CN113048705B

CN113048705B - Refrigerator with a door

Info

Publication number: CN113048705B
Application number: CN202011547809.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 藤原弘之; 柳裕文; 秋山达也; 高畑亘秀
Original assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-12-27
Filing date: 2020-12-24
Publication date: 2022-09-16
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-24
Also published as: JP7417893B2; JP2021105503A; CN113048705A

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator capable of maintaining a close contact part easy to slide. The method comprises the following steps: a storage (2) provided with an opening; and a pair of heat-insulating doors (4) provided at the opening, the pair of heat-insulating doors (4) being split doors, wherein sealing members that seal the storage (2) by being brought into close contact with each other when the heat-insulating doors (4) are closed are provided on the side surfaces of the heat-insulating doors (4) that face each other, each sealing member includes a close contact portion (40) that is brought into close contact with each other, a portion of each sealing member other than the close contact portion (40) is formed to be soft and flexible so as to facilitate close contact, and at least one of the close contact portions (40) is formed to be semi-hard as a whole in the thickness direction, the semi-hard having a hardness higher than that of the portion of the sealing member other than the close contact portions that is formed to be soft.

Description

Refrigerator with a door

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background

Conventionally, a refrigerator including a storage and a pair of insulated doors as split doors is known. A side surface of each of the heat insulating doors of such a refrigerator is provided with a seal member which is brought into close contact with each other when the heat insulating doors are closed. As these sealing materials, there are known sealing materials in which the entire sealing material is made of a soft material having flexibility so that the contact surface can be reliably brought into contact with each other.

These sealing members slide on each other in the close contact surfaces when the heat insulating doors are opened and closed. Therefore, in order to improve the sliding property and facilitate opening and closing of the heat insulating door, a technique is known in which the surface layer of the contact surface of the seal is formed of a material having a lower friction coefficient than that of a soft material (for example, see patent document 1).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 6371151

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the conventional structure, only the surface layer of the close contact surface is formed of a material having a low friction coefficient, and therefore, there is a fear that the surface layer is worn and sliding becomes difficult due to sliding of the close contact surface in association with opening and closing of the heat insulating door.

The invention aims to provide a refrigerator capable of maintaining a close contact part easy to slide.

Means for solving the problems

To achieve the above object, a refrigerator according to the present invention includes: a storage compartment provided with an opening; and a pair of heat-insulating doors provided in the opening, the pair of heat-insulating doors being split doors, a sealing material being provided on each of side surfaces of the heat-insulating doors facing each other, the sealing material sealing the storage compartment by being brought into close contact with each other when the heat-insulating doors are closed, each of the sealing materials having close contact portions brought into close contact with each other, a portion of each of the sealing materials other than the close contact portions being formed into a soft material having flexibility for facilitating close contact, at least one of the close contact portions being formed into a semi-hard material as a whole in a thickness direction, the semi-hard material having hardness higher than that of the portion of the sealing material other than the close contact portions being formed into the soft material.

As a result, the entire adhesion portion in the thickness direction is formed to be semi-hard, which is a hardness having a higher sliding property than the portion of the seal other than the adhesion portions formed to be soft. Therefore, even when the surface of the close contact portion is worn, the close contact portion can maintain high slidability.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, a close contact surface that is easy to slide can be maintained.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an insulated door.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the seal member along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view IV-IV of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing one end side of the seal member.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view VI-VI of fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the seal member of the second embodiment taken along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the seal member of the third embodiment taken along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

Description of the reference numerals

1 refrigerator

2 storage warehouse

4 Heat insulation door

24 installation guide member

26. 126, 226 seal member

28. 128, 228 side seal (seal)

28A1 cling surface

28E, 128E, 228E connecting part

30 cover part

40 closely contacting part

128E1, 228E3 hard part

128E2 soft segment

228E1 No. 1 Soft segment

228E2 No. 2 Soft segment

Detailed Description

The refrigerator according to claim 1 includes a storage compartment provided with an opening and a pair of heat-insulating doors provided in the opening, the pair of heat-insulating doors are split doors, a sealing member that seals the storage compartment by being brought into close contact with each other when the heat-insulating doors are closed is provided on each of side surfaces of the heat-insulating doors facing each other, each of the sealing members includes a close contact portion that is brought into close contact with each other, a portion of each of the sealing members other than the close contact portion is formed to be soft and flexible so as to facilitate close contact, and at least one of the close contact portions is formed to be semi-hard as a whole in a thickness direction, and the semi-hard portion has hardness higher than a portion of the soft sealing member other than the close contact portion.

In the refrigerator according to claim 2, the seal is provided to each of the heat-insulating doors via a fixing portion provided to each of the heat-insulating doors, the close contact portion is connected to the fixing portion via a connecting portion provided to the seal, and each of the connecting portions is arranged to face each other when each of the heat-insulating doors is closed, and at least a part of the connecting portion is formed to be semi-rigid having substantially the same hardness as that of the close contact portion.

