REFRIGERATOR

• Main Authors: FUNAYAMA ATSUKO, SATOU HISAE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 13.08.2015
• Subjects: BLASTING; COLD ROOMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT COVERED BY ANY OTHERSUBCLASS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; ICE-BOXES; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; REFRIGERATORS; WEAPONS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the reduction in the freshness of food items by making effective use of carbon dioxide produced in a photocatalytic reaction.SOLUTION: A glass member 70 in which a photocatalyst layer 71 is formed is attached, via a seal member 72, to a ceiling 42 of a decompression storage chamber 24 provided in a cold room of a refrigerator. A light source 80 is disposed above the glass member 70 via a small clearance. When an LED 83 of the light source 80 is turned on, light from the LED 83 is transmitted by the glass member 70 and incident on the photocatalyst layer 71. As a result, the photocatalyst layer 71 produces radicals from water or the like and the radicals decompose gas or the like from a food item into carbon dioxide and water. Increasing the carbon dioxide concentration of the storage chamber 24 suppresses the respiration of vegetables, suppresses enzyme reactions of meat and fish, and further suppresses proliferation of microorganisms. 【課題】光触媒反応で生成される二酸化炭素を有効に利用して食品の鮮度低下を抑制すること。【解決手段】冷蔵庫の冷蔵室に設けられる減圧貯蔵室２４の天井部４２には、光触媒層７１の形成されたガラス部材７０がシール部材７２を介して取り付けられている。ガラス部材７０の上側には、僅かな隙間を介して光源８０が配置される。光源８０のＬＥＤ８３が点灯すると、その光はガラス部材７０を透過して光触媒層７１に入射する。これにより光触媒層７１は水分などからラジカルを生成し、そのラジカルによって食品からのガスなどを二酸化炭素と水に分解する。貯蔵室２４の二酸化炭素濃度が上昇することで、野菜の呼吸が抑制され、肉および魚の酵素反応も抑制され、微生物の繁殖も抑制される。【選択図】図２