CN113203235B

CN113203235B - Refrigerator with a refrigerator body

Info

Publication number: CN113203235B
Application number: CN202011525779.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 尾渡谦儿; 三岛浩二
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2020-01-31
Filing date: 2020-12-22
Publication date: 2024-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2040-12-22
Also published as: JP2021121772A; CN113203235A; JP7409891B2

Abstract

The purpose is to make the configuration more proper when the refrigerator main body is provided with a connecting part capable of connecting with external equipment. The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a storage chamber provided in a refrigerator main body, a door for opening and closing the storage chamber, and a connection portion provided around the door and capable of connecting to an external device.

Description

Refrigerator with a refrigerator body

Technical Field

The present embodiment relates to a refrigerator.

Background

In recent years, with the popularization of smart phones and tablet terminals, the use of the smart phones and tablet terminals has become a method of performing household tasks in the kitchen while enjoying video and music with smart phones and the like, for example. However, since the battery consumption associated with video and music enjoyment is relatively large, users need to enjoy the remaining amount of the battery of the smart phone while paying attention to the remaining amount. For this reason, for example, patent document 1 proposes a configuration in which a connection portion capable of connecting to a portable terminal or the like is provided in a household refrigerator and charging of the portable terminal is possible.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication 2016-188760 (claim 28)

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

As an example of a connection unit that can connect to an external device such as a smart phone, a USB connector is known. In a refrigerator for home use, if a USB connector is provided, a smart phone is connected to the USB connector to receive power, so that video and music can be enjoyed without paying attention to the remaining battery level. However, when the connection part is provided to the refrigerator, there is a problem in which position is disposed. In this case, in patent document 1, no consideration is given to where the connection portion is provided.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of being properly disposed when a connection portion capable of connecting an external device is provided.

Means for solving the problems

The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes: a storage chamber provided in the refrigerator main body; a door for opening and closing the storage chamber; and a connection part which is arranged at the periphery of the door and can be connected with external equipment.

In addition, the peripheral portion of the door includes both the peripheral portion of the door itself and the portion of the refrigerator main body located around the door.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, the configuration of the connection portion for connecting the external device can be made more appropriate.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a right side view schematically showing the entire structure of the refrigerator.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a lower portion of a right door of the refrigerating compartment.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a lower portion of a right door of the refrigerating compartment.

Fig. 5 is a front view of a main portion of the right door of the refrigerator, showing a state in the middle of insertion of the USB plug.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of a main portion of the right door of the refrigerator, showing a state in which the USB plug is inserted.

Fig. 7 is a front view of a main portion of a right door of a refrigerator compartment showing a connection state of a USB plug.

Fig. 8 is a bottom view of a main portion of a right door of a refrigerator compartment showing a connection state of a USB plug.

Fig. 9 is a front view schematically showing a right door of a refrigerator according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 10 shows embodiment 3, schematically showing a vegetable room door.

Fig. 11 is a front view schematically showing the upper half of the refrigerator according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 12 is a right side view schematically showing the upper half of the refrigerator according to embodiment 5.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, several embodiments applied to a home refrigerator will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts, and detailed description and new drawings are omitted.

(1) Embodiment 1

Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 8. Fig. 1 and 2 schematically show the overall structure of a main body 1 of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment. The refrigerator main body 1 is configured such that a plurality of storage compartments are provided in a heat insulating box 2 having a rectangular box shape and an open front face. Although not shown in detail, the heat-insulating box 2 is configured by filling a heat-insulating material such as urethane foam or a vacuum heat-insulating panel between an outer box made of steel sheet and an inner box made of plastic.

In the present embodiment, a refrigerating chamber 3, a vegetable chamber 4, an ice making chamber 5, and a freezing chamber 7 are provided in this order from the upper stage in the heat insulating box 2 as the storage chamber. As shown in fig. 1, the portion of the heat-insulating box 2 where the ice making chamber 5 is provided is divided into left and right chambers, the ice making chamber 5 is provided on the left side, and the 2 nd freezing chamber 6 is provided on the right side. As shown in fig. 2, a known automatic ice making device 17 is provided in the ice making chamber 5. The refrigerating chamber 3 and the vegetable chamber 4 are both refrigerating temperature zones, for example, storage chambers of 3 to 5 ℃, and are vertically partitioned by a partition wall 8 made of plastic as shown in fig. 2.

