 310 is aluminum and the oscillation frequency of the piezoelectric element 311 is about 146 kHz, the length of the horn 310 is about 11 mm. These series of theoretically calculated values are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1

In addition, a cooling device for cooling the inside of the refrigerator is mounted. As described in Embodiment 3, the cooling device includes a compressor 104, a condenser 105, a pressure reducing device (not shown) such as an expansion valve or a capillary tube, an evaporator 102, and the like. In addition, as a refrigerant, isobutane, which is a flammable refrigerant with a low global warming coefficient, may be used from the viewpoint of global environmental protection.

Hereinafter, the operation|movement and effect|action of the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above are demonstrated. In the refrigerator shown in FIG. 11 , the temperature of the vegetable compartment 114 is adjusted to 4°C to 6°C by the distribution of cold air or the ON/OFF (opening and closing) operation of the heating unit, etc., and usually does not have an interior temperature detection unit. more cases. In addition, the inside of vegetable compartment 114 has high humidity due to evaporation of water from food, entry of water vapor due to opening and closing of the door, and the like. In order to secure a certain cooling capacity, the partition plate 111A is formed thinner than other parts.

Here, if the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 is lower than the dew point temperature, the water vapor in the vicinity of the water collecting plate 321 will condense on the water collecting plate 321 to reliably generate water droplets. Specifically, the control unit 314 grasps the temperature state of the surface of the water collecting plate 321 using the detecting unit 327 provided on the water collecting plate 321 . Then, the control unit 314 performs ON/OFF control or duty control on the blower unit 317 and the heating unit 328 . Accordingly, the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 is adjusted to be lower than the dew point temperature, and the moisture contained in the high-humidity air sent from the interior by the air blower 317 condenses on the water collecting plate 321 .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 15 , a vegetable compartment temperature detection unit (hereinafter referred to as a detection unit) 325 and a vegetable compartment humidity detection unit (hereinafter referred to as a detection unit) 326 and the like may be provided in the vegetable compartment 114 . This structure can use a predetermined calculation to calculate the dew point temperature strictly according to the change of the dew point temperature in the storage environment. When ice or frost is formed on the surface of the water collecting plate 321, the control unit 314 can drive the heating unit 328 to raise the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 to the melting temperature, so that water can be properly produced. Here, when the air blower 317 is operated, the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 rises due to the influence of the air in the vegetable compartment 114, and the surface temperature decreases when the air blower 317 is stopped. If the wall thickness of the partition plate 111A on the back side of the supply unit 304 exceeds 10 mm, the heating unit 328 is turned OFF (closed) during the operation of the blower unit 317, and the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 becomes higher than the dew point temperature, and dew condensation cannot be adjusted. quantity. On the contrary, when the wall thickness is less than 5mm, since the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 is too low, the heating part 328 is always in the ON state, and the energy efficiency deteriorates. Therefore, it is preferable that the thickness of the partition plate 111A on the back surface of the water collecting plate 321 is not less than 5 mm and not more than 10 mm. Thereby, the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 can be controlled, and the energy consumption of the heating part 328 is minimized.

In addition, in order to promote dew condensation, it is necessary to circulate the air in vegetable compartment 114 with higher humidity. Therefore, when blowing air by the air blower 317 , for example, high-humidity air is blown from the opening 309 . Then, after condensation is formed on the water collecting plate 321 , air is sprayed into the storage from the opening 308 to circulate the air in the vegetable compartment 114 . In this case, dew condensation is promoted.

The water droplets condensed on the surface of the water collecting plate 321 gradually grow, flow downward by their own weight without using power such as a pump, and collect in the water storage tank 313 near the spraying part 301 . The water storage tank 313 is provided in the heat insulation box 110, and is a holding|maintenance part which holds liquid. The collected dew condensation water is supplied to the front end of the horn-shaped part 310 by the water supply part 303 .

The water supplied to the tip of the horn-shaped portion 310 generates mist with a small particle size by the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 311 and is sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 . In the horn 310 , heat due to vibration is generated in the vicinity of the spray tip 310A, but since the horn 310 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, this heat diffuses to the entire horn 310 .

In addition, at least 310A of spray tip parts are installed in vegetable compartment 114 . Therefore, the mist particles are directly sprayed to the vegetable compartment 114 in which crops such as vegetables are stored. That is, the distance between the spray front end 310A and the crops is short. This structure, for example, prevents the gasification of the particles and increases the flow velocity in the floating state, compared with the case where spraying is performed outside the vegetable compartment 114 and then sent into the vegetable compartment 114 . Therefore, the adhesion rate of the mist to the crop surface is improved.

In addition, a piezoelectric element 311 utilizing an electrostrictive phenomenon caused by electric energy is used in the spraying unit 301 . The spray unit 301 can atomize water droplets using high-frequency vibration energy. Therefore, when generating fine mist, high voltage is not required, and fine mist can be obtained with low voltage. Therefore, the safety accompanying the generation of mist is improved, and the energy consumption is reduced. In addition, since the water particles are not decomposed by electrolysis or the like, it is possible to directly atomize the water without changing the composition of the water. Therefore, even if instead of the supply part 304, functional water is supplied from a water storage tank or the like to the spray part 301, and the atomizing device of the type that uses vibration energy to generate mist, because the water particles are not decomposed by electrolysis or the like, it is sometimes possible not to change the water particles. components and atomize it. In this way, in the case of using a device that directly atomizes the components of water by providing vibration energy, for example, even if functional water with some components added to pure water such as alkaline ion water or negative ion water is used, it is possible to This component is directly atomized, so that any water can be atomized and supplied according to the user's needs.

In addition, the use of the piezoelectric vibrator 311 is not limited to the spray unit 301 . As the vibrator, a magnetostrictive vibrator utilizing a magnetostrictive phenomenon caused by magnetic energy may be used. Also in this case, the same effect as above can be obtained.

In addition, the spray unit 301 generates mist by ultrasonic vibration. Generally speaking, the frequency of ultrasonic waves is located in the frequency band where the noise generated by vibration is inaudible to the human ear as a steady sound. Thus, by using a frequency of, for example, 20,000 Hz or higher, when applied to a household refrigerator, the noise generated by the vibration becomes inaudible to the human ear as a stationary sound. Therefore, a refrigerator having a low-noise, high-quality spray device 302 can be obtained.

Next, control by the control unit 314 will be described using the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 15 and the control flowchart shown in FIG. 16 . In FIG. 15 , information signals from detection units 325 , 326 , and 327 and a door opening/closing detection unit (hereinafter referred to as a detection unit) 330 are input to a control unit 314 . The control part 314 controls the spray part 301, the heating part 328, the compressor 104, the blower part 317, and the ozone generator 323. The heating unit 328 controls the amount of water supplied to the spray unit 301 . For example, the detection unit 325 detects that the temperature inside the refrigerator is 5°C, the detection portion 326 detects that the humidity inside the refrigerator is 90%, and the detection portion 327 detects that the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 is 4°C. In this case, the control unit 314 determines ON/OFF of the spray unit 301 and the operation of the heating unit 328 . That is, it is necessary to cool the surface temperature of the water collecting plate 321 below the dew point temperature. Therefore, the control unit 314 turns off (OFF) or lowers the input of the heating unit 328 , for example. In order to lower the temperature of cool air, the number of rotations of the compressor 104 is increased or the number of rotations of the blower 317 is decreased. In addition, the control unit 314 operates the spray unit 301 only when the detection unit 330 detects that the door is closed. This prevents mist from leaking to the outside when the door is opened.

Next, the control flow will be described in detail using FIG. 16 . First, in step 21 , the detection unit 327 detects the surface temperature t° C. of the water collecting plate 327 . When t°C is within the preset range of _tA °C and _tB °C, the control unit 314 judges that pesticide removal is to be performed, and the control proceeds to step 22. When t °C is not within the range of t _A °C and t _B °C, the control returns to step 21, and temperature detection and judgment are repeated.

In step 22 , control unit 314 operates spraying unit 301 to spray into vegetable compartment 114 . Then, in step 23, if the cumulative operating time _TA of the spraying unit 301 reaches the preset T1 or _more , the control unit 314 operates the ozone generator 323 in step 24, and the control proceeds to step 25. When T _A is smaller than T ₁ , the control unit 314 continues to judge the spray time in step 23 .

In step 25, if the cumulative operating time T _A of the spray unit 301 exceeds the preset T ₂ , the control unit 314 stops the spray unit 301 in step 26 to terminate the spraying. Simultaneously, the control part 314 turns off the ozone generator 323 (OFF), and control proceeds to step 27 . When T _A is smaller than T ₂ , the control unit 314 continues to judge the spray time in step 25 .

Next, in step 27, if the stop time _TB of the spray unit 301 exceeds the preset _T3 , the control unit 314 returns TA _{and TB} to the initial values in step 28, and returns to step 21 again. When _TB is smaller than _T3 , the control unit 314 continues to judge the stop time of the spray unit 301 in step 27 .

Next, a configuration in which liquid such as water for generating mist in the spray unit 301 is supplied instead of the supply unit 304 and the water supply unit 303 will be described. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vicinity of the spray unit 301 .

In this structure, the water storage tank 425B and the spray part 301 are provided toward the inside of a compartment from the door 400A side of a refrigerator, and the spray apparatus 302A is comprised. Spraying device 302A is fixed to partition plate 111B constituting the top surface of vegetable compartment 114 . The bottom surface of the water storage tank 425B is inclined, and the water supply adjustment part 444 is provided in the back bottom.

The operation and function of the spray device configured as above will be described. Water storage tank 425B is provided on the door 400A side of vegetable compartment 114 , that is, on the front side for easy detachment by people, and stores tap water, dew condensation water, and the like. Alternatively, various functional waters may be injected into the water storage tank 425B. Functional water is, for example, acidic water, alkaline water, or nutrient water containing vitamins or the like. By spraying such functional water into the vegetable compartment 114, various new functions can be added to the vegetable compartment 114. In this way, the spray unit 301 can spray various functional waters.

The bottom of the water storage tank 425B is inclined toward the inside of the refrigerator so that the poured water flows inward. Moreover, the water supply adjustment part 444 is provided in this inner bottom surface. The water supply adjustment unit 444 is constituted by, for example, an on-off valve. The water supply adjustment unit 444 supplies water to the spray unit 301 only when it is turned on.

As mentioned above, in the structure of FIG. 17, since the water storage tank 425B is provided in the door 400A side, and the spray part 301 is provided in the inner side of the water storage tank 425B, the usability improves. Since the bottom of the water storage tank 425B is inclined to the side of the spray unit 301, the water in the water storage tank 425B can be efficiently used. In addition, an appropriate amount of water can be supplied to the spray unit 301 by the water supply adjustment unit 444 .

In addition, although the water storage tank 425B is fixed to the partition plate 111B, it may be detachable. Thereby, replacement, addition, and cleaning of water are easy to perform, and usability improves.

FIG. 18 is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal effect of the spray device 302 and the mist particle size. In this experiment, as in Embodiment 3, 10 mini tomatoes to which about 3 ppm of malathion adhered were used. The mist generated by the spraying device 302 was continuously sprayed for 12 hours, and then the concentration of residual malathion in the mini tomato was measured by GC, and the removal rate was calculated. In addition, the spray amount at this time was 0.03 g/h·L. The particle size of the mist is determined by the vibration frequency of the piezoelectric element 311 and the size of the horn 310 as described above.

As shown in Fig. 18, in order to achieve a removal rate of malathion of about 50%, the particle size needs to be controlled to 20 μm or less. In addition, in order to achieve a removal rate of malathion of about 70%, it is necessary to control the particle size to 0.5 μm or less. This is considered to be because the unevenness of general vegetables is 20 to 30 μm, so when it is more than 20 μm, it is difficult for mist to enter the fine concave parts of vegetables, and it is difficult to attach harmful substances to mist particles or absorb harmful substances into mist particles. middle. In addition, since the mist with a particle diameter of 0.5 μm has higher diffusivity than the mist with a particle diameter of 20 μm, the frequency of contact between the mist and the pesticide on the surface of vegetables is considered to be high, and the removal rate of the pesticide is also high.

Based on the above results, in the spraying device that generates mist by means of ultrasonic waves, the particle size having the performance of removing 50% or more of pesticides is 20 μm or less, and the particle size having the performance of removing 70% or more of pesticides is 0.5 μm or less. .

In addition, if the particle size of the mist is smaller than 0.5 μm or even smaller, it is considered that the pesticide removal rate will be further improved. The spray unit 301 atomizes water droplets using high-frequency vibration energy. Therefore, in the spray unit 301 of the ultrasonic atomization method, in order to reduce the particle size of the mist to less than 0.5 μm, it is necessary to increase the vibration frequency. However, there is a tendency that the higher the vibration frequency is, the more the number of vibrations increases, and the durability of the spray unit 301 using the conventional ultrasonic atomization method becomes shorter. Refrigerators are used for a long period of time among home appliances, and the average service life is about 10 years, so long-term durability is particularly required. Therefore, in the current technology, when using the ultrasonic atomization method to generate mist, it is preferable to set the lower limit of the mist particle size to 0.5 μm.