This can suppress flexure of each coupling portion. Therefore, the respective coupling portions can be suppressed from adhering to each other.

In the refrigerator according to claim 3, at least one of the connecting portions is formed to be semi-rigid, in which a portion continuous with the close contact portion has substantially the same hardness as the close contact portion.

In the refrigerator according to claim 4, at least one of the coupling portions is formed to be semi-rigid having substantially the same hardness as the adhesion portion at a portion spaced from the adhesion portion.

This can suppress the occurrence of warpage in the close contact portion. Therefore, the decrease in the sealing property of the adhesion portion can be suppressed, and the decrease in the adhesion property of the seal can be suppressed.

In the refrigerator according to claim 5, the fixing portion is formed to be hard having a hardness higher than that of the contact portion formed to be semi-hard, and the seal and the fixing portion are integrally formed.

Thus, the fixing portion has a predetermined strength. Therefore, the refrigerator can have a predetermined strength between the side surfaces of the heat insulation door and can seal the gap.

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

< first embodiment >

Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1, a refrigerator 1 is a lower cabinet (counter) type commercial refrigerator, and the refrigerator 1 includes a storage 2, a plurality of heat-insulating doors 4, a machine room 5, and a table top (top table) 6.

The storage 2 is a box-shaped member including a heat insulating wall, and the storage 2 has a storage chamber therein and an opening on the front surface.

The plurality of insulated doors 4 are rectangular door members for closing the opening of the storage 2. The refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment includes a pair of heat insulation doors 4, and these heat insulation doors 4 are disposed so that one side surfaces are adjacent to each other. Hinges 8 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of each of the heat insulating doors 4 at positions on the other side surface side of each of the heat insulating doors 4. The pair of heat insulation doors 4 can be opened and closed in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 by these hinges 8. That is, the pair of heat insulation doors 4 are split doors.

Further, a handle 10 is provided on each of the side surfaces adjacent to each other on the front surface of each of the heat insulation doors 4.

The machine room 5 is disposed on the side of the storage 2. Devices constituting a refrigeration cycle, such as a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and an evaporator, are housed in the machine room 5, and by driving these devices, cool air is sent into the storage room.

Further, a table 6 is mounted on the upper surfaces of the storage 2 and the machine room 5.

Next, the heat insulation door 4 will be explained in detail.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the heat insulation doors 4. Fig. 2 is a view seen from the rear surface side of the heat insulating door 4.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing one heat insulation door 4, the mounting guide member 24, and the sealing member 26, and fig. 4 is a sectional view of the sealing member 26 taken along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. In fig. 3, for convenience of explanation, points are indicated for the side seal 28 and the front fin 32 formed of a soft material, and hatching is indicated for the close contact portion 40 formed of a semi-hard member.

Hereinafter, one of the insulated doors 4 will be described, and the other insulated door 4 has the same configuration.

As shown in fig. 2, the heat-insulating door 4 is a flat plate-like member having a predetermined thickness, and the outer edges of the front surface, both side surfaces, upper surface, lower surface, and rear surface of the heat-insulating door 4 are each constituted by a door outer panel 12, and the door outer panel 12 is integrally formed of a metal such as a stainless steel plate. The central portion of the back surface of the heat insulating door 4 is constituted by a door inner panel 14, and the door inner panel 14 is formed of a hard resin. The door inner panel 14 protrudes toward the inside of the storage compartment than the outer edge of the rear surface of the heat insulating door 4.

A space surrounded by the door outer panel 12 and the door inner panel 14 is filled with a heat insulating material 16 such as polystyrene foam or rigid polyurethane foam.

The door exterior plate 12 is not limited to being formed of metal, and may be formed of a hard resin such as ABS resin.

An outer edge seal attachment groove 18 is provided on the entire outer edge (outer peripheral portion) of the rear surface side of the heat insulating door 4. A plurality of rim seals 20 are mounted in the rim seal mounting groove 18.

The outer edge sealing members 20 are formed of a soft resin such as rubber, and are formed in a linear shape so as to correspond to the respective sides of the outer edge of the heat insulating door 4. The front surface of each outer edge seal 20 is smoothly formed in the longitudinal direction of the outer edge seal 20, and a projection 20A is provided on the rear surface of each outer edge seal 20 so as to project in the longitudinal direction of the outer edge seal 20.

The convex portion 20A is inserted into the outer edge seal attachment groove 18, whereby each outer edge seal 20 is attached to the door outer panel 12.

