Deodorizer for refrigerator

[Detailed Description of the Invention]

[Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the deodorization apparatus for refrigerators. [Description of the Prior Art] The deodorization apparatus for refrigerators used conventionally installs the case in which adsorbent, such as activated carbon, went into the cold passage of the refrigerator, and the thing of the method which makes this adsorbent adsorb the bad smell which occurred within the refrigerator, and removes it is used. That example is indicated by JP,47-22566,U, concerning this kind of deodorization apparatus. [Object of the Invention ] As mentioned above, the conventional deodorization apparatus is made to stick to adsorbent, such as activated carbon, and removes the bad smell which occurred, but when exposed to a high-concentration odor component, there is a possibility that deodorizing performance may fall for a short period of time. Since odor component child fi (the amount of adsorption maintenance) who can stick to adsorbent has a limit, for a definite period of time, after use needs to remove and exchange adsorbent from a deodorization apparatus, or needs to reproduce it. There is the present invention in providing the deodorization apparatus for refrigerators which holds a deodorizing effect satisfactorily by Maintenance free over a long period of time. The photocatalyst layer which can decompose the ingredient of which it was excited by light and the above-mentioned adsorbent was adsorbed is provided, and announces to this photocatalyst. [Function] The deodorization apparatus for refrigerators of the present invention emits the light which has the energy more than the band gap of a photocatalyst in the photocatalyst on the surface of adsorbent from the source of photocatalyst excitation light, and excites a photocatalyst. The disintegration of an odor component arises in a photocatalyst by this, and it carries out decomposition removal of the odor component which is sticking to adsorbent gradually from the surface of adsorbent. When the light source which hardly generates heat is used for the source of photocatalyst excitation light, decomposition removal of the odor component is mainly gradually carried out from the surface by diffusion by the concentration difference of the inner side of adsorbent, and the outside. Using the light source which generates heat in the source of photocatalyst excitation light, since adsorbent is the neighborhood, the temperature of adsorbent also rises, and 7 It was case is .. Since the amount of adsorption maintenance falls, an odor component will be emitted, and a surface photocatalyst will decompose it efficiently. By performing such operation, adsorbent can always be refreshed and deodorizing performance can be kept stable over a long period of time. [Example] 1st [ The ] figure~figure 13 explains one example of the 1 present invention below. in Drawing 1, l carries out a bottom cover and 2 inside -- as -- 3 -- an upper cover -- it is -- the present invention -- the main part of the deodorization apparatus for refrigerators is formed. 4 is a ventilation fan, and deodorant 5 is made to ventilate it by this, and it removes an odor component. As an example of the source of photocatalyst excitation light, 6 is an ultraviolet reflection board made from aluminum, and installs an ultraviolet-rays lamp and 7 in bottom cover 1. As for an arrow, a direction is shown with the group of the above-mentioned component parts. As shown in Drawing 2, upper cover 3 comprises upper cover 3 main part, fan cover 38, and pre filter 3b, and is improving fabrication nature and assembly nature. Arrow. A direction is shown with the group of fan cover 38 and pre filter 3b. The flow of the air in a deodorization apparatus becomes like the arrow of Drawing 3, and rotates ventilation fan 4 by fan motor 8. After inhaling air through air suction port 3c Yo replay filter 3b of upper cover 3 and removing the comparatively big garbage in the suction air by To, deodorant 5 is passed and it is deodorized, and it is discharged through fan cover 38. Since it is a discharge type, the inflow air from air suction port 3C is rectified, and ventilation fan 4 makes ventilation resistance small as compared with the pushed-in type fan. Since ventilation fan 4 and fan motor 8, and ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 are detached and installed, the influence of heat and ultraviolet rays on ventilation fan 4 and fan motor 8 has been prevented. As shown in 4th [ The ] figure~figure 5, deodorant 5 has wrapped honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b in which photocatalyst layer 5a of 1, for example, a Anatase type titanium dioxide system, was formed on the surface in sponge-like shock absorbing material 5c, and is planning Breakage prevention rL to the shock of a deodorant. Photocatalyst M5a can be formed by immersing honeycomb-like activated carbon 5 into the solution of a titanium dioxide system of about 50 nm of particle diameter formed in the shape of sol, and subsequently making it dry. The above-mentioned particle diameter