As described above, it is preferable that the particle size of the mist generated by the spray unit 301 using the ultrasonic atomization method is in the range of 0.5 μm or more and 20 μm or less. However, in the future, in the case of using ultrasonic atomization to generate mist with a particle size of less than 0.5 μm, as long as it is an ultrasonic atomization method that can ensure long-term reliability, the lower limit of the particle size of the mist can be further expanded to For example, about 0.05 μm of 1/10.

FIG. 19 is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal effect of the spraying device 302 and the spraying amount. In this experiment, mist with a particle size of 10 μm was sprayed into a 70 L vegetable compartment 114 . The spraying time was 12 hours as in the experiment of Fig. 18 . In addition, in this experiment, the spray amount was controlled by changing the voltage applied to the spray unit 301 . In addition, the spray amount can also be adjusted by changing the opening area of the spray tip portion 310A.

It can be seen from FIG. 19 that the larger the amount of spraying, the higher the removal effect of malathion as a pesticide. In order to make the removal rate of malathion reach more than 50%, the spraying amount needs to be controlled above 0.014g/h·L. On the other hand, when the spraying amount exceeds 0.14 g/h·L, although there is a pesticide removal effect, excess water adheres to the surface of vegetables, causing water rot, and the quality of vegetables deteriorates. Therefore, it is preferable that the spray amount of the spray unit 301 using the ultrasonic atomization method is in the range of 0.014 g/h·L or more and 0.14 g/h·L or less. However, even if the spraying amount exceeds 0.14 g/h·L, the amount of spraying can be increased as long as water rot can be prevented, such as by vibrating vegetables to drop excess water. In this case, from the viewpoint of maintaining the quality of vegetables, the amount of spraying is preferably 0.5 g/h·L or less.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the refrigerator which is a storage room provided with a cooling device includes the vegetable room 114 which is a storage room formed by adiabatically partitioning the heat insulating box 110 . In addition, this refrigerator has a spray device 302 including a spray unit 301 of an ultrasonic atomization system that sprays a liquid mist. In the refrigerator of the present embodiment having vegetable compartment 114 , low-temperature cold air is sent to each relatively low-temperature storage compartment through air passage 229 . The water collecting plate 321 for supplying water to the spray part 301 is cooled by heat conduction from the side of the air passage 229 . By adjusting the temperature of the water collecting plate 321 below the dew point, the moisture in the air is reliably generated into water, and the water is supplied to the spray tip portion 310A of the horn 310 through the water supply portion 303 or the like.

In addition, since the spray unit 301 is an ultrasonic atomization method, a sufficient amount of spray can be ensured as long as the supply of water is sufficient. Therefore, the spray amount can be adjusted by ON/OFF operation, and the operation time in actual use is shortened, and the life reliability of components is improved. Water is saved because pesticides and waxes attached to the surface of crops can be floated and removed with a very small amount of water.

In addition, since the spray unit 301 is an ultrasonic atomization method, ozone is not generated when mist is generated, and only OH radicals are generated. Therefore, it is not necessary to take measures against ozone in particular, and the structure of components and the contents of control are simple. When ozone is used, an ozone generator 323 may be provided separately as in the present embodiment.

In addition, by providing the water storage tank 425B for supplying the liquid to the spray unit 301, the mist unit 301 can spray various functional waters. Functional water is, for example, acidic water, alkaline water, or nutrient water containing vitamins or the like. By spraying such functional water into the vegetable compartment 114, various new functions can be added to the vegetable compartment 114.

In addition, by setting the sprayed mist particle size to 0.5 μm or more and 20 μm or less, the mist efficiently enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops. Therefore, it is possible to remove harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals over minute parts.

In addition, by setting the spray amount to 0.014 g/h·L or more and 0.14 g/h·L or less, harmful substances can be effectively removed and moisture of crops can be kept. In addition, water rot of crops can be prevented.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the ozone gas generated by the discharge is dissolved in the sprayed mist, but the same effect can be obtained by using ozone water or reactive functional water as the storage water.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the spray unit 301 of the ultrasonic atomization method is used, a high voltage is not required when the mist is granulated. Therefore, when a flammable refrigerant such as isobutane or propane is used as the refrigerant of the refrigeration device, in case the refrigerant leaks from the refrigeration device, safety can be ensured, and there is no need to repair the structural parts of the cooling device. configuration for special research. In addition, special measures such as explosion-proof measures are not required. Therefore, the application of the spray unit 301 that generates mist using vibration energy to a refrigerator using a flammable refrigerant does not impair the safety of the household refrigerator.

In addition, in this embodiment, by providing the water collecting plate 321 in the vegetable compartment 114, it is not necessary to supply water from the outside. Furthermore, the amount of dew condensation can be adjusted by providing the heating unit 328 and the blower unit 317 . At the same time, by changing the temperature of the water collecting plate 321, the humidity in the storage can be adjusted.

In addition, the spray part 301 has a substantially conical horn-shaped part 310 and a piezoelectric element 311 . The piezoelectric element 311 is connected to one end surface of the horn 310 and formed integrally. The spray device 302 including the spray unit 301 of such an ultrasonic atomization method is compact and operates with a low input. Therefore, it can be arranged in the vegetable compartment 114 . In recent years, mainstream refrigerators have been designed to further expand the storage capacity while maintaining the same external dimensions as before. In this way, the usability of the user is improved. Since the horn-shaped part 310 is small, it can also be applied to such a refrigerator, and the spray device 302 can be arrange|positioned so that it may not extend into a refrigerator. Therefore, it is possible to install the low-input and high-output spray device 302 while minimizing the reduction in storage capacity. Thereby, while realizing energy saving, the usability of a refrigerator can be improved. In addition, there are few installation restrictions of the spray device 302, and it is possible to provide a degree of freedom in the design of the refrigerator. In addition, since the spray device 302 has a low input, an increase in power consumption can be suppressed, and the control board can be compact and low-cost.

In addition, since the heat generation of spray device 302 itself is suppressed, the temperature rise in vegetable compartment 114 is suppressed. In addition, since abnormal heat generation when water shortage occurs is also suppressed, the life of the spray unit 301 is prolonged and the reliability is improved. Furthermore, since the inside of the refrigerator is a low-temperature atmosphere, the temperature rise of the spray unit 301 is suppressed. As a result, the lifetime of the spray unit 301 becomes longer.

Moreover, by providing the water supply part 303, water can be supplied to the front-end|tip of the horn part 310 efficiently and stably. Therefore, spraying unit 301 always sprays stably and sprays into vegetable compartment 114 . In addition, by stably supplying water to the front end of the horn-shaped part 310, water shortage at the front end of the horn-shaped part 310 can be prevented, and the life of the spray part 310 is prolonged and the reliability is improved.

In addition, the water supply unit 303 is provided near the supply unit 304 . Therefore, water can be replenished from the supply part 304 to the front end of the horn-shaped part 310 by the water supply part 303 . Thereby, it sprays efficiently into the vegetable compartment 114. In addition, since the supply part 304 and the water supply part 303 are located adjacent to each other, the path of water from the supply part 304 to the front end of the horn-shaped part 310 is compact and simple, and the degree of freedom of design is improved.

Moreover, the supply part 304 has the water collection plate 321 which collects water and condenses the moisture in the air in the vegetable compartment 114. As shown in FIG. The dew condensation water generated by dew condensation collects in the supply part 30 , and the collected dew condensation water is always stably supplied to the front end of the horn-shaped part 310 by the water supply part 303 . Therefore, it is efficiently sprayed into the storage space.

In addition, since the flared portion 310 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, the heat generated at the tip of the flared portion 310 is diffused to the entire flared portion 310 . In addition, since the inside of the refrigerator is a low-temperature atmosphere, the temperature rise of the spray unit 301 is suppressed. As a result, the lifetime of the spray unit 301 is prolonged and the reliability is improved.

In addition, the front end portion of the horn-shaped portion 310 is arranged near the belly portion of the vibration, and the flange portion 312 provided on the side to be bonded to the piezoelectric element 311 is arranged near the nodal portion of the vibration. Then, the flange part 312 is directly or indirectly connected to the refrigerator main body. Therefore, the liquid replenished to the front end of the horn-shaped portion can be efficiently atomized at the abdomen where the vibration amplitude is large, that is, at the tip of the horn-shaped portion 310 . On the other hand, since the vibration amplitude of the node part, that is, the flange part 312 is small, the transmission of the vibration to the refrigerator directly or indirectly connected thereto is reduced.

In addition, the piezoelectric element 311 vibrates in a mode in which the length between the spray tip portion 310A of the horn portion 310 and the flange portion 312 is 1/4 wavelength. Thus, between the spray tip portion 310A where the mist is generated and the flange portion 312, there is a vibrating abdomen and a node portion. In this way, since there are no many vibrating bellies and nodules, it is possible to reduce the size of the horn 310 . In addition, efficiency is improved because energy dispersion and attenuation are reduced. In addition, there are few restrictions on the installation of the small flared portion 310 , so that the degree of freedom in design can be obtained, and the storage space can be increased. Specifically, the length of the flared portion 310 can be 1 mm to 20 mm. By reducing the size of the flared portion 310 in this way, the design freedom of the refrigerator can be obtained and the storage space can be increased.

In addition, since the user does not directly touch the inside of the spray device 302 by providing the cover member 306 around the spray device 302, safety is improved.

In addition, although the example in which the horn-shaped part 310 of the spray part 301 was formed in substantially conical shape was demonstrated, it is not limited to this. The same effect can be obtained as long as the vibration amplitude of the tip is increased. For example, the tip portion of the horn-shaped portion may be formed in a substantially rectangular shape as a shape tapering from the piezoelectric element 311 side toward the tip. In this structure, the spray area is larger than that of the circular shape, so the spray range is expanded and the diffusivity is improved.

(Embodiment 5)

In the refrigerator according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention, each of the spray devices 120 and 302 according to Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 4 described above is used in combination. From the viewpoint of the particle size of the mist and the amount of spraying, the pesticide removal effect of such a composite spraying device, the freshness preservation effect of the crops stored in the vegetable compartment 114, and the antifouling effect of the wall surface in the vegetable compartment 114 will be described.

Fig. 20 is a graph showing the correlation between the particle size and the spray amount of the mist in the present embodiment, and the respective effects. The 70L vegetable compartment was kept at an atmospheric temperature of 5°C, and the particle size and spray amount of the mist were changed by electrostatic atomization and ultrasonic methods. Fig. 20 shows the ranges in which each effect was exhibited. The capabilities of the spray devices 120 and 302 in Embodiments 3 and 4 are adjusted so as to cover a range in which appropriate numerical values of both particle diameters and spray volumes overlap. As can be seen from FIG. 20 , the particle diameters and spray volumes of the mist in Embodiments 3 and 4, and their respective effects have their respective appropriate ranges, and there are differences between them.

First, recovery of vegetables will be described. In order to increase the moisture content of the vegetables, the sprayed mist cannot physically enter the inside of the vegetables unless the particle size is not smaller than the pore diameter in the state where the pores are opened at the maximum. The stomata are located on the surface of the vegetable and regulate moisture. In addition, according to the results of experiments, when no light is irradiated, the recovery rate of the water content is high when the particle size of the mist is equal to or less than the width of the cell gap. That is, the mist actively enters the vegetables from the intercellular space, and the effect of restoring the water content of the vegetables is enhanced. On the contrary, if the mist particle size is too small, the frequency of contact between the mist and the stomata is small, and the recovery rate of vegetables is reduced.

On the other hand, it is necessary to set the spray amount of mist to be equal to or greater than the amount to keep the relative humidity in vegetable compartment 114 and the humidity inside the vegetables in a balanced state. However, when the amount of spraying is too large, the quality of the vegetables deteriorates due to water rot and the like. It is necessary to make the amount of spraying less than the amount that does not cause such a situation.

In addition, a potential difference is generated between the electrostatically charged mist and the vegetables, and the adhesion rate of the mist to the vegetables is improved. Therefore, in the case of the same particle size, the one that contains a lot of mist charged with static electricity has a higher recovery rate of vegetables even if the amount of spray is small.

Next, removal of harmful substances such as pesticides on the surface of vegetables will be described. In addition, in this experiment, malathion, which is a common vegetable pesticide, was attached to the surface of the vegetables and left in an ozone mist atmosphere for 12 hours. On the other hand, the same amount of malathion was made to adhere to the vegetable surface, and it was left to stand for 12 hours in a normal vegetable room in a non-fog atmosphere. These were placed in a strainer, washed with running water for 10 seconds, and the removal rate of malathion was 50% or more higher than that in a normal vegetable room in a non-fogging atmosphere, and represented as an appropriate range.

