Detailed Description
Referring to the drawings, a refrigerator 10 of an embodiment is explained. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 10 includes a main body 12 having heat insulation properties, and a pair of doors (a left door 30a and a right door 30 b). Further, the refrigerator 10 includes: a right gasket 50 disposed between the main body 12 and the right door 30 b; and a left gasket (not shown) disposed between the main body 12 and the left door 30 a. Hereinafter, in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10, a side close to the center C of the main body 12 is referred to as a "main body center side", and a side far from the center C of the main body 12 is referred to as a "main body outer peripheral side". In the front-rear direction (depth direction) of the refrigerator 10, the front side of the main body 12 is referred to as "front", and the rear side of the main body 12 is referred to as "rear".
(Structure of the body 12)
As shown in fig. 3, the main body 12 includes a metal outer case 12a and a resin inner case 12 b. The front surface side of the outer box 12a has a flange 36 bent substantially at a right angle toward the center of the main body. Further, the flange portion 36 has a first folded portion 37 and a second folded portion 38 that are folded back and forth in an S-shape from the distal end portion thereof. The second folded portion 38 is folded back from the front end portion of the first folded portion 37 and extends obliquely rearward. The front surface side of the inner case 12b has a flange portion 39 bent substantially at right angles to the outer periphery of the main body. The outer box 12a and the inner box 12b are joined by inserting the flange portion 39 between the first folded portion 37 and the second folded portion 38. A heat insulating material (for example, a foamed heat insulating material) is filled between the outer casing 12a and the inner casing 12 b. This constitutes the main body 12 having heat insulation properties.
Inside the main body 12, a refrigerating compartment 14, a vegetable compartment 16, an ice making compartment 18, an upper freezing compartment 20, and a lower freezing compartment 22 are provided. Refrigerating compartment 14 and vegetable compartment 16 are storage compartments in a refrigerating temperature range, and ice-making compartment 18, upper freezing compartment 20 and lower freezing compartment 22 are storage compartments in a freezing temperature range. As shown in fig. 2, a fresh air compartment 24 is provided at a lower portion of the refrigerating compartment 14, and a container 28 for supplying water to the ice making device of the ice making compartment 18 is detachably provided at a side of the fresh air compartment 24.
A front surface opening portion 14a that opens the refrigerating chamber 14 is provided on the front surface of the refrigerating chamber 14. The storage is stored in the refrigerating chamber 14 through the front opening 14 a. Specifically, as shown in fig. 3, the front surface opening 14a is a region inside the front surface of the main body 12 (the front surface of the flange portions 36, 39). Similarly, front surface openings (not shown) are also provided in vegetable compartment 16, ice making compartment 18, upper freezer compartment 20, and lower freezer compartment 22, respectively.
(construction of left and right doors 30a, 30b)
The left door 30a and the right door 30b are so-called split doors. In the refrigerator 10, the left end of the left door 30a is pivotally supported by a hinge member 32 provided at the front left end of the refrigerating chamber 14 so as to be rotatable with respect to the front opening 14a in a front view. In the refrigerator 10, the right end of the right door 30b on the right side is pivotally supported by a hinge member 34 provided at the right front end of the refrigerating chamber 14 so as to be rotatable with respect to the front opening 14a in a front view. That is, left door 30a and right door 30b are turned with respect to front surface opening 14a, and thereby switched between an open state in which front surface opening 14a of refrigerating compartment 14 is opened and a closed state in which front surface opening 14a of refrigerating compartment 14 is closed.
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view (III-III sectional view of fig. 1) around the right end portion of the right door 30b including a gasket 50 described later. In fig. 3, the left side is the center side of the body, and the right side is the outer peripheral side of the body. As shown in fig. 3, the right door 30b side (i.e., the lower side in fig. 3) is the front with respect to the main body 12, and the main body 12 side (i.e., the upper side in fig. 3) is the rear with respect to the right door 30 b. The right door 30b includes: a rectangular surface member 40 covering the front surface thereof; a side member 44 provided on a side surface thereof; and a back member 48 constituting a back surface thereof. As shown in fig. 3, the right door 30b is configured by joining the front member 40 and the side member 44 and joining the side member 44 and the back member 48.