The front surface portion of the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided with doors 9 and 10 of so-called swing-open type that are rotatably provided with respect to the refrigerator main body 1. The doors 9, 10 have heat insulation. As shown in fig. 1, these doors 9 and 10 each have a rectangular plate shape long in the vertical direction, and are formed as so-called side-by-side doors that are opened from the center side to the left and right. Hereinafter, the left door is referred to as a refrigerator left door 9 and the right door is referred to as a refrigerator right door 10, as viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1. A handle portion 10a for a user to put his/her hand on when opening and closing the right door 10 of the refrigerator is provided at the left side portion of the lower side portion of the right door 10 of the refrigerator. A handle portion 9a is also provided on the right side portion of the lower edge portion of the refrigerating chamber left door 9. A pull-out door 11 is provided on the front surface of the vegetable compartment 4. As shown in fig. 2, a storage container 14 is connected to the back surface of the door 11. As shown in fig. 1, a handle portion 11a is provided on an upper side of the door 11 of the vegetable compartment 4 in a groove shape extending in a lateral direction and opening upward, and is configured to be pulled out and pushed in by a user by putting a hand on the upper side. The inside of the refrigerating chamber 3 is divided into a plurality of stages vertically by a plurality of shelves 12, and a micro freezing (chilled) chamber 13 is provided at the lowermost portion thereof, that is, at the upper portion of the partition wall 8. The micro freezing chamber 13 is set to a temperature range of, for example, 0 to 2 ℃.

The ice making chamber 5, the 2 nd freezing chamber 6 and the freezing chamber 7 are storage chambers having a freezing temperature range of, for example, -18 ℃ or less, and as shown in fig. 2, the vegetable chamber 4 is vertically partitioned from the ice making chamber 5 and the 2 nd freezing chamber 6 by a heat insulating partition wall 15. A pull-out door 16 is provided on the front surface of the ice making chamber 5, and an ice storage container 17a for receiving ice produced by the automatic ice making device 17 is connected to the rear surface of the door 16. As shown in fig. 1, a pull-out door 18 to which a storage container, not shown, is connected is also provided on the front surface portion of the 2 nd freezing chamber 6. A pull-out door 19 to which the storage container 20 is connected is also provided on the front surface portion of the freezing chamber 7.

As shown in fig. 2, the refrigerator main body 1 is incorporated with a refrigeration cycle including two coolers including a refrigerator-room cooler 21 for cooling the refrigerator room 3 and the vegetable room 4 and a freezer-room cooler 22 for cooling the ice-making room 5, the 2 nd freezer room 6, and the freezer room 7. Since the refrigeration cycle is well known, a detailed illustration thereof is omitted. A machine chamber 23 is provided on the rear side of the lower end portion of the refrigerator main body 1. In the machine chamber 23, a compressor 24, a condenser, and the like, which constitute a refrigeration cycle, and a cooling fan, a defrost water evaporation pan 25, and the like, which are not shown, for cooling them are disposed.

A cooler chamber 26 for a freezing chamber is provided in a back wall portion of the freezing chamber 7 in the refrigerator main body 1. The freezer cooler chamber 26 is provided with the freezer cooler 22, a defrosting heater, and the like, which are not shown, at a lower portion, and a freezing blower fan 27 at an upper portion. A cool air outlet 26a is provided in the middle of the front surface of the freezer compartment cooler chamber 26, and a return port 26b is provided in the lower end. In this way, if the cooling blower fan 27 is driven, the cool air generated by the freezing chamber cooler 22 is circulated to the ice making chamber 5, the 2 nd freezing chamber 6, and the freezing chamber 7 through the cool air outlet 26a and then returned to the freezing chamber cooler chamber 26 through the return port 26b.

A cooler chamber 28 for a refrigerator is provided in the back wall of the refrigerator main body 1 to house the cooler 21 for a refrigerator. A blow-out duct 29 for supplying cool air generated by the cooling device 21 into the cooling chamber 3 and the vegetable chamber 4, a blower fan 30 for circulating the cool air, and the like are provided. The blowout duct 29 is provided so as to extend upward by a predetermined width from the upper end portion of the cooling chamber 28 for the refrigerator to the back wall portion of the refrigerator 3, and a plurality of blowout ports 29a opening into the refrigerator 3 are provided in the blowout duct 29.

The blower fan 30 is disposed behind the vegetable room 4, and a blower duct 34 and a suction duct 35 are provided. The air duct 34 is located on the rear surface side of the vegetable compartment 4, and extends in the vertical direction with a width equivalent to the width of the air duct 29, and communicates with the front surface side of the lower end portion of the cooler compartment 28 for the refrigerator compartment. A flare 34a is provided on the front surface side of the lower end portion of the air duct 34 at the center in the lateral direction, and the air blower fan 30 is provided such that the air blower blades are positioned in the flare 34 a. A suction duct 35 is provided on the front surface side of the air duct 34 so as to overlap in the front-rear direction.