should just be particle diameter which can form sol. Photocatalyst layer 5a of a Anatase type titanium dioxide system is considered to be formed in the surface of honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b as shown in Drawing 6. Particles 5d of a photocatalyst have many crevices, as shown in Drawing 7, and there are few things by which fine pores 5e of activated carbon 5b adsorb an odor component with Van der Waals force and which are become protect. Like this example, deodorant 5 does not need to be honeycomb-shaped and are the shape of sponge or mesh texture, and a fiber type. It may be tabular and granular etc, and as long as it is the shape which can irradiate with photocatalyst excitation light the photocatalyst which adsorbent has, what kind of shape may be sufficient. Drawing 8 shows the source of photocatalyst excitation light, 6 is miniaturized as an electric bulb type ultraviolet-rays lamp, and socket cover 68 of a lamp has prevented degradation by ultraviolet rays as ceramic. Drawing 9 shows the physical relationship of aluminum light reflector 7 deodorant 5, ultraviolet-rays lamp 6, and for ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 is turned on, and the influence by ultraviolet rays is pressed down at worst to bottom cover 1 and upper cover 3 at the same time it exposes efficiently photocatalyst layer 5a on deodorant 5 to the ultraviolet rays emitted at the time of It was. It is Prevention 11-Si ing about moisture flowing into Sockets 1-68, and carrying out insulating degradation, if a deodorization apparatus should be installed in a refrigerator, the socket 6a side of ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 should be made into a position higher than the tip of ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 at the time of It was and an ultraviolet-rays lamp should be dewed. An arrow shows the bending direction of light reflector 7. an example of the circuit which shows the control method of a deodorization apparatus -- the -- as shown inO [ 1 ] figure, it becomes. That is, when a deodorization apparatus needs to be operated, by pushing and turning on deodorization driving switch l, an operation command is transmitted to control circuit 12, and the deodorization apparatus operates. ON of deodorization driving switch 11 will indicate that deodorization operation indicator lamp 13 installed in the refrigerator exterior lights up, and the deodorization apparatus is operating. Fan motor 8 of a deodorization apparatus is controlled by control circuit 12 by the signal from operation detector 14a of compressor 14 of the frozen cycle of a refrigerator, while compressor 14 is operating, it turns on fan motor switch 21, it operates fan motor 8, and performs deodorization in a refrigerator. By this operation, are intermittent in * fan motor 8, and overheating of fan motor 8 is prevented, and suppose that it is long lasting. When the door of a refrigerator opens, it is made to have stopped fan 15 in a warehouse, and it controls to turn off, while opening and closing of a door are detected and the door is opening fan motor 8 of the deodorization apparatus regardless of operation of compressor 14 with fan operation detector 15a in a warehouse. When a refrigerator door is opened by this operation, cold can lessen quantity emitted outside a warehouse. After defrosting heater 16 turns on ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 with defrosting detector 16a, What defrosting was completed and defrosting heater 16 turned off is detected, ultraviolet-rays lamp switch 22 is turned on for a definite period of time, ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 is turned on, simultaneously, irrespective of operation of compressor 14, fan motor switch 21 is turned off and fan motor 8 is stopped. Therefore, defrosting timer 16b is functioning also as a timer of a deodorization apparatus, and it is not necessary to form the timer as an object for deodorization apparatus independently. For a definite period of time, after progress turns off an ultraviolet-rays lamp, and it continues deodorization, detecting operation of compressor 14 and opening and closing of a refrigerator door again, and controlling operation of ventilation fan motor 8 of a deodorization apparatus. When deodorization is unnecessary, by pushing deodorization driving switch 11 again and turning it off, a deodorization apparatus stops and it Lighting deodorization operation indicator lamp 13. 