Each outer edge seal 20 is formed in a hollow shape having a space therein. An outer edge magnet housing 20B having a rectangular cross section is provided in the entire longitudinal direction on the front surface side of the outer edge seal 20 in the space. Further, the outer edge magnet housing portion 20B houses 4 rod-shaped outer edge magnets 22. The outer edge magnets 22 have a length dimension approximately equal to that of the respective sides of the rear surface of the heat insulating door 4, and the outer edge magnets 22 are inserted through the outer edge magnet housing portions 20B along the respective sides.

The outer edge seal 20 is not limited to a linear shape, and may be a rectangular frame body formed integrally.

Next, the structure of the side surface of the heat insulation door 4 will be explained.

Hereinafter, a side surface of one heat insulation door 4 will be described, and the other heat insulation door 4 has the same configuration.

As shown in fig. 3, a sealing member 26 is provided on a side surface of each of the heat insulation doors 4 adjacent to the other heat insulation door 4 via an attachment guide member 24.

The mounting guide member 24 is formed of hard resin, which is a hard material. As shown in fig. 4, the installation guide member 24 is a rail-shaped member having a length dimension approximately equal to the side surface of the heat insulating door 4 and formed to have an コ -shaped cross section, and the installation guide member 24 is installed so as to extend in the vertical direction along the vertical direction of the heat insulating door 4. The width of the mounting guide 24 is substantially the same as the width of the side surface of the heat insulation door 4, and the mounting guide 24 is fixed to the side surface of the heat insulation door 4 by screwing at a plurality of places on the bottom surface 24A. Therefore, the side surface of the heat insulating door 4 and the bottom surface 24A of the mounting guide 24 are provided with a plurality of

screw holes

12A and 24B, respectively.

On the storage container 2 side of the mounting guide member 24, a cylindrical seal guide groove 24C is provided in the entire mounting guide member 24 in the vertical direction. The seal guide groove 24C is provided to protrude from the bottom surface 24A toward the side surface of the other heat insulation door 4, and a part of a portion of the seal guide groove 24C on the storage 2 side is opened. An insertion portion 28F1 included in the side seal 28 described later is inserted into the seal guide groove 24C.

Further, a heater holding portion 24D for holding a heater 36 described later is provided on the front surface side of the heat insulating door 4 of the seal guide groove 24C. The heater holding portion 24D is formed in a groove shape, and the side surface side of the other heat insulating door 4 is opened.

Further, a holding portion engaging piece 24E is provided on the front surface side of the heat insulating door 4 of the heater holding portion 24D. The holding portion engaging piece 24E is formed in a claw shape protruding toward the front surface side of the heat insulating door 4. A cover engaging piece 30B of a cover 30 described later is engaged with the holding portion engaging piece 24E.

The attachment guide member 24 is provided with a locking portion 24F on the front surface side of the heat insulation door 4. The locking portion 24F is provided to protrude from the bottom surface 24A toward the side surface of the other heat insulation door 4, similarly to the seal guide groove 24C, and the distal end of the locking portion 24F is bent in a claw shape. The locking portion 24F is inserted into a locking groove 30C of a cover portion 30 described later.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the other end side of the seal member 26. In fig. 5, for convenience of explanation, points are given to the side seal 28 and the front fin 32 formed of a soft material, and hatching is given to the close contact portion 40 formed of a semi-hard member.

As shown in fig. 3 and 5, the seal member 26 includes a side seal 28, a hood 30, and a front surface fin 32, which are formed by integral molding. The side seal 28, the hood 30, and the front surface fin 32 are formed of the same resin material. In the present embodiment, the side seal 28, the hood 30, and the front surface fin 32 are all formed of polyvinyl chloride.

The sealing member 26 has a length dimension similar to that of the mounting guide member 24, and is a member formed in a rail shape having a cross section in the shape of コ, and the sealing member 26 is mounted so as to extend in the vertical direction along the vertical direction of the heat insulation door 4.

The side seal 28 constitutes a portion of the seal member 26 on the storage container 2 side, and the side seal 28 is easily elastically deformed and is formed to be soft and flexible.

The side seal 28 is formed in an L-shape in cross section, and a side magnet housing portion 28A is provided at a portion corresponding to a corner of the L-shape and is partitioned into a rectangular space in cross section.

A rod-shaped side magnet 34 is inserted through the side magnet housing 28A.

Both ends of the side magnet housing portion 28A housing the side magnets 34 are closed by retaining members 35. Each of the retaining members 35 is a plate-like member having an L-shaped cross section. These retaining members 35 are attached to the side seal 28 by inserting an insertion portion 35A, which is one end, into each end in the vertical direction of the side magnet housing 28A, thereby preventing the side magnets 34 from being removed.

