WO2022172494A1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator in which a filling amount of foamed insulating material is reduced while maintaining the strength of a box body. The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a box body in which a forwardly-opened storage chamber is formed, a region between an inner box and an outer box is filled by foaming a foamed insulating material, and the vertical dimension is larger than the left-right dimension. A left side surface and/or a right side surface of the box body is provided with a front-end insulating material at a front end thereof, the front-end insulating material being obtained by continuously foaming and filling the foamed insulating material along the vertical direction. The left side surface and/or the right side surface of the box body is also provided with a region having a smaller flowable thickness of foamed insulating material compared to the surroundings thereof, and is further provided with a separate insulating material having higher insulation performance than the foamed insulating material.

Description

refrigerator

The present invention relates to refrigerators.

　In order to meet the needs for space saving and large capacity, refrigerator technology is known that reduces the wall thickness of the refrigerator and expands the internal volume. The energy-saving performance of a refrigerator is mainly achieved by using two heat insulating materials, a vacuum heat insulating material and a foam heat insulating material, together. Therefore, in recent years, refrigerators have been proposed in which the cover ratio and thickness of the vacuum heat insulating material, which has excellent heat insulating performance, are improved, and the thickness of the foam heat insulating material is reduced. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a refrigerator in which the area of the back heat insulating wall without the foam heat insulating material is larger than the area of the side heat insulating wall without the foam heat insulating material (Claim 1, etc.).

Japanese Patent No. 6023941

However, the conventional technology related to refrigerators that reduce the filling amount of the foam insulation material, such as Patent Document 1, assumes only the back surface of the heat-insulating box, and does not assume the side, top, and bottom surfaces of the heat-insulating box. not Therefore, the inventors of the present invention focused on the fact that by specifying portions where the foam insulation has a small effect on the strength of the refrigerator, it is possible to reduce the filling amount of the foam insulation even in these portions of the box.

In view of the above problems, the refrigerator of the present invention forms a storage compartment with an open front, fills a region between an inner box and an outer box with a foam insulation material, and includes a box body whose vertical dimension is larger than its horizontal dimension. , the left side and/or right side of the box is provided with a front end heat insulating material in which the foam heat insulating material is continuously foamed and filled in the vertical direction at the front end, and the foam heat insulating material is flowable compared to the surroundings. Another insulation having a region of reduced thickness and having a higher insulation performance than the foam insulation.

The front view which shows the external appearance of a refrigerator. The perspective view which shows the structure of the heat insulation box in a refrigerator. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing, by analysis, filling locations necessary for strength for each filling amount of foamed heat insulating material. The back perspective view of the inner box of a refrigerator. The top view which looked at the refrigerator from upper direction. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. CC sectional arrow view of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. The figure when the ceiling part of a refrigerator compartment is seen from the front. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing the vicinity of the interior light of the ceiling of the refrigerating compartment. The perspective view when the ceiling part of a refrigerator compartment is seen from upper direction except an outer box, an inner box, and a vacuum insulation material. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ceiling of the refrigerating compartment as viewed from the front. A top plan view of the ceiling of a refrigerating chamber, in which a vacuum heat insulating material, an interior light, and wiring for the interior light are shown transparently. The perspective view which shows the structure of the heat insulation partition which partitions a lower-stage freezer compartment and a vegetable compartment. The top view when a heat insulation partition is seen from upper direction. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. CC cross-sectional arrow view of FIG. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. The perspective view when a heat insulation partition is seen from the downward direction. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the heat insulating partition excluding the upper case, as viewed from above. FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a dashed line portion F in FIG. 22; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a ceiling part in Embodiment 2; 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a heat insulating structure; FIG. An image diagram showing how the strength of the shelf is ensured.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

  The refrigerator according to the first embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of the refrigerator 1. FIG. In each figure, directions based on the user's viewpoint are defined as front, back, left, right, up, and down.

<Basic structure of refrigerator>
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment has a refrigerator compartment 2 from above, an ice making compartment 3 and an upper freezer compartment 4, a lower freezer compartment 5, and a vegetable compartment 6 arranged in order from left to right. have. The refrigerator 1 has doors for opening and closing the openings of the respective storage compartments. These doors are divided left and right rotary refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b for opening and closing the opening of the refrigerator compartment 2, and openings of the ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, the lower freezer compartment 5, and the vegetable compartment 6. They are a drawer-type ice making compartment door 3a, an upper freezer compartment door 4a, a lower freezer compartment door 5a, and a vegetable compartment door 6a, which can be opened and closed. In this embodiment, a six-door refrigerator is described as an example, but the invention is not limited to a six-door refrigerator. Each of the drawer-type doors is provided with a storage container and a door-side rail extending forward and backward, and can slide on the rail on the side of the inner box 8 of the refrigerator 1, for example.

The refrigerating compartment 2 is a refrigerating storage compartment in which the inside is set to a refrigerating temperature range of, for example, about 4°C on average. The ice making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 are freezer storage compartments whose insides are kept in a freezer temperature range of, for example, about -18°C on average. The vegetable compartment 6 is a refrigerating storage compartment in which the inside of the refrigerator is set to a refrigerating temperature range, for example, about 6° C. on average, and is a refrigerating storage compartment in which food is prevented from drying out by indirect cooling.

The shelf ribs 13 arranged on both sides of the refrigerator compartment 2 have their front ends separated from the front end of the refrigerator 1 and extend rearward from there. Shelves on which food can be placed are mounted on the shelf ribs 13, and in this embodiment, a plurality of shelves are arranged vertically.

A cooler for cooling the inside of each storage compartment is arranged behind the lower freezer compartment 5 . Although not shown, the cooler, compressor, condenser, and capillary tube are connected to form a refrigeration cycle. A blower for circulating cold air cooled by the cooler is arranged above the cooler, and a discharge port for discharging cold air into the storage chamber is formed downstream of the blower. In addition, there may be a plurality of coolers, and the arrangement is not limited to the rear side of the lower freezer compartment 5 , and may be arranged at the rear side of the refrigerator compartment 2 .

The rail is connected to the door-side rail connected to the drawer-type door to support the door. A container capable of storing food is attached to the door or the door-side rail and moves together with the door.

<Basic structure of heat insulating box>
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of the heat insulation box in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the heat insulating box has a top surface, a bottom surface, both side surfaces and a back surface, and has a box shape with an open front surface. In addition, the heat insulating box includes a metal outer box 7 (not shown in FIG. 2) and a synthetic resin inner box 8, and the heat insulating box formed by the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 The internal space is filled with foamed heat insulating material 9 such as rigid urethane foam by so-called on-site foaming to insulate the storage room from the outside.

The outer box 7 is configured in a box shape by a top plate formed by bending a thin steel plate into a gate shape, left and right side plates, a rear plate formed of separate members, and a bottom plate formed of separate members. It is On the other hand, the inner box 8 is formed in a box shape by molding a synthetic resin plate. The top plate and the left and right side plates may be separate bodies.

In addition, the refrigerator compartment 2, the ice making compartment 3, and the upper freezer compartment 4 are separated by a heat insulating partition 10 arranged on a substantially horizontal plane. In addition, the lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 are separated by a heat insulating partition 11 arranged as a substantially horizontal plane. These heat-insulating partitions are provided in portions that separate the storage compartments for different temperature zones, and play a role in preventing the cold air from the freezing temperature zone compartment from cooling the refrigerating temperature zone compartment too much.