The suction duct 35 extends from the ceiling portion of the vegetable room 4 to a position slightly below the blower fan 30. At this time, an opening 35a is provided at the bottom of the suction duct 35. In this case, the upper end of the suction duct 35 communicates with a suction port 35b formed in a horizontally long manner on the rear surface side of the bottom of the micro freezing chamber 13 at the bottom of the refrigerating chamber 3. In addition, a cold air supply duct 8a for guiding a part of the cold air from the refrigerating chamber 3 into the vegetable chamber 4 is provided in a portion of the partition wall 8 that partitions the refrigerating chamber 3 and the vegetable chamber 4.

As described above, if the blower fan 30 is rotationally driven, as indicated by the hollow arrow in fig. 2, air in the refrigerator compartment 3 is sucked into the suction duct 35 from the suction port 35b, and air in the vegetable compartment 4 is sucked into the suction duct 35 through the opening 35a, and is guided into the refrigerator compartment cooler chamber 28 through the blower duct 34. Then, cool air is generated by the refrigerating chamber cooler 21, and the cool air is supplied from the respective outlets 29a of the air outlet duct 29 into the refrigerating chamber 3 and the micro-freezing chamber 13. The cool air supplied into the refrigerating chamber 3 and the micro freezing chamber 13 is repeatedly circulated as follows: after cooling the stored material, a part of the cooled material is sucked into the suction duct 35 from the suction port 35b, and the rest is supplied into the vegetable chamber 4 through the cool air supply duct 8a, and after cooling the vegetables and the like, the cooled material is sucked into the suction duct 35 from the opening 35 a.

As shown in fig. 2, the refrigerator main body 1 is provided with a housing 36 near the rear end of the upper wall of the heat insulating box 2, and a control device 37 configured mainly from a computer for controlling the entire refrigerator is disposed in the housing 36. As also shown in fig. 1, an operation panel 38 including a display unit is provided on the front surface of the left door 9 of the refrigerator 3. Although the detailed description is omitted, the user sets the temperature of each chamber by operating the operation panel 38, and turns on and off the functions such as quick freezing, so that the display unit can display a menu of a desired dish.

The control device 37 controls the respective mechanisms described above, namely, the compressor 24, the cooling blower fan 27, the blower fan 30, the automatic ice making device 17, a damper (not shown), a defrosting heater, and the like, and performs a cooling operation and the like. A plurality of temperature sensors, not shown, are provided in each part of the refrigerator main body 1. The control device 37 receives an operation signal from the operation panel 38 and detection signals from the temperature sensors. In this way, the control device 37 maintains the respective chambers of the refrigerator compartment 3, the vegetable compartment 4, the ice making compartment 5, the 2 nd freezer compartment 6, and the freezer compartment 7 at predetermined temperature ranges as targets by controlling the cooling operation based on the operation signal of the operation panel 38 and the detection signal of each temperature sensor. The control device 37 is also connected to a USB board described later, and controls communication and power supply via a connection unit described later.

The refrigerator main body 1 is provided with a connection portion for enabling connection to external information devices such as a smart phone 39 shown in fig. 7, a mobile phone, a tablet computer terminal, a personal computer, and the like, which are not shown. In the present embodiment, as an example of the connection unit, a female USB connector 40 for connection by a USB (universal serial bus) which is one of connection standards of a computer and a peripheral device is provided. In this case, as the standard of USB, any of USB3.0, USB2.0, USB1.1, and the like may be used. As shown in fig. 1 and 3, the USB connector 40 is provided at a peripheral portion of the right door 10 of the refrigerator compartment among the plurality of doors 9, 10, 11, 16, 18. Here, the peripheral portion of the door includes both a peripheral portion of the door itself and a portion of the refrigerator main body 1 located around the door. In this case, the USB connector 40 is disposed in a recess 41 provided in the right door 10 of the refrigerator. The recess 41 is provided at a peripheral edge portion in a peripheral portion of the right door 10 of the refrigerator, more specifically, at a lower edge portion in the peripheral edge portion. The connection port 41a of the USB connector 40 described later is disposed so as to face the inside of the recess 41 from a wall surface constituting the recess 41, in this case, a left side wall surface in the recess 41 when the refrigerator right door 10 in a state where the refrigerator 3 is closed is viewed from the front. A USB plug 43, which is an example of an insertion tool for an external device, is provided at the tip of the USB cable 42 connected to the smart phone 39, and the USB plug 43 is inserted and removed from the USB connector 40 in an oblique direction. The oblique direction here means a direction inclined with respect to a plane forming the outer contour of the right door 10, in this case, with respect to the front surface of the right door 10 in a state where the refrigerator 3 is closed. However, the USB connector 40 may be configured to be connectable to an external device from an oblique direction to a plane other than the front surface of the outer contour of the refrigerator right door 10, for example, the left side surface, the right side surface, the upper surface, and the lower surface. The USB connector 40 may be configured to be able to connect an external device obliquely to a plane forming the outer contour of the refrigerator main body 1, for example, a left side surface, a right side surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface.

