REFRIGERATOR

• US 20100223944A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueda, Yoshihiro, Kamisako, Toyoshi, Adachi, Tadashi, Nakanishi, Kazuya, Tsujimoto, Kahoru
• Application Number:
  US12/682,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/264
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/0433 with packages or with shaping in the form of blocks or portions
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 7/152 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O ; Elimination of such other gases
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/3445 in a controlled atmosphere comprising other gases in addition to CO2, N2, O2 or H2O
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/363 the materials not being transported through or in the apparatus with or without shaping, e.g. in form of powder, granules, or flakes
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/0255 spraying and depositing by electrostatic forces only
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/0533 Electrodes specially adapted therefor; Arrangements of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/057 Arrangements for discharging liquids or other fluent material without using a gun or nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0012 Apparatus for achieving spraying before discharge from the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/042 Air treating means within refrigerated spaces air conditioning in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/04131 Control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0416 using an ozone generator
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/22 Cleaning means for refrigerating devices

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator including: a heat-insulating main body; a storage compartment defined in the heat-insulating main body; and a mist spray apparatus that sprays a fine mist into the storage compartment. The fine mist generated by the mist spray apparatus has a nano-size particle diameter and reduces microorganisms adhering to the inside of the storage compartment and to vegetable surfaces, the microorganisms including molds, bacteria, yeasts, and viruses.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising:

a heat-insulating main body;

a storage compartment defined in said heat-insulating main body; and

a mist spray apparatus that sprays a fine mist into said storage compartment,

wherein the fine mist generated by said mist spray apparatus has a nano-size particle diameter and reduces microorganisms adhering to inside of said storage compartment and to vegetable surfaces, the microorganisms including molds, bacteria, yeasts, and viruses.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

wherein said mist spray apparatus generates the mist containing radicals.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

wherein said mist spray apparatus includes a spray unit configured to spray the mist according to an electrostatic atomization method.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, comprising:

an electrostatic atomization apparatus including;

an application electrode for applying a voltage;

a counter electrode positioned facing said application electrode; and

a voltage application unit configured to apply a high voltage between said application electrode and said counter electrode;

a water collection plate on which water in air in said refrigerator forms dew condensation; and

a cooling unit configured to cool said water collection plate,

wherein said water collection plate is provided with a temperature adjustment unit.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3 or 4,

wherein a negative voltage is applied to said application electrode and a positive voltage is applied to said counter electrode.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, comprising

a light source installed in said storage compartment, said light source including light of a blue light wavelength region.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

wherein the mist containing radicals sprayed into said storage compartment decomposes ethylene gas.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 1, comprising:

said storage compartment that is heat-insulated;

a section in said storage compartment, said section being set in a different environment from an environment of said storage compartment;

an atomization unit included in said mist spray apparatus that sprays the mist into said section;

an atomization tip included in said atomization unit, the mist being sprayed from said atomization tip;

a temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust a temperature of said atomization tip; and

a temperature detection unit configured to detect the temperature of said atomization tip,

wherein said temperature adjustment unit is configured to adjust the temperature of said atomization tip to a dew point or below, to cause water in air to form dew condensation at said atomization tip and the mist to be sprayed into said storage compartment.

13. The refrigerator according to claim 12,

wherein said atomization unit includes a heat transfer connection member thermally connected to an atomization electrode which is said atomization tip, and

said temperature adjustment unit is configured to indirectly adjust the temperature of said atomization tip by cooling or heating said heat transfer connection member.

14. The refrigerator according to claim 12,

wherein said temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust the temperature of said atomization tip includes a cooling unit and a heating unit.

15. The refrigerator according to claim 14,

wherein said cooling unit is a cooling source generated in a refrigeration cycle of said refrigerator, and

said heating unit is a heater.

16. The refrigerator according to claim 12,

wherein a main body of said refrigerator includes a plurality of storage compartments and a cooling compartment that houses a cooler for cooling said plurality of storage compartments, and

said atomization unit is attached to a partition wall of said storage compartment on a cooling compartment side.

17. The refrigerator according to claim 12,

wherein a main body of said refrigerator includes a plurality of storage compartments,

a lower temperature storage compartment kept at a lower temperature than said storage compartment provided with said atomization unit is situated on a bottom side of said storage compartment provided with said atomization unit, and

said atomization unit is attached to a partition wall of said storage compartment provided with said atomization unit, on the bottom side.

18. The refrigerator according to claim 12,

wherein a main body of said refrigerator includes at least one air path for conveying cool air to a storage compartment or a cooling compartment, and

a cooling unit uses cool air generated in said cooling compartment.

19. The refrigerator according to claim 15,

wherein said heating unit is a heater integrally formed with said atomization unit.

20. The refrigerator according to claim 12,

wherein said temperature adjustment unit is configured to use a heat pipe capable of conveying lower temperature heat in or near a cooler.

21. The refrigerator according to claim 12,

wherein said temperature adjustment unit is configured to use a Peltier element.

22. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

wherein an atomization unit included in said mist spray apparatus includes an atomization electrode, a counter electrode positioned facing said atomization electrode, and a voltage application unit configured to generate a high-voltage potential difference between said atomization electrode and said counter electrode.

23. The refrigerator according to claim 22, comprising:

said storage compartment; and

a holding member installed in said storage compartment and grounded to a reference potential part,

wherein said voltage application unit is configured to generate the potential difference between said atomization electrode and said holding member.

24. The refrigerator according to claim 1, comprising

said mist spray apparatus that generates a mist of a first particle diameter and a mist of a second particle diameter different from the first particle diameter.

25. The refrigerator according to claim 24,

wherein the first particle diameter is micro-size, and the second particle diameter is nano-size.

26. The refrigerator according to claim 25,

wherein the mist of the second particle diameter is an ionized mist.

27. The refrigerator according to claim 24,

wherein said mist spray apparatus includes an electrostatic atomization apparatus that includes an application electrode for applying a voltage to a liquid, a counter electrode positioned facing said application electrode, and a voltage application unit configured to apply a high voltage between said application electrode and said counter electrode, and

said electrostatic atomization apparatus generates the mist of the second particle diameter.

28. The refrigerator according to claim 24,

wherein said mist spray apparatus is a spray unit configured to simultaneously generate the mist of the first particle diameter and the mist of the second particle diameter.

29. The refrigerator according to claim 24,

wherein said mist spray apparatus includes a first spray unit configured to generate the mist of the first particle diameter and a second spray unit configured to generate the mist of the second particle diameter.

7. A refrigerator comprising:

a heat-insulated storage compartment;

an atomization unit included in a mist spray apparatus that sprays a mist into said storage compartment; and

an atomization tip included in said atomization unit, the mist being sprayed from said atomization tip,

wherein said atomization unit is configured to generate the mist that adheres to vegetables and fruits stored in said storage compartment to suppress low temperature damage.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7,

wherein said heat-insulated storage compartment is substantially sealed and has a mechanism of keeping a high humidity to prevent drying of the vegetables and fruits, and drying after the mist adheres to the vegetables and fruits is also prevented to suppress drying of the mist containing radicals, thereby suppressing the low temperature damage.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 7,

wherein the mist containing radicals adheres to skins of the vegetables and fruits, and the radicals penetrate from the skins and inhibit an enzyme reaction, thereby suppressing the low temperature damage.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 7,

wherein the mist containing radicals adheres to skins of the vegetables and fruits and the radicals penetrate from the skins, thereby suppressing leakage of potassium ions.