Furthermore, between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8, in addition to the foamed heat insulating material 9, a vacuum heat insulating material 12 (not shown in FIG. 2) having a lower thermal conductivity than the foamed heat insulating material 9 is mounted. , the insulation performance is enhanced without reducing the food storage volume. Here, in order to ensure gas barrier properties, the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is configured by wrapping a core material such as glass wool with an outer wrapping material formed of a metal layer such as aluminum. The vacuum insulation material 12 is formed by applying an adhesive such as double-sided tape or hot melt to the inner wall surface of the outer box 7, that is, the inner wall surface of each of the top panel, side panel, rear panel and bottom panel. Alternatively, they can be used on the entire surface and attached to each other.

The on-site foamed heat insulating material 9 is inferior to the vacuum heat insulating material 12 in terms of thermal conductivity, but the inner box 8 and the outer box 7 can be integrated by its adhesive strength, so that the strength of the heat insulating box can be improved. Useful. The method of injecting the urethane heat insulating material used as the foam heat insulating material 9 at the time of on-site foaming is to place the refrigerator 1 in a face down state so that the back surface of the refrigerator 1 faces vertically upward, and insert four notes provided on the back surface of the outer case 7 of the refrigerator 1, for example. It is to be injected into the space between the inner box 8 and the outer box 7 through the inlet. The injected urethane heat insulating material drops around the front end of the side surface in the heat insulating box, starts foaming from there, runs up the side surface, wraps around to the back side, fills and solidifies.

That is, between the vacuum heat insulating material 12 and the inner box 8, basically, the foamed heat insulating material 9 is injected and foamed and adhered to the inner box 8 to ensure the strength of the refrigerator. However, in the present embodiment, the foamed heat insulating material 9 is not filled or less filled (partially urethane-less) in the portions where the strength is less affected. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the urethane flow thickness (the gap between the inner box 8 and the vacuum heat insulating material 12) of the partially urethane-less entire area or the entire circumference is reduced to less than 6 mm, for example. As a result, instead of unintentional urethane non-filling (voids) caused by dimensional variations in the vacuum heat insulating material 12, it is possible to daringly provide a urethane non-filling or low urethane filling region, and as a result, the refrigerator 1 as a whole. can reduce the injection amount of urethane insulation. The connection between the part with a thick flowing thickness (e.g., 8 mm or more) to be filled with the foamed heat insulating material 9 and the thin part that is not filled with urethane or with a small amount of urethane, for example, is made by tapering the inner box 8 close to the outer box 7 side. so that the flow thickness changes continuously. As a result, it is possible to avoid concentration of stress due to load caused by sudden changes in stiffness. In addition, the pressure loss in the air passage can be reduced in places where cool air flows. On the other hand, if the inner boxes 8 are connected in a stepped manner, for example, the internal volume of the storage chamber can be maximized, and the flow thickness can be ensured, thereby reducing the risk of unfilled urethane at the connecting portion.

It should be noted that the material buried between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 together with the foamed heat insulating material 9 is not limited to the vacuum heat insulating material 12 as long as it has a smaller thermal conductivity λ than the foamed heat insulating material 9 . For example, the vacuum heat insulating material 12 described in each embodiment may be replaced with a heat insulating structure 30 as shown in FIG. The heat insulating structure 30 is stacked such that an internal space 32 is formed between a first plate member 31a and a second plate member 31b made of a stainless steel plate, a PCM steel plate, a glass plate, or the like having a plate thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 mm. It is combined. The first plate member 31a and the second plate member 31b have a joint portion 33 formed by joining the outer peripheries of the plate member 31a and the second plate member 31b by welding, bonding, or the like. The height of 32 is about 2 to 5 mm. The internal space 32 is evacuated from an exhaust port 35 provided in either one of the first plate member 31a and the second plate member 31b, and is sealed with a cap 36. As shown in FIG. Thus, by making the internal space 32 of the heat insulating structure 30 a vacuum atmosphere, the thermal conductivity λ can be made smaller than that of the foam heat insulating material 9 .

<Overview of partially urethane-less>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing, by analysis, filling locations necessary for strength. The foam heat insulating material 9 fills and solidifies the heat insulating space composed of the inner box 8 and the outer box 7 or the vacuum heat insulating material 12 to ensure the strength of the refrigerator. not. Fig. 3 shows the result of optimizing the urethane portion, which contributes to the rigidity required for refrigerators, using the density method. Since it is a prerequisite for the refrigerator to be established, a condition is imposed that a load is applied to the rails 21 that support the shelves placed on the shelf ribs 13 and the drawer-type storage chamber containers.

Based on the result of filling the entire heat insulating space, the most effective urethane injection space is illustrated when 10%, 30%, and 70% urethane is injected from the left. The space required with a small amount of filling is mainly the front end (opening) of the side portion and the front and rear center, and it is shown that this portion contributes greatly to the rigidity. As the filling amount is increased, the filling part spreads backward from the vicinity of the front opening and connects to the center of the side surface, but it does not spread to the space behind the side, bottom, top, and back sides unless the filling amount increases. , it is shown that the contribution of urethane to the rigidity is small in the adiabatic space of this part. It can be seen that even in the center of the side, the contribution above the shelf rib 13 on the topmost stage and below the rail 21 on the bottom stage is relatively small.

The reason why the front end of the side surface is important is that the refrigerator 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an opening in the front, so it is necessary to ensure the rigidity of the sides forming the opening, especially the long sides. . The need for the short side (the front end of the top surface and the bottom surface) is relatively low. Further, when the hinge portion 22 for supporting the revolving door is provided, it is necessary to fill the vicinity of the hinge portion 22 with urethane to increase the rigidity. Therefore, it is preferable to fill the upper and lower areas of the front end of the side surface with urethane.

The front opening, that is, the front end of the heat insulating box, especially the long side extending vertically, and the front and rear central side of the side, where the shelf rib 13 and the rail 21 are provided, also greatly contributes to urethane. As a result, these parts are important in terms of strength. It's for. In this regard, if there is another part that supports the shelf, this part can reduce the amount of urethane. For example, if the shelf supporting portion is located at a certain location on the back surface, the portion supporting the shelf on the back surface can be filled with a large amount of urethane instead of the side surfaces.

Based on the results of this analysis, the flow thickness of the foam heat insulating material 9 at the front end of the heat insulating box (refrigerator 1), the shelf rib 13, and the rail 21 was increased. Specifically, at the front end of the side surface, a foamed heat insulating material 9 (front end heat insulating material 91) filled with a large flow thickness over the entire upper and lower areas of the refrigerator 1 is provided. Reference numeral 91' is attached to FIG. 3 as an image of the position of the front end heat insulating material. As a result, it is possible to omit the filling of the foamed heat insulating material 9 to the rear end side of the side surface while filling the front end side, which is important in terms of strength, with the foamed heat insulating material 9 . Regarding the side surface, the area a predetermined distance behind the front end is called the front end side (opening side), and the area from here to the rear is called the rear end side. I made it as big as The boundary between the front end and the rear end may differ depending on the vertical position of the side surface, but is, for example, the rear end of the front end heat insulating material 91 or behind it.