The 1 st sealing portion 28B is provided on the storage 2 side of the side magnet housing portion 28A. The 1 st seal portion 28B extends toward the outer edge seal 20, and a 2 nd seal portion 28C is provided at the tip of the 1 st seal portion 28B. The 2 nd sealing portion 28C protrudes toward the storage 2 side and then bends toward the other heat insulating door 4 side to extend. That is, the 1 st seal portion 28B and the 2 nd seal portion 28C are formed in コ -shaped cross sections as shown in fig. 4.

The distal end portion 28C1 of the 2 nd sealing portion 28C extends to substantially the same position as the surface of the side magnet housing portion 28A on the other heat shield door 4 side.

The 2 nd seal portion 28C has a length dimension in the vertical direction shorter than the length dimension of the side seal 28 in the vertical direction and is approximately the same as the length dimension of the door interior panel 14 in the vertical direction.

Further, a back surface fin portion 28D is provided on the outer edge seal 20 side of the 1 st seal portion 28B. The rear fin portion 28D is formed in a flexible thin plate shape extending toward the outer edge seal 20, and the distal end side thereof is a free end. The front end of the rear fin portion 28D abuts the outer edge seal 20.

A coupling portion 28E is provided on the front surface side of the heat insulating door 4 of the side magnet housing portion 28A. The coupling portion 28E is formed in a flexible thin plate shape extending toward the front surface side of the heat insulating door 4, and the tip of the coupling portion 28E is coupled to the bottom surface 30A of the cover portion 30.

An extension 28F is provided on the side surface of the heat insulation door 4 of the side magnet housing 28A. The extension 28F extends from the side surface of the side magnet housing 28A toward the side surface of the heat insulating door 4, and then extends toward the front surface of the heat insulating door 4. That is, the extension 28F is formed in an L-shape in cross section. Further, an insertion portion 28F1 having a T-shaped cross section is provided at the tip of the extension portion 28F. The insertion portion 28F1 is formed of a hard material. The insertion portion 28F1 is inserted through the seal guide groove 24C as described above.

Cover portion 30 is formed to be hard having a predetermined or higher hardness as a whole. That is, the cover portion 30 is less elastically deformable than the side seal 28, and has a hardness lower in flexibility.

By being formed to be hard, cover portion 30 is easily attached to mounting guide member 24, and the design of refrigerator 1 can be improved.

The cover portion 30 has an コ -shaped cross section, and as described above, the end portion of the bottom surface 30A of the cover portion 30 on the storage container 2 side is coupled to the coupling portion 28E of the side seal 28.

Cover portion engaging pieces 30B are provided at the end portion of the bottom surface 30A of the cover portion 30 on the storage container 2 side. The cover engaging piece 30B protrudes toward the side surface of the heat insulating door 4, and the tip of the cover engaging piece 30B is formed in a claw shape. As described above, the cover portion engaging piece 30B engages with the holding portion engaging piece 24E.

Further, the cover engagement piece 30B is provided with a rib 30B 1. The rib 30B1 protrudes toward the storage container 2 side, and the rib 30B1 closes the open portion of the heater holding portion 24D holding the heater 36.

A locking groove 30C is provided in the bottom surface 30A of the cover 30 at an end located on the front surface side of the heat insulation door 4. The locking groove 30C protrudes toward the side surface of the heat insulation door 4, and a portion of the locking groove 30C located on the side surface side of the heat insulation door 4 is opened. As described above, the locking portion 24F is inserted through the locking groove 30C.

A front fin portion 32 is integrally provided at a front end of the heat insulation door 4 located on the front surface side of the locking groove 30C. The front surface fin portion 32 is formed in a soft, thin plate shape having flexibility, similarly to the side seal 28.

The front fin 32 extends toward the side surface of the heat insulation door 4, and the front end of the front fin 32 abuts against the side surface of the heat insulation door 4.

A linear heater 36 is interposed between the mounting guide member 24 and the sealing member 26. The heater 36 heats the sealing member 26 to suppress dew condensation or freezing, and the heater 36 is disposed in a ring shape over the entire side surface of the heat insulating door 4 in the vertical direction. Further, as described above, the heater 36 is sandwiched between the heater holding portion 24D, and the open portion of the heater holding portion 24D is closed by the rib 30B1, and is fixed between the attachment guide member 24 and the seal member 26.

Both ends of the mounting guide member 24 and the seal member 26 in the up-down direction are closed by covers 38. The cover 38 is a flat plate member formed in an L shape when viewed from the upper surface, and one end of the cover 38 extends in the short side direction of the side surface of the heat insulating door 4. The other end of the cover 38 extends around the outer edge of the rear surface of the heat insulating door 4, along the outer edge and the upper surface of the outer edge seal 20.

A pair of insertion portions 38A projecting downward are provided on the back surface of the cover 38. The insertion portion 38A is inserted into a space surrounded by the mounting guide member 24 and the seal member 26.