When the particle size of the mist is not more than the width of the unevenness of vegetables and is fine particles having diffusivity, the effect of removing pesticides is high. If the particle size is too small, the frequency of contact with the pesticide will be low, and the removal rate will decrease. On the other hand, similar to the rejuvenation of vegetables, since the contact frequency between the static electricity mist and the vegetables is high, the higher the ratio of the static electricity mist, the smaller the amount of spraying will have the removal effect. In addition, in this case, it is not necessary to supply the mist to the inside of the vegetables as in the revival of the vegetables, and the supply of the mist is limited to the surface of the vegetables. Therefore, the amount of spray required is less than when the vegetables are revived. In addition, in the case of the same spraying amount, there was almost no difference in the pesticide removal effect due to the particle size. The size of the removal effect is not so much determined by the amount of fog, but by the amount of substances with decomposition capabilities such as ozone and OH radicals in the fog. The finer the mist generated by electrostatic atomization, the more the number of free radicals increases. Therefore, the effect of removing pesticides also improves in the case where there is a lot of mist charged with static electricity.

Next, the antifouling effect in the refrigerator will be described. If the foggy water particles are attached everywhere on the wall surface in the refrigerator, it is possible to prevent fouling substances from directly adhering to the wall surface in the refrigerator. The so-called antifouling effect in the refrigerator means such an effect. In the case where the dirt adheres to the wall surface in the refrigerator through the water particles, for example, the dirt can be easily dropped by simply wiping the inner wall surface of the refrigerator, and the cleaning in the refrigerator becomes very simple.

For confirmation of the antifouling effect, the fouling substance was sprayed on ABS resin, which is a resin in a general refrigerator, in a 70 L vegetable compartment 114 filled with mist of various particle diameters in a predetermined spray amount. Thereafter, when the dirt is wiped off after a certain period of time, the range in which the dirt does not remain is the appropriate range.

As shown in FIG. 20 , fine particles having a particle diameter equal to or less than the width of the irregularities of the resin in the chamber and having diffusivity have a high antifouling effect. In addition, when the mist adheres to the inner wall surface of the refrigerator, dew condensation may occur as the particle size of the water droplets seen by the eyes, which may cause deterioration of the quality of the food in the refrigerator. Therefore, the particle diameter of the sprayed mist needs to be such that the mist adhering to the wall surface becomes water droplets at a level not visible to the eyes. In addition, the amount of spraying is larger than that of vegetable rejuvenation or pesticide removal. This is because, in order to exhibit the antifouling effect, water particles need to be attached everywhere on the wall surface, and a large amount of mist needs to be sprayed. When the mist is generated by the electrostatic atomization method, similarly to the removal effect of pesticides, the smaller the particle size, the more the number of free radicals with high oxidative decomposition ability. Therefore, it is considered that the oxidative decomposition ability of the mist is improved, and the frequency of contact with the dirt is increased, thereby improving the effect of decomposing the attached dirt. However, if the particle size is too small, the mist reaches the wall surface and the antifouling effect decreases.

In this way, various useful effects in the refrigerator can be obtained depending on the relationship between the particle size of the mist and the spray amount. That is, the usability of the refrigerator is further improved by performing spraying that can achieve a plurality of desired effects.

Next, the appropriate range of the mist particle diameter when using the composite spray device in this way will be described. Fig. 21A is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal effect and the water particle size of mist according to the present embodiment. In addition, in this experiment, like Embodiment 3, 10 mini-tomatoes to which about 3 ppm of malathion adhered were used. Then, after the spray treatment was carried out continuously for 24 hours using the mist generated by the spray device, the concentration of residual malathion in the mini tomato was measured by GC, and the removal rate was calculated. In addition, the spray amount at this time was 0.03 g/h·L.

As can be seen from FIG. 21A , in order to obtain a pesticide removal rate of 50% or more, the mist particle size needs to be 0.003 μm or more and 20 μm or less. The mist particle size is not more than the uneven width of the crops, and the fine mist particles are diffusible, and have a high pesticide removal effect. Therefore, the mist particle size is preferably 20 μm or less. If the particle diameter is too small and less than 0.003 μm, it is considered that the frequency of contact with the pesticide decreases and the removal rate decreases.

Next, the appropriate ranges of the mist particle size and the spray amount when the composite spray device is used in this way will be described. Fig. 21B is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal effect and the spray amount in the present embodiment.

21B is a graph showing the characteristics of the pesticide removal effect with respect to the spray amount in Embodiment 5 of the present invention. In this experiment, mist with a particle diameter of 0.5 μm was sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 of 70 L. The spraying time was 12 hours as in the experiment of Fig. 21A.

It can be seen from FIG. 21B that the larger the amount of spraying, the higher the removal effect of malathion as a pesticide. In order to make the removal rate of malathion more than 50%, it is necessary to control the spraying amount to be more than 0.0007g/h·L. The lower limit value is the same as the value obtained when spraying by electrostatic atomization. That is, the lower limit value is determined by the electrostatic atomization method.

On the other hand, when the spraying amount exceeds 0.14 g/h·L, although there is a pesticide removal effect, excess water adheres to the surface of vegetables, causing water rot, and the quality of vegetables deteriorates. However, even if the spraying amount exceeds 0.14 g/h·L, the amount of spraying can be increased as long as water rot can be prevented, such as by vibrating vegetables to drop excess water. In this case, from the viewpoint of maintaining the quality of vegetables, the amount of spraying is preferably 0.5 g/h·L or less. Thus, the upper limit value is determined by the ultrasonic vibration method.

(Embodiment 6)

Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. Fig. 23 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vicinity of the spray device of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 22 . In addition, FIG. 23 also serves as a block diagram of the control system of the spray device, and does not show the positions of the voltage application unit 409 and the control unit 414 .

The difference between the refrigerator shown in FIG. 22 and the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 is the structure of spray unit 431 provided on partition plate 111B on the top surface of vegetable compartment 114 . The basic structure other than that is the same as that of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 .

As shown in FIG. 23 , the spray device 404 has a spray unit 431 of an electrostatic atomization method. The outer contour of the spray part 431 is constituted by a cylindrical holder 405 . An application electrode 406 is arranged in the holder 405 . The periphery of the application electrode 406 is covered with a water retention member 407 . The water retaining member 407 retains dew condensation water, and the electrode 406 is applied until the spherical tip is in a water-containing state. That is, the water holding member 407 is a holding portion that holds water supplied to the application electrode 406 constituting the spray device 404 . In the water retaining member 407 , a plate-shaped counter electrode 408 having an opening in the center is disposed at the inner opening of the holder 405 . The opposite electrode 408 is installed such that it is at a certain distance from the front end of the application electrode 406 . The negative electrode side of the voltage application unit 409 that generates a high voltage is electrically connected to the application electrode 406 , and the positive electrode side is electrically connected to the counter electrode 408 .

In addition, a temperature detection unit 412 for detecting the temperature of the tip of the application electrode 406 is disposed in the spray unit 431 . The control unit 414 receives signals and the like from the temperature detection unit 412 , performs predetermined calculations, and operates components. On the back surface of the application electrode 406, a heating unit 413 for controlling the temperature of the tip of the application electrode 406 is provided.

The partition plate 111B is mainly composed of a heat insulating material such as foamed styrene, and has a thickness of about 30 mm. However, the thickness of the partition plate 111B is 5 mm to 10 mm on the back side of the spray part 431 .

Hereinafter, the operation|movement and effect|action of the refrigerator of the said structure are demonstrated.

As described in Embodiment 4, the vegetable compartment 114 is adjusted to 4°C to 6°C by utilizing the distribution of cold air from the evaporator 102, etc., and there is usually no interior temperature detection unit. In addition, the inside of vegetable compartment 114 has high humidity due to evaporation of water from food and entry of water vapor due to opening and closing of the door.

In this refrigerator, a switch compartment 113 or an unillustrated ice compartment is provided above the vegetable compartment 114 . The temperature in these storage rooms is lower than the temperature in the vegetable compartment 114 . The thickness of the partition plate 111B provided with the spray portion 431 requires a cooling capacity for cooling the application electrode 406 . Therefore, the wall thickness of the portion where the spraying portion 431 is provided is configured to be thinner than other portions. Here, if the temperature of the tip of the application electrode 406 is lower than the dew point temperature, water vapor in the vicinity of the application electrode 406 will condense on the application electrode 406 to reliably generate water droplets. Specifically, the control unit 414 uses the temperature detection unit 412 provided near the application electrode 406 to grasp the state of the tip temperature. Then, the control unit 414 performs ON/OFF control or duty control of the heating unit 444 to adjust the temperature of the tip of the application electrode 406 to be equal to or lower than the dew point temperature. In this way, the moisture contained in the high-humidity air condenses on the application electrode 406. In addition, although not shown in the figure, if the refrigerator has an interior temperature detection unit and an interior humidity detection unit, the control unit 414 can use a predetermined The dew point temperature is calculated strictly according to the changes in the storage environment. In addition, when ice or frost forms on the tip of the voltage application electrode 406 , the control unit 414 raises the temperature of the tip of the application electrode 406 to the melting temperature by the heating unit 444 . In this way, in the spray part 431, water is moderately produced by melting frost or ice.

The application electrode 406 is covered with a water retention member 407 . Therefore, the surface of the application electrode 406 assumes a certain amount of moisture. In this state, the voltage application unit 409 applies a high voltage (for example, 4.6 kV) between the electrodes with the application electrode 406 on the negative voltage side and the counter electrode 408 on the positive voltage side. At this time, corona discharge is generated between the electrodes whose distance is set to be, for example, 3 mm. As a result, the water on the application electrode 406 is atomized from the tip to become a fine mist. The mist is electrically charged and has a nanometer-level particle size of less than 1 μm that cannot be seen by the eyes. In addition, ozone, OH radicals, and the like are generated along with the generation of mist. The generated ozone is immediately mixed with the fog to generate a low-concentration ozone fog.

The generated ozone mist is sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 . The fog has a negative charge. The crops stored in the vegetable compartment 114 are generally positively charged. Therefore, fog tends to collect on the crop surface. In addition, ozone and OH radicals are contained in the mist. Therefore, the mist oxidizes and decomposes harmful substances such as pesticides and waxes attached to the surface of crops.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the refrigerator which is a storage room provided with a cooling device includes the vegetable room 114 which is a storage room formed by adiabatically partitioning the heat insulating box 110 . In addition, this refrigerator has a spray device 404 including a spray unit 431 of an electrostatic atomization method that sprays a liquid mist. The spray unit 431 includes an application electrode 406 for applying a voltage to water, a counter electrode 408 disposed opposite to the application electrode 406 , and a voltage application unit 409 for applying a voltage between the application electrode 406 and the counter electrode 408 .

Then, the application electrode 406 is cooled by heat conduction by using the low-temperature cold air in other relatively low-temperature storage rooms as a cooling source. In addition, the temperature of the tip of the application electrode 406 is adjusted to be equal to or lower than the dew point temperature by the heating unit 413 . As a result, moisture in the air is reliably condensed on the tip of the application electrode 406 . That is, the application electrode 406 functions as a water collection part that extracts moisture from the air in the vegetable compartment 114 .

In addition, by finely adjusting the temperature of the tip of the application electrode 406 with the heating unit 413 provided on the back surface of the application electrode 406, the amount of dew condensation generated can be adjusted. In addition, even if ice or frost is formed at the tip of the application electrode 406 , it can be turned into water droplets by melting the ice or frost by the heating unit 413 , thereby reliably supplying water into the spray unit 431 .

In addition, the collected water is supplied to the tip of the application electrode 406 through the water retention part 407 . Then, the water is turned into a fine mist by the application electrode 406 and sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 so that it adheres reliably to the surface of the crops. At this time, harmful substances on the surface of crops are removed by using ozone or OH radicals generated simultaneously with fog generation. In addition, effects such as deodorization and antifouling in vegetable compartment 114 are enhanced.

In addition, in the water retention member 407 itself, it is difficult for wind to flow directly. Accordingly, the water retaining member 407 can be prevented from drying out, and the water retaining member 407 can supply sufficient water to the tip of the application electrode 406 .

In addition, the sprayed mist is directly sprayed on the crops in the vegetable compartment 114 . Therefore, it is possible to make the mist adhere to the surface of the crops by utilizing the potential difference between the mist and the crops. Therefore, harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals can be efficiently removed with a small amount of water.

Furthermore, the application electrode 406 serving as a water collecting part is installed so as to be suspended from the upper part of the spraying part 431 . Therefore, the dew condensation water collected by the application electrode 406 naturally falls toward the front end due to gravity. Accordingly, water can be supplied to the spray device 404 at low cost without using a water delivery unit such as a pump or a capillary tube.

Furthermore, a water retaining member 407 is provided around the application electrode 406 . As a result, dew condensation water is held around the application electrode 406 and supplied to the application electrode 406 in a timely manner. Furthermore, since the water retaining member 407 is not vibrated, deterioration due to shrinkage of the material can be prevented.

In addition, dew water does not contain mineral components or impurities like tap water. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a reduction in water retention due to deterioration of the water retention member 407 or clogging of pores.

In addition, ozone is also generated when mist is generated, and the concentration of ozone in the set vegetable compartment 114 is adjusted by ON/OFF operation of the spray device 404 . By appropriately adjusting the ozone concentration in this way, deterioration such as yellowing of vegetables due to excessive ozone can be prevented, and the sterilizing and antibacterial effects on the surface of vegetables can be improved.