Specifically, as exemplified on the left side of FIG. In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the thickness of the flow is reduced so that the foam heat insulating material 9 is non-filled or lightly filled. In addition, a region 82, which is a vertical range from the uppermost shelf rib 13 to the lowermost rail 21 and is a front-to-back range from the front end heat insulating material 91 to the shelf rib 13 or the rail 21, is sandwiched between the shelf rib 13 or the rail 21. The closed area 83 can also be unfilled or lightly filled with the foam insulation 9 by reducing the flow thickness. 2, the front end of the region 83 is drawn rearward from the front-rear center of the shelf rib 13 or rail 21, but it may extend to the front end of the shelf rib 13 or rail 21. As shown in FIG.

As for the boundary between the front end side and the rear end side, for example, in the case of the refrigerator 1 provided with shelf ribs 13/rails 21 as in this embodiment, the following can be considered.

First, the vertical position where the shelf rib 13/rail 21 is provided can be in front of the front end of the shelf rib 13/rail 21 or in the center of the shelf rib 13/rail 21 in the longitudinal dimension. If it is positioned before the front ends of the shelf ribs 13 and/or the rails 21, it is preferable in that the thickness of the flow can be reduced in places where strength is less affected (places other than the front ends of the side surfaces, the shelf ribs 13, and the rails 21). In the case of the on-site foaming method in which the undiluted urethane solution is injected from the injection port on the back side, the foaming path from the front end of the side surface to the shelf ribs 13/rails 21 is likely to be blocked, and voids are likely to occur in the shelf ribs 13/rails 21. In view of this, in this embodiment, the flow thickness of the region 82 is made as large as that of the front end heat insulating material.

On the other hand, if the center of the front-to-rear dimension of the shelf rib 13/rail 21 is taken as a boundary, the urethane filling amount cannot be reduced on the front side, but the shelf rib 13/rail 21, which greatly affects the strength, is also provided with a relatively foamed heat insulating material 9 easy to fill. Therefore, for example, the flow thickness of the region 83 may be reduced.

Secondly, the upper and lower ranges above the uppermost shelf rib 13 and below the lowermost rail 21 can be the rear end of the front end heat insulating material described above or behind it. In this embodiment, above the uppermost shelf rib 13, a region 81 is provided in which the flow thickness is reduced from the rear end of the front end heat insulating material 91 to the substantially rear end of the side surface. The rear end position of the region 81 is not particularly limited. Further, on the lower side than the lowest rail 21, a rectangular region 84 with a reduced flow thickness is provided in the vicinity of the rear end of the front heat insulating material. The rear end of region 84 may be further rearward than shown in FIG.

It should be noted that the regions 81 to 84 can overlap the vacuum heat insulating material 12 in a front view of the side surface, and are preferably located inside the edge of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 .

Next, as the boundary between the front end side and the rear end side, in the case of a refrigerator in which the shelf rib 13 and the rail 21 are not provided, for example, the position of 1/3 or 1/2 of the front-to-rear dimension from the front end to the back surface of the inner box. can be

In this way, for the side surface of the refrigerator 1, the area filled with the foam heat insulating material 9 having a large flow thickness (for example, the area provided with the front end heat insulating material 91), the area having a small flow thickness and not filled, or The ratio of the region filled with a large flow thickness to the sum of the region filled with less filling is higher on the front end side of the side surface than on the rear end side of the side surface. In FIG. 2, on the left side, each of the regions 81-84 can have a smaller flow thickness, and the remaining regions have a larger flow thickness. In this embodiment, the flow thickness is reduced for the regions 81 and 84, and the flow thickness is increased for the remaining regions. The right side can be configured similarly to the left side.

In this way, the front end heat insulating material 91 is provided on the side surface of the refrigerator 1, and the foamed heat insulating material 9 (food support heat insulating material) is formed by ensuring a large urethane flow thickness in the projected plane of the shelf ribs 13 and the rails 21. filled. If at least the foamed heat insulating material 9 is filled on the projection surface of the shelf ribs 13 and the rails 21, an important portion against food load can be secured.

In order to foam the food-supporting heat insulating material on site, for example, the urethane flow thickness in the entire range from the uppermost shelf rib 13 to the lowermost rail 21 is increased so that the foamed heat insulating material 9 is filled. Alternatively, the flow thickness of the region sandwiched between the shelf ribs 13 and the rails 21 such as the region 83 may be reduced so that the foamed heat insulating material is not filled or is lightly filled. The present embodiment employs the former. In the latter case, the food-supporting insulation becomes worm-eaten, so to speak.

With respect to the front-to-rear direction of the side surface of the refrigerator 1, a foamed heat insulating material 9 may be filled between the front end heat insulating material and the food supporting heat insulating material so as to connect them, or the flow thickness may be kept small. It may be unfilled or underfilled (eg, by reducing the flow thickness of some or all of region 82). Filling the foam insulation 9 between the front end insulation 91 and the food support insulation (e.g. region 82) makes it easier to fill the food support insulation in the case of foaming in situ, leaving the foam insulation 9 non-intrusive. Filling or low filling can reduce the amount of urethane while suppressing the influence on the strength (rigidity) of the refrigerator 1 . When the flow thickness of a part of the region 82 is reduced, if a plurality of regions with a small flow thickness are provided by separating them vertically, a region with a large flow thickness is also secured, so the foam heat insulating material 9 can flow easily in this region. , tends to be filled toward the rear side. That is, it is preferable in that it is possible to suppress the generation of voids in the region that is to become the food-supporting heat insulating material.

In addition, if another part having higher rigidity than the filled and solidified foamed heat insulating material 9 is attached to the region to be the food supporting heat insulating material to reinforce the region, the need to foam-fill the region to be the food supporting heat insulating material is eliminated. Or, since it is reduced, the flow thickness in the entire region between the front end heat insulating material and the food support heat insulating material, such as the region 82, and the flow thickness in the entire region overlapping the shelf rib 13 and the rail 21 by further expanding the region 83 are also reduced. can do. The shelf ribs 13 and the rails 21 are important only when considering the support of the food load, and the front end heat insulating material is important for the structural strength of the inner and outer boxes. Reinforcement instead of heat insulating material 9 is permitted. FIG. 26 is an image diagram showing how a reinforcement 23 made of resin or metal is provided between the inner box 8 and the vacuum heat insulating material 12 to secure the strength of the shelf.

The details of the top and bottom surfaces will be described later, but as mentioned above, the front end contributes more to the strength, so the flow thickness is made larger on the front end side than on the rear end side. Since the top surface and the bottom surface of the present embodiment are not provided with shelf ribs and rails, the boundary can be set at, for example, 1/3 or 1/2 of the front-to-rear dimension of the refrigerator 1 from the front end. The front end of the top surface and/or the bottom surface can also be filled with the foam insulation 9, in which case it can be continuous with the front end insulation 91 on the side. In this embodiment, the front ends of the top and bottom surfaces are also filled with the foamed heat insulating material 9, and the flow thickness is large in the entire front end of the heat insulating box, that is, in the rectangular region.

As a method of reducing the urethane flow thickness, for example, it can be realized by recessing the inner box 8 toward the outer box 7 side. In this way the internal volume of the reservoir can be expanded. Since the vacuum heat insulating material 12 contributes to the heat insulation performance of the refrigerator 1 far more than the foam heat insulating material 9, from the viewpoint of expanding the internal volume and reducing the amount of urethane, in the region where the flow thickness is small, the foam heat insulating material 9 It is preferable to reduce the flow thickness to such an extent that is unfilled. That is, when reducing the flow thickness of the region where the vacuum insulation material 12 is provided (distance between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 where there is no structure such as the vacuum insulation material 12), the vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the inner box 8, the distance between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the outer box 7 as flow thickness can be, for example, 6 mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less. Also, when the vacuum insulation 12 is attached to the outer box 7, the distance between the vacuum insulation 12 and the inner box 8 can also be the same. On the other hand, in the area where the flow thickness is large, the distance between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 where there is no structure as the flow thickness can be, for example, 8 mm or more, 10 mm or more, 12 mm or more, or 15 mm or more. can. Also, the flow thickness may be substantially the same as that of the front end heat insulating material 91 .