17 is a power supply. In this example, by ventilation fan's 4 ventilation, although it is deodorizing by adsorption of a deodorant through the air in a refrigerator to deodorant 5, if ventilation fan 4 is stopped and ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 lights up, the adsorbent like the following will usually be cleaned. That is, the odor component by which honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b of deodorant 5 was adsorbed comes up to the surface gradually with the heat emitted with the ultraviolet rays of ultraviolet-rays lamp 6. At this time, photocatalyst layer 5a of the 1 surface is an excitation state in response to irradiation of ultraviolet rays. - If it is a titanium dioxide system as an example, the light of the wavelength below about 420 n m, and by mainly receiving ultraviolet rays, the electron of a valence band will move to a conducting zone, and an electron hole will produce in a valence band. This state where it bipolarized will attract a chemical reaction, and will decompose the odor component which has come up from honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b. For example. OH radical next door and this serve as activated species by the above-mentioned electron hole, and hydroxyl group OH- which exists in the surface of photocatalyst layer 5a will decompose an odor component, can make an odor component low-molecular, can be lessened [ bad smell ], and can be removed as a form where honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b which is adsorbent is hard to be adsorbed. Photocatalyst layer 5a can be made to contact efficiently like the above by stopping ventilation fan motor 8 at the time of ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 lighting, without missing the odor component which comes up from honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b. The heat of ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 can be efficiently told by stopping ventilation fan motor 8, the odor component from honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b looms, and it makes To smooth. Since an odor component will come up from an inside to the surface also by diffusion if the odor component concentration near the surface of honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b falls, cleaning of honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b can be performed smoothly. The time which can disassemble the substance to which honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b stuck from defrosting before the next defrosting may be sufficient as time to clean by turning on ultraviolet-rays lamp 6. using an example [ refrigerator / of a deodorization apparatus ] of attachment as bottom cover 1 inside, as shown in Drawing 11 -- as -- 2 -- rubber seat 50 -- passing -- fan motor 8 -- having pressed down -- after using inside nail receptacle 51 of bottom cover 1 shown in setscrew 42 and Drawing 1 -- as -- after [ 2 ] hooking nail 52 and fixing, hooking nail 31 installed in the outside of bottom cover 1 on nail receptacle 32 provided in back wall side 30 in a warehouse of the refrigerator, and carrying out it inside -- as -- 2 and bottom cover 1 -- setscrew 41 -- back wall side 30 in a refrigerator -- fixing . next -- acting as deodorant 5. ventilation fan 4 inside -- as -- upper cover 3 after attaching with 2. fan motor 8 -- lower Cut -- < -- it attaches to -1 and fixes by setscrew 43 and nail 33. Next, fan cover 38 is fixed to upper cover 3 by nail 34, and attachment is completed by inserting pre filter 3b in upper cover 1. As for an arrow, a direction is shown with the group of the above-mentioned component parts. In Drawing 12, 100 shows an example of the position with a group of the deodorization apparatus of this example, and installs it in the upper part of back wall side 30 in a warehouse of cold storage 62 of refrigerator 60. Thereby, the flow of the deodorization air by deodorization apparatus 100 becomes like the arrow of the solid line in the 12th figure. The flow of the cold by fan 15 in a warehouse of refrigerator 60 becomes like the dashed line in the 12th figure, and since the cold deodorized by deodorization apparatus 100 in cold storage 62 circulates through the inside of a warehouse, the whole refrigerator 60 will be deodorized. Although direction of the cold in a refrigerator and deodorization air is not in agreement near deodorization bag [100 in Drawing 12, since the flow of air is separated in the depth direction of Drawing 12, it is rare to interfere mutually. By using this example, as stated above, honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b which is adsorbent is adsorbed, and the odor component which arose in the refrigerator is deodorized, And a deodorizing effect can be satisfactorily held over a long period of time by cleaning honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b which is adsorbent by ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 and photocatalyst layer 5a. Although ventilation fan 4 is installed independently in deodorization apparatus 100 in this example, as shown in Drawing 13, deodorization apparatus 100 surrounded with the circle of the dashed line using ventilation of fan 15 in a warehouse may be constituted. In refrigerator 60 of Drawing 13, the cold generated with condensator 65 circulates through the inside of a warehouse like the arrow of Drawing 13 by fan 15 in a warehouse. By carrying out among the inside of a warehouse which divides freezer compartment 61 and cold storage 62, and installing all over cold passage 64 in 63 only in 2, deodorization apparatus 100 is deodorization apparatus i! The inside of 100 will be ventilated compulsorily and it becomes unnecessary to use a ventilation fan independently.