Next, a configuration for more reliably supplying liquid such as water for generating mist to the spray unit 404 will be described. Fig. 24 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another configuration in the vicinity of the spray section in the present embodiment.

On partition plate 111B constituting the top surface of vegetable compartment 114 , water storage tank 425 and spray unit 431 are provided in this order from the door 400A side of the refrigerator toward the interior of the compartment. Supply water 426 is stored in the water storage tank 425 . A cover member 501 with holes is provided around the spray portion 431 so that food or people do not come into contact with it. In this way, the spray device 404A is constituted.

Water storage tank 425 is provided on the door 400A side of vegetable compartment 114 , that is, on the front side, for easy attachment and detachment by people. Supply water 426 for supplying to spray unit 431 is stored in water storage tank 425 . Moreover, in order to supply the supply water 426 to the spraying part 431, the water supply part 441 and the water supply path 442 are provided. The water supply unit 441 is, for example, a gear pump, a piezoelectric pump, or a capillary tube, and supplies water to the tip of the application electrode 406 of the spray unit 431 or the water retaining member 407 around it. Here, the water supply amount is substantially equal to the amount sprayed into vegetable compartment 114 . In addition, although not shown in FIG. 24 , similarly to FIG. 23 , a control unit 414 and a voltage application unit 409 are provided. The control unit 414 also controls the operation of the water supply unit 441 .

The operation and function of the spray device 404A configured as above will be described. For example, when it is determined that spraying to vegetable compartment 114 is necessary, control unit 414 first operates water supply unit 441 to supply water to the tip of application electrode 406 through water supply path 442 . Necessity of spraying into vegetable compartment 114 is determined by control unit 414 using a vegetable compartment humidity detection unit (not shown) that detects the humidity in vegetable compartment 114 . Alternatively, the user makes a judgment and communicates it to the control unit 414 using an operation switch (not shown) of the spray device 404A. When water is supplied to the tip of the application electrode 406 , the voltage application unit 409 applies a high voltage between the application electrode 406 and the counter electrode 408 . The resulting fine mist is blown into the vegetable compartment 114.

The spray part 431 is fitted into the recessed part 420 provided in the top partition plate 111B. Moreover, spray part 431 is provided in the ceiling surface inside of vegetable compartment 114, and cover member 501 is provided around it. In this way, the user does not touch the spray part 431, and safety can be ensured. In addition, the cover member 501 is arranged such that the bottom surface portion 501A is above the bottom surface 425A of the water storage tank 425 . The cover member 501 configured in this way does not interfere with the movement of the vegetable container 228 that can be moved back and forth by the drawer-type door 400A.

Vegetables as crops are stored in the container 228 . Especially when green leafy vegetables or fruits are preserved, these vegetables and fruits are often stored in a slightly wilted state due to evaporation on the way back from purchase or during storage. These vegetables and fruits usually have a positive charge, and the sprayed negatively charged fine mist tends to gather on the surface of the vegetables. Therefore, the sprayed mist makes the inside of the vegetable compartment 114 highly humid and adheres to the surfaces of the fruits and vegetables. In this way, the mist is electrically attached to the surface of the charged crops and the inner wall of the storehouse. Further, the mist enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops, and uses its internal pressure energy to float harmful substances such as residual pesticides and waxes.

In addition, by using the electrostatic atomization method to generate fine mist, a small amount of ozone is generated at the same time as the mist is generated. This ozone immediately mixes with the mist to produce a low concentration ozone mist. In addition, by charging the mist with static electricity, the water molecules in the mist are radicalized to generate OH radicals. Therefore, in addition to the oxidizing ability of ozone, the oxidizing ability of OH radicals is also used, and the floating harmful substances are oxidatively decomposed and removed by the oxidative decomposition of ozone. Alternatively, after the mist enters the fine recesses on the surface of the crops by electrical action, ozone or OH radicals contained in the mist chemically react with residual pesticides or waxes. Therefore, the hydrophilicity of residual pesticides or waxes increases, is absorbed into the mist, and is decomposed and removed.

As mentioned above, in this Embodiment, the water storage tank 425 is provided in the door 400A side in the partition plate 111B located in the ceiling surface of the vegetable compartment 114 of a refrigerator. That is, the water storage tank 425 is provided on the front side as viewed from the user's position. In particular, when the water storage tank 425 is detachable, replacement, addition, and cleaning of water are easy, and usability improves. In addition, since the spray part 431 is provided inside the water storage tank 425, the user can be prevented from coming into contact with the spray part 431, especially the spray tip part 406A, thereby improving safety. In addition, the lower end 431A of the spray part 431 is arranged inside the water storage tank 425 and is located on the bottom surface 425A which is the lower end surface of the water storage tank 425 . Therefore, it is difficult for the user to see the spray part 431, and the appearance of the inside of the vegetable compartment 114 is not spoiled. In addition, since it is difficult for the user to touch the spray part 431, the safety of the user is further improved. In addition, because food or people can be prevented from coming into contact with the spray portion 431, a reduction in reliability due to external force can be prevented.

In addition, in order to further suppress protrusion of the spray part 431 into the compartment, the spray part 431 is fitted into the recessed part 420 provided in the partition plate 111B. Thereby, the spraying part 431 is installed in the vegetable compartment 114 without reducing the storage volume and without affecting the storage of food.

Moreover, by providing the cover member 501 which covers the spray part 431, contact with the spray part by foodstuffs or a person is further prevented.

Moreover, when the spray part 431 is covered with the cover member 501, the bottom part 501A is arrange|positioned on the bottom surface 425A of the water storage tank 425. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the reduction of the storage volume is prevented, and the appearance and safety of the vegetable compartment 114 provided with the spray part 431 are further improved.

In addition, although the detachable water storage tank 425 was demonstrated, it is not limited to this. The water storage tank 425 may be fixed, and for example, tap water may be automatically supplied, or stored water generated using moisture in the refrigerator may be used. In such a type of spray device 404A, it is also preferable to arrange the spray unit 431 inside the water storage tank 425 as described above. Thereby, a user can be prevented from coming into contact with the spray part 431, and safety can be improved. Furthermore, since the spray part 431 is disposed inside the water tank 425 and above the bottom surface 425A of the water tank 425, the spray part 431 is hardly seen from the user's position. Therefore, spray unit 431 can be provided in vegetable compartment 114 without impairing the appearance of vegetable compartment 114 . In addition, since it is more difficult for the user to come into contact with the spray part 431, the safety of the user is further improved. Also, since food or people can be prevented from coming into contact with the spray part 431, a decrease in reliability due to external force can be prevented.

In addition, in this embodiment, although the spray part 431 of the electrostatic atomization method is used, it is not limited to this. Spray units of other systems such as an ultrasonic atomization system may also be used. In this case, the usability and safety of a refrigerator are improved by making the arrangement|positioning relationship of the water storage tank 425 and a spray part the same as above.

In the structure of FIG. 24 described above, air discharge between the application electrode 406 and the counter electrode 408 can be suppressed by increasing the humidity around the application electrode 406 . Therefore, the generated ozone concentration is reduced, and when it is applied to a household refrigerator or the like, the safety of the user can be ensured.

In addition, in the structure of FIG. 24, the spray part 431 is fitted in the recessed part 420 provided in the partition plate 111B, and the thickness of the partition plate 111B is thinner than other parts. Therefore, the tip of the application electrode 406 is easily cooled to condense dew. However, as shown in FIG. 24 , when the water storage tank 425 is provided to supply water to the application electrode 406 , condensation on the application electrode 406 may not be required. In this case, the temperature detection unit 412, the heating unit 420, and the like may not be provided.

In addition, in the structure of FIG. 24, the spray part 431 of the electrostatic atomization method is used, but when the spray part 431 of the ultrasonic atomization method is used, especially when the spray front part dries, the spray part becomes hot. Therefore, reliability may decrease. In the case of using the spray unit of the ultrasonic atomization method in this way, by driving the spray unit after the operation of the water supply unit 441, drying of the spray tip can be prevented, and the reliability of the spray device can be improved.

(Embodiment 7)

Fig. 25 is a front view of the vicinity of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. Fig. 26 is a longitudinal sectional view along line A-A in the vicinity of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 25 .

In the vegetable compartment 114, a container 228A for storing vegetables or fruits is arranged. Rail member 512 holding container 228A is provided on the outer contour of the refrigerator. The container 228A held by the rail member 512 moves back and forth as the door 400A is opened and closed. Furthermore, in the vegetable compartment 114, a specific container 228B is provided substantially spaced apart from the container 228. As shown in FIG. Lid 514 substantially seals particular container 228B only when door 400A is closed. The cover 514 is made of a translucent material, and a hole is opened in a part. In addition, in FIG. 26, the container 228A is omitted. As shown in FIG. 26 , the cover 514 is arranged inside the specific container 228B on the side of the door 400A, and is arranged at a position closer to the inside than the specific container 228B on the inner side of the store.

In the specific container 228B, a detachable water tank 425C is provided on the door 400A side, that is, on the front side. The spray unit 431 is attached inside the partition plate 11B. The basic structure of the spray unit 431 of the electrostatic atomization method is the same as that of the sixth embodiment. A hole 517 slightly larger than the outer dimension of the spray part 431 is provided at a position close to the spray part 431 of the cover 514 . With this structure, the movement of the cover 514 relative to the spray part 431 is restricted. The cover 514 moves as the door 400A is opened and closed. When the door 400A is closed, the lid 514 generally seals the particular container 228B. In addition, when the door 400A is opened, it leaves the specific container 228B and is held on the main body side. Therefore, in the state where the door 400A is opened, the upper surface of the specific container 228B is opened.

A holding portion 515 for holding the specific container 228B is provided in the container 228A. The holding portion 515 holds the protrusion 516 provided on the specific container 228B. In FIG. 26 , the specific container 228B is installed inside the library, and when the depth of the specific container 228B is sufficiently smaller than the depth of the container 228A, the holder 515 functions as a guide rail when the specific container 228B is pulled out.

The irradiation unit 523 and the diffusion plate 524 are provided on the partition plate 111B. Irradiation unit 523 irradiates light of a specific wavelength into specific container 228B to affect the crops in specific container 228B. The diffusion plate 524 covers the irradiating part 523 that uniformly irradiates the inside of the specific container 228B and serves as a light source. The irradiation unit 523 is provided on the projection surface above the specific container 228B, and irradiates light into the specific container 228B through the transparent cover 514 .

The operation and function of vegetable compartment 114 of refrigerator configured as above will be described. Foods stored in vegetable compartment 114 have become various in recent years. For example, beverages that do not require high humidity, such as PET bottles, are also stored, and their uses vary widely. Among vegetables, leafy vegetables such as spinach prefer low temperature and high humidity, but shiitake mushrooms do not like high humidity. In addition, grains such as potatoes prefer about 10°C. In the present embodiment, the specific container 228B is provided inside the container 228A. Thereby, a space environment corresponding to preserved vegetables is provided. In addition, the specific container 228B and the lid 514 form a substantially airtight space. Then, due to the evaporation of water from the water storage tank 425C, the inside of the specific container 228B becomes high-humidity and becomes a space suitable for storing leafy vegetables such as spinach.

On the upper portion of the internal space of the high-humidification specific container 228B, at least the spray tip portion 406A of the spray unit 431 is provided. The spray unit 431 and the water storage tank 425C constitute a spray device that sprays by electrostatic atomization using water vapor in the high-humidity air. As described in Embodiment 6, the spray unit 431 condenses dew by cooling from the back surface. Therefore, the recessed part 420A is provided in the part of the partition plate 111B where the spray part 431 is attached. With such a structure, the spray unit 431 generates a charged nano-level fine mist invisible to the eyes, and sprays it into the specific container 228B. As mentioned above, the fine mist generated by electrostatic atomization is charged when it is generated, and a small amount of ozone and OH free radicals are generated at the same time. Therefore, in addition to the oxidizing ability of ozone, it also has the oxidizing ability of OH radicals. The mist penetrates into the fine recesses on the surface of vegetables or fruits, and uses its internal pressure energy to float harmful substances such as residual pesticides and waxes. Then, using the oxidative decomposition of ozone, it is oxidatively decomposed and removed. Depending on the situation, the mist uses electrical action to enter the fine recesses on the surface of vegetables or fruits, chemically reacts with residual pesticides or waxes, improves the hydrophilicity of residual pesticides or waxes, absorbs them into the mist, and decomposes and removes them.

In this way, at least the spray tip 406A is disposed within the specific container 228B. Accordingly, the mist particles can be directly sprayed to the specific container 228B in which the crops are stored. In this way, the distance between the spray tip 406A and the crops is short. Therefore, vaporization of the mist particles can be prevented, for example, compared to the case where the mist is sprayed outside the specific container 228B and then sent into the specific container 228B. In addition, since the flow velocity of the mist in the floating state increases, the adhesion rate of the mist to the surface of the crops increases.