From the viewpoint of reducing the weight of urethane, a means for reducing the flow thickness may be realized by disposing some kind of separate part between the inner box 8 and the outer box 7 . Also, for example, when the non-filled or lightly filled area is made into some figure shape, it is not always necessary to reduce the flow thickness of the contents of the figure, even if the flow thickness is reduced only for the entire edge of the figure (that is, the closed curve) good. In this case, although the effect of expanding the internal volume is reduced, the amount of urethane is reduced.

In addition, for the top surface, bottom surface, and rear surface of the refrigerator 1, the filling amount of the foam heat insulating material 9 is reduced in consideration of the support and protection of the vacuum heat insulating material 12. This point will be described later.

<Details of partial urethaneless>
Next, a specific structure of each part of the heat insulating box in the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the inner case 8 of the refrigerator 1, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the refrigerator 1 viewed from above (however, the vacuum insulation material is seen through). 6 is a cross-sectional view along line AA of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along line BB of FIG. 5, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along line CC of FIG. , and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG.

≪Ceiling section≫
First, the structure of the top surface (ceiling portion) of the heat insulating box will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the front side and the rear side of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 of the ceiling are continuously filled with foam heat insulating material 9 . Here, between the lower surface of the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, there is a front region extending from the front end to the interior light 14 and a corner portion 20 from the rear end (a rear upper inclined portion connecting from the back surface to the top surface). The foam insulation material 9 is not filled in the central area (between the front area and the rear area), but only in the rear area extending over the terminal end.

On the other hand, the left and right sides of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 of the ceiling are also continuously filled with the foam heat insulating material 9 as shown in FIGS. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, between the lower surface of the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, in the front area, the foam insulation material 9 is continuously filled from the left end to the right end, As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the central region is not filled with foam heat insulating material 9 from the left end to the right end.

In this way, by making the central region (region 85) of the vertically projected lower part of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 of the ceiling portion partly urethaneless, the injection amount of the urethane heat insulating material can be reduced. Also, even in the case of partial urethane-less, the foamed heat insulating material 9 exists around the vacuum heat insulating material 12 of the ceiling (front, back, left and right side surfaces). Since the end portion of the material 12 is gripped from the bottom surface to the side surface, the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is prevented from falling and heat bridging. At the same time, the fixing strength of parts related to the interior light 14 can be ensured by filling at least the urethane heat insulating material around the interior 14 disposed in the vicinity of the urethaneless.

The same effect can be obtained even if the left and right regions of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 are supported by the foam heat insulating material 9 so as to be gripped. is not.

The partial urethane-less area (area 85) of the ceiling can be provided, for example, within the projection plane of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 and inside the edge of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 as in this embodiment.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9 , the width dimension of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 arranged on the top surface of the inner box 8 is smaller than the width dimension of the top surface of the inner box 8 . Therefore, in the regions 9a between the left and right corners 8a of the top surface of the inner box 8 and the left and right ends of the vacuum insulating material 12, the foam insulating material 9 is filled between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8, respectively. It is The thickness of the foamed heat insulating material 9 within this range is equivalent to that of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 . Since the heat transfer coefficient of the foamed heat insulating material 9 is higher than that of the vacuum heat insulating material 12, this portion has low heat insulating performance. If the insulation performance is insufficient, the outer case 7 will be cooled by the inside of the refrigerator, and dew condensation will occur on the outer case 7 due to the temperature difference between the outside air of the refrigerator, which is not preferable. In the refrigerator of this embodiment, the outer case 7 is prevented from being cooled by the heat of the hot gas pipe (not shown) installed between the outer case 7 and the foam insulation material 9, and the outer case 7 and the refrigerator outside air are prevented from cooling. Little temperature difference and no condensation.
Since the top surface of the inner box 8 (under the vertical projection of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 and the region 9a) is formed in substantially the same plane in this manner, the inner volume can be expanded beyond the projected surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 12.

≪Opening≫
Next, regarding the structure of the opening of the heat insulating box, as described above, the urethane heat insulating material is placed with the rear surface of the refrigerator 1 facing upward, and vertically extends from, for example, four injection ports provided on the rear surface. It is injected toward the front of the refrigerator 1 facing downward. In this embodiment, on the front side (opening) of the refrigerator 1, not only the entire upper and lower left and right sides corresponding to the long sides, but also the entire left and right sides of the top and bottom surfaces corresponding to the short sides. It has a large thickness. Therefore, the opening of the refrigerator 1 (insulating box body) can be continuously filled with the foam insulating material 9 over the entire circumference. In this way the front end insulation can be filled.

≪Shelf Rib≫
Next, the structure of the portion of the heat insulating box where the shelf ribs 13 are formed will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. On the side surface of the refrigerator 1, above the uppermost shelf rib 13, a recessed area (area 81) is formed in which the inner box 8 is recessed toward the outer box 7 side, so that the flow thickness is reduced. A recessed area (area 81) is not provided at the front end of the side surface (see FIG. 7).

The urethane heat insulating material injected from the injection port on the back of the refrigerator 1 is foamed on site with the back of the refrigerator 1 vertically upward as described above. For example, the urethane heat insulating material that starts foaming from the region forming the front end heat insulating material is then filled in the region where the flow thickness is large. For this reason, the inside of the inner box 8 from the uppermost shelf rib 13 to the lowermost rail is filled with the foamed heat insulating material 9 so as to run up toward the rear side of the refrigerator 1 . In this manner, the food support insulation is filled continuously from the area of the front end insulation.

On the other hand, the flow thickness of the side surface located above the uppermost shelf rib 13 in FIG. In this embodiment, the flow thickness is so small that urethane cannot flow.

<Ceiling panel>
10 is a front view of the ceiling of the refrigerating compartment 2, and FIG. 11 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view showing the vicinity of the interior light 14 on the ceiling of the refrigerating compartment 2. As shown in FIG. The interior light 14 is covered with a translucent cover member. The material of the cover member is not particularly limited, but a transparent synthetic resin is desirable.

Since the interior light 14 is attached to the inner box 8 on the front side of the ceiling, as shown in FIG. Improves support strength. On the other hand, on the rear side of the ceiling, the gap between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 is small (for example, less than 1 mm), and the inner box 8 is at a high position, so the food storage space on the top shelf is large. It's becoming However, it is preferable that the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 are not in contact with each other, and that there is a gap as much as possible as a cushioning material when the user hits the ceiling with a can or the like.

Since the area where the gap between the vacuum heat insulating material 12 and the inner box 8 is small is not filled with the foam heat insulating material 9, the inner box 8 is fixed to the outer box 7 and the vacuum heat insulating material 12 via the foam heat insulating material 9. not done. As a result, the inner box 8 hangs down due to its own weight, which is undesirable in terms of appearance. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a synthetic resin ceiling panel 16 is attached to the lower part of the inner box 8 without urethane, and the urethane heat insulating material is injected and foamed so that the ceiling panel 16 becomes the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2. forms part of the surface.