The back member 48 is made of, for example, synthetic resin. The rear member 48 is provided with a groove 70. The groove 70 is provided at a position facing the front surface (the flange portions 36, 39) of the main body 12. The groove portion 70 extends in such a manner as to surround one turn with respect to the outer peripheral edge of the back surface of the right door 30 b. The groove portion 70 is formed: from the opening portion 70a thereof, toward the inner space side (i.e., the front) of the right door 30 b.
When the main body 12 is viewed from the front, the opening 70a of the groove 70 is positioned closer to the front opening 14a of the refrigerating compartment 14 than a portion P1 described below, and the portion P1 is positioned closer to the outer periphery of the main body than the groove 70 on the rear surface of the right door 30 b. As shown in fig. 3, the portion P1 extends from the range between the opening 70a of the groove 70 and the bottom of the groove 70 toward the main body outer peripheral side. The portion P1 is joined to the side member 44 described later. Further, a portion P2 located closer to the body center side than the groove 70 on the back surface of the right door 30b is connected to the opening 70a of the groove 70. That is, the portion P2 extends from substantially the same position as the opening 70a toward the body center side in the depth direction (vertical direction in the drawing) of the body 12. The portion P2 is a bent range rearward from a portion of the groove 70 adjacent to the groove 70 (opening 70a) at the center of the main body.
The surface member 40 is made of, for example, a glass plate. Cover members 42 made of synthetic resin are attached to the upper, lower, left, and right outer peripheral ends of the front surface member 40, respectively (in fig. 3, only the upper cover member 42 is shown). The four-directional side portions of the surface member 40 are held by the 4 covering members 42.
The side member 44 is made of, for example, synthetic resin. A synthetic resin cover member 46 (only the upper cover member 46 is shown in fig. 3) is attached to each of the upper and lower ends of the side surface member 44. That is, the surface member 40 positioned on the front surface of the right door 30b and the side surface member 44 positioned on the side surface of the right door 30b are covered with different covering members 42, 46, respectively.
Further, a protruding portion 31 that protrudes rearward of the portion P1 is provided on the outer edge of the side member 44 on the pivotally supporting side (i.e., on the main body outer peripheral side) and on the rear surface of the right door 30 b. The protruding portion 31 is provided with an inclined portion 31a such that the width (length in the left-right direction of the drawing) of the protruding portion 31 gradually decreases from the outer peripheral side of the main body. A space is provided between the front end of the protruding portion 31 and the peripheral edge portion 15 of the front surface opening 14 a. The peripheral edge portion 15 is the front surface of the main body 12 including the flange portions 36, 39 surrounding the front surface opening portion 14 a. The distance L of this spacing is not particularly limited, and is, for example, less than 5.6 mm. The front end of the projection 31 is located rearward of the position of the front surface of the magnet 54 described later, and is configured such that: when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the side, a member (for example, a third protrusion 67 described later) located on the front surface of the magnet housing 56 described later is shielded.
Drawer- type doors 16a, 18a, 20a, and 22a are provided in vegetable compartment 16, ice making compartment 18, upper freezer compartment 20, and lower freezer compartment 22, respectively. The front portion of each door 30a, 30b, 16a, 18a, 20a, 22a is covered with a glass plate.
(Structure of spacer 50)
As shown in fig. 3, the refrigerator 10 further includes a gasket 50, and the gasket 50 is disposed between the main body 12 and the right door 30 b. Fig. 3 shows the gasket 50 for the right door 30b, and the same gasket 50 is disposed for the left door 30 a. The gasket 50 for the left door 30a is not shown.
The gasket 50 is attached to the back surface (i.e., the surface on the main body 12 side) of the right door 30 b. Gasket 50 seals between the rear surface of right door 30b and peripheral edge 15 of front opening 14a of refrigerating compartment 14. The gasket 50 is arranged: one turn is made between the back surface of the right door 30b and the peripheral edge portion 15. The gasket 50 is formed by extrusion molding of a synthetic resin material such as polyvinyl chloride. As shown in fig. 4, the spacer 50 includes an engaging portion 52, a magnet 54, a magnet housing portion 56, a first coupling portion 58, a second coupling portion 60, a third coupling portion 62, a fourth coupling portion 63, a first protrusion 64, a second protrusion 66, and a third protrusion 67.
The engaging portion 52 engages with a groove portion 70 provided on the rear surface of the right door 30b, and fixes the gasket 50 to the right door 30 b. When the engagement portion 52 is engaged with the groove portion 70, the base portion 52a of the engagement portion 52 closes the opening 70a of the groove portion 70.
The magnet 54 is housed in the magnet housing portion 56, and in the closed state of the right door 30b, the magnet 54 abuts against the peripheral edge portion 15 of the front surface opening portion 14a (the flange portion 36 of the outer box 12 a). The magnet 54 is formed as: the length in the thickness direction (up-down direction of the drawing) is longer than the length in the width direction (left-right direction of the drawing). In addition, the magnet 54 is provided: the main body 12 is located on the outer peripheral side of the main body than the groove 70 when viewed from the front. In other words, when the main body 12 is viewed from the front, the magnet 54 is offset toward the outer periphery of the main body with respect to the groove 70.
The first connecting portion 58 connects the base portion 52a of the engaging portion 52 of the spacer 50 and the magnet housing portion 56. The first connecting portion 58 extends from the rear of the surface of the magnet housing portion 56 on the body center side. The first connecting portion 58 has a first bent portion 58a bent toward the center of the body. Specifically, the first connecting portion 58 extends from the magnet housing portion 56 toward the body center side, and after passing over the groove portion 70, is connected from the body center side to the base portion 52a of the engaging portion 52 by the first bent portion 58a bent forward. That is, both ends of the first connecting portion 58 are connected to the magnet housing portion 56 and the base portion 52a of the engaging portion 52 via the first bent portion 58 a.
The second coupling portion 60 couples the base portion 52a of the engaging portion 52 of the spacer 50 and the magnet housing portion 56. The second coupling portion 60 extends from the surface of the magnet housing portion 56 on the center side of the body and further forward than the first coupling portion 58. The second coupling portion 60 has a second bending portion 60a bent toward the center of the body. Specifically, the second coupling portion 60 extends from the magnet housing portion 56 toward the main body outer peripheral side via a second bending portion 60a bent forward near an opening 70a at the main body outer peripheral side of the groove portion 70, and then is bent again toward the main body center side to be connected to the base portion 52a of the engagement portion 52.
The third coupling portion 62 couples the base portion 52a of the engaging portion 52 and the first coupling portion 58. The third coupling portion 62 linearly extends along the thickness direction (the vertical direction in the drawing) of the gasket 50 at the center position of the engaging portion 52 in the horizontal direction.
The fourth coupling portion 63 couples the base portion 52a of the engaging portion 52 and the first coupling portion 58 at a position closer to the center of the body than the third coupling portion 62. The fourth coupling portion 63 has a fourth bending portion 63a bending toward the center of the body.
The inside of the spacer 50 is divided into a first pocket portion 90, a second pocket portion 92, and a third pocket portion 94 by the base portion 52a, the magnet housing portion 56, the first coupling portion 58, the second coupling portion 60, the third coupling portion 62, and the fourth coupling portion 63. An air layer is formed inside each of the pocket portions 90, 92, and 94. Specifically, the first pocket portion 90 is a space defined by the magnet housing portion 56, the first coupling portion 58, the third coupling portion 62, the base portion 52a, and the second coupling portion 60. The second pocket portion 92 is a space defined by the first coupling portion 58, the fourth coupling portion 63, the base portion 52a, and the third coupling portion 62. The third pocket portion 94 is a space defined by the first coupling portion 58, the base portion 52a, and the fourth coupling portion 63.
When the right door 30b is changed from the open state to the closed state, as shown in fig. 3, an external force is applied to the gasket 50, and the bag- like portions 90, 92, and 94 are pressed by the peripheral edge portion 15 of the front opening 14a (i.e., the flange portion 36 of the outer box 12a and the flange portion 39 of the inner box 12 b). Thereby, the space between the rear surface of the right door 30b and the peripheral edge 15 of the front opening 14a is sealed. As a result, the internal space S1 of the refrigerator 10 is insulated from the external space S2.
The first projecting portion 64 projects from the first curved portion 58a toward the body center side. The second protrusion 66 protrudes from the first bent portion 58a rearward of the first protrusion 64 toward the body center side. The first protrusion 64 and the second protrusion 66 extend in a fin shape from the first bent portion 58a toward the center of the body. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the periphery of the first projection 64 and the second projection 66. As shown in fig. 5, the thickness of the first connecting portion 58 in the range a1 between the first projecting portion 64 and the second projecting portion 66 is thinner than the thickness of the first connecting portion 58 in other portions. The third projection 67 projects from the front surface of the magnet housing 56 toward the rear surface of the right door 30 b.