In addition, the spray front end portion 406A is provided in the specific container 228B, and the water storage tank 425C is provided in another area different from the area where the spray portion 431 is provided. That is, the water storage tank 425C is provided in another area of the heat insulating box 110 than the spray tip portion 406A, and is a supply unit that holds water and supplies water vapor to the spray unit 431 . In this configuration, the arrangement position of the water storage tank 425C is not affected by the arrangement position of the spray unit 431 . Therefore, the water storage tank 425C can be installed in an arbitrary position where it is easy to replenish water in the water storage tank 425C or to perform cleaning in the water storage tank 425C. In this way, the usability of the user is improved.

By arranging the spray unit and the water storage tank separately in this way, the usability of the user is improved. Such an effect can be similarly obtained even if a spray unit other than the spray unit 431 of this embodiment, for example, an ultrasonic atomization system or another atomization method is used.

In addition, in the same vegetable compartment 114, a specific container 228B as a spray area and a container 228A not to spray are arranged. Thereby, a space environment corresponding to preserved vegetables is provided. Since the user can use the function of the vegetable compartment 114 according to the purpose, the usability of the refrigerator and the preservation property of the crops are greatly improved.

The irradiating unit 523 is provided outside the specific container 228B whose humidity has been increased by spraying. Thereby, the surrounding area of the irradiation part 523 does not become high humidity, and the fall of reliability by condensation on the irradiation part 523 can be prevented.

In FIGS. 25 and 26 , the irradiation unit 523 is provided on the upper side of the specific container 228B. The cover 514 positioned between the irradiation unit 523 and the specific container 228B is made of a translucent material. The irradiation unit 523 may also be provided at a position other than this. For example, the irradiation unit 523 may be provided on a side surface or a bottom surface of the specific container 228B. In that case, at least a portion of the specific container 228B located between the irradiation unit 523 and the space in the specific container 228B is made of a light-transmitting material. Accordingly, even if it is arranged at a position other than the upper side of the specific container 228B, the irradiation unit 523 can irradiate the vegetables in the specific container 228B with light.

Next, the types and effects of the irradiation unit 523 will be described. First, a case where the irradiation unit 523 generates blue light including wavelengths of 400 nm to 500 nm will be described. In this case, the illuminating unit 523 is constituted by, for example, a blue light emitting diode (LED). Thus, the ecological activities of the crops and vegetables in the specific container 228B irradiated with light through the cover 514 are stimulated by light. Specifically, the pores open to absorb mist or water droplets attached to the surface. As a result, the moisture content and weight of the crops increase, maintaining freshness.

In addition, LEDs having wavelengths including the ultraviolet region are used for the irradiation unit 523 . In this case, the sprayed mist is sterilized, and the surface of the food is also sterilized. Therefore, the safety of food improves. By irradiating such light, the growth function of microorganisms adhering to the wall surface in the specific container 228B and the food surface is inactivated. Thus, food discoloration, rotten smell, and generation of white hairs on the surface of stored products caused by microorganisms are slowed down. That is, the sanitation inside the specific container 228B can be maintained. Furthermore, since an LED with a small calorific value is used as a light source, the temperature rise in the vegetable compartment 114 can be prevented, and the preservation property of food is stabilized.

In addition, in the specific container 228B, the spray unit 431 may not be operated, and only the irradiation unit 523 may be operated. For example, mushrooms and fish contain many precursors of vitamin D, which are essential for bone and tooth growth. If ultraviolet light is irradiated while storing them, the molecules are excited, converted into vitamin D. Thus, by installing a light source containing ultraviolet light in vegetable compartment 114, the content of vitamin D in specific foods such as dried sardines in vegetable compartment 114 can be increased compared to before storage. Foods to be stored are not limited to agricultural crops, and by storing foods for aging in this way, the specific container 228B can be used as a space having an aging function.

As described above, in the present embodiment, specific container 228B and lid 514 for substantially sealing the space thereof are provided in vegetable compartment 114 . A water storage tank 425C is provided on the front surface in the specific container 228B, and an electrostatic atomization spray unit 431 included in the spray device is provided above the inner surface. As a result, the crops stored in the specific container 228B are sprayed, and harmful substances float up and are decomposed. In addition, freshness retention can be improved by humidifying only crops that prefer a high-humidity environment. In this way, inside the vegetable compartment 114, an optimum storage environment can be provided according to the types of vegetables.

In addition, light of a selected specific wavelength is irradiated from the irradiation unit 523, and a fine mist that can pass through the pores is sprayed from the spray unit 431 in an appropriate amount. Thereby, the range of the storage environment in the specific container 228B is further expanded, and it is possible to provide a space environment corresponding to the needs of the user and the vegetables to be stored.

In addition, since the water storage tank 425C is provided in front of the specific container 228B, water replenishment, water replacement, addition, and cleaning are easy, and the usability is good. In addition, since the spraying part 431 is provided above the inner surface which is difficult for people to touch, it is highly safe. Furthermore, in the state where door 400A is closed, since cover 514 covers spraying part 431, it is not directly exposed to cold air in vegetable compartment 114, and safety is further improved.

In addition, since the irradiation unit 523 is provided outside the specific container 228B, the possibility of poor wiring due to dew condensation is reduced, and the reliability is improved. In addition, since the cover 514 is made of a light-transmitting material, the light emitted from the irradiation unit 523 can be irradiated into the container.

In addition, in this embodiment, the specific container 228B forms a substantially airtight space. Therefore, it is safe even when a flammable refrigerant such as isobutane or propane is used as the cooling device refrigerant for cooling a storage room such as the vegetable compartment 114 . That is, in the event of leakage of the refrigerant, since the inside of the specific container 228B is substantially sealed, it does not reach an inflammable concentration. Moreover, if the spray part 431 is arrange|positioned in an upper part, especially when using the flammable refrigerant|coolant whose specific gravity is larger than air, safety will not be impaired. This is because: in case of refrigerant leakage, the leaked isobutane will remain in the lower part.

In addition, the irradiation unit 523 may generate ultraviolet rays in addition to blue light. In this case, the sprayed mist can be sterilized, and the surface of the food can be sterilized, thereby improving the safety of the food. Furthermore, as in the embodiment described later, the decomposition of harmful substances adhering to crops can be promoted.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the specific container 228B is provided adjacent to the non-spraying container 228A in the vegetable compartment 114, but, for example, the specific container 228B may be arranged on the upper part of the non-spraying container 228A, and Make the height about half of the height of the vegetable compartment 114 . In this case, when taking out the vegetables stored in the non-sprayed container 228A, the upper specific container 228B can be slid backward, and by making the depth of the sprayed specific container 228B shallower, mist accumulation can be avoided. bottom, so that the mist can reach all over the vegetables. In addition, when general vegetables are put into the vegetable compartment 114, the upper and lower spaces of the vegetable compartment 114 can be effectively used by using the two-layer container, and the storage capacity of the vegetable compartment 114 is increased, thereby improving the user's convenience. improve.

(Embodiment 8)

Fig. 27A is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention. Fig. 27B is a partial front view schematically showing the refrigerator shown in Fig. 27A .

This refrigerator differs from the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 of Embodiment 3 in that it has spray unit 76 shown in FIG. 1 of Embodiment 1 instead of spray unit 123 . Spray unit 76 is provided on the top surface of vegetable compartment 114 . Moreover, 72 A of water storage tanks which supply water to the spray part 76 are installed in the back side in the refrigerator compartment 112. As shown in FIG. In addition, as shown in FIG. 27B , an ice making room 227 is provided beside the switching room 113 . Water supply path 73 supplies water from water storage tank 119 to ice making compartment 227 and vegetable compartment 114 . The basic structure other than that is the same as that of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 .

In the refrigerator configured as described above, water is sent from water storage tank 72A for ice making to spray unit 76 through water supply path 73 . Therefore, water can be supplied to the spray unit 76 without providing a dedicated tank. Since water storage tank 72A is provided in refrigerator compartment 112 which is another storage compartment different from vegetable compartment 114, the internal volume of vegetable compartment 114 is not affected, and the amount of food storage is not affected. In addition, the user needs a certain tank for supplying water from the outside, and there is one tank for ice making and one for spraying. Thereby, compared with the case where a separate water storage tank dedicated to spraying is provided, the user's trouble of supplying stored water can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to reduce the possibility of water failure of the water storage tank 72A.

In addition, in this embodiment, the water storage tank 72A is provided, and the storage water supplied from the outside is supplied to the spray part 76. Otherwise, moisture contained in the air in vegetable compartment 114 may be extracted by some method and supplied to spraying unit 76 . For example, the spray unit 76 may be disposed on the back side of the vegetable compartment 114, and the supply unit 304 described in the fourth embodiment may be provided. In this way, if the storage water can be ensured by using the defrosting water in the refrigerator or the dew condensation water in the refrigerator, the user can save the trouble of supplying the storage water from the outside, and the usability is further improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the water supply path 73 of the spray part 76 draws water from the water storage tank 72A, branches, and supplies water to both the ice making compartment 227 and the vegetable compartment 114 . Therefore, the number of components is small, and water can be supplied to both chambers with a simple structure.

In addition, since the water storage tank 72A for ice making is also used for spraying, it is possible to provide separate water supply paths for the ice making compartment 227 and for the vegetable compartment 114 . In this case, water replenishment can be performed at any time at a timing corresponding to each individual need. For example, when both chambers require water supply at the same time, water can be supplied arbitrarily.

Also, by arranging spray unit 76 inside the ceiling of vegetable compartment 114, even when water storage tank 72A is also used for ice making, water supply path 73 can be formed inside the refrigerator. For example, in the case of a structure in which the water supply path 73 can be detached and cleaned, the water supply path 73 can be formed as a short, approximately vertical, and simple path. With such a simple structure, the water supply path 73 is easy to clean and has high sanitation. In addition, by arranging the spray portion 76 inside the top surface of the vegetable compartment 114, it is possible to prevent the contact between the mist portion 76 and the food stored in the storage. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dirt from adhering to the spray tip, and the life of the spray ability of the spray tip is prolonged. In addition, since the user is not easy to touch it, the safety of the user is improved.

In addition, similarly to Embodiment 6, by providing a cover on the portion of spraying portion 76 exposed to vegetable compartment 114, the effect of preventing dirt from adhering and safety are further improved.

(Embodiment 9)

28 and 29 are side sectional views and front sectional views of the vicinity of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention. 30 is a sectional view of main parts showing the cross section A-A in FIG. 29 , and FIG. 31 is a sectional view of main parts showing the cross section B-B. Fig. 32 is a graph showing the particle size distribution ratio of the sprayed mist in the present embodiment.

A vegetable compartment 114 and storage compartments 619 and 620 are provided in the heat insulating box 617 of this refrigerator. The front opening of vegetable compartment 114 is closed so that outside air does not flow in from door 400A.

Circulation ducts 624 are provided on the back and bottom surfaces inside the vegetable compartment 114 . A circulation air path 625 is formed between the circulation duct 624 and the heat insulating box 617 . In the circulation air path 625, the spray part 626 which sprays is provided in the part located in the back surface of the vegetable compartment 114. As shown in FIG. In addition, a diffuser 627 is disposed above the spray unit 626 . The spray unit 626 is, for example, any of the spray units disclosed in the previous embodiments. Alternatively, it can also be the usual sprayer. The diffuser 627 is, for example, a blower fan. A plurality of outlets 628 are arranged on the vertical surface of the circulation conduit 624 . On the other hand, a plurality of suction ports 629 are provided on the bottom surface.

The circulation duct 625 , the circulation duct 624 constituting the circulation duct 625 , the discharge port 628 and the suction port 629 provided on the circulation duct 624 , and the diffuser 627 constitute the circulation unit 630 . Moreover, the selection part 631 which selects the particle diameter of mist is comprised from the diffusion part 627 and the spray part 626. The selection unit 631 is also a spray device.

Below the spraying part 626, the drain pipe 632 which drains the excess water from the circulation air path 625 to the outside of the heat insulation box 617 is provided. Temperature sensors 633 and 634 are provided on the top surface of the vegetable compartment 114 and the bottom of the circulation duct 624, respectively. A heater 638 for heating the lower portion of the vegetable compartment 114 is provided at the bottom of the circulation conduit 624 .

Two pairs of left and right plate-shaped slide rails 635 extending in the vegetable compartment 114 are provided on the door 400A, and food storage containers (hereinafter referred to as containers) 636 are placed thereon. The door 400A is opened and closed by being pulled out in the horizontal direction by the slide rail 635 . The discharge port 628 is positioned higher than the outer edge of the container 636 so that the mist will definitely enter the container 636 . In addition, a plurality of vents 637 are provided on the bottom surface of the container 636.

The operation and function of the refrigerator having the above configuration will be described. Storage rooms 619 and 620 set to a temperature zone lower than that of vegetable room 114 are disposed above and below vegetable room 114 . The vegetable compartment 114 is naturally cooled by these storage compartments 619 , 620 .

Pull out the door 400A horizontally toward the front, put the crops into the container 636, and close the door 400A. At this time, the door opening detection unit (not shown) detects the door closed state, and the spraying unit 626 starts spraying. The sprayed mist rises upward by diffuser 627 disposed above sprayer 626 , and diffuses into vegetable compartment 114 through discharge port 628 .