<Support structure for ceiling panel>
The ceiling panel 16 has a downwardly extending inclined surface 16a on the front side, and screws 17 are fastened to the inclined surface 16a from the outside of the inner box 8 to prevent it from coming off. is difficult for the user to visually recognize. Moreover, since the head of the screw 17 is finally covered with the foam insulation material 9 , not only is the loosening of the screw 17 suppressed, but also the screw 17 may come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 12 when the user removes the screw 17 . are prevented from being damaged by

By forming the front side of the ceiling panel 16 into an inclined surface 16a, cold air discharged from the rear of the refrigerator compartment 2 is guided obliquely downward, making it easier to cool the food in the door pocket. In addition, compared to steps without slopes, there are advantages in that food can be easily taken in and out, and the urethane heat insulating material can easily flow.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the ceiling of the refrigerating compartment 2, excluding the outer box 7, the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 12, as viewed from above. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view when viewed from . As shown in FIG. 12, on the rear side of the ceiling panel 16, a claw portion 16b is formed in the center in the left-right direction and engaged with the inner box 8. As shown in FIG. Since the claw portions 16b are formed in only a part of the lateral width of the ceiling panel 16, which has the same lateral width as the inner box 8, the assembly workability of the ceiling panel 16 is high.

The left and right ends of the ceiling panel 16 are only placed on ribs (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction from the side walls of the inner box 8, and are not constrained in the horizontal direction. Also, the rear end of the ceiling panel 16 is only restrained in the vertical direction by the claw portion 16b. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ceiling panel 16 from being thermally deformed due to changes in the environmental temperature and from being bent by the foaming pressure of the foamed heat insulating material 9 received through the inner box 8 . It should be noted that the ceiling panel 16 may be supported by other methods if either the left or right ends or the front and rear ends of the ceiling panel 16 are not constrained in the horizontal direction.

A first rib 16c extending in the front-rear direction at the center of the left-right direction and a second rib 16d extending in the left-right direction at the center in the front-rear direction are formed on the upper surface of the ceiling panel 16, so that the rigidity of the ceiling panel 16 is increased. ing. A plurality of first ribs 16c and second ribs 16d may be formed. In addition, since a plurality of reinforcing pieces 16e extending in the left-right direction are arranged in the front-rear direction on both the left and right ends of the ceiling panel 16, the space between the inner box 8 and the outer box 7 forming the left and right sides is filled. It is possible to suppress deformation of the ceiling panel 16 due to the foaming pressure of the foamed heat insulating material 9 .

Here, the inner box 8 and the ceiling panel 16 are not adhered, and as shown in FIG. The load is not applied to the ceiling panel 16 even if it is installed. The first rib 16c and the second rib 16d also serve to prevent the entire surface of the inner box from coming into contact with the ceiling panel 16 even if the inner box hangs down. In addition, since the ceiling panel 16 of this embodiment is molded with a glass filler of 10% by mass or less, warping during molding is small. In addition, the material of the ceiling panel is not limited to synthetic resin, and the structure may be such that the ceiling panel is attached after the urethane heat insulating material is injected and foamed.

<Ceiling Wiring>
FIG. 14 is a plan view of the ceiling of the refrigerating chamber 2 viewed from above, with the vacuum heat insulating material 12, the interior light 14, and the wiring (cord 15) for the interior light 14 shown through. It is displayed. As shown in FIG. 14, the cord 15 pulled out from the interior light 14 passes through the side of the vacuum heat insulating material 12, reaches the rear, descends on the rear side, and is connected to a control board (not shown).

Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the foam insulation material 9 is not filled between the lower surface of the vacuum insulation material 12 of the ceiling and the inner box 8 except for the front side area and the rear side area. If the cords 15 are arranged in a portion where the foamed heat insulating material 9 is not filled, when the inner box 8 is pressed by a jig during foaming of the urethane heat insulating material, the inner box 8 is pressed and traces of the cords 15 are left. Cord 15 may damage vacuum insulation material 12 . Therefore, in this embodiment, the cords 15 are arranged in the portion to be filled with the foamed heat insulating material 9 . That is, only the front region and the rear region where the foamed heat insulating material 9 exists are wired below the vacuum heat insulating material 12 when vertically projected, and the foamed heat insulating material outside the vertical projection of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is wired in the middle. Wiring is made to the part where the material 9 exists.

However, if an intervening member such as a pre-foamed foam is provided between the cord 15 and the inner box 8, or if a space is provided on the inner box 8 side or the vacuum insulation material 12 side to avoid the cord 15, foam insulation can be achieved. It is possible to wire the cord 15 even in a portion where the material 9 is not filled.

<Heat insulation partition>
Next, the heat insulating partition 11 that separates the lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 will be described in detail. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the heat insulating partition 11 that separates the lower freezer compartment 5 (freezing temperature zone compartment) from the vegetable compartment 6 (refrigerating temperature zone compartment). As shown in FIG. 15 , the heat insulating partition 11 is configured by combining an upper case 111 and a lower case 112 . Furthermore, the heat insulating partition 11 includes, from above, a vacuum heat insulating material 12 and a heater 113 in a space surrounded by an upper case 111 and a lower case 112 . Then, when filling the space between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 with the foamed heat insulating material 9, the urethane heat insulating material injected from the above-described four injection ports provided on the back side of the heat insulating box is used as the heat insulating partition. It flows into the heat insulating partition 11 from the urethane inlets 11 a formed on the left and right front sides of the portion 11 . The urethane heat insulating material that has flowed into the heat insulating partition 11 wraps around and fills the vacuum heat insulating material 12, and is finally fixed to the heat insulating box together with the upper case 111 and the lower case 112. .

≪Upper case≫
The upper case 111 faces the lower freezer compartment 5, but as shown in FIG. 15, it has two top recesses 111a on the left and right sides, so that the inner volume of the lower freezer compartment 5 can be increased. It has become. In addition, the front side of the upper surface recessed portion 111a corresponds to the lower surface recessed portion 112a (see FIG. 21) of the lower case 112 and the front side of the bent portion 12a (see FIG. 18) of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 positioned above it. , the bottom surface is shallower than the rear side. In addition, a bridging portion 111b having the same height as the periphery of the upper surface recessed portion 111a is formed in a portion sandwiched between the left and right upper surface recessed portions 111a.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of the heat insulating partition 11 viewed from above (the side of the lower freezer compartment 5). 17 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in FIG. 16, FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view along line BB in FIG. 16, and FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view along line CC in FIG. , and FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, one sheet of vacuum heat insulating material 12 having a bent portion 12a is positioned below the upper case 111. As shown in FIGS. The front-rear dimension of the vacuum insulation material 12 is the same as or larger than the front-rear dimension of the upper surface recess 111a, the left end of the vacuum insulation material 12 is the same as or on the left side of the left upper surface recess 111a, and the right end of the vacuum insulation material 12 is It is on the same side as or on the right side of the right end of the right upper recess 111a. Here, the portion below the upper surface recess 111a (see FIG. 18) is closer to the upper case 111 and the vacuum than the portion below the bridging portion 111b (see FIG. 17), which is the portion between the two upper surface recesses 111a. The gap between the heat insulating material 12 is small (for example, less than 6 mm). Therefore, the urethane heat insulating material that has flowed into the heat insulating partition 11 from the urethane inlet 11a cannot flow into the space sandwiched between the portion where the upper surface recess 111a is formed and the vacuum heat insulating material 12, and the upper surface recess 111a is It flows into the space sandwiched between the non-formed portion and the vacuum insulation material 12 . That is, the flow path of the urethane heat insulating material, as indicated by the dotted line E in FIG. It hits from the front and back.