The structure of the USB connector 40 and the recess 41 will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 3 to 8. That is, first, fig. 3 and 4 show a state of the lower edge portion of the right door 10 of the refrigerator compartment as viewed from the lower side. Although not shown in detail, the right door 10 of the refrigerator is provided with a frame member 44 mainly made of plastic and having a rectangular frame shape as a whole, a glass front panel 45 disposed on the front surface thereof, and a rear member 46 disposed on the rear surface thereof, and is formed in a rectangular box shape having a thin front-rear surface as a whole. Although not shown, an unillustrated heat insulating material such as urethane foam or a vacuum heat insulating material is filled in the interior thereof. The rear member 46 is made of, for example, plastic, and a door shelf or the like is provided inside the box, although not shown in detail.

At this time, a notch 45a in the shape of a コ is formed at the lower edge of the front panel 45 to form the front surface opening of the concave portion 41. The notch 45a has a slightly laterally long rectangular shape with its lower side open, and is formed to have a size enough for the USB plug 43 and the user's fingertip to enter. As shown in fig. 1, the notch 45a is located slightly to the right in the center of the lower edge of the front panel 45, and is provided at a position corresponding to the upper side of the right end portion of the handle 11a of the door 11 of the vegetable compartment 4, which is a position shifted to the right from the handle 10 a. As shown in fig. 5 and 7, a plastic decorative member 47 having a "コ" shape is attached so as to cover the edge of the notch 45a. Although not shown, fitting by claws is used for attaching the decorative member 47. The decorative member 47 is closely arranged on the front surface of the front panel 45. Thus, the edge of the notch 45a is covered with the decorative member 47, thereby ensuring the safety of the user. At the same time, when water adheres to the vicinity of the recess 41 of the front panel 45, the water also flows down outside the decorative member 47, and prevents water from entering the recess 41.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the lower frame 44a of the frame member 44, which forms the lower edge of the right door 10 of the refrigerator, is provided with a supported portion 48 at the right end. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the handle portion 10a is provided in a concave shape at the left side of the lower frame portion 44 a. Although not shown in detail, the right side portion of the right door 10 is rotatably supported by a rotation support portion, not shown, with respect to the refrigerator main body 1, more specifically, with respect to the heat insulation box 2. In this case, the right side of the right door 10 of the refrigerator becomes the rotation base end side, and the left side of the right door 10 of the refrigerator becomes the rotation free end side. Although not shown, a portion through which wiring is passed is provided at a peripheral portion of a rotation support portion for supporting the refrigerator right door 10 on the upper side of the heat insulation box 2, and wiring led out from a USB board 51 described later is passed through the refrigerator right door 10, and then passed through the peripheral portion of the rotation support portion to be connected to the control device 37 of the housing 36.

A recess 41 is provided on the left side of the supported portion 48 of the lower frame portion 44a so as to face the notch portion 45 a. The recess 41 is formed continuously from the notch 45a in a rectangular shape to a concave shape, and has a front surface and a lower surface opened, and is provided with a left inner wall, a right inner wall, an upper wall, and a bottom wall on the rear side. The left inner wall portion is vertically erected, and the plate faces in the left-right direction, and is inclined such that the rear side is more rightward than the front side. A vertically long connection port 41a is formed in the left inner wall portion at which the front end portion of the USB connector 40 is disposed. The bottom wall portion is provided at right angles to the left inner wall portion, is erected vertically with the plate surface facing in the front-rear direction, and is inclined in such a manner that the right side is forward of the left side. The front surface of the bottom wall portion forms a guide surface 49 as an oblique guide portion when the USB plug 43 is inserted. The guide surface 49 is an example of a guide portion.