As the spray unit 626 , for example, a device that atomizes water using ultrasonic waves and then sprays it can be used. The particle diameters of the sprayed mist were distributed as shown in FIG. 32 . In order to diffuse the mist to various places in the vegetable compartment 114, for example, it is considered that the stagnation time of the mist in the vegetable compartment 114 can be made as long as possible. In this way, the diffusion can be reliably performed by the circulation of air. In order to prolong the stagnation time of the mist in the vegetable compartment 114, the particle size of the mist needs to be relatively small. As shown in FIG. 32 , for example, in order to obtain a certain effect, it is only necessary to take out water particles corresponding to the effect with a predetermined particle size X or less, and perform diffusion spraying. That is, for example, in order to remove harmful substances on the surface of the crops stored in the vegetable compartment 114, it is only necessary to selectively extract mist having a particle diameter of 0.003 μm or more and 20 μm or less as described in the fifth embodiment.

In the mist sprayed from the spray unit 626 , the particles whose particle diameter exceeds X fall downward by their own weight. Therefore, the relatively light particles having a particle diameter X or less are lifted by the diffuser 627 . Thereby, it is possible to selectively extract mist particles having a predetermined particle diameter or less. In addition, the desired particle size X can be freely set, and can be adjusted by the operating state of the spray unit 626 , the operating state of the diffuser 627 , and the distance between the spray unit 626 and the diffuser 627 . The operating state refers to, for example, the vibration frequency when an ultrasonic vibration type spray device is used for the spray unit 626 , and the fan rotation speed when a blower fan is used for the diffuser unit 627 . In addition, the mist exceeding the particle size X falling downward is discharged from the drain pipe 632 to the outside of the vegetable compartment 114 .

Since the spray outlet 628 is located above the container 636, the mist sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 falls from above the container 636, that is, above the stored crops. The sprayed mist passes through the gap between the container 636 and the crops, or the gap between the crops and falls down. Here, the distance between the ends of the plurality of ejection ports 628 is set to be approximately equal to the lateral width of the container 636 . Therefore, uneven density distribution of mist in the lateral direction is suppressed.

A plurality of vents 637 are provided on the bottom surface of the container 636 . The mist in the container 636 falls to the lower part of the vegetable compartment 114 from the air vent 637 . Therefore, the water formed by the condensed mist does not stay in the container 636, and water does not accumulate at the bottom. In addition, in this embodiment, the vent 637 is provided on the bottom surface, but it may be provided not only on the bottom surface but also on the side wall surface of the container 636 .

The mist that has passed through the ventilation port 637 returns to the circulation air path 625 through the suction port 629 , and part of the mist is sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 again by the diffuser 627 . In addition, a part becomes large water droplets and is discharged from the drain pipe 632 to the outside of the vegetable compartment 114 . In order to perform this drainage efficiently, as shown in FIG. 28, it is preferable to provide the lower part of the circulation air path 625 so that it may incline to the drain pipe 632. As shown in FIG. In addition, if the suction port 629 and the vent port 637 are provided at substantially the same position and communicated, the circulation resistance is small and the effect is high.

In addition, in order to optimize and make the distribution of mist in the container 636 more uniform, it is effective to adjust the operating state of the diffuser 627, or adjust the positions and areas of the discharge port 628, the vent port 637, and the suction port 629.

In addition, water needs to be continuously supplied to the spray unit 626 . This can be done by installing a water storage tank to replenish water regularly, or by constructing a water recovery structure that recovers moisture condensation in the storage room. These structures have been described in the previous embodiments. Alternatively, a water storage tank and a water recovery structure may be used at the same time.

When the door 400A is not opened or closed at night, the degree of humidity reduction is slow, and the spraying can be stopped for a certain period of time. In this case, when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the door opening detection unit (not shown) detects that the door is closed, the operation of the spray unit 626 and the operation of the diffuser unit 627 are stopped. At the same time, the heater 638 provided on the circulation conduit 624 is energized to heat the lower portion of the vegetable compartment 114 . The heating control of the heater 638 is performed so that the temperature difference between the temperature sensor 633 arranged on the top surface of the vegetable compartment 114 and the temperature sensor 634 arranged at the bottom of the circulation conduit 624 is a certain value. Thus, there is a temperature difference between the upper and lower portions of the vegetable compartment 114, promoting natural convection of air. In addition, the heater 638 may be a linear heater or a sheet-shaped heater as long as it generates heat substantially uniformly over a wide range. In addition, the method of setting the temperature difference is not limited to using the heater 638 . The temperature of storage room 19 may be controlled to be lower than the temperature of storage room 20 .

As mentioned above, the refrigerator of this embodiment is equipped with the heat insulation box 617, the spray part 626, and the diffuser part 627. As shown in FIG. The heat insulating box 617 has the storage rooms 619 and 620 and the vegetable room 114 separated by heat insulation. Spraying unit 626 is installed in vegetable compartment 114 and sprays. The diffuser 627 diffuses the sprayed mist. The spray unit 626 and the diffuser 627 constitute a spray device. The sprayed mist is diffused and sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 by the diffuser 627 , thereby uniformizing the concentration of the mist in the vegetable compartment 114 . Thereby, mist can be efficiently supplied to the surroundings of crops. Therefore, the amount of sprayed mist is suppressed to a minimum. Therefore, dew condensation can be prevented, and harmful substances of crops can be removed at the same time.

Moreover, the mist circulation part 630 is provided in the vegetable compartment 114. As shown in FIG. Thereby, mist is further supplied to each place in vegetable compartment 114, and the spray amount of mist is reduced. Moreover, the mist circulation part 630 is comprised from the circulation air path 625, the circulation duct 624 which comprises the circulation air duct 625, the discharge port 628 and the suction port 629 provided in the circulation duct 624, and the diffuser 627. Therefore, it is easy to adjust the circulation amount and distribution of the mist, and the spraying amount of the mist is further reduced.

In addition, it is preferable to install the discharge port 628 at a position higher than the crops stored in the vegetable compartment 114 . Thus, the mist is always sprayed from above the crops, and the mist is supplied to the entire crops regardless of the amount of the crops. In addition, it is preferable to provide the suction port 629 below the crops stored in the vegetable compartment 114 . Thereby, mist can be reliably supplied to the bottom part of container 228C.

In addition, the selection unit 631 selects mist having a predetermined particle diameter or less from the mist sprayed from the spray unit 626 . Thereby, fine mist is sprayed selectively. Therefore, the mist accumulates in the vegetable compartment 114 for a long period of time and is dispersed to reliably supply the crops. In addition, the selection unit 631 is configured by disposing the spray unit 626 below the diffusion unit 627 . Thereby, light particles having a predetermined particle diameter or less can be selectively extracted from the sprayed mist, and can be sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 .

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present embodiment, a temperature difference is provided between the upper part and the lower part of vegetable compartment 114 . Thereby, the natural convection of the air in the vegetable compartment 114 is promoted, and the sprayed mist is easily diffused into the vegetable compartment 114 . In addition, the spray part 626 and the diffuser part 627 can be temporarily stopped at the same time, and the reliability of the structural parts is improved.

(Embodiment 10)

Fig. 33 is a side sectional view of the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention. Fig. 34 is a side sectional view of the vegetable compartment, and Fig. 35 is an enlarged view of a main part of the spraying device. Fig. 36 is a graph showing the pesticide removal performance of the ozone water mist in the refrigerator shown in Fig. 33 .

This refrigerator differs from the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 of Embodiment 3 in that spray device 21 is provided on the upper back of vegetable compartment 114 . The basic structure other than that is the same as that of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 .

The spray device 21 includes a water storage tank 22 for storing ozone water, a spray nozzle (hereinafter referred to as a nozzle) 23 for spraying ozone water, and a water storage tank 72 as a supply unit for supplying liquid to the water storage tank 22 . The nozzle 23 constitutes a spray front end. The water storage tank 22 is provided in the heat insulation box 110, and is a holding|maintenance part which holds water which is liquid. An ozone water supply port 24 is provided on the upper portion of the water storage tank 22 . The ozone generating body 25 which generates ozone by a high voltage system is installed in the vicinity of the vegetable compartment 114, and is connected with the ozone water path 27. The ozone water path 27 is provided with a water supply path 28 in which piping is routed from the water storage tank 72 . In addition, an annular electrode 29 and a power source 30 for applying a high voltage are provided near the tip of the nozzle 23 . The nozzle 23, the electrode 29, and the power supply 30 constitute a spray section. In addition, water storage tank 72 is installed in refrigerator compartment 112 in a region different from vegetable compartment 114 , which is a region where a spray tip portion is provided, in heat insulating box 110 .

The operation and function of the spray device 21 having the above configuration will be described. First, ozone gas is generated by the ozone generator 25 . The water supplied from the water storage tank 72 via the water supply path 28 is mixed with the generated ozone gas to form ozone water. This ozone water passes through the ozone water path 27, is supplied into the water storage tank 22 from the ozone water supply port 24, and is accumulated. The ozone water in the water storage tank 22 is formed into mist by the nozzle 23 and sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 . At this time, a high voltage is applied from the power source 30 to the annular electrode 29 provided near the tip of the nozzle 23 . Thereby, the ozone mist emitted by the nozzle 23 is charged with static electricity.

Fig. 36 shows the removal effect of ozone water mist with pesticides attached to tomato with this structure. The experiment was carried out according to the following method. Mini tomatoes adhered with malathion at a concentration of 3 to 5 ppm were stored in the vegetable compartment 114 . At this time, the ozone water mist spray was performed for 12 hours by intermittent spraying in which spraying was carried out for 10 seconds at intervals of 20 minutes. The concentration of malathion remaining on the mini tomatoes after such spray treatment was measured by gas chromatography, and the removal rate was calculated. In addition, for comparison, the concentration of malathion was measured in the same manner for mini tomatoes to which malathion was similarly attached and stored in a vegetable compartment without a spraying device.

As shown in FIG. 36 , the removal rate in the comparative experiment was 20%, but the removal rate in the case of spraying was 40%, showing about twice the removal effect.

As mentioned above, in the structure shown in FIGS. Injection. As a result, the sprayed fine mist evenly adheres to the wall surface of the vegetable compartment 114 and the surface of the vegetable or fruit, and the mist enters the fine pores on the wall surface and the surface of the vegetable or fruit. Stains or harmful substances inside the fine pores are floated, thereby improving the effect of removing dirt or harmful substances. In addition, while improving the oxidative decomposition effect of harmful substances on the surface of vegetables, the moisture retention of vegetables is also improved.

In addition, by charging the ozone mist with static electricity, the water molecules in the ozone mist are radicalized to generate OH radicals. Therefore, by utilizing the oxidizing ability of ozone and the oxidizing ability of OH radicals, the sterilization, deodorization, and harmful substance decomposition performances are improved.

Water storage tank 72 is installed in refrigerating room 112, which is another area from vegetable room 114, which is an area where a spraying unit is provided. In this structure, the arrangement of the water storage tank 72 is not affected by the arrangement of the spray unit. Therefore, the water storage tank 72 can be installed in any position where it is easy to add water to the water storage tank 72 or to easily perform cleaning in the water storage tank 72 . In this way, the usability of the user is improved. This is the same as the water storage tank 72A of Embodiment 8.

In the above structure, ozone and water are mixed in the ozone water path 27 to generate ozone water. Alternatively, an ozone generating body may be installed near the spraying device 21 to generate ozone, which may be mixed with water in the nozzle 23 to form an ozone water mist and then sprayed. Alternatively, the ozone generator 25 may be provided in the water storage tank 22 . Such a structure will be described. Fig. 37 is an enlarged view of main parts of another spray device according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention. An ozone generator 25 that generates ozone at a high voltage is installed in a part of the water storage tank 22 . Other configurations are the same as those in FIGS. 33 to 35 .

Next, the operation and function of the spraying device of the refrigerator configured as above will be described. First, water is supplied from the water storage tank 72, and the water is supplied into the water storage tank 22 from the water supply port 31 and stored. Next, a high voltage is applied to the ozone generator 25, and the oxygen dissolved in the water is dissociated into oxygen atoms by collision with electrons due to discharge. Oxygen atoms then combine with dissolved oxygen molecules to generate ozone, and react with water molecules to generate OH radicals at the same time. The generated ozone is dissolved in the stored water to generate ozone water. The ozone water generated in this way is mist from the nozzle 23 and sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 . At this time, a high voltage is applied from the power source 30 to the ring-shaped electrode 29 provided near the tip of the nozzle 23, so that the ozone water mist ejected from the nozzle 23 is charged with static electricity.

In the structure of FIG. 37 described above, the ozone generating part 25 which generates ozone by discharge is immersed in the storage water in the water storage tank 22. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the dissolved oxygen in the storage water in the water storage tank 22 is dissociated, and ozone and OH radicals are generated. Since the raw material oxygen is oxygen dissolved in water, the amount of ozone generated is very small compared with air discharge, and therefore, the generated ozone is in a state of being dissolved in the storage water. With such a simple structure that does not require special materials, it is possible to generate and spray ozone water containing low-concentration ozone that is safe for the human body and has no ozone smell, and OH radicals that have an oxidizing ability stronger than ozone.