In this way, in the vicinity of the center of the heat insulating partition 11, since the foam heat insulating material is filled in the front and rear direction under the bridging portion 111b of the upper case 111, the bending of the upper case 111 is reduced. 11 is increased in rigidity, and damage to the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is suppressed. In addition, the flow of the urethane heat insulating material flowing in from the urethane inlet 11a is branched into a plurality of directions by the recess 111a on the upper surface. There is a risk of voids because the urethane heat insulating material in which the flow is branched collides at some portion (final filling portion) within the heat insulating partition 11 . However, by providing the bridging portion 111b, it is possible to create a flow in which the urethane heat insulating material flows into the front end and the rear end below the bridging portion 111b. Since the urethane flowing from the lower front end and rear end of the bridging portion 111b collides with each other, even if a void is generated, it can be kept within the area of the bridging portion 111b. Furthermore, the vacuum heat insulating material 12 exists under the vertical projection of the bridging portion 111b. That is, even if voids are generated, the positions where the voids are generated can be kept within the area of the vacuum insulation material 12, so that the influence of the voids on the insulation performance of the heat insulating partition wall can be minimized. In this embodiment, the upper surface recessed portions 111a are arranged side by side and the bridging portions 111b are formed in the front-rear direction. It may be a configuration. Moreover, the height of the bridging portion 111b is not limited to this embodiment, as long as it is at least higher than the lower surface of the upper surface recessed portion 111a in order to ensure the inflow of urethane.

17 and 18, the front and rear sides of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 are filled with foam heat insulating material 9, and the left and right sides of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 are also filled with foam heat insulating material 9, as shown in FIGS. , the foam insulation 9 is filled. On the other hand, a portion of the lower surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is adhered to the lower case 112 by a double-sided tape (not shown). For this reason, the foam heat insulating material 9 is basically not filled between the vacuum heat insulating material 12 and the lower case 112 either. However, as shown in FIG. 20, there is a relatively large gap between the lower case 112 and the lower surface recess 112a formed on the front side of the lower case 112 below the front side of the bent portion 12a of the vacuum heat insulating material 12. Since a large gap is generated, the foam heat insulating material 9 is filled.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the upper and lower surfaces of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 in the heat insulating partition 11 are partially urethaneless, there is an advantage that the filling amount of the foam heat insulating material 9 can be reduced for the refrigerator 1 as a whole. be. In addition, since the foamed heat insulating material 9 is filled in the front, back, left and right of the vacuum heat insulating material 12, the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is stably supported within the heat insulating partition 11, and the strength of the heat insulating partition 11 is increased. Secured.

≪Lower case≫
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the heat insulating partition 11 as viewed from below (from the side of the vegetable compartment 6). As indicated by broken and dotted lines in FIG. 21, the heater 113 is above the lower case 112 and the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is above the heater 113 . Although not shown, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has a structure in which a vegetable compartment cover capable of opening and closing the upper surface of the container of the vegetable compartment 6 can be installed. This vegetable compartment cover suppresses drying of the vegetables in the container by increasing the sealing degree of the container, and is supported by the vegetable compartment cover mounting portion 112b provided in the lower case 112 of the heat insulating partition 11. .

The lower case 112 has, on the front side, a vegetable compartment cover attachment portion 112b and a lower recessed portion 112a arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the vegetable compartment cover attachment portion 112b. The lower recessed portion 112a has a shape projecting upward on the rear side of the vegetable compartment cover mounting portion 112b, so that the position of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 can be regulated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vacuum heat insulating material 12 from coming into contact with the vegetable compartment cover mounting portion 112b and being damaged. In addition, since the rear surface of the lower surface recessed portion 112a facing the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is formed as an inclined surface 112c, damage to the vacuum heat insulating material 12 due to contact with the lower surface recessed portion 112a is also suppressed. Furthermore, since a plurality of lower surface recessed portions 112a are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and the lower surface recessed portions 112a are not formed continuously over the entire area in the left-right direction, the urethane heat insulating material easily flows in, and as a result, the heat insulating partition portion 11 front side support strength can be improved.

The heater 113 heats the vegetable compartment 6 facing the heat insulating partition 11 (lower case 112) to keep the inside of the vegetable compartment 6 in a predetermined temperature range. It is composed of a covering aluminum sheet and a lead wire connected to the heat transfer wire. Since the planar heater 113 used in this embodiment cannot form the bent portion 12a unlike the vacuum heat insulating material 12, it is difficult to extend forward to the inclined surface 112c of the lower recessed portion 112a. However, since the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is also positioned above the front region where the heater 113 does not reach, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dew condensation.

In this embodiment, since there is a region above the lower case 112 in which the foamed heat insulating material 9 is not filled behind the lower surface concave portion 112a, the lower case 112 may hang down due to its own weight or deflection. However, in the vegetable compartment 6 facing the lower case 112, there is a drawer-type container, and the lower surface of the heat insulating partition 11 is difficult for the user to see. It is intended to reduce the filling amount of the foamed heat insulating material 9 while suppressing the adverse effect on the heat insulation.

As already described, the heat insulating partition 11 of this embodiment includes the upper surface recessed portion 111a of the upper case 111 and the lower surface recessed portion 112a of the lower case 112 . Here, since the temperature range of the lower freezer compartment 5 facing the upper case 111 is lower than that of the vegetable compartment 6 facing the lower case 112, it is necessary to increase the circulation flow rate of cold air. Therefore, by making the overall recessed volume of the upper surface recessed portion 111a larger than the overall recessed volume of the lower surface recessed portion 112a, it is possible to preferentially secure the air passage size of the cold air flowing through the bottom portion of the lower freezer compartment 5.

≪Cord temporary storage section≫
22 is a plan view of the heat insulating partition 11 with the upper case 111 removed, viewed from above (lower freezer compartment 5 side), and FIG. It is a perspective view. Cords such as the lead wire of the heater 113 through which the heat insulating partition 11 is passed must be arranged at predetermined positions before the heat insulating partition 11 is assembled to the heat insulating box and the urethane heat insulating material is injected and foamed. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to improve the workability when assembling the heat insulating partition 11 to the heat insulating box body, the temporary cord storage portion 11b is provided as a recessed space for temporarily storing the cords. It is formed on the front side of the case 112 . The temporarily stored cords are removed from the temporary cord storage portion 11b after the installation of the heat insulating partition portion 11 is completed, and connected to a predetermined position, followed by injection and foaming of the urethane heat insulating material.

As shown in FIG. 23, the cord temporary storage section 11b is divided by an inner wall 11b1 that prevents the cords from contacting and damaging the vacuum insulation material 12, and an outer wall 11b2 that prevents the cords from coming out. ing. In addition, since a plurality of inner walls 11b1 are provided in the front-rear direction and inner openings 11b3 are formed between them, the urethane heat insulating material can flow through the inner openings 11b3. On the other hand, a first outer opening 11b4 is formed on the rear side of the outer wall 11b2, and cords can be pulled into the temporary cord storage portion 11b. In addition, since a second outer opening 11b5 is formed on the front side of the outer wall 11b2 so as to face the inner opening 11b3, the urethane heat insulating material injected from the urethane inlet 11a to the heat insulating partition 11 is It becomes easy to pass through the inside of the temporary storage part 11b. In addition, since the urethane inlet 11a is formed not only at the position facing the second outer opening 11b5 but also at the position facing the first outer opening 11b4, the urethane heat insulating material also flows in from the first outer opening 11b4. . In this manner, the cord temporary storage portion 11b is formed at a position facing the urethane inlet 11a of the heat insulating partition portion 11, so that the recessed space is filled with the foam heat insulating material 9, and the heat insulating property is improved. Secured.