A screw fastening hole 38C is provided at the tip on the other end side of the cover 38, and a screw hole 12B is provided. The cover 38 is screwed to the outer edge of the rear surface of the heat insulating door 4 by a screw member via a screw fastening hole 38C, and is fixed to the heat insulating door 4.

Next, the adhesion portion 40 will be explained.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view VI-VI of fig. 5.

As shown in fig. 6, the side magnet housing portion 28A includes an adhesion portion 40 constituting a wall surface located on the other heat insulation door 4 side. The close contact portion 40 is provided on the entire longitudinal direction of the side seal 28, and the close contact portion 40 is formed integrally with the side seal 28.

The close contact portion 40 has a close contact surface 28a1 on the other side of the heat insulation door 4, which are in close contact with each other when the pair of heat insulation doors 4 are closed. Each of the abutting surfaces 28a1 is formed as a smooth surface.

One end of abutting portion 40 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is coupled to one end of coupling portion 28E.

The close contact portion 40 is formed to be semi-hard in the thickness direction as a whole, the semi-hard having a higher hardness than other portions (portions other than the close contact portion 40) of the soft side seal 28 and a lower hardness than the hard cover portion 30. By being formed to be semi-rigid, the close contact portion 40 has flexibility and is less likely to elastically deform than other portions of the side seal 28.

The close contact portion 40 is formed of polyvinyl chloride, which is the same resin material as the side seal 28, the cover portion 30, and the front fin portion 32.

As described above, the seal member 26 has different hardness in each portion in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

Further, the close fitting portion 40, the side seal 28, the hood 30, and the front surface fin 32 are formed of the same resin material. Therefore, the abutting portion 40, the side seal 28, the hood 30, and the front surface fin 32 having different hardness can be easily joined. Thus, the close contact portion 40, the side seal 28, the hood 30, and the front fin 32 can be easily formed integrally, and the seal member 26 can be easily manufactured.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be explained.

First, a flow of mounting the seal member 26 to the mounting guide member 24 will be described.

First, the heater 36 is sandwiched between the heater holding portions 24D. Next, the sealing member 26 is fixed to the mounting guide member 24 by inserting the one end portion of the sealing member 26 into the one end portion of the mounting guide member 24 while sliding it in the vertical direction. That is, the mounting guide member 24 and the cover portion 30 function as "fixing portions" of the side seal 28.

When the pair of heat insulating doors 4 of the refrigerator 1 are closed, the outer edge magnet 22 is attracted to the storage 2 by magnetic force, and the side surface of the heat insulating door 4 on the hinge 8 side and the portions of the heat insulating door 4 along the upper and lower surfaces of the outer edge seal 20 are in close contact with the storage 2.

The side magnets 34 of the sealing members 26 of the heat insulation doors 4 are attracted to each other by magnetic force. Thereby, each of the extension portion 28F and the coupling portion 28E extends toward the side surface of the other heat insulation door 4. The contact surfaces 28A1, which are smooth surfaces of the side magnet housings 28A on the other side of the heat insulation door 4, are pressed against each other by the magnetic force of the side magnets 34.

As described above, each of the close contact portions 40 is formed to be semi-rigid having flexibility. Therefore, the contact surfaces 28a1 can be brought into close contact with each other in a state where the heat insulating doors 4 are closed. In this way, the contact surfaces 28a1 are pressed against each other by the magnetic force of the side surface magnets 34 and brought into close contact with each other, whereby the gap between the side surfaces of the heat insulating doors 4 can be sealed with high airtightness.

When the contact surfaces 28a1 of the contact portions 40 are in contact with each other, the distal end portions 28C1 of the respective 2 nd seal portions 28C are in contact with each other. Thereby, a space S1 surrounded by the 1 st seal 28B and the 2 nd seal 28C is formed. The air in the space S1 functions as a heat insulating air layer, and can suppress the entry of heat into the storage compartment from the gap between the side seals 28 and the leakage of cold air from the storage compartment.

Further, a space S2 surrounded by the attachment guide member 24, the extension portion 28F, the 1 st seal portion 28B, the rear fin portion 28D, and the outer edge seal 20 is formed on the side surface of each heat insulation door 4. The air in the space S2 also functions as a heat insulating air layer.

In addition, as described above, the front surface fin 32 abuts against the side surface of the heat insulation door 4. The heat insulating air layer and the front fin portion 32 can suppress the intrusion of heat into the storage compartment from between the side surface of the heat insulating door 4 and the mounting guide member 24, and can suppress the leakage of cold air from the storage compartment.

Since the side seal 28 made of a soft resin and the cover 30 made of a hard resin are integrally formed with the seal member 26, the gap between the side surfaces of the heat insulating door 4 can be sealed while maintaining a predetermined strength of the seal member 26. Further, accumulation of dust, dirt, and the like between the side seal 28 and the cover 30 can be suppressed.