Next, a further different spray device according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 38 is an enlarged view of main parts of another spraying device of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention.

The spray device 21 includes a water storage tank 22 , a stored water supply unit 40 , a capillary supply structure 42 , and an electrode 43 . The water storage tank 22 stores functional water or water such as ozone water and acidic water. The stored water supply unit 40 supplies stored water to the water storage tank 22 . One end of the capillary supply structure 42 is located in the water storage tank 22 , and the other end is formed as a spray tip 41 in the vegetable compartment 114 . The electrode 43 is connected to the water storage tank 22 and applies a high voltage to the stored water in the water storage tank 22 .

Next, the operation and function of the spray device 21 having the above configuration will be described. First, functional water or water is supplied from the stored water supply unit 40 into the water storage tank 22 and stored. Next, when a high voltage is applied to the electrode 43 in the water storage tank 22, a plurality of liquid lines are drawn from the spray tip 41 by the electric field existing between the spray tip 41 and its surroundings. It is further dispersed into charged droplets to form a mist, and sprayed into the vegetable compartment 114 .

In the structure of FIG. 38 as described above, a high voltage is directly applied to the stored water in the water storage tank 22, and the stored water charged with static electricity is sprayed. Thereby, the electrostatic charging rate of the mist increases, and the miniaturization of the mist and the adhesion rate to the food surface improve.

In addition, by miniaturizing the functional water, the mist stays in the air for a longer time. As a result, the contact opportunities between the fine mist of functional water and the planktonic bacteria in the storage and the diffused odorous substances in the storage increase, and the performance of sterilization and deodorization is improved.

In addition, in this embodiment, water is supplied from the water storage tank 72 . In addition, if the drain water of the refrigerator is used to supply the drain water to the water storage tank, the trouble of adding water to the water storage tank 72 can be reduced.

Next, an example in which the storage of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator will be described while describing Embodiment 11. FIG.

The storage of the present invention includes a disassembly unit in addition to the box and the spray device. The spraying device generates mist to float harmful substances such as residual pesticides adhering to the surface of vegetables stored in the storage room in the box. The decomposition unit decomposes the floating harmful substances. In this structure, sprayed mist enters fine recesses on the surface of vegetables or fruits, and by physical action, a small amount of water floats pesticides or harmful substances remaining in the recesses. Then, since the decomposing part oxidizes and decomposes harmful substances such as the floating agricultural chemicals, the safety of food is improved.

In addition, the storage of the present invention includes a box, a spray device, and a decomposition unit, and the spray device sprays an oxidatively decomposable mist. Harmful substances such as residual pesticides adhering to the surface of vegetables are decomposed by this oxidatively decomposing mist. The decomposer decomposes the decomposition products produced in this way, and harmful substances such as residual agricultural chemicals that have not reacted with the oxidatively decomposable mist. Thereby, decomposition products and unreacted harmful substances can be made harmless, so safety is improved.

Moreover, the decomposition part of the storage of this invention irradiates the ultraviolet-ray to the crops in a storage. Thereby, harmful substances, such as residual agricultural chemicals, can be made harmless, without exerting a bad influence on vegetables. In addition, the disassembly unit is constituted by a simple structure. Therefore, the number of components can be reduced, and the disassembly effect can be realized in a small space.

Moreover, the decomposition|disassembly part of the storage of this invention irradiates the ultraviolet-ray of wavelength 220nm or more and 400nm or less. Thereby, the oxidative decomposition rate improves.

In addition, the storage according to the present invention further includes a control unit that operates the decomposition unit after the spray device is operated. In this way, energy is used only for harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals or unreacted substances stripped by the mist sprayed from the spraying device. Therefore, decomposition efficiency improves. In particular, when the spray device generates oxidatively decomposable mist, the decomposing unit decomposes unreacted substances that have not been oxidatively decomposed by the oxidatively decomposable mist. Therefore, the oxidation-decomposition efficiency as a storage improves.

Moreover, the storage of this invention further includes the door which covers the opening of a storage room, the detection part which detects opening and closing of this door, and a control part. The control unit stops the operation of the decomposition unit when the detection unit detects that the door is opened. Thereby, when opening a door, it is prevented that a person directly sees the irradiation of ultraviolet rays, and safety improves.

Moreover, the storage of this invention further has the switch which operates a disassembly part. As a result, the disassembly unit can be operated only when a human being thinks that it is necessary to operate it, thereby improving safety.

Moreover, in the storage of this invention, the light shielding board is provided in the circumference|surroundings of a disassembly part. Therefore, people do not directly see the ultraviolet rays, but only irradiate the ultraviolet rays on the crops in the storage room. Therefore, security is improved.

(Embodiment 11)

Fig. 39 is a side sectional view of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 11 of the present invention. Fig. 40 is a block diagram of a control system of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 39 .

The difference between the refrigerator shown in FIG. 39 and the refrigerator shown in FIG. 5 of Embodiment 3 is that a spray device 120 and a decomposition unit 121 are provided on the upper top surface of the vegetable compartment 114, and the wall surface is hard to be deteriorated by ultraviolet rays. material composition. The material which is hardly deteriorated by ultraviolet rays is stainless steel, or a resin material which is hardly deteriorated by ultraviolet rays, or the like. The decomposer 121 is an ultraviolet lamp that irradiates ultraviolet rays having a peak wavelength of about 250 nm. In addition, as shown in FIG. 40 , a control unit 106 for controlling the operations of the spray device 120 and the decomposition unit 121 is provided. Other configurations are the same as those shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 , and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The operation and function of the spray device 120 and the decomposition unit 121 of the refrigerator configured as above will be described. First, water is stored in the water storage tank 122 . The storage water 124 at this time is defrosting water. Next, the power supply 128 applies a negative high voltage to the cathode 134 in the water storage tank 122 , and a plurality of liquid lines are drawn from the spray tip 132 by the electric field existing between the spray tip 132 and the anode 135 . Furthermore, it disperses into charged liquid droplets and becomes mist. The mist is sent into the vegetable compartment 114 by the air blower 129 . During the electrostatic atomization, discharge is carried out to charge the mist with static electricity, so the mist adheres to the surface of positively charged vegetables or fruits in the vegetable compartment 114 by electrical action. Then, it penetrates into the fine recesses on the surface of vegetables or fruits, and uses the internal pressure energy of the fine mist to float harmful substances such as residual pesticides and waxes. The ultraviolet ray irradiated from the decomposer 121 decomposes and removes harmful substances by utilizing its decomposing action. In addition, by charging the mist with static electricity, the water molecules in the mist are radicalized to generate OH radicals. Therefore, the oxidizing ability of ozone generated by discharge is added to the oxidizing ability of OH radicals to improve the decomposition performance of harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals.

Fig. 41 is a graph comparing the pesticide removal performance of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 39 with a conventional immersion method and water washing. In this experiment, ten mini-tomatoes to which about 3 ppm of malathion adhered were used, and the removal treatment was performed by each method. Then, the concentration of residual malathion after the treatment was measured by gas chromatography (GC), and the removal rate was calculated.

Next, each removal processing method will be described. In treatment A, the above 10 mini tomatoes were placed in a strainer and washed under running water for about 10 seconds. In treatment B, 10 mini tomatoes were dipped in water containing 1 ppm of ozone for 1 hour. This treatment is equivalent to the treatment using a general food washing device. In treatment C, 10 mini tomatoes were sprayed with the spray device 120 for 12 hours. In the treatment E, 10 mini tomatoes were sprayed for 12 hours, and then irradiated with ultraviolet light having a peak wavelength of 250 nm and 1600 μW/cm ² for 1 hour from the decomposition unit 121 . In addition, the ozone gas concentration in the chamber in the treatment C and E was about 0.03 ppm.

As shown in FIG. 41 , the removal rate in Treatment A was 20%, and it was found that 80% of the residual pesticides were not removed but ingested by the human body at the level of washing in general households. Also, in Treatment B, 55% of the residual pesticide was removed.

On the other hand, the removal rate of Treatment C was 50%, showing almost the same pesticide removal performance as that of Treatment B. On the other hand, the removal rate of Treatment E was 70%. This is considered to be because of the physical action of the ultra-fine mist, the adhering pesticides float up and are decomposed by ultraviolet rays. From the above results, it can be seen that the refrigerator having the spraying device 120 and the decomposition unit 121 of the present embodiment has the performance of removing pesticides higher than that of a dedicated food washing machine.

Fig. 42 shows the amount of residual malathion in the water after removing the pesticide in the spraying device 120 of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 39 and the amount of residual malathion in the water after washing with the conventional immersion method. A graph comparing the amounts of sulfur and phosphorus.

In this experiment, ten mini-tomatoes to which about 3 ppm of malathion adhered were used in the same manner as above, and the removal treatment was performed by the above-mentioned respective treatment methods. Tap water was collected for 10 seconds at the time of final treatment, and the concentration of malathion in the tap water was measured by gas chromatography (GC). Based on these results and the results of FIG. 41 , the ratio of the amount of malathion contained in tap water to the amount of malathion removed by each treatment was calculated.

Next, each removal processing method will be described. In treatment A, the above 10 mini tomatoes were placed in a strainer and washed under running water for about 10 seconds. In treatment B', 10 mini tomatoes were dipped in water containing 1 ppm of ozone for 1 hour. Then put it in the strainer and wash it under running water for about 10 seconds. This treatment is equivalent to the treatment using a general food washing device. In treatment C', 10 mini tomatoes were sprayed with the spray device 120 for 12 hours. Then put it in the strainer and wash it under running water for about 10 seconds. In the process E', 10 mini tomatoes were sprayed for 12 hours and then irradiated with ultraviolet light having a peak wavelength of 250 nm and 1600 μW/cm ² for 1 hour from the decomposition unit 121 . Then put it in the strainer and wash it under running water for about 10 seconds. In addition, the ozone gas concentration in the reservoir in the treatments C' and E' was about 0.03 ppm.

As shown in Fig. 42, in Treatment A, the amount of malathion in tap water was 100% of the amount of malathion removed. That is, in tap water washing, malathion was not decomposed. In addition, in Treatment B, the amount of malathion in tap water was about 20% of the amount of malathion removed.

On the other hand, in the treatment C', the amount of malathion in the tap water was also 20% of the amount of the removed malathion. In this way, in terms of malathion decomposing ability, the spray device 120 has the same decomposing performance as that of dedicated equipment. In Treatment E', although the removal rate was 70%, the amount of malathion in tap water was below the detection limit. This is considered to be because almost 100% of malathion removed by ultraviolet rays was decomposed. In this way, the refrigerator having the spraying device 120 and the decomposition unit 121 can remove pesticides such as vegetables, and has the ability to decompose the removed pesticides.

As described above, the refrigerator shown in FIG. 39 includes the spray device 120 and the decomposition unit 121 . The spray device 120 includes a water storage tank 122 and a spray unit 123 that sprays stored water 124 . With such a simple structure, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment has a function of decomposing and removing harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals. Therefore, consumers can easily remove harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals by storing vegetables or fruits in a refrigerator.

In addition, in the refrigerator according to the present embodiment, ultrafine mist is sprayed into vegetable compartment 114 . As a result, the sprayed mist enters fine recesses on the surface of vegetables or fruits, and removes harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals remaining in the recesses by physical action. Then, the harmful substance is decomposed by ultraviolet rays. That is, harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals can be removed and decomposed with a small amount of water.

Moreover, although the spray part 123 of an electrostatic atomization method is used in the refrigerator of this embodiment, it is not limited to this. When an ultrasonic element is used in the spraying unit, a larger amount of spray can be generated compared to the electrostatic atomization method. Therefore, it is particularly effective in situations where increased spray volume is required. In addition, even if other spray methods are used, as long as the above-mentioned ultrafine mist can be generated, harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals can be removed and decomposed according to the characteristics of each device.

In addition, in the refrigerator of the present embodiment, the defrosting water is stored in the water storage tank 122, and the user can secure the stored water 124 without supplying the stored water from the outside. In this configuration, it is not necessary to replenish moisture from the outside, and a refrigerator with further improved usability can be obtained. Alternatively, water may be supplied from the outside using a water storage tank or the like. In such a structure, maintenance of the water storage tank is easy, and a large amount of mist can be sprayed.

In addition, the holding unit holding the stored water 124 is not limited to the use of the water storage tank 122 . A hygroscopic agent (for example, silica gel, zeolite, and porous materials such as activated carbon, etc.) can also be used as a water retention device to extract and retain moisture contained in the air in the vegetable compartment 114 .

In addition, if a dew condensation generating part is provided to condense the moisture contained in the air in the storage room by forcing a temperature difference in a part of the storage room, it is possible to supply a required amount of stored water at any timing. , As far as the amount of spray is concerned, the required amount of spray can be ensured by controlling the dew condensation part, so there is no need to bother to replenish water from the outside, the convenience of use is further improved, and the required amount of stored water can be supplied when needed. Hereinafter, an example of a refrigerator including an ultrasonic element and a water storage tank will be described.