In addition, the inner wall 11b1 of the cord temporary storage portion 11b also serves to regulate the position of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 so that the vacuum heat insulating material 12 does not block the urethane inlet 11a. Furthermore, it is desirable that the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 extend upward from the lower case 112 but are not in contact with the upper case 111 . As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of heat conduction between storage compartments in different temperature zones above and below the heat insulating partition 11 . In this embodiment, the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 are formed in the lower case 112. However, even if the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 are formed in the upper case 111 and extended downward, the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 can be formed. By separating the lower end of the from the lower case 112, heat conduction through the heat insulating partition 11 can be suppressed.

A refrigerator 1 according to Example 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 24 . In this embodiment, the inner box 8 and the vacuum heat insulating material 12 are fixed with an adhesive 18 without providing the ceiling panel 16 as in the first embodiment.

As described above, in the conventional refrigerator, the foam insulation material 9 is filled between the vacuum insulation material 12 of the ceiling and the inner box 8, so the inner box 8 is fixed to the vacuum insulation material 12. . Therefore, even with the weight of the inner box 8 and the linear expansion of the inner box 8 at high temperatures, the inner box 8 hardly hangs down. However, if the foam insulation material 9 is not filled between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, the inner box 8 tends to bend and hang down. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 are fixed with an adhesive 18 such as hot melt, thereby suppressing the inner box 8 from sagging. As the adhesive 18 to be used, a material that is elastically deformable so as to follow the deflection of the inner box 8 is desirable.

Also, the adhesive 18 alone cannot follow the deflection of the inner box 8, and there is a possibility that the vacuum heat insulating material 12 and the inner box 8 will separate. Furthermore, the vacuum heat insulating material 12 has variations in thickness, warpage, and surface irregularities, and the inner box 8 and the adhesive 18 also inevitably have variations in thickness. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to absorb the deflection of the inner box 8 and the dimensional variation of each part, and to keep the clearance between the vacuum insulating material 12 and the inner box 8 constant, the space between the outer box 7 and the vacuum insulating material 12 is adjusted. , a spacer 19 is provided. The spacer 19 is an intermediate member having a certain thickness and has a function of adhering the outer box 7 and the vacuum heat insulating material 12. For example, the spacer 19 is a double-faced tape made of polyethylene or the like in a sheet shape. Used. An adhesive such as hot melt may be used as the spacer 19 as long as the thickness can be maintained. Moreover, the spacer 19 does not have to be provided on the entire upper surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 12, and it is desirable that the spacer 19 is arranged at least partially or entirely in the region of the urethaneless portion.

Furthermore, since the inner box 8 and foam insulation 9 are more easily deformed by temperature than the vacuum heat insulating material 12, the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is covered with elastic members to protect the front, rear, right and left sides of the inner box 8. The vacuum heat insulating material 12 may be prevented from being damaged due to such deformation. In the vertical direction of the vacuum heat insulating material 12, the spacer 19 serves as a cushion, filling the gap between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8, and preventing the vacuum heat insulating material 12 from being damaged.

In the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment and the embodiment, as described above, the foam insulation material 9 is filled on the front side of the heat insulating box in consideration of maintaining the strength while realizing the partial urethaneless of the heat insulating box. I'm trying to That is, among the top surface, side surfaces, and bottom surface of the inner box 8, the distance from the vacuum insulation material 12 is widened in the front area, and the distance from the vacuum insulation material 12 is narrowed in the central area. Therefore, there is a portion where the dimensions of the inner box 8 on the rear side are wider than the dimensions of the inner box 8 on the front side. Then, when mass-producing refrigerators 1 of the same model, even if a plurality of inner boxes 8 are stacked and stocked, one inner box 8 bumps into the narrow opening of the other inner box 8, making it difficult to fit. is. Therefore, in this embodiment, the inner box 8 has at least a partially urethane-less region, that is, a region whose size increases rearward from the front end, which is deformable by a bellows structure or the like. As a result, when a plurality of inner boxes 8 are piled up, they can be stocked by shrinking, and when foaming the urethane heat insulating material, they can be expanded by pressing them from the inside with a jig.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the first embodiment, the ceiling panel 16 is provided below the inner box 8 of the ceiling part. It may be a configuration. Further, the above-described embodiments are illustrated for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Furthermore, it is also possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Moreover, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

<Technical ideas included in this specification>
This specification includes the following technical ideas.

[Appendix 1-1]
A storage compartment with an open front is formed, a foam insulation material is foam-filled in the area between the inner box and the outer box, and the box has a vertical dimension larger than the horizontal dimension,
The left side and/or the right side of the box are
A front end heat insulating material in which the foam heat insulating material is continuously foamed and filled in the vertical direction is provided at the front end,
having an area where the foam insulation has a smaller thickness than the surrounding area,
A refrigerator provided with another heat insulating material having a heat insulating performance higher than that of the foam heat insulating material.

[Appendix 1-2]
In Appendix 1-1,
A refrigerator in which the inner box is provided with a recessed portion toward the outer box side in the region where the flowable thickness is small.

[Appendix 1-3]
In Appendix 1-2,
The left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails,
The refrigerator is provided with the region where the flowable thickness is small above the shelf rib on the uppermost stage or below the rail on the lowermost stage.

[Appendix 1-4]
In Appendix 1-2,
The left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails,
A refrigerator comprising the thin flowable region in front of the front end of the shelf rib or the rail at the upper and lower positions where any of the shelf ribs or the rails are provided.

[Appendix 1-5]
In Appendix 1-2,
The left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails,
A total of a plurality of said shelf ribs or said rails are arranged vertically,
The refrigerator is provided with the thin flowable region in the region vertically sandwiched between the shelf ribs or the rails.

[Appendix 1-6]
In Appendix 1-5,
A refrigerator in which each of said shelf ribs or said rails is reinforced.

[Appendix 1-7]
In Appendix 1-2,
The left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails,
In the range from the front end of the shelf rib or rail to the front end heat insulating material, the foam heat insulating material has a large flowable thickness,
A refrigerator in which a foam insulation material is filled in a region overlapping the shelf rib or the rail.

[Appendix 1-8]
In Appendix 1-2,
Shelf ribs and rails are not provided on the left side and the right side,
The refrigerator is provided with the thin flowable region on the rear end side of the position of 1/3 of the front-rear dimension from the front end of each of the left side and the right side to the back of the inner box.

[Appendix 1-9]
In Appendix 1-2,
The refrigerator, wherein the region where the flowable thickness is small is provided with a portion not filled with the foamed heat insulating material.

[Appendix 1-10]
In Appendix 1-2,
The refrigerator, wherein the flowable region with a small thickness is formed in a region inside the edge of the separate heat insulating material within the projected plane of the separate heat insulating material.

[Appendix 1-11]
In any one of Appendix 1-1 to Appendix 1-10,
A refrigerator in which the front end of the top surface and/or the bottom surface of the box is filled with a foamed heat insulating material continuously with the front end heat insulating material.