Further, when performing maintenance or cleaning, the user does not need to separately remove the side seal 28 and the cover 30, and damage or detachment of the side seal 28 and the cover 30 can be suppressed.

In addition, it is not necessary to provide a structure or a mechanism for coupling the side seal 28 and the cover portion 30, and the sealing member 26 can be downsized, and the heat insulating door 4 can be thinned and lightened.

When the heat insulation doors 4 are opened and closed, the contact surfaces 28a1 of the contact portions 40, which are smooth surfaces, slide with each other.

As described above, in the present embodiment, each of the close contact portions 40 is formed to be semi-rigid so as to be less likely to be elastically deformed than other portions of the soft side seal 28. The actual contact area when the contact surfaces 28a1 are in contact with each other is smaller than the actual contact area when the other portions of the soft side seal 28 are in contact with each other.

Therefore, the friction coefficient of each close contact surface 28a1 is lower than that of the surface of the other portion of the soft side seal 28. That is, in a state of being in close contact with each other, the contact surfaces 28a1 slide more easily than other portions of the side seal 28 formed to be soft.

Thus, the contact surfaces 28a1 of the contact portions 40 can maintain airtightness in a state of being in contact with each other, and have higher sliding properties than other portions of the side seal 28 formed to be soft. Therefore, the contact surfaces 28a1 of the contact portions 40 slide easily from a state of contact with each other.

For example, when one of the thermal insulation doors 4 is opened from a state where the pair of thermal insulation doors 4 of the refrigerator 1 are closed, the one close contact surface 28a1 has good slidability with respect to the other close contact surface 28a1, and the other thermal insulation door 4 can be prevented from being opened together. That is, the pair of heat insulation doors 4 of the refrigerator 1 can be easily opened and closed.

In the present embodiment, the contact surface 28a1 is not limited to being semi-rigid, and the entire contact portion 40 in the thickness direction is semi-rigid. Thus, even when the close contact surface 28a1 is worn, the close contact surfaces 28a1 are less likely to elastically deform than the soft material, and a low friction coefficient can be maintained. Therefore, the close contact surfaces 28a1 can maintain high slidability, improve the durability of the sealing member 26 of the heat insulating doors 4, and maintain a state in which the heat insulating doors 4 are easily opened and closed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes the storage 2 provided with the opening portion and the pair of heat insulating doors 4 provided in the opening portion. These heat-insulating doors 4 are split doors, and side surface sealing members 28 that seal the storage 2 by being brought into close contact with each other when the heat-insulating doors are closed are provided on the side surfaces of the heat-insulating doors 4 that face each other. The side seal 28 is soft and has flexibility that facilitates adhesion, and the adhesion portion 40 that is a portion of the side seal 28 that adheres to each other is configured to be semihard as a whole in the thickness direction, the semihard being harder than other portions of the side seal 28.

Thus, the contact surface 28a1 of each contact portion 40 can maintain airtightness, and has higher slidability than other portions of the soft side seal 28. Further, since the entire close contact portion 40 is formed to be semi-rigid in the thickness direction, even when the close contact surface 28a1 is worn, high slidability can be maintained, and a state in which the heat insulating doors 4 can be easily opened and closed can be maintained.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the cover portion 30 is formed to be hard having a higher hardness than the respective contact portions 40 formed to be semi-hard, and the side seal 28 and the cover portion 30 are integrally formed.

This makes it possible to seal the gap between the side surfaces of the heat insulating door 4 while providing the sealing member 26 with a predetermined strength.

< second embodiment >

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a seal member 126 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, taken along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

In fig. 7, the same components as those in fig. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes a seal member 126 instead of the seal member 26.

The seal member 126 includes a side seal 128, and the side seal 128 includes a joint portion 128E.

The coupling portion 128E is formed into a thin plate shape having flexibility, similarly to the coupling portion 28E. One end of coupling portion 128E is coupled to the other end of abutting portion 40 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the other end is coupled to bottom surface 30A of cover portion 30. Thereby, the coupling portion 128E couples the side seal 128 and the cover 30.

The connecting portion 128E includes a semi-hard portion 128E1 formed to be semi-hard as a whole in the thickness direction on one end portion side, and includes a soft portion 128E2 formed to be soft as a whole in the thickness direction on the other end portion side. The coupling portion 128E is a member in which these semi-hard portions 128E1 and soft portions 128E2 are integrally formed. That is, the coupling portion 128E is provided with a semi-hard portion 128E1 formed to be semi-hard at a portion continuous with the close contact portion 40.

In the present embodiment, the semi-hard portion 128E1 and the soft portion 128E2 have substantially the same width dimension in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 128E. Further, the semi-hard portion 128E1 and the soft portion 128E2 are formed of polyvinyl chloride.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be explained.