As shown in fig. 3, the lower frame portion 44a is provided with a component housing portion 44b which is adjacent to the left side of the left inner wall portion of the recess 41 and has a lower surface open. The USB substrate unit 50 is assembled to the component housing portion 44b. The USB board unit 50 is configured by including a USB board 51 in a substantially rectangular box-shaped case 50a having a lower surface opened. The USB connector 40 is mounted on the USB board 51, and is provided in a case 50a so as to be inclined in a manner such that the board surface is vertically raised and the board surface is oriented in the front-rear direction, and the right side is located forward of the left side, as in the case of the guide surface 49. At this time, the USB connector 40 is also arranged in an inclined state together with the USB substrate 51. The front end of the USB connector 40 is exposed to the right side surface of the case 50a and the connection port 41 a.

By assembling the USB board unit 50 into the component housing portion 44b, the front end portion of the USB connector 40 is disposed at the connection port 41a portion of the left inner wall portion of the recess 41. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the USB plug 43 is inserted into the recess 41 obliquely with respect to the USB connector 40 with respect to the front surface of the refrigerator right door 10 as indicated by arrow a. In this case, as shown in fig. 6, the USB plug 43 is inserted so as to be substantially parallel to the guide surface 49, in an oblique direction with respect to the front surface of the door 10, that is, so as to form an acute angle with respect to an imaginary horizontal line extending in the left-right direction, as viewed from the up-down direction. Although not shown, the USB board 51 is connected to the control device 37 by wiring. As shown in fig. 3,4, etc., the lower opening of the component housing portion 44b is closed by a cover member 52. When the USB connector 40 is not in use, the connection port 41a is detachably closed with the cover 53.

Next, the operation and effects of the above-described structure will be described with reference to fig. 5 to 8. In the refrigerator of the above-described structure, the USB connector 40 is provided in the peripheral portion of the refrigerating compartment right door 10, in this case, in the lower edge portion located in the peripheral portion. As shown in fig. 7, a smart phone 39, which is an example of an external information device, can be connected to the USB connector 40 via the USB cable 42, and power can be supplied to the smart phone 39 from the refrigerator main body 1 side. In a kitchen provided with a refrigerator, a user can set the smart phone 39 to a front surface portion of the refrigerator via a cradle, for example, to receive power. This allows, for example, video or music to be enjoyed without paying attention to the remaining battery level of the smart phone 39, and household work to be performed while video or music is enjoyed.

Now, in a case where the user connects the smart phone 39, a USB plug 43 connected to the front end of a USB cable 42 on the smart phone 39 is inserted into the USB connector 40 in the recess 41. At this time, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the USB connector 40 is configured such that the USB plug 43 is inserted in an oblique direction, that is, in the arrow a direction. Fig. 7 and 8 show a state in which the USB plug 43 is inserted into the USB connector 40. When the USB plug 43 is removed, it can be removed in the direction opposite to the arrow a direction.

Thus, the user can perform operations of inserting and removing the USB plug 43 relatively smoothly and easily without requiring complicated or troublesome operations. In this case, since the recess 41 and the USB connector 40 are provided on the front surface portion which is the lower edge portion of the peripheral edge portion of the refrigerator right door 10, the user can simply insert and remove the USB plug 43 from the front surface side of the refrigerator main body 1, and therefore, the connection position can be easily determined, and the operation becomes easy. Further, an inclined guide surface 49 is provided in the bottom wall portion in the recess 41, substantially parallel to the arrow a direction. Accordingly, the user can insert and remove the USB plug 43 while guiding the USB plug on the guide surface 49, and the operation is simplified.

In this case, in the refrigerator right door 10 of the rotary open/close type, the USB plug 43 is inserted with respect to the USB connector 40 from the right side as the rotary base end side in the refrigerator right door 10. Here, the operation of inserting or removing the USB plug 43 by taking it in the right hand is generally performed by a right-handed user, and the operation of inserting or removing it from the right side with respect to the USB connector 40 enables the user to perform a smooth operation without giving a feeling of strangeness. When the refrigerator right door 10 is opened and closed in a state where the smart phone 39 is connected to the USB connector 40, the USB plug 43 and the USB cable 42 are not likely to be an obstacle.

Further, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, in the connected state to the USB connector 40, the USB plug 43 is positioned in the recess 41, and does not protrude toward the front surface side of the refrigerator right door 10, or protrudes little if any. Thus, in this connected state, the hand or body of the user can be prevented from touching or slamming against the USB plug 43. The USB