Refrigerator

Abstract

A casing unit (8) with built-in ionizer (7) and blower (21) is integrated with a control panel (6) so as to emit plus ions and minus ions into an outside-refrigerator living space around the front side of the refrigerator, and an ionized air discharge port (11) is disposed in the front side thereof, whereby suspended bacteria in the outside-refrigerator living space are sterilized to provide a hygienic living space. Concurrently, suspended bacteria intruding into the inside of the refrigerator from the outside when the door is opened can be excluded to realize a hygienic inside-refrigerator environment.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator furnished with an ion generating apparatus for generating positive and negative ions to be released into the living space outside the refrigerator. BACKGROUND ART [0002] An example of a conventional refrigerator is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No 2002-95731. This refrigerator is furnished with a means for generating positive and negative ions for the purpose of killing airborne germs present in the cold air inside the refrigerator. [0003] This conventional technique aims at killing microbes floating in the cold air inside the refrigerator, and therefore, for this technique to work, it is at least necessary that microbes that have entered the refrigerator from the living space outside it float in the cold air by themselves or in a form attached to particles. [0004] In fact, however, it has been found that a large number of microbes are present inside a refrigerator furnished with an ion gener...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] With this construction, by releasing positive and negative ions into a living space outside the refrigerator, it is possible to remove airborne germs present in the living space and thereby produce a hygienic living space. In particular, by releasing the positive and negative ions to outside the door of a storage compartment of the refrigerator, it is possible to prevent entry of airborne germs into the refrigerator from outside when a door is opened and closed. This makes it possible to produce a hygienic environment inside the refrigerator.

[0035] By blowing out ionized air in one direction, it is possible to effectively release ionized air into the living space in front of each door or the refrigerator body. This eliminates the need to provide a louver for varying the direction in which ionized air is blown out.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, when evaluated from the perspective of a refrigerator, the ion generating means used in the aforementioned conventional construction does not function as an effective sterilizing means.

However, considering modern house designs, this is not a solution for everyone because of the extra space occupied by the separate unit.

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