When the pair of heat insulation doors 4 of the refrigerator 1 are closed, the connection portions 128E are disposed at positions facing each other. At this time, the coupling portions 128E approach each other after the close contact portions 40 in close contact with each other between the side surfaces of the heat insulating doors 4.

When the entire coupling portions are soft and easily elastically deformable, such as the soft portions 128E2, as in the conventional technique, when the pair of heat insulating doors 4 are closed, there is a possibility that one or both of the coupling portions will be bent so as to approach the other side and will come into close contact with each other.

Thus, for example, when one of the pair of insulation doors 4 of the refrigerator 1 is opened from a state in which the other insulation door 4 is closed, the other insulation door may be opened.

In the present embodiment, a semi-hard portion 128E1 formed to be semi-hard is provided on one end side of each connecting portion 128E. The semi-hard portion 128E1 is less flexible and less elastically deformable than the soft portion 128E2, and therefore, it is possible to suppress one or both of the connection portions 128E from flexing so as to approach the other side. This can prevent the coupling portions 128E of the pair of heat-insulating doors 4 from coming into close contact with each other in a state where the pair of heat-insulating doors 4 of the refrigerator 1 are closed.

Further, even when one or both of the connection portions 128E are flexed to approach the other side and brought into close contact with each other, the connection portions 128E can be easily separated from each other by the semi-hard portion 128E1 which is easy to slide. Therefore, when one of the heat insulating doors 4 is opened, the other heat insulating door can be prevented from being opened.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, each coupling portion 128E is configured as follows: the heat insulating doors 4 are disposed so as to face each other when they are closed, and the side connected to the close contact portion 40 is made semi-rigid, and the side connected to the cover portion 30 is made soft.

This can prevent one or both of the connecting portions 128E from being bent so as to approach the other side, and can prevent the connecting portions 128E of the pair of heat-insulating doors 4 from coming into close contact with each other in a state where the pair of heat-insulating doors 4 of the refrigerator 1 are closed.

< third embodiment >

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a seal member 226 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, taken along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

In fig. 8, the same components as those in fig. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes the seal member 226 instead of the seal member 26.

The seal member 226 includes a side seal 228, and the side seal 228 includes a joint 228E.

The coupling portion 228E is formed into a thin plate shape having flexibility, similarly to the coupling portion 28E. One end of coupling portion 228E is coupled to one end of abutting portion 40 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the other end is coupled to bottom surface 30A of cover portion 30. Thus, the coupling portion 228E couples the side seal 228 and the cover 30.

The coupling portion 228E includes a1 st soft portion 228E1 and a 2 nd soft portion 228E2, which are formed to be soft, at both ends coupled to the close contact portion 40 and the cover portion 30, respectively. The connecting portion 228E includes a semi-hard portion 228E3 formed to be semi-hard at a portion located between the 1 st soft portion 228E1 and the 2 nd soft portion 228E 2. The connecting portion 228E is formed by integrally molding the 1 st soft portion 228E1, the 2 nd soft portion 228E2, and the semi-hard portion 228E 3.

In the present embodiment, the semi-hard portion 228E3 has a width dimension longer than the 1 st soft portion 228E1 and the 2 nd soft portion 228E2 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 228E. The 1 st soft segment 228E1 and the 2 nd soft segment 228E2 have substantially the same width dimension in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connecting portion 228E.

The 1 st soft segment 228E1, the 2 nd soft segment 228E2, and the semi-hard segment 228E3 are formed of polyvinyl chloride.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be explained.

When the pair of heat insulation doors 4 of the refrigerator 1 is closed, the coupling portions 228E are disposed at positions facing each other. At this time, the coupling portions 228E approach each other between the side surfaces of the heat insulating doors 4 after the close contact portions 40 that are in close contact with each other.

In the present embodiment, a semi-hard portion 228E3 formed to be semi-hard is provided at the center of each coupling portion 228E. The semi-hard portion 228E3 has lower flexibility and is less likely to elastically deform than the 1 st soft portion 228E1 and the 2 nd soft portion 228E2, which are formed to be soft, and therefore, it is possible to suppress one or both of the coupling portions 228E from flexing so as to approach the other side. This can prevent the coupling portions 228E of the pair of heat insulating doors 4 from coming into close contact with each other.

Further, a1 st soft portion 228E1 is provided between the semi-hard portion 228E3 and the close contact portion 40 formed to be semi-hard, and the semi-hard portion 228E3 is disposed at a position spaced apart from the close contact portion 40. The 1 st soft portion 228E1 formed to be soft has higher flexibility than the close contact portion 40 and the semi-hard portion 228E3 formed to be semi-hard, and is easily elastically deformed, and therefore has a property of being less likely to warp.