the composition of [100 carries out ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 in the center as a source of photocatalyst excitation light, and arranges honeycomb-like activated carbon 5b and fibrous activated carbon 55 as adsorbent in the circumference part, and photocatalyst layer 5a forms and comes out of it to each surface. 56.57 is the gobo for ultraviolet rays provided in the entrance of the air inflow. When ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 which is a source of photocatalyst excitation light is not turned on but only 1 ventilation is performed, an odor component will be adsorbed by each activated carbon 5b and 55 which is adsorbent, and it will be deodorized. If Ultraviolet rays 6 is turned on, it will be in an excitation state, and like the above, photocatalyst layer 5a will produce the disintegration of an odor component, and will clean each activated carbon 5b and 55. When ultraviolet-rays lamp 6 is turned on, ventilating, the odor component in the inflow air will also be simultaneously decomposed by cleaning and Combination of adsorbent. [Effect of the Invention] According to the present invention, the deodorization apparatus for refrigerators which holds a deodorizing effect satisfactorily over a long period of time can be provided.

[Brief Description of the Drawings]

Drawing 1 is an assembly structure perspective view showing one example of the deodorization apparatus for refrigerators of the present invention, It is a longitudinal section of the deodorization apparatus which Drawing 2 shows the assembly structure perspective view of an upper cover to, and Drawing 3 shows the flow of the air in a deodorization apparatus, In the important section section perspective view of a deodorant, and Drawing 6, the perspective view of a deodorant and Drawing 5 are [ Drawing 4 ] expanded sectional views on the surface of a deodorant, Drawing 7 is an expanded sectional view of photocatalyst particles, and Drawing 8 is a perspective view of the source of photocatalyst excitation light, Drawing 9 is a perspective view showing the physical relationship of an aluminum light reflector, the source of photocatalyst excitation light, and a deodorant, The sectional view Drawing 10 illustrates the control circuit figure of a deodorization apparatus, and Drawing 11 explains the state with a group of the deodorization apparatus to a refrigerator to be, the longitudinal section of the refrigerator which Drawing 12 shows the position with a group of a deodorization apparatus, and Drawing 13 are longitudinal sections of the refrigerator in which the composition of the deodorization apparatus in other examples is shown. l ... a bottom cover and 2 ... carrying out inside -- as -- 3 ... an upper cover and 3a ... a fan cover and 3b ... pre filter 13c ... an air inlet door and 4 ... a ventilation fan and 5 ... a deodorant. 5 a ... photocatalyst layer, 5 b ... honeycomb-like activated carbon. 5 c ... sponge-like shock absorbing material, 5 d ... photocatalyst particles. 5 e ... activated carbon fine pores, 6 ... ultraviolet-rays lamp, 6 a ... socket cover, 7 ... aluminum light reflector, 8 ... fan motor, 11 ... deodorization driving switch, 12 ... control circuit, 13 ... deodorization operation indicator lamp, 14 ... compressor, 14 a ... compressor operation detector, 15 ... fan in a warehouse, 15 a ... fan operation detector in a warehouse, 16 ... defrosting heater, 16 a ... defrosting detector, 16 b ... defrosting timer, 17 ... power supply, 21 ... fan motor switch, 22 ... lamp switch, 30 ... the 9th page of back in a refrigerator. 31 ... nail, 32 ... nail receptacle, 33 ... nail, 34 ... nail. 41 ... setscrew, 42 ... setscrew, 43 ... setscrew, 50 ... rubber seat, 51 ... nail receptacle, 52 ... nail. 55 ... fibrous activated carbon, 56 ... gobo, 57 ... gobo, 60 ... refrigerator, 61 ... freezer compartment, 62 ... cold storage. 63 ... carrying out among the inside of a warehouse -- as -- 64 ... a cold passage and 65 ... a condensator and 70 ... a foodstuffs tray and 100 ... a deodorization apparatus.