Refrigeration – Cooled enclosure
Patent
1996-03-26
1999-07-06
Sollecito, John M.
Refrigeration
Cooled enclosure
62382, 220373, 215310, 99467, F25D 1100
Patent
active
059184809
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a refrigerator incorporating a substantially closed type vegetable storage chamber for storing vegetables and other types of produce in fresh condition for a long period of time.
BACKGROUND ART
As was disclosed in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. SHO63-3784 of 1988 for example, in order to store vegetable in fresh condition for a long while in a refrigerator, a method for providing a moisture-sensitive sheet to cover an air-vent of a substantially closed type vegetable container in a refrigerator was proposed.
Structure of this conventional refrigerator cited above is described below.
FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of a vegetable storage chamber of the above proposed conventional refrigerator, in which the reference numeral 1 designates the main body of the refrigerator incorporating a freezing chamber (not illustrated) at the top portion, a refrigerating chamber 2 and a vegetable-storage chamber 3 there below.
The reference numeral 4 designates a partition board for partitioning the refrigerating chamber 2 off from the vegetable-storage chamber 3. A pair of air-vents 5 and 6 are provided in the front and rear portions for circulating cooling air therebetween. The reference numeral 7 designates a vegetable storage container which is set inside of the vegetable-storage chamber 3 and has an open upper surface. The vegetable-storage container 7 can optionally be pulled out towards the front while the door 8 is open.
The reference numeral 9 designates a lid which is engageable with and disengageable from the upper surface of the vegetable-storage container 7 to make up a storage container in conjunction with the vegetable-storage container 7. A circular air-vent 10 is provided through the lid 9. In addition, an upwardly folded air-dividing plate 11 is provided at the rear edge of the lid 9.
The reference numeral 12 designates a rectangular moisture-sensitive sheet composed of polyvinyl-alcoholic film for example. As shown in FIG. 28, opposite edges of the moisture-sensitive sheet 12 are secured to bottom surface of the lid 9 with adhesive agent 13 by way of covering the circular air-vent 10. For example, whenever humidity increases beyond 80%, the moisture-sensitive sheet 12 inherently expands and elongates itself, whereas it inherently contracts itself whenever dry condition is generated via decrease of humidity below 80%.
The above-cited conventional refrigerator exerts refrigerating function as described below. After passing through the air-vent 5 of the partitioning board 4, cooled air from the refrigerating chamber 2 is divided by the air-dividing plate 11 and then led to the upper surface of the lid 9 and rear portion of the vegetable-storage container 7.
Then, part of cooled air led to the upper surface of the lid 9 flows into the vegetable-storage container 7 via the air-vent 10 formed through the lid 9, whereas the remaining cooled air and the cooled air passing by the rear surface of the vegetable-storage container 7 respectively return to the refrigerating chamber 2 via the air-vent 6 of the partitioning board 4.
Now, while vegetables are stored under a low temperature cooled by the flow of cooling air described above and whenever the air-vent 10 shown in FIG. 28 remains open, humidity inside of the vegetable-storage container 7 gradually lowers. When humidity lowers below 80%, the moisture-sensitive sheet 12, thus far opening the air-vent 10, contracts itself via drying to adhere to the lid 9 as shown in FIG. 29, thus shutting off the air-vent 10.
On the other hand, while the vegetable-storage container 7 is fully closed, humidity inside of the container 7 increases due to presence of humid vapor emitted via respiratory function of stored vegetables. When humidity exceeds 80%, the moisture-sensitive sheet 12, thus far closing the air-vent 10, gradually expands and elongates itself to open the air-vent 10 again as shown in FIG. 28.
Accordingly, the above-structured refrigerator can prevent the interior of the vegetable-stora
REFERENCES:
patent: 4949847 (1990-08-01), Nagata
patent: 5031796 (1991-07-01), Schafer et al.
patent: 5395006 (1995-03-01), Verma
Inatani Masatoshi
Nagata Kohji
Shinohara Noriko
Matsushita Refrigeration Company
Sollecito John M.
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