[Appendix 1-12]
In Appendix 1-2,
In the top surface of the box, the foamed heat insulating material is not located on at least a part of the lower surface of the another heat insulating material,
A refrigerator in which the inner box is fixed with an adhesive to the lower surface side of the separate heat insulating material.

[Appendix 1-13]
In Appendix 1-12,
A refrigerator, wherein a spacer is provided between the upper surface of the separate heat insulating material and the outer case.

[Appendix 1-14]
In Appendix 1-12,
In the top surface of the box, the foamed heat insulating material is not located on at least a part of the lower surface of the another heat insulating material,
A refrigerator in which a ceiling panel is provided below the inner box in a region where the foamed heat insulating material is not positioned on the lower surface of the another heat insulating material.

[Appendix 1-15]
In Appendix 1-12 or Appendix 1-14,
A refrigerator in which the foamed heat insulating material is positioned on the front, back, left and right sides of the another heat insulating material on the top surface of the box.

[Appendix 1-16]
In Appendix 1-12,
another storage room with a temperature zone lower than the temperature zone of the storage room;
a heat insulating partition that separates the storage room and the another storage room,
The heat insulating partition has inside a foam heat insulating material and another heat insulating material having a higher heat insulating performance than the foam heat insulating material,
In the refrigerator, the heat insulating partition has a region in which the foam heat insulating material has a smaller flowable thickness than the surroundings in a projection plane in a direction from the storage compartment to the other storage compartment.

[Appendix 1-17]
In Appendix 1-16,
The refrigerator, wherein the region where the flowable thickness is small includes a portion not filled with the foamed heat insulating material.

[Appendix 1-18]
In Appendix 1-16,
A refrigerator in which a concave portion is provided at least on a surface of the heat insulating partition facing the another storage compartment in the region where the flowable thickness is small.

[Appendix 2-1]
A box body having a vacuum insulation material and a foam insulation material is provided between the outer box and the inner box,
On the top surface of the box, the foam insulation material is positioned on the front, back, left and right sides of the vacuum insulation material, and the foam insulation material is not positioned on at least a part of the bottom surface of the vacuum insulation material.

[Appendix 2-2]
In Appendix 2-1,
A refrigerator in which the foam heat insulating material is positioned in a front region and a rear region of the bottom surface of the vacuum heat insulating material.

[Appendix 2-3]
In Appendix 2-1,
Having an interior light on the top surface,
A refrigerator in which a wiring for the interior light is provided in a region of the lower surface of the vacuum heat insulating material that is foam-filled with the foam heat insulating material.

[Appendix 2-4]
In Appendix 2-1,
A refrigerator in which a ceiling panel is provided below the inner box in a region where the foamed heat insulating material is not positioned on the lower surface of the vacuum heat insulating material.

[Appendix 2-5]
In Appendix 2-1,
A refrigerator in which the inner box is fixed to the lower surface of the vacuum heat insulating material with an adhesive different from the foam heat insulating material.

[Appendix 2-6]
In Appendix 2-5,
A refrigerator in which a spacer is provided between the upper surface of the vacuum heat insulating material and the outer case.

1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerator compartment 3 Ice compartment 4 Upper freezer compartment 5 Lower freezer compartment 6 Vegetable compartment 7 Outer box 8 Inner box 9 Foam insulation materials 10, 11 Heat insulation partition 11a Urethane inlet 11b Cord temporary storage part 111 Upper case 111a Upper recessed part 111b Bridge portion 112 Lower case 112a Lower surface concave portion 113 Heater 12 Vacuum insulation material 13 Shelf rib 14 Interior light 15 Cord 16 Ceiling panel 17 Screw 18 Adhesive 19 Spacer 21 Rail 22 Hinge portion 23 Reinforcement

Claims (18)

A storage compartment with an open front is formed, a foam insulation material is foam-filled in the area between the inner box and the outer box, and the box has a vertical dimension larger than the horizontal dimension,
The left side and/or the right side of the box are
A front end heat insulating material in which the foam heat insulating material is continuously foamed and filled in the vertical direction is provided at the front end,
having an area where the foam insulation has a smaller thickness than the surrounding area,
A refrigerator provided with another heat insulating material having a heat insulating performance higher than that of the foam heat insulating material. In claim 1,
A refrigerator in which the inner box is provided with a recessed portion toward the outer box side in the region where the flowable thickness is small. In claim 2,
The left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails,
The refrigerator is provided with the region where the flowable thickness is small above the shelf rib on the uppermost stage or below the rail on the lowermost stage. In claim 2,
The left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails,
A refrigerator comprising the thin flowable region in front of the front end of the shelf rib or the rail at the upper and lower positions where any of the shelf ribs or the rails are provided. In claim 2,
The left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails,
A total of a plurality of said shelf ribs or said rails are arranged vertically,
The refrigerator is provided with the thin flowable region in the region vertically sandwiched between the shelf ribs or the rails. In claim 5,
A refrigerator in which each of said shelf ribs or said rails is reinforced. In claim 2,
The left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails,
In the range from the front end of the shelf rib or rail to the front end heat insulating material, the foam heat insulating material has a large flowable thickness,
A refrigerator in which a foam insulation material is filled in a region overlapping the shelf rib or the rail. In claim 2,
Shelf ribs and rails are not provided on the left side and the right side,
The refrigerator is provided with the thin flowable region on the rear end side of the position of 1/3 of the front-rear dimension from the front end of each of the left side and the right side to the back of the inner box. In claim 2,
The refrigerator, wherein the region where the flowable thickness is small is provided with a portion not filled with the foamed heat insulating material. In claim 2,
The refrigerator, wherein the flowable region with a small thickness is formed in a region inside the edge of the separate heat insulating material within the projected plane of the separate heat insulating material. In any one of claims 1 to 10,
A refrigerator in which the front end of the top surface and/or the bottom surface of the box is filled with a foamed heat insulating material continuously with the front end heat insulating material. In claim 2,
In the top surface of the box, the foamed heat insulating material is not located on at least a part of the lower surface of the another heat insulating material,
A refrigerator in which the inner box is fixed with an adhesive to the lower surface side of the separate heat insulating material. In claim 12,
A refrigerator, wherein a spacer is provided between the upper surface of the separate heat insulating material and the outer case. In claim 2,
In the top surface of the box, the foamed heat insulating material is not located on at least a part of the lower surface of the another heat insulating material,
A refrigerator in which a ceiling panel is provided below the inner box in a region where the foamed heat insulating material is not positioned on the lower surface of the another heat insulating material. In claim 12 or 14,
A refrigerator in which the foamed heat insulating material is positioned on the front, back, left and right sides of the another heat insulating material on the top surface of the box. In claim 2,
another storage room with a temperature zone lower than the temperature zone of the storage room;
a heat insulating partition that separates the storage room and the another storage room,
The heat insulating partition has inside a foam heat insulating material and another heat insulating material having a higher heat insulating performance than the foam heat insulating material,
In the refrigerator, the heat insulating partition has a region in which the foam heat insulating material has a smaller flowable thickness than the surroundings in a projection plane in a direction from the storage compartment to the other storage compartment. In claim 16,
The refrigerator, wherein the region where the flowable thickness is small includes a portion not filled with the foamed heat insulating material. In claim 16,
A refrigerator in which a concave portion is provided at least on a surface of the heat insulating partition facing the another storage compartment in the region where the flowable thickness is small.

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