Fig. 43 is a side sectional view of another refrigerator according to this embodiment. Fig. 44 is a block diagram of a control system of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 43 . The refrigerator shown in FIG. 43 includes a spray unit 74 including an ultrasonic element 80 , a water storage tank 72 that supplies water to the spray unit 74 through a water supply path 73 , and a decomposition unit 200 . The configuration of the spray unit 74 is the same as that of FIGS. 2 and 3 of the first embodiment. The spray unit 74 , the water supply path 73 , and the water storage tank 72 constitute the spray device 61 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 44 , a control unit 107 for controlling the operation of the spray device 61 and the decomposition unit 200 is provided. Other configurations are the same as those shown in FIG. 39 , and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the following description, description is also made with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 .

The spray unit 74 and the decomposition unit 200 are provided on the upper top surface of the vegetable compartment 114 . The decomposer 200 is an ultraviolet LED that irradiates ultraviolet rays having a peak wavelength near 380 nm.

The operation and function of the spray device 61 and the decomposition unit 200 of the refrigerator configured as above will be described. First, the water stored in the water storage tank 72 is supplied to the water storage tank 75 via the water supply path 73 .

Then, the spray unit 74 starts to operate. The stored water 84 is atomized by the ultrasonic element 80 serving as the spray unit 74 . At this time, the water molecules are decomposed by the rapid expansion and compression fracture phenomenon of the microbubbles generated by the ultrasonic element 80 to generate an oxidatively decomposable mist containing OH radicals. Using the electric field between the metal sieve 81 and the metal plate 82 , only the fine mist below a predetermined particle size in the oxidative decomposing mist is sprayed from the metal sieve 81 . In this way, the inside of the spray unit 74 is filled with mist having a predetermined particle size or less. The fine mist is sprayed into vegetable compartment 114 from air blower 77 . The sprayed fine mist adheres to the surfaces of vegetables and fruits in the vegetable compartment 114, and oxidizes and decomposes harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals adhered to the surfaces of the vegetables and the like. In this way, the control unit 107 energizes the ultrasonic element 80 and the power source 83 of the spray unit 61 , and then energizes the decomposition unit 200 to irradiate ultraviolet rays. Accordingly, the decomposition products oxidatively decomposed by the oxidatively decomposing mist are completely harmless without deteriorating the heat insulating wall 116 .

Fig. 45 is a graph showing the relationship between the pesticide removal performance and the processing time of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 43 . In this experiment, 10 mini-tomatoes to which about 3 ppm of malathion adhered were used, and treated with the spray device 61 for 12 hours, and then treated with ultraviolet rays by the decomposer 20 while changing the irradiation time. Then, the concentration of malathion was measured by GC (gas chromatography), and the removal rate of malathion was calculated.

As can be seen from FIG. 45 , 12 hours are required in order to exhibit performance equivalent to that of the decomposition unit 121 composed of an ultraviolet lamp having the structure shown in FIG. 39 for 1 hour.

As described above, the refrigerator shown in FIG. 43 includes the spray device 61 and the decomposition unit 200 . The spray device 61 includes a water storage tank 72 and a spray unit 74 that sprays stored water 84 . The decomposition unit 200 is composed of ultraviolet LEDs. When ultraviolet rays are irradiated to crops by the decomposer 200 for a long period of time, oxidative decomposition performance equivalent to that of ultraviolet lamps can be obtained. In addition, deterioration of the heat insulating wall 116 due to ultraviolet rays does not occur. Therefore, the material cost of the heat insulating wall 116 is reduced, and the life of the heat insulating wall 116 is prolonged. In addition, by setting the irradiation wavelength of the decomposer 200 to around 350 nm, it is possible to control the influence of ultraviolet rays on the human body within a range that does not cause problems.

Next, still another preferable structure of the refrigerator provided with the disassembly part is demonstrated. Fig. 46 is a side sectional view of still another refrigerator according to Embodiment 11 of the present invention. Fig. 47 is a block diagram of a control system of the refrigerator shown in Fig. 46 .

The difference between the refrigerator shown in FIG. 46 and the refrigerator shown in FIG. 39 is that a door opening and closing detection part (hereinafter referred to as a detection part) 330 is provided on the door 400A covering the opening of the vegetable compartment 114. A switch 403 is provided on the door 400B of the opening of the chamber 112 . Further, it is also different in that a light shielding plate 402 made of stainless steel is provided on the top surface of the upper part of the vegetable compartment 114 so as to surround the disassembly part 121 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 47 , a control unit 108 that controls the operation of the decomposition unit 121 and the fog device 120 using input from the detection unit 330 or the switch 403 is provided. The detection unit 330 detects the opening and closing of the door 400A. The detection unit 330 is constituted by, for example, a micro switch or a pressure sensor. Other than that, it is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 39 .

The operation and function of the spray device 120, the decomposition unit 121, and the control unit 108 of the refrigerator configured as above will be described. First, water is stored in the water storage tank 122 . Hereinafter, the action of floating harmful substances such as residual pesticides and waxes from the surface of the crops in the vegetable compartment 114 by the mist generated by the spraying device 120 is the same as that described for the configuration of FIG. 39 .

Then, the user turns on (ON) the switch 403 , and the control unit 108 receives the signal, and energizes the decomposition unit 121 . Thus, by providing the switch 403, it is possible to operate the disassembling unit 121 only when the user thinks that it is necessary to operate it. Therefore, security is improved. Furthermore, since it can be operated only when a person needs it, energy consumption can be reduced compared with the case of continuous operation, thereby saving electricity costs. In addition, by turning on (ON) the switch 403, a series of operations starting from the operation of the spray device 120 can also be started.

Next, harmful substances such as floating pesticides are decomposed by the function of the decomposition unit 121 .

In addition, the control unit 108 energizes the disassembly unit 121 only when the detection unit 330 detects the closed state of the door 400A. In this way, the user can be prevented from being exposed to ultraviolet rays, and the safety can be improved. Furthermore, by providing the light-shielding plate 402 around the decomposer 121 , ultraviolet light from the decomposer 121 is prevented from being irradiated to the door 400A side. Therefore, when the user opens door 400A, the ultraviolet ray is not directly seen, and the ultraviolet ray is irradiated only to the storage items in vegetable compartment 114 . In this way, security is improved. Furthermore, since the shading plate 402 does not disperse the energy of the ultraviolet rays irradiated on the crops in the vegetable compartment 114, the decomposition efficiency of harmful substances is improved.

In addition, in the above description, only switching of ON/OFF of the switch 403 for operating the decomposition unit 121 has been described. In addition to this, it is preferable to have a switch allowing the user to select the light quantity of ultraviolet rays in addition to the switching function of ON/OFF. In this case, since the user can select the required amount of ultraviolet light when necessary, energy consumption can be reduced.

In addition, the light shielding plate 402 may be formed of a metal or glass that is less deteriorated by ultraviolet rays other than stainless steel. In addition, the heat insulating wall 116 may be made of metal or glass that is less deteriorated by ultraviolet rays, in addition to stainless steel.

In this embodiment, disassembly units 121 and 200 are arranged on the top surface of vegetable compartment 114 . In addition, if container 228 in vegetable compartment 114 is made transparent, the same effect can be obtained as long as it is arranged in any position in vegetable compartment 114 .

In this embodiment, vegetable compartment 114 is arranged on the upper floor of freezer compartment 115 . In addition, if the vegetable compartment 114 is disposed at the lowest level, when the vegetable compartment 114 is used, ultraviolet rays do not directly enter the user's eyes, and the vegetable compartment 114 can be used more safely.

In addition, the decomposer 121, 200 is energized after the spray device 120, 61 operates. The control units 106, 107, and 108 all perform control in this way. Therefore, only energy can be used for the decomposition of harmful substances such as agricultural chemicals or unreacted substances after the mist sprayed by the spraying devices 120 and 61 are peeled off, and the decomposition efficiency can be improved.

In addition, it is preferable that the wavelength of the ultraviolet rays emitted by the decomposers 121 and 200 is not less than 220 nm and not more than 400 nm. Thereby, the oxidative decomposition rate of harmful substances, such as an agricultural chemical, improves.

Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the structures and features inherent in each embodiment can also be applied to other embodiments to the extent possible. In particular, the features of the refrigerators in Embodiment 3 and later can be applied to boxes in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2. In addition, this invention is not limited to these embodiment.

Industrial availability

The storage of the present invention can improve the safety of crops under various conditions in circulation. In addition, a refrigerator to which this storage is applied has a simple structure, does not impair usability, and can improve the safety of crops in households, commercial facilities, and the like.

Claims (29)

1. A storehouse, characterized in that it comprises: a tank having a storage compartment for crops inside the tank; and a spraying device, which sprays liquid into the storage chamber, and generates negatively charged mist containing OH free radicals by means of electrostatic atomization, The spray device includes a spray front end, which, while generating mist by means of electrostatic atomization, radicalizes water molecules in the mist to generate negatively charged mist containing OH radicals and The mist is sprayed, and at least the spray front end is disposed in the storage chamber, The spraying device makes use of the synergistic effect of the physical action produced by performing any of the following processes and the chemical action produced by the decomposition ability of the OH radical, so that the surface of the crops stored in the storage room adheres to Harmful substances are easily removed, (A) using the mist to enter the fine recesses of the positively charged crops stored in the storage room to float the harmful substances attached to the surface of the crops, (B) making the mist adhere to the harmful substance adhering to the surface of the positively charged crops stored in the storage room. 2. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a holding part provided in the box for holding the liquid. 3. The storage library according to claim 2, characterized in that: The holding portion holds stored water supplied from the outside. 4. The storage library according to claim 2, characterized in that: The holding unit holds stored water extracted from moisture contained in air in the storage compartment. 5. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spray front end uses water vapor in the air in the storage room to condense dew due to cooling from the back surface to spray mist, It further includes a supply part provided in another area of the tank different from the spray front end part to hold water and supply water vapor to the spray device. 6. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: A supply unit for holding the liquid and supplying the liquid to the spray device is provided in another area of the tank body different from the spray front end. 7. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a decomposer that decomposes the harmful substance. 8. The storage library according to claim 7, characterized in that: The decomposer irradiates the harmful substance with ultraviolet rays. 9. The storage library according to claim 8, characterized in that: The wavelength of the ultraviolet rays is not less than 220nm and not more than 400nm. 10. The storage library according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a light-shielding plate arranged around the decomposing part. 11. The storage library according to claim 7, characterized in that: It further includes a control unit for operating the decomposition unit after the spray device is operated. 12. The storage library according to claim 7, further comprising: a door covering the opening of the storage compartment; a detection section that detects opening and closing of the door; and A control unit that stops the operation of the disassembly unit when the detection unit detects that the door is opened. 13. The storage library according to claim 7, characterized in that: A switch for actuating the spraying device is also included. 14. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spray device produces an oxidatively decomposing mist. 15. The storage library according to claim 14, further comprising: A decomposing unit for decomposing at least one of a decomposition product generated by decomposing the harmful substance and the undecomposed harmful substance using the oxidatively decomposable mist. 16. The storage library according to claim 15, characterized in that: The decomposition unit irradiates ultraviolet rays to at least one of the decomposition product and the harmful substance. 17. The storage library according to claim 16, characterized in that: The wavelength of the ultraviolet rays is not less than 220nm and not more than 400nm. 18. The storage library according to claim 16, characterized in that: It also includes a light-shielding plate arranged around the decomposing part. 19. The storage library according to claim 15, characterized in that: It further includes a control unit for operating the decomposition unit after the spray device is operated. 20. The storage library according to claim 15, further comprising: a door covering the opening of the storage compartment; a detection section that detects opening and closing of the door; and A control unit that stops the operation of the disassembly unit when the detection unit detects that the door is opened. 21. The storage library according to claim 15, characterized in that: A switch for actuating the spraying device is also included. 22. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spray device produces an alkali-decomposing mist. 23. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spray device generates mist with a particle diameter of 0.003 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less. 24. The storage according to any one of claims 1 and 23, characterized in that: The spraying amount of the spraying device is not less than 0.0007 g/h·L and not more than 0.07 g/h·L. 25. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spray tip has a spray nozzle and an annular electrode provided near the tip of the spray nozzle, and the particles sprayed from the spray nozzle are electrostatically charged by applying a voltage to the electrode. 26. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a holding part provided in the box for holding the liquid, The spraying device includes: A capillary supply structure, one end of which is located in the holding part, and the other end forms a spray front end opening in the storage chamber; a first electrode disposed near the spray front; and a second electrode disposed opposite to the first electrode, The water sprayed from the spray tip is electrostatically charged by applying a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode. 27. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box body is a transport box used in transportation. 28. The storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box is a storage box for storing the harvested crops. 29. A refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises: The storage of claim 1; and a cooling device for cooling the inside of the box, The box body is an insulated box body having storage compartments partitioned by heat insulation.

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