JP2016161185A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator capable of achieving various improvements regarding a center pillar.SOLUTION: A storage chamber 4 for storing articles in a refrigerator is opened/closed from the front Y1 by a pair of hinged double doors 3. A space 52 between the pair of doors 3 in a closed state is closed from the rear Y2 by a center pillar 53. The center pillar 53 includes: a hollow body member 60; a heat insulation member 63 accommodated in an internal space 60A of the body member 60; and a closing member 65. In a state where the center pillar 53 closes the space 52 between the pair of doors 3, at a side surface part 60B of the front Y1 of the body member 60, an opening 60C for exposing the internal space 60A to the front Y1, and grooves 73A and 82A located on both sides of the opening 60C and dented so as to be separated from each other along the left and right direction Y are provided. The closing member 65 is inserted with respect to the grooves 73A and 82A from the left and right direction Y, and closes the opening 60C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

  The refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 below includes a heat insulating box as a main body, and a storage room for storing food and the like is formed inside the heat insulating box. The interior of the storage room is divided into a plurality of storage rooms such as a refrigerator room. Left and right refrigerator compartment doors that divide and block the front of the refrigerator compartment are rotatably supported by the heat insulating box. The refrigerator includes a compressor and a cooler connected by refrigerant piping. The refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant pipe and circulates between the compressor and the cooler is compressed to a high temperature and high pressure state by the compressor, and then condensed by heat dissipation, and is evaporated by exchanging heat with the surrounding air in the cooler. . Thereby, the air around a cooler is cooled and used for cooling food in each storage chamber.

JP 2013-204891 A

  In the case of a configuration in which the refrigerator compartment is opened and closed by the left and right refrigerator compartment doors as in the refrigerator of Patent Document 1, the cold air in the refrigerator compartment is prevented from leaking from the gap between the left and right refrigerator compartment doors in the closed state. It is assumed that a center pillar is provided. In this case, it is preferable to make various improvements with respect to the center pillar.

  The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator capable of various improvements with respect to the center pillar.

  The present invention has a closed state in which a storage chamber for storing articles to be cooled and stored is formed, a main body having a depth in a predetermined direction, a pair of double doors for opening and closing the storage chamber from one side in the predetermined direction, and a closed state A center pillar that closes the gap between the pair of doors from the side opposite to the one side, and the center pillar in a state of closing the gap is a hollow main body member, An opening that exposes the space to the one side and a pair of grooves that are located on both sides of the opening and that are recessed away from each other along the intersecting direction with respect to the predetermined direction are provided on the side surface on the one side. A refrigerator comprising: a main body member; a heat insulating member housed in an internal space of the main body member; and a closing member inserted from the intersecting direction into the pair of grooves to close the opening.

  Further, according to the present invention, the center pillar is provided on one door of the pair of doors, rotates in conjunction with opening and closing of the one door, and the side surface of the main body member is closed when the one door is closed. A first seal member that faces the one side, is provided on the main body member, and is in close contact with the main body when the one door is closed, and is provided on the main body member, and is common to the first seal member A second seal member having a cross-sectional shape and closely contacting the other door of the pair of doors when the pair of doors are closed.

  In addition, the present invention includes a support shaft that is provided on the one door and forms a rotation center of the center pillar, and an insertion portion that is provided on the main body member and into which the support shaft is inserted. To do.

According to the present invention, a storage chamber for storing articles in a main body having a depth in a predetermined direction is opened and closed from one side in a predetermined direction by a pair of double doors. The center pillar closes the gap between the pair of closed doors from the side opposite to the one side. Thereby, the cold air in the storage chamber is prevented from leaking outside through this gap.
The center pillar includes a hollow main body member, a heat insulating member accommodated in the internal space of the main body member, and a closing member. Based on the state where the center pillar closes the gap between the pair of doors, the side surface of one side of the main body member has an opening that exposes the internal space of the main body member to one side, and is positioned on both sides of the opening. In addition, a pair of grooves that are recessed so as to be separated from each other along the crossing direction with respect to the predetermined direction are provided. The closing member is inserted from the crossing direction into the pair of grooves and closes the opening. In this case, when the center pillar is viewed from one side, the gap between the portion of the closing member inserted into the groove and the wall surface of the groove is not exposed to one side and is not conspicuous, so that the center pillar looks good. Therefore, the appearance of the center pillar can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the center pillar provided on one door of the pair of doors rotates in conjunction with opening and closing of the one door, and when the one door is closed, the side surface portion of the main body member is on one side. Facing. When one door is closed, the first seal member of the main body member comes into close contact with the main body, so that the gap between the center pillar and the main body is closed. When the pair of doors are closed, the second seal member of the main body member is in close contact with the other door of the pair of doors, so that the gap between the center pillar and the other door is closed.
Since the first seal member and the second seal member have a common cross-sectional shape, they can be manufactured in the same molding process. Thereby, since the manufacturing process of a center pillar can be simplified, the improvement of manufacturability about a center pillar can be aimed at.

  Further, according to the present invention, if the support shaft of one door is inserted into the insertion portion of the main body member, the center pillar is assembled to the one door and can be rotated about the support shaft. Thereby, since the assembly process of the center pillar with respect to one door can be simplified, it is possible to improve the assembly performance with respect to the center pillar.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Drawing 2 is a perspective view which looked at the main part of the refrigerator in the state where a door was omitted from the front. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the refrigerator as viewed from the rear. FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical sectional right side view of the refrigerator. FIG. 5 is a realistic vertical cross-sectional right side view of the refrigerator. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the refrigerator. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing opening and closing of the double doors in the refrigerator. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the center pillar. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the first seal member and the second seal member. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the center pillar. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the main part of the center pillar partially including a flat cross section. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a main body member of the center pillar. FIG. 14 is a side view of the main body member of the center pillar and the hinge member on the door side. FIG. 15 is a right side view of a longitudinal section of a main part of the refrigerator. FIG. 16 is a plan sectional view of a pair of double doors and a center pillar.

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  First, the outline | summary of the refrigerator 1 is demonstrated on the basis of the left-right direction X, the front-back direction Y, and the up-down direction Z in FIG. The left-right direction X is a crossing direction that intersects the front-rear direction Y, strictly, perpendicularly. Of the left and right directions X, the left side is referred to as the left side X1, and the right side is referred to as the right side X2. The front-rear direction Y is a predetermined direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 1, and of the front-rear direction Y, the front side on the front side of the paper surface is referred to as the front Y1, and the rear side on the back side of the paper surface is referred to as the rear Y2. The front Y1 is one side in the predetermined direction described above, and the rear Y2 is the side opposite to the one side. The left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y are included in the horizontal direction H. The vertical direction Z is a direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction H. In the vertical direction Z, the upper part is referred to as an upper part Z1, and the lower part is referred to as a lower part Z2.

  The refrigerator 1 includes a main body 2 and a door 3. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main body 2 with the door 3 omitted, as viewed from the front Y1. Referring to FIG. 2, the main body 2 is formed in a box shape elongated in the vertical direction Z and has a depth in the front-rear direction Y. In the main body 2, a plurality of rectangular parallelepiped storage chambers 4 for storing articles such as food to be cooled and stored are formed. These storage chambers 4 include a refrigeration chamber 4A occupying substantially the upper half of the internal space of the main body 2, an ice making chamber 4B and a variable temperature chamber 4C arranged in the left-right direction X2 below the refrigeration chamber 4A, and the ice making chamber 4B and the variable temperature chamber A distinction is made between a first freezer compartment 4D located in the lower Z2 of 4C and a second freezer compartment 4E located in the lower Z2 of the first freezer compartment 4D.

  The refrigerator compartment 4A stores articles that are stored in a refrigerator. A shelf 5 formed in a plate shape along the horizontal direction H is disposed in the refrigerator compartment 4A. There are three shelves 5, for example, and are arranged in the up-down direction Z at intervals. With these shelves 5, the refrigerator compartment 4 </ b> A is partitioned into a plurality of regions arranged in the vertical direction Z. For example, the second shelf 5 from the upper Z1 is divided into a front shelf 5A arranged at the front Y1 and a rear shelf 5B arranged at the rear Y2. The front shelf 5A is formed of a rectangular glass plate that is long in the left-right direction X, and only the two sides before and after the front shelf are covered with resin, but the remaining two sides are exposed by exposing the glass background. The appearance is improved. On the other hand, the rear shelf 5B is a rectangular glass plate that is long in the left-right direction X and is coated with resin on all four sides. By folding the front shelf 5A and moving it to the rear Y2, the front shelf 5A can be stored in the lower portion Y2 of the rear shelf 5B. A box-shaped vegetable storage 6 for storing vegetables and the like is provided below the shelf 5 at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 4A.

  The ice making room 4B is arranged on the left side X1 with respect to the variable temperature room 4C. Ice is made or stored in the ice making chamber 4B. A water supply tank 7 that supplies ice water to the ice making chamber 4B is disposed, for example, at the lower end of the left side X1 of the vegetable storage 6. The variable temperature room 4C can be used as a backup for a refrigerator room or a freezer room by arbitrarily changing the room temperature. Further, in the variable temperature room 4C, the article can be stored in a cold state at an arbitrary temperature between the refrigeration temperature and the freezing temperature. Articles to be stored frozen are stored in the first freezer compartment 4D and the second freezer compartment 4E.

  The same number of openings 8 as the storage chambers 4 are formed in the side surface 2A of the front Y1 of the main body 2. Each opening 8 communicates with the corresponding storage chamber 4 from the front Y1, and exposes the corresponding storage chamber 4 from the side surface 2A to the front Y1.

  The door 3 has a substantially rectangular plate shape, and is provided for each storage chamber 4 in the side surface portion 2A. A pair of doors 3 for the refrigerator compartment 4 </ b> A are provided on the left and right so that the doors can be opened. For the ice making room 4B, the variable temperature room 4C, the first freezing room 4D and the second freezing room 4E, one door 3 is provided, and any door 3 can be pulled out to the front Y1 (see FIG. 1). These doors 3 open and close the corresponding storage chambers 4 from the front Y1.

  With reference to FIG. 3 when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the rear Y2, the outer surface 2B of the rear Y2 in the main body 2 extends in the up-down direction Z. A substrate box 10 is provided in a substantially central region in the left-right direction X at the upper end portion of the outer side surface portion 2B. The substrate box 10 is formed in a box shape that is long in the left-right direction X and flat in the front-rear direction Y. The board box 10 houses a control unit 11 that is electrically connected to electrical components (described later) in the main body 2. The control unit 11 is a substrate on which a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like are mounted.

  4 and 5 are both right side views of the AA arrow cross section of the refrigerator 1, FIG. 4 is a schematic view, and FIG. 5 is a realistic view. Referring to FIG. 4, main body 2 is disposed between outer box 12 constituting the outer shell, a plurality of inner boxes 13 housed in outer box 12, and outer box 12 and inner box 13. And the heat insulating member 14.

  The outer box 12 is made of metal and is formed in a box shape that is long in the vertical direction Z. The entire front surface of the outer box 12 is an opening 12A that exposes the inner space of the outer box 12 to the front Y1.

  The inner box 13 is formed in a resin box shape, and the entire area of the front surface is an opening 13A that exposes the inner space of the inner box 13 to the front Y1. There are two inner boxes 13 in total, and these inner boxes 13 are located in the refrigerated inner box 15 located in the substantially upper half of the inner space of the outer box 12 and in the substantially lower half of the inner space of the outer box 12. It is distinguished from the refrigerated inner box 16. A refrigerator compartment 4A is formed in the refrigerator compartment 15. The opening 13A of the refrigerated inner box 15 is the opening 8 of the refrigerator compartment 4A. In the freezing inner box 16, an ice making room 4B, a variable temperature room 4C, a first freezing room 4D, and a second freezing room 4E are formed. The opening 13A of the freezer inner box 16 is divided into the respective openings 8 of the ice making room 4B, the variable temperature chamber 4C, the first freezing room 4D, and the second freezing room 4E.

  A plate-like partition member 17 that is thin in the up-down direction Z and extends in the horizontal direction H and a plate-like partition member 18 that is thin in the left-right direction X and extends in the front-rear and up-down directions are provided in the freezer inner box 16. The partition member 17 is disposed between the ice making room 4B and the variable temperature room 4C and the first freezing room 4D in a state of being laid between both side walls in the left-right direction X of the freezing inner box 16. Thereby, the partition member 17 partitions between the ice making chamber 4B and the first freezing chamber 4D adjacent in the vertical direction Z, and between the variable temperature chamber 4C and the first freezing chamber 4D adjacent in the vertical direction Z. Partition (see FIG. 2). The partition member 18 is disposed between the ice making chamber 4B and the variable temperature chamber 4C in a state of being laid between the substantially central portion of the partition member 17 in the left-right direction X and the upper wall 16A of the freezer inner box 16. Thereby, the partition member 18 partitions between the ice making chamber 4B and the variable temperature chamber 4C which adjoin in the left-right direction X (refer FIG. 2). A partition member 19 that partitions the first freezer compartment 4D and the second freezer compartment 4E may be provided in the freezer inner box 16. However, the first freezer compartment 4D and the second freezer compartment 4E are not completely cut off by the partition member 19, and the first freezer compartment 4D and the second freezer compartment 4E are in communication with each other.

  The refrigerated inner box 15 and the frozen inner box 16 are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction Z in the outer box 12. The lower wall 15A of the refrigerated inner box 15 is disposed in the upper Z1 with a gap with respect to the upper wall 16A of the frozen inner box 16. Between the front end portions of the lower wall 15A and the upper wall 16A, a plate-like connecting portion 20 extending in the left-right direction X is installed. Thereby, the refrigerated inner box 15 and the frozen inner box 16 are in a state of being connected to each other.

  The heat insulating member 14 is made of urethane, for example. When the main body 2 is manufactured, the foamable urethane foams after being injected into the gap between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13 or the gap between the refrigerated inner box 15 and the frozen inner box 16 and is filled in these gaps. Thus, the heat insulating member 14 is obtained. The heat insulating member 14 insulates between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13 and insulates between the refrigerated inner box 15 and the frozen inner box 16. The heat insulating member 14 is arranged in advance in each internal space when the door 3 and the partition members 17 and 18 are in the state of parts before being incorporated into the main body 2 (see also FIG. 5). Thereby, between each storage room 4 and the exterior ahead of the refrigerator 1 is thermally insulated by the door 3, and between each of the ice making room 4B and the variable temperature chamber 4C, and the 1st freezing room 4D is insulated by the partition member 17, The partition member 18 insulates between the ice making chamber 4B and the variable temperature chamber 4C. In addition, as the heat insulation member 14 in each of the partition members 17 and 18, a foamed polystyrene molded product can be used instead of foaming urethane. Moreover, the hatching (refer FIG. 5) which shows the cross section of the heat insulation member 14 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. 4 for convenience of explanation.

  The refrigerator 1 generates cool air for cooling the articles in each storage chamber 4 by a vapor compression refrigeration circuit using a refrigerant such as isobutane. The refrigerator 1 includes a compressor 25, a flow path 26, a cooler 27, a condenser 29, a dryer 30 and the like that constitute the refrigeration circuit.

  As the compressor 25, a known component for compressing the refrigerant is used. The compressor 25 is disposed at the lower end of the rear Y2 of the main body 2. The flow path 26 is configured by, for example, a metal pipe, and is a circulation flow path that returns the refrigerant to the compressor 25 again after taking out the refrigerant from the compressor 25. The flow path 26 is disposed so as to go around the main body 2 and the partition member 17 as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. Specifically, the flow path 26 is stretched over the entire region of the heat insulating member 14 of the main body 2 and the partition member 17. The direction in which the refrigerant flows in the flow path 26 is indicated by a dotted arrow.

  The cooler 27 is also called an evaporator, and a known component is used for the cooler 27 as a component for evaporating the refrigerant. One cooler 27 is provided for each of the refrigerated inner box 15 and the frozen inner box 16. The cooler 27 of the refrigerated inner box 15 is hereinafter referred to as a first cooler 27A, and the cooler 27 of the refrigerated inner box 16 is hereinafter referred to as a second cooler 27B. The first cooler 27 </ b> A and the second cooler 27 </ b> B are provided in the middle of the flow path 26. The first cooler 27A is accommodated in, for example, a box-shaped first cooling chamber 31, and the second cooler 27B is accommodated in, for example, a box-shaped second cooling chamber 32. The first cooling chamber 31 is disposed in the refrigerated inner box 15. The first cooling chamber 31 has an outlet 31A and an inlet 31B, and the outlet 31A is provided with a fan 33 that is rotationally driven. The second cooling chamber 32 is disposed in the freezer inner box 16. The second cooling chamber 32 has an outlet 32A and an inlet 32B, and the outlet 32A is provided with a fan 34 that is rotationally driven.

  The condenser 29 is a component that condenses the refrigerant, and is provided between the compressor 25 and the cooler 27 in the flow path 26. The dryer 30 is a component that dries the refrigerant, and is provided between the condenser 29 and the cooler 27 in the flow path 26. A part of the flow path 26 between the dryer 30 and the cooler 27 is configured as a capillary tube.

  The refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant by being compressed by the compressor 25, and then liquefies while dissipating heat when passing through the condenser 29. The liquefied refrigerant is decompressed when passing through the dryer 30 and then through the capillary tube, and then evaporates in the first cooler 27A and the second cooler 27B. Incidentally, the flow path 26 is provided with a branch path 26A that is shortcutted to the second cooler 27B without passing through the first cooler 27A. Therefore, a part of the refrigerant decompressed by the capillary tube goes directly to the second cooler 27B through the branch path 26A as indicated by a dotted arrow A1.

  When the refrigerant evaporates in the first cooler 27A, the air around the first cooler 27A in the first cooling chamber 31 is cooled to become cool air. The cold air in the first cooling chamber 31 is pushed out of the first cooling chamber 31 from the outlet 31A by the rotating fan 33 and flows through the refrigerating chamber 4A of the refrigerating inner box 15 as indicated by the solid line arrow. It returns to the 1st cooling chamber 31 from 31B, and is cooled again by the 1st cooler 27A. While the fan 33 is rotating, the cold air circulates between the refrigerating room 4A and the first cooling room 31 to cool the articles in the refrigerating room 4A.

  When the refrigerant evaporates in the second cooler 27B, the air around the second cooler 27B in the second cooling chamber 32 is cooled to become cool air. The cold air in the second cooling chamber 32 is pushed out of the second cooling chamber 32 from the outlet 32A by the rotating fan 34, and as shown by the one-dot chain line arrow, in the first freezing chamber 4D of the freezing inner box 16 Then, after flowing through the second freezing chamber 4E, it returns from the inlet 32B into the second cooling chamber 32 and is cooled again by the second cooler 27B. During the rotation of the fan 34, the cold air circulates between the first freezing chamber 4D and the second freezing chamber 4E and the second cooling chamber 32 to cool the articles in the first freezing chamber 4D and the second freezing chamber 4E. To do. Since the flow rate of the cold air in the freezer inner box 16 is set to be larger than the flow rate of the cold air in the refrigerating inner box 15, the articles in the freezer inner box 16 are stored frozen.

  Since the ice making room 4B (see FIG. 2) and the first freezing room 4D are always in communication, the cold air in the first freezing room 4D always flows into the ice making room 4B while the fan 34 is rotating. Thereby, the production | generation and preservation | save of ice in the ice making chamber 4B are implement | achieved.

  On the other hand, the variable temperature chamber 4C and the first freezer compartment 4D are in communication with each other through a through hole 17A penetrating the rear end of the partition member 17 in the vertical direction Z. The through hole 17A is a circuit called a damper. It is opened and closed by a movable plate-like opening and closing member 35. Therefore, when the opening / closing member 35 closes the through hole 17A in the posture along the horizontal direction H as shown by the solid line, the temperature between the variable temperature chamber 4C and the first freezing room 4D is blocked, so the first freezing room The cold air in 4D does not flow into the temperature changing room 4C. On the other hand, in the state where the opening / closing member 35 is rotated upward Z1 and the through hole 17A is opened as shown by the dotted line, the temperature changing chamber 4C and the first freezer compartment 4D communicate with each other. As shown by the two-dot chain line arrow, the cold air flows through the through-hole 17A and flows into the variable temperature chamber 4C to cool the articles in the variable temperature chamber 4C. When the opening / closing time of the opening / closing member 35 is changed to adjust the opening degree of the through hole 17A, the flow rate of the cold air from the through hole 17A toward the variable temperature chamber 4C is adjusted. Thereby, the room temperature of the variable temperature room 4C can be set arbitrarily.

  As described above, the refrigerant evaporated in the first cooler 27 </ b> A and the second cooler 27 </ b> B continues to flow through the flow path 26, returns to the compressor 25, and is compressed again by the compressor 25. That is, the refrigerant repeats compression, heat dissipation, decompression, and evaporation while circulating between the compressor 25 and the cooler 27 by flowing in the flow path 26.

  Since the second cooler 27 </ b> B of the second cooling chamber 32 generates cold air for freezing, frost can be generated on the surface of the second freezer 28. Therefore, a defrost heater 36 is provided in the second cooling chamber 32. When the defrost heater 36 is energized and generates heat, the frost on the surface of the second cooler 27B melts and flows down as water. For example, an evaporating dish 37 opened to the upper side Z <b> 1 is provided at the lower end of the main body 2. The water that has flowed down from the surface of the second cooler 27 </ b> B accumulates in the evaporating dish 37 through a water channel 38 (see FIG. 5) that extends from the second cooling chamber 32 to the lower Z <b> 2 and is connected to the evaporating dish 37. The water accumulated in the evaporating dish 37 evaporates due to the refrigerant that has become high temperature by the compressor 25 and the heat of the flow path 26. A defrost heater (not shown) having the same function as the defrost heater 36 is also provided in the first cooling chamber 31.

  Referring to FIG. 6, which is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the refrigerator 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a fan drive motor 41 and a damper in addition to the compressor 25 and the defrosting heater 36 described above as the above-described electrical components. A switching motor 42 and a temperature sensor 43 are included. The fan drive motor 41 is provided in each of the fans 33 and 34, and rotates the corresponding fan. The damper switching motor 42 opens and closes the opening / closing member 35. The temperature sensor 43 is provided in each storage chamber 4 and detects the room temperature of the corresponding storage chamber 4. The control unit 11 is electrically connected to these electrical components, controls the operation of the compressor 25, the defrost heater 36, the fan drive motor 41 and the damper switching motor 42, and inputs the detection result of the temperature sensor 43. Or accept.

  The above is the outline of the refrigerator 1, and in the following, the configuration of the pair of double doors 3 provided in the main body 2 of the refrigerator 1 for the refrigerator compartment 4 </ b> A and its surroundings will be described in detail. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, of the pair of doors 3, one door 3 located on the left side X1 will be referred to as a door 3L, and the other door 3 located on the right side X2 will be referred to as a door 3R.

  At the left and right ends of the front end portion of the upper surface portion of the main body 2, one support portion 51 having a support shaft 50 (see FIG. 7 described later) extending downward is provided. The upper portion of the left end portion of the door 3L is rotatably supported by the support shaft 50 of the support portion 51 on the left side X1, and the upper portion of the right end portion of the door 3R is the support shaft 50 of the support portion 51 on the right side X2. (See also FIG. 3). As a result, the door 3L and the door 3R have a double door configuration. Although not shown, the main body 2 may be provided with a support portion that rotatably supports the lower portions of the door 3L and the door 3R.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a closed door 3L and a center pillar 53 that blocks the left and right gaps 52 of the door 3R from the rear Y2. In FIG. 1, the center pillar 53 is in a state hidden behind the door 3L and the rear Y2 of the door 3R. By the center pillar 53 closing the gap 52 from the rear Y2, the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 4A is prevented from leaking outside through the gap 52. The center pillar 53 is formed in a substantially prismatic shape elongated in the vertical direction Z. The center pillar 53 has substantially the same dimensions as the refrigerator compartment 4A in the vertical direction Z.

  With reference to FIG. 7 which is a schematic plan view showing opening and closing of the door 3L and the door 3R, the center pillar 53 is provided on the door 3L. The door 3L is provided with a support shaft 54 extending in the vertical direction Z, and the center pillar 53 is rotatable about the support shaft 54 as a rotation center. The shape of the center pillar 53 in a plan view viewed from the upper side Z1 is a substantially rectangular shape. The center pillar 53 indicated by a solid line in FIG. 7 is in an open position in which the longitudinal direction L of the planar shape is substantially orthogonal to the rear surface portion of the door 3L in plan view. The center pillar 53 indicated by a broken line in FIG. 7 is in a closed position in which the longitudinal direction L is substantially parallel to the rear surface portion of the door 3L in plan view. The center pillar 53 is rotatable between an open position and a closed position. When the center pillar 53 in the open position rotates clockwise in plan view. Reach the closed position. The center pillar 53 is in a state of being biased so as to be located at either the open position or the closed position by a biasing member 55 (see FIG. 8 described later) such as a spring.

  On the upper end surface portion of the center pillar 53, a guide projection 56 that protrudes upward Z1 is provided. With the center pillar 53 in the open position as a reference, the guide protrusion 56 is formed in a rib shape extending rightward X2 and rearward Y2 so as to be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction L described above in plan view. In relation to the guide protrusion 56, a guide member 57 is provided at the lower wall portion of the upper wall 15B of the refrigerated inner box 15 of the main body 2 of the refrigerator 1 substantially at the center in the left-right direction X of the front end portion (see also FIG. 2). ). The guide member 57 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a guide groove 57A is formed on the front surface portion thereof. The guide groove 57A extends from the front surface portion of the guide protrusion 56 to the rear Y2 and curves to the right X2.

  As indicated by the solid line, the center pillar 53 is in the open position when the door 3L is opened to the front Y1. In this state, when the door 3L is closed to the rear Y2 as indicated by a broken line, the guide protrusion 56 fits into the guide groove 57A of the guide member 57. At this time, when the guide protrusion 56 follows the curve of the guide groove 57A, the center pillar 53 rotates clockwise in a plan view and reaches the closed position from the open position. The center pillar 53 in the closed position is placed between the front end portion of the lower wall 15A of the refrigerated inner box 15 and the front end portion of the upper wall 15B (see FIG. 2).

  Thereafter, when the door 3R opened as shown by the solid line is closed to the rear Y2 as shown by the broken line, the closed door 3L and the gap 52 between the doors 3R are separated from the rear Y2 by the center pillar 53 in the closed position. It is blocked. The door 3L may be closed after the door 3R is closed first. In this case, the center pillar 53 reaches the closed position without hitting the closed door 3R on the way, and the door in the closed state. The gap 52 between 3L and the door 3R is closed from the rear Y2. When the closed door 3L is opened to the front Y1, the guide protrusion 56 is removed from the guide groove 57A, so that the center pillar 53 returns to the open position by the biasing force of the biasing member 55 described above. Thus, the center pillar 53 rotates in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door 3L.

  FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the center pillar 53 in the closed position. In the following, using the left and right direction X, the front and rear direction Y, and the up and down direction Z as described above with reference to the posture of the center pillar 53 when it is in the closed position where the gap 52 between the closed door 3L and the door 3R is closed, The center pillar 53 will be described. The center pillar 53 includes a main body member 60, a first seal member 61, a second seal member 62, a heat insulating member 63, a dew condensation prevention heater 64, and a closing member 65.

  The main body member 60 constitutes most of the outer shell of the center pillar 53. The main body member 60 is made of a resin such as plastic and is manufactured by injection molding. The main body member 60 is a substantially prismatic hollow body elongated in the vertical direction Z. The main body member 60 includes a rear wall 70, a left wall 71, a right wall 72, and a front wall 73 that are elongated in the vertical direction Z, and an upper wall 74 and a lower wall 75 that are thin in the vertical direction Z and rectangular in plan view. The rear wall 70 is constructed between the rear end edges of the upper wall 74 and the lower wall 75, and the left wall 71 is constructed between the left end edges of the upper wall 74 and the lower wall 75. The right wall 72 is constructed between the rear ends of the right end edges of the upper wall 74 and the lower wall 75. The front wall 73 is constructed between the left ends of the front end edges of the upper wall 74 and the lower wall 75. A portion surrounded by the rear wall 70, the left wall 71, the right wall 72, the front wall 73, the upper wall 74, and the lower wall 75 is an internal space 60 </ b> A of the main body member 60. The internal space 60 </ b> A is exposed to the outside of the main body member 60 at the right side X <b> 2 from the front wall 73 and the front side Y <b> 1 from the right wall 72.

  71 A of insertion parts are provided in the upper end part and lower end part of the left wall 71, respectively. The insertion portion 71A is a concave portion recessed from the left surface portion of the left wall 71 to the right X2, and is formed so as to protrude into the internal space 60A (see also FIG. 10 described later). An insertion hole 71B that exposes the inside of the insertion portion 71A in the vertical direction Z is formed in the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion of each insertion portion 71A. The front end portion 72A of the right wall 72 is formed to be narrower by one step in the left-right direction X, and a plurality of claws 72B protruding in the right direction X2 are provided side by side in the up-down direction Z on the right surface portion of the front end portion 72A. On the right end surface portion of the front wall 73, a groove 73A extending in the vertical direction Z while being recessed to the left X1 is provided in the entire area in the vertical direction Z (see FIG. 12 described later). The longitudinal directions of the rectangular upper wall 74 and lower wall 75 coincide with the above-described longitudinal direction L (see FIG. 7). The above-described guide protrusion 56 is provided on the upper surface portion of the upper wall 74. In the upper wall 74, at the front end portion of the front Y1 from the guide protrusion 56, a first through hole 74A is formed at the right end portion, and a second through hole 74B is formed at the approximate center in the left-right direction X. The first through hole 74A and the second through hole 74B penetrate the upper wall 74 in the vertical direction Z.

  In such a main body member 60, for example, the upper end portion and the lower end portion do not exist as caps of separate parts, but the entire main body member 60 is a single part, so that the appearance and assembly workability can be improved. .

  The first seal member 61 is long in the left-right direction X and has substantially the same length in the left-right direction X as the front end portion 75 </ b> A of the lower wall 75 of the main body member 60. The second seal member 62 is long in the up-down direction Z and has substantially the same length in the up-down direction Z as the front end portion 72 </ b> A of the right wall 72 of the main body member 60. The first seal member 61 and the second seal member 62 are different in length in the longitudinal direction M, but have a common cross-sectional shape when cut by a cut surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction M. Each of the first seal member 61 and the second seal member 62 has the same cross-sectional shape at any position in the longitudinal direction M. In this case, the first seal member 61 and the second seal member 62 having a common cross-sectional shape can be manufactured in the same molding process. As a result, the manufacturing process of the center pillar 53 can be simplified, so that the productivity of the center pillar 53 can be improved.

  Referring to FIG. 9 showing the cross-sectional shapes of first seal member 61 and second seal member 62, each of first seal member 61 and second seal member 62 is formed of a hard material such as hard vinyl chloride. It is a two-color molded product that integrally includes a hard portion 80 and a soft portion 81 formed of a soft material such as soft vinyl chloride. Each of the first seal member 61 and the second seal member 62 is manufactured by extruding hard vinyl chloride and soft vinyl chloride and then cutting them to a desired length.

  The hard portion 80 includes one end portion 82, the other end portion 83, and a connecting portion 84. The one end portion 82, the connecting portion 84, and the other end portion 83 are arranged in this order. A connecting portion 84 is constructed between the one end portion 82 and the other end portion 83. The arrangement direction S of the one end portion 82, the connecting portion 84, and the other end portion 83 is a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction M. In the arrangement direction S, the one end portion 82 is located on one side S1 from the connecting portion 84, and the other end portion 83 is located on the other side S2 opposite to the one side S1 from the connecting portion 84.

  When a direction orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction M and the arrangement direction S is called an orthogonal direction T, the one end portion 82 protrudes to one side T1 in the orthogonal direction T from the other end portion 83 and the connecting portion 84. It is formed. In one end portion 82, a side surface portion on one side T <b> 1 has a groove 82 </ b> A recessed in the orthogonal direction T toward the other side T <b> 2 opposite to the one side T <b> 1. It is formed over the entire area in M. A through hole 82B penetrating the one end portion 82 along the longitudinal direction M is formed on the other side S2 of the one end portion 82 from the groove 82A. In the other end portion 83, a groove 83 </ b> A that is recessed toward the one side S <b> 1 is formed in the side surface portion on the other side S <b> 2 over the entire area in the longitudinal direction M of each of the first seal member 61 and the second seal member 62. On the wall surface of the other side T2 in the groove 83A, a recess 83B that is recessed toward the other side T2 is formed over the entire area in the longitudinal direction M of each of the first seal member 61 and the second seal member 62. The side surface portions on the other side T <b> 2 of the one end portion 82, the coupling portion 84, and the other end portion 83 are flush with each other along the arrangement direction S.

  The soft portion 81 has a tongue-like shape, extends from the side surface portion on the other side T2 of the one end portion 82 to the other side S2 and the other side T2, and then curves and extends to the other side S2 and the one side T1.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the completed center pillar 53. When the door 3L is closed and the center pillar 53 is rotated to the closed position as shown in FIG. 10, in the center pillar 53, the side surface portion 60B of the front Y1 of the main body member 60 faces the front Y1.

  11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. Referring to FIG. 11, the first seal member 61 is provided so as to border the front end 75 </ b> A of the lower wall 75 of the main body member 60 to the left and right. In the first seal member 61, the hard portion 80 is located above the lower wall 75 Z <b> 1, and the soft portion 81 is located below the lower wall 75 Z <b> 2. The lower wall 75 is inserted from the rear Y2 between the hard portion 80 and the soft portion 81. The second seal member 62 is provided so as to border the front end 72A of the right wall 72 of the main body member 60 vertically. In the second seal member 62, the front end 72A of the right wall 72 is fitted from the rear Y2 into the groove 83A of the other end 83 of the hard portion 80.

  Referring to FIG. 12, which is a perspective view of the main part of the center pillar 53 partially including a flat cross section, the claw 72 </ b> B on the right surface portion of the front end portion 72 </ b> A of the right wall 72 is formed on the rigid portion 80 of the second seal member 62. It is in a state of being fitted from the left side X1 into the recess 83B of the groove 83A. Further, the first through hole 74A of the upper wall 74 of the main body member 60 is in a state where it overlaps with the through hole 82B of the hard portion 80 from above Z1, and the screw 85 passes through the first through hole 74A to the through hole 82B. It is assembled (see FIG. 8). Therefore, the second seal member 62 cannot be detached from the front end portion 72 </ b> A of the right wall 72 and becomes a part of the main body member 60. In the second seal member 62, the front side surface portion of the one end portion 82 of the hard portion 80 constitutes the side surface portion 60 </ b> B of the front Y <b> 1 of the main body member 60 together with the front surface portion of the front wall 73 of the main body member 60. Further, in the second seal member 62, the soft portion 81 is disposed so as to protrude to the right side X <b> 2 from the right wall 72.

  Referring to FIG. 13, which is a perspective view of the main body member 60 in which the second seal member 62 is integrated, an opening 60 </ b> C is provided in the side surface 60 </ b> B of the front Y <b> 1 of the main body member 60. The opening 60 </ b> C is sandwiched between the front wall 73 of the main body member 60 and the one end 82 of the hard portion 80 of the second seal member 62 from the left-right direction X, and the front ends of the upper wall 74 and the lower wall 75 of the main body member 60. It is sandwiched from the up-down direction Z by the edge and is elongated in the up-down direction Z. The opening 60C exposes the internal space 60A of the main body member 60 to the front Y1. Referring to FIG. 12, a groove 73A on the right end surface portion of front wall 73 and a groove 82A on one end portion 82 of hard portion 80 are located on both sides of opening 60C in lateral direction X in side surface portion 60B, and in the left-right direction. These are a pair of left and right grooves that are recessed along X. The groove 73A and the groove 82A are at the same position in the front-rear direction Y, and are provided so as to sandwich the opening 60C from the left-right direction X.

  Referring to FIG. 8, the heat insulating member 63 is made of, for example, polystyrene foam, and is formed in a block shape elongated in the vertical direction Z. The heat insulating member 63 is approximately the same size as the internal space 60 </ b> A of the main body member 60. The heat insulating member 63 is accommodated in the internal space 60A through the opening 60C (see FIG. 12). In the state where the center pillar 53 is in the closed position, the heat insulating member 63 insulates the closed state between the door 3L and the left and right gaps 52 of the door 3R and the refrigerator compartment 4A (see FIG. 16 described later).

  The condensation prevention heater 64 is formed in a strip shape that is thin in the front-rear direction Y and extends in the up-down direction Z. The dew condensation prevention heater 64 is connected to an electric wire 86 and a ground wire 95 for supplying power to the dew condensation prevention heater 64, and the dew condensation prevention heater 64 generates heat when supplied with power. The condensation prevention heater 64 is accommodated in the internal space 60A through the opening 60C, and is disposed in front Y1 of the heat insulating member 63 in the internal space 60A. For convenience of explanation, the illustration of the dew condensation prevention heater 64 is omitted except for FIG.

  The closing member 65 is a strip-shaped steel plate that is thin in the front-rear direction Y and extends in the up-down direction Z. Each of the left end portion 65A and the right end portion 65B of the closing member 65 is bent in a crank shape so as to be shifted one step toward the rear Y2. The closing member 65 is provided with a flange portion 65C that protrudes rearward Y2 along its upper edge. In the middle of the flange portion 65C in the left-right direction X, a screw hole 65D that penetrates the flange portion 65C in the up-down direction Z is formed. The lower end portion 65E of the closing member 65 is bent in a crank shape so as to be shifted by one step toward the rear Y2.

  Referring to FIG. 12, the closing member 65 is attached to the main body member 60 from the front Z1 so as to close the opening 60C of the main body member 60 from the front Y1. In the closing member 65 attached to the main body member 60, the left end portion 65 </ b> A is inserted from the right side X <b> 2 into the groove 73 </ b> A on the right end surface portion of the front wall 73 of the main body member 60, and the right end portion 65 </ b> B is inserted into the main body member 60. Is inserted into the groove 82A of the second seal member 62 provided from the left side X1. In this case, when the center pillar 53 in the closed position is viewed from the front Y1, the gap between the left end 65A of the closing member 65 and the wall surface 73B of the groove 73A is not exposed to the front Y1 and is not noticeable. Similarly, the gap between the right end portion 65B of the closing member 65 and the wall surface 82C of the groove 82A is not exposed to the front Y1 and is not noticeable. Therefore, the center pillar 53 looks good. Therefore, the appearance of the center pillar 53 can be improved.

  Referring to FIG. 8, the second through hole 74B of the upper wall 74 of the main body member 60 is overlapped with the screw hole 65D of the flange portion 65C of the closing member 65 from above Z1, and the screw 87 is inserted into the second through hole. It is assembled to the screw hole 65D through the hole 74B. Further, the lower end portion 65E of the closing member 65 is inserted from the upper Z1 into the groove 82A facing the upper Z1 in the hard portion 80 of the first seal member 61 attached to the lower end of the main body member 60 (see FIG. 11). . As described above, the closing member 65 is fixed to the main body member 60 so as not to be detached. Further, a dew condensation prevention heater 64 is attached to the rear surface portion of the closing member 65 over almost the entire area in the vertical direction Z. Since the blocking member 65 is heated by the heat generated by the dew condensation prevention heater 64, it is possible to prevent dew condensation from occurring on the surface of the blocking member 65.

  A hinge member 88 for attaching the center pillar 53 to the door 3L is provided on the door 3L. Two hinge members 88 are provided, for example, and are arranged at intervals in the up-down direction Z. Each hinge member 88 includes a plate-like base portion 89 disposed along the surface of the door 3 and a protruding portion 90 protruding from the base portion 89. The support shaft 54 described above is provided at the tip of the protrusion 90 that is farthest from the base 89. Each hinge member 88 is fixed to the door 3L by a screw 91 assembled to the base portion 89, like the hinge member 88 in the lower Z2. An elastic member 92 such as rubber is attached to the side surface portion of the base portion 89 on the protruding portion 90 side.

  FIG. 14 is a side view of the main body member 60 of the center pillar 53 and the hinge member 88 on the door 3L side. Referring to FIG. 14, the support shaft 54 of the hinge member 88 of the upper Z1 is inserted from the outside of the main body member 60 to the inside of the insertion portion 71A of the upper Z1 in the left wall 71 of the main body member 60. It is inserted through the insertion hole 71B of the portion 71A. The support shaft 54 of the lower Z2 hinge member 88 is inserted from the outside of the main body member 60 into the insertion portion 71A of the lower Z2 in the left wall 71 and is inserted into the insertion hole 71B of the insertion portion 71A. Thereby, the center pillar 53 is rotatably supported by the door 3L via the support shaft 54 of the upper and lower hinge members 88.

  Thus, even if a fastening member such as a screw is not used, if the support shaft 54 of the door 3L is inserted into the insertion portion 71A of the main body member 60, the center pillar 53 is assembled to the door 3L, and the support shaft 54 is rotated. It can be turned as a moving center. Thereby, since the assembly | attachment process of the center pillar 53 with respect to the door 3L can be simplified, the improvement of the assembly | attachment property regarding the center pillar 53 can be aimed at.

  By the way, as a configuration of the comparative example, as described above, the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the main body member 60 are caps of separate parts, and when the support shaft 54 is attached to the cap, Since the upper and lower intervals of the support shaft 54 are restricted by these caps, it is difficult to change them arbitrarily. However, in the present embodiment, the position of the upper and lower support shafts 54 and the vertical distance Q between the support shafts 54 can be arbitrarily changed by adjusting the positions where the upper and lower insertion portions 71A are provided. .

  Referring to FIG. 8, when the center pillar 53 rotates from the open position to the closed position, the elastic member 92 of the base portion 89 of each hinge member 88 comes into elastic contact with the center pillar 53. The collision sound with 88 is reduced.

  Further, the biasing member 55 described above is a coil spring, and one end 55A thereof is engaged with the insertion portion 71A of the lower Z2 and the other end 55B is engaged with the hinge member 88 of the lower Z2. Thereby, the center pillar 53 is urged so as to be located at either the open position or the closed position by the urging force of the urging member 55. Further, in the upper Z hinge member 88, each of the support shaft 54 and the protruding portion 90 is a hollow body, and the internal spaces thereof are in communication with each other. The electric wire 86 and the ground wire 95 of the dew condensation prevention heater 64 are drawn out of the center pillar 53 through the internal spaces of the support shaft 54 and the protruding portion 90 of the upper Z hinge member 88, and are supplied to the main body power supply ( (Not shown) and the control unit 11 (see FIG. 6).

  FIG. 15 is a right side view of the longitudinal section of the main part of the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. 15, when the door 3 </ b> L is closed and the center pillar 53 is rotated to the closed position, the soft part 81 of the first seal member 61 at the lower end of the main body member 60 is refrigerated in the main body 2. The inner box 15 is in close contact with the front end of the upper surface of the lower wall 15A of the inner box 15 from above Z1. As a result, the upper and lower gaps 97 between the center pillar 53 and the lower wall 15A of the refrigerated inner box 15 are closed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cold air in the refrigerated inner box 15 from leaking outside through the gap 97, so that the cooling performance in the refrigerator 1 can be improved. Further, the first seal member 61 is interposed between the lower wall 75 of the resin main body member 60 and the lower end portion 65E of the metal closing member 65 (see FIG. 11), whereby the main body member 60 and the closing member are disposed. Variations in overall dimensions in the vertical direction Z of 65 can be absorbed by elastic deformation of the first seal member 61.

  FIG. 16 is a plan sectional view of the door 3L and the door 3R in the closed state and the center pillar 53 in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 16, when both the door 3 </ b> L and the door 3 </ b> R are closed, in the center pillar 53 rotated to the closed position, the second seal member 62 located at the right end of the side surface portion 60 </ b> B of the front Y <b> 1 of the main body member 60. The soft portion 81 is closely attached to the left end portion of the side surface portion of the rear Y2 of the door 3R over the entire area in the vertical direction Z. As a result, the gap 98 between the center pillar 53 and the door 3R is blocked over the entire area in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cold air in the refrigerated inner box 15 from leaking outside through the gap 98, so that the cooling performance in the refrigerator 1 can be improved. In addition, a vinyl chloride gasket 94 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the side portion of the rear Y2 of each door 3 in the closed state, and the gasket 94 is provided on the side portion 2A of the front Y1 of the main body 2 and the center pillar. It closely adheres to the front surface portion of the 53 blocking members 65. This also prevents the cold air in the refrigerated inner box 15 from leaking outside. Moreover, since the magnet (not shown) provided along the gasket 94 is attracted to the metal portion of the side surface portion 2A or the metal closing member 65, the closed state of the door 3 is maintained.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

  For example, the assembly procedure of the center pillar 53 can be arbitrarily changed. Specifically, the heat insulating member 63 is first accommodated in the internal space 60A of the main body member 60 before the second seal member 62 is attached, and then the blockage in a state where the dew condensation prevention heater 64 and the second seal member 62 are attached. The member 65 may be attached to the main body member 60 (see FIG. 8).

  The center pillar 53 may be provided not on the door 3L but on the door 3R. The guide protrusion 56 may be provided on the upper wall 15B of the refrigerated inner box 15 instead of the center pillar 53, and the guide member 57 may be provided on the upper end portion of the center pillar 53 (see FIG. 7).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Main body 3 Door 3L Door 3R Door 4 Storage chamber 52 Clearance 53 Center pillar 54 Support shaft 60 Main body member 60A Hollow part 60B Side surface part 60C Opening part 61 1st seal member 62 2nd seal member 63 Heat insulation member 65 Closure member 71A Insertion part 73A groove 82A groove X left-right direction Y front-back direction Y1 front Y2 rear

Claims (3)

A storage chamber for storing articles to be stored in a cold state is formed, and a main body having a depth in a predetermined direction;
A pair of double doors that open and close the storage chamber from one side in the predetermined direction;
A center pillar that closes a gap between the pair of doors in a closed state from the opposite side to the one side;
The center pillar in a state of closing the gap is
A pair of hollow body members, each having an opening that exposes the internal space of the body member to the one side, and a recess that is located on both sides of the opening and that is separated from each other along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. And a main body member provided on the side surface of the one side,
A heat insulating member housed in the internal space of the body member;
A refrigerator comprising: a closing member which is inserted into the pair of grooves from the crossing direction and closes the opening. The center pillar is provided on one door of the pair of doors, rotates in conjunction with opening and closing of the one door, and when the one door is closed, the side surface portion of the main body member moves the one side. direction,
A first seal member provided on the main body member and in close contact with the main body when the one door is closed;
A second seal member provided on the main body member, having a common cross-sectional shape with the first seal member and closely contacting the other door of the pair of doors when the pair of doors are closed. The refrigerator according to claim 1. A support shaft provided on the one door and forming a rotation center of the center pillar;
The refrigerator according to claim 2, further comprising: an insertion portion that is provided on the main body member and into which the support shaft is inserted.

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