As shown in fig. 6, in a state where the spacer 50 releases the external force (i.e., an open state of the right door 30b), the rear end of the first coupling portion 58 is located rearward of the rear surface of the magnet housing portion 56. That is, the rearmost end of each of the pocket portions 90, 92, and 94 is located rearward of the magnet housing portion 56. When the right door 30b is switched from the open state to the closed state (when switched from the state of fig. 6 to the state of fig. 3), the gasket 50 (first connecting portion 58) is pressed and deformed by the peripheral edge portion 15 as indicated by an arrow Y1. At this time, as indicated by an arrow Y2, the first protrusion 64 moves toward the rear surface side of the right door 30b, and abuts against the rear surface member 48 of the right door 30b on the main body center side with respect to the groove portion 70. Further, as indicated by arrow Y3, the second protrusion 66 moves toward the main body 12 and abuts against the inner case 12 b. Further, as indicated by arrow Y4, the third protrusion 67 abuts against the side surface member 44 of the right door 30 b.
(Effect)
In the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, the opening 70a of the groove 70 is located behind (on the front opening 14a side) the main body outer peripheral side portion P1 of the rear surface of the right door 30 b. This reduces the area of the groove 70 that enters the right door 30b, thereby ensuring a large internal space of the right door 30 b. Therefore, the amount of the heat insulating material filled into the inner space of the right door 30b can be increased. Further, a portion P2 located on the rear surface of the right door 30b and closer to the body center side than the groove portion 70 extends from substantially the same position as the opening 70a of the groove portion 70 toward the body center side in the depth direction of the body 12. Therefore, a large internal space of the right door 30b on the body center side of the groove portion 70 can be flexibly used, and a large amount of heat insulator can be filled in the space. Therefore, in the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, the heat flowing into the refrigerator 10 is reduced, and the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator 10 can be improved. Further, since the portion P2 is normally located closer to the body center side than the rotation axis center 96 of the hinge member 34, the distance between the portion P2 and the peripheral edge 15 is not reduced when the right door 30b is opened and closed (see fig. 7). Therefore, even if the portion P2 is located at substantially the same position as the opening 70a of the groove 70 in the depth direction of the body 12, the two portions do not interfere with each other.
Further, since the position of the opening 70a side (the body center side) of the groove 70 substantially coincides with the position of the rear surface of the right door 30b in the depth direction of the body 12, the components (the groove 70, the portions P1, P2, and the like) positioned on the rear surface of the right door 30b of the refrigerator 10 can be easily manufactured by injection molding.
In the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, the first coupling portion 58 and the second coupling portion 60 have a first bending portion 58a and a second bending portion 60a, respectively, which are bent toward the center of the body. The fourth coupling portion 63 also has a fourth bending portion 63a that is bent toward the center of the body. In this way, each coupling portion has a portion that is curved toward the center of the body, and therefore, flexibility in the opening and closing direction of the right door 30b can be sufficiently ensured.
In the gasket 50 of the present embodiment, since all of the coupling portions 58, 60, 62, and 63 extending from the magnet housing portion 56 extend from the surface of the magnet housing portion 56 on the main body center side, most of the magnet housing portion 56 faces the external space S2. Generally, the thermal conductivity of the magnet 54 is higher than that of air. Therefore, the magnet 54 reduces the temperature of the refrigerant in the middle of the cooling operation from the compressor to the cooler, or absorbs heat released from the heat pipe 80 for preventing condensation by increasing the temperature of the outer surface of the main body 12, thereby promoting heat conduction to the inside of the refrigerator 10. However, in the present embodiment, since most of the magnet housing 56 faces the external space S2 of the refrigerator 10, heat radiation to the external space S2 side is dominant as compared with the internal space S1 side of the refrigerator 10, and the inflow of heat into the refrigerator 10 can be suppressed.
In the present embodiment, the magnet 54 is positioned on the outer periphery of the body with respect to the groove 70 when the body 12 is viewed from the front. Therefore, the thickness of the entire spacer 50 can be reduced as compared with a structure in which the groove 70 and the magnet 54 overlap when the main body 12 is viewed from the front. In the spacer 50 of the present embodiment, the magnet 54 is offset with respect to the groove portion 70, so that the thickness of the portion (the bag-shaped portions 90, 92, 94, etc.) closer to the center of the body than the magnet 54 can be reduced, and the thickness of the magnet 54 can be ensured, so that a sufficient magnetic force of the magnet 54 can be ensured. Even when the temperature of the magnet 54 having high thermal conductivity increases, the magnet 54 is positioned on the outer peripheral side of the main body, and therefore, the heat of the magnet 54 is less likely to flow into the refrigerator 10. Further, since the entire of the pocket portions 90, 92, 94 of the spacer 50 has a small contact area with the magnet housing portion 56, heat is less likely to be conducted to the internal space S1 side.
In the closed state of the right door 30b, the first protrusion 64 abuts against the back surface of the right door 30b to form a space S3, the second protrusion 66 abuts against the inner box 12b to form a space S4, and the third protrusion 67 abuts against the side member 44 to form a space S5. In this way, in the closed state of the right door 30b, air layers shown by spaces S3 to S5 are formed in addition to the respective bag- like portions 90, 92, 94. Therefore, the overall thermal conductivity of the gasket 50 can be further reduced, and the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator 10 can be further improved.
The thickness of the first connecting portion 58 in the range a1 between the first protrusion 64 and the second protrusion 66 is smaller than the thickness of the other portions. Therefore, when the right door 30b is closed and the respective pocket portions 90, 92, 94 are pressed, the deformation of the gasket 50 in the range a1 is larger than that of the other portions. Therefore, the angles of the first projection 64 and the second projection 66 are easily changed, and the projections 64 and 66 can be appropriately brought into contact with the respective surfaces.
The first coupling portion 58 and the base portion 52a of the engagement portion 52 are connected by a linear third coupling portion 62. Therefore, when the right door 30b is opened, the magnet 54 can be efficiently pulled away from the peripheral edge 15 by the third connecting portion 62.
In addition, as shown in fig. 7, normally, the rotational shaft center 96 of the hinge member 34 is disposed closer to the main body center side than the outermost face of the refrigerator 10. Therefore, as shown in fig. 7, the following timing occurs in the process of opening and closing the door: the distance between the rear surface of the door and the peripheral edge portion 15 is closer to the distance L1 than the distance L between the rear surface of the door and the peripheral edge portion 15 in the closed state. In the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, the protruding portion 31 provided on the back surface of the right door 30b has the inclined portion 31a, and therefore, the front end of the protruding portion 31 (the portion closest to the peripheral edge portion 15 in the closed state) is positioned closer to the center side of the main body than the outermost surface of the right door 30 b. Therefore, in the opening and closing of the right door 300b of the refrigerator (refrigerator in which the side surface of the right door 300b linearly extends rearward) 100 of the comparative example shown in fig. 8, which does not have an inclined portion, the distance from the right door 300b to the peripheral edge portion 115 of the main body 112 is a distance L2, and the distance L1 from the right door 30b to the peripheral edge portion 15 in the opening and closing of the right door 30b is shorter than the distance L2. The distance L can be set shorter than in the prior art because the front end of the protruding portion 31 and the peripheral edge portion 15 are less likely to interfere with each other. By setting the distance L short, the user's fingers can be suppressed from entering the gap between the right door 30b and the main body 12.
Further, since the path from the heat pipe 80 to the inner space S1 of the refrigerator 10 is narrowed by positioning the front end of the protrusion 31 closer to the center of the body than the heat pipe 80, the heat released from the heat pipe 80 can be efficiently released toward the outer space S2 of the refrigerator 10.
In the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, the distance L between the tip of the projection 31 and the peripheral edge 15 is narrower than a finger probe (JIS C0922, probe code 19, IEC 61032) of 5.6mm corresponding to a finger of an infant of about 0 to 3 years old. Therefore, the finger of the child can be prevented from entering between the right door 30b and the main body 12, and the safety can be improved.
The front surface member 40 covering the front surface of the right door 30b and the side surface member 44 provided on the side surface of the right door 30b are covered with different covering members 42 and 46, respectively. Therefore, it is easier to manufacture than the case where the right door 30b is integrally configured.
Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments may be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
In the above embodiment, the gasket 50 is attached to the groove 70 provided on the back surface of the split left and right doors 30a, 30b, but the gasket described in the present specification may be attached by providing a groove on the back surface of the drawer- type doors 16a, 18a, 20a, 22 a. In addition, the side member 44 of the right door 30b may not have the protrusion 31.
These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.