As a result, compared to the case where the adhesion portion 40 and the semi-hard portion 228E3 are integrally formed, the occurrence of warping in the adhesion portion 40 and the semi-hard portion 228E3 can be suppressed, and a decrease in adhesion of the side seal 228 can be suppressed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following configuration is adopted: soft 1 st soft part 228E1 and soft 2 nd soft part 228E2 formed to be soft are provided at both ends connected to close contact part 40 and cover part 30, respectively. A semi-hard portion 228E3, which is semi-hard, is provided between the 1 st soft portion 228E1 and the 2 nd soft portion 228E 2.

This can prevent one or both of the coupling portions 228E from being bent so as to approach the other side, and can prevent the coupling portions 228E of the pair of heat insulating doors 4 from coming into close contact with each other. Further, as compared with the case where the close contact portion 40 and the semi-hard portion 228E3 are integrally formed, the occurrence of warpage in the close contact portion 40 and the semi-hard portion 228E3 can be suppressed. Therefore, the decrease in the sealing performance of the close contact portion 40 and the decrease in the close contact performance of the side seal 228 can be suppressed.

The above embodiment exemplifies one embodiment of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified and applied without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the close fitting portion 40, the side seal 28, the hood 30, and the front surface fin 32 are all formed of polyvinyl chloride. However, the resin composition is not limited thereto, and other resin materials such as rubber, polypropylene, and olefin elastomer (TPO) may be used.

For example, in the above embodiment, the close contact portion 40, the side seal 28, the cover portion 30, and the front fin portion 32 are formed of the same resin material. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least any one of the close contact portion 40, the side seal 28, the cover portion 30, and the front fin portion 32 may be formed of a different resin material.

For example, side seals 28, 128, 228 and front fin 32 may be formed from polypropylene, and closeout 40 and boot 30 may be formed from olefin-based elastomer (TPO) and joined to form

seal members

26, 126, 226, respectively.

By joining the soft side seals 28, 128, 228 and the front fin 32, the semi-hard close contact portion 40, and the hard cover portion 30 in this manner, it is possible to form the seal member 26 having different hardness in each portion.

In the above embodiment, for example, each of the pair of heat insulation doors 4 includes the semi-rigid adhesion portion 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any one of the heat insulating doors 4 may be provided with the semi-hard adhesion portion 40, and the other heat insulating door 4 may be provided with a soft adhesion portion.

Similarly, in the above embodiment, the pair of connecting

portions

128E and 228E each include the hard portions 128E1 and 228E3, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the hard portions 128E1 and 228E3 may be provided in any of the connecting

portions

128E and 228E.

For example, the sealing

members

26, 126, and 226 may be provided on the side surface of the heat insulation door 4 without the installation guide member 24.

For example, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 employs a double-door lower cabinet type refrigerator, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a refrigerator having different numbers of doors such as a four-door vertical type refrigerator may be employed.

Industrial applicability of the invention

As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention can be suitably applied to a refrigerator in which the seals of the sealed storage are easily slid with each other and high slidability can be maintained even when the seals are worn.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a storage provided with an opening; and a pair of heat-insulating doors provided in the opening portion,

a pair of said insulated doors are split doors,

sealing members are provided on the side surfaces of the heat-insulating doors facing each other, and seal the storage by being in close contact with each other when the heat-insulating doors are closed,

each of the seal members includes a side seal and a cover portion joined with the side seal,

each of the side seals includes an abutment portion that abuts against each other when the insulated door is closed,

the parts of each side seal other than the close contact parts are formed to be soft with flexibility for easy close contact,

the cover portion is formed to be hard compared to the side seal,

at least one of the closely contacting portions is formed to be semi-hard as a whole in a thickness direction, the semi-hard having a higher hardness than a portion of the side seal other than the closely contacting portions and a lower hardness than the cover portion,

the close contact portion, the side seal, and the cover portion are integrally formed of the same resin material in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

2. A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

each of the seal members further includes a front surface fin portion provided at a front end of the hood portion,

the front fin portion is formed in a flexible thin plate shape, and is formed integrally with the close contact portion, the side seal, and the cover portion in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, from the same resin material.

3. A refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the sealing member is provided to each of the heat insulation doors via an attachment guide member provided to each of the heat insulation doors,

the close contact portion is coupled to the cover portion via a coupling portion of the side seal,

the connecting portions are disposed so as to face each other when the heat insulating doors are closed, and at least a part of the connecting portions is formed to be semi-rigid having substantially the same hardness as the close contact portion.

4. A refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

at least one of the coupling portions is formed to be semi-hard having substantially the same hardness as the close contact portion at a portion continuous with the close contact portion.

5. A refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

at least one of the connection portions is formed to be semi-rigid having substantially the same hardness as that of the close contact portion at a portion spaced apart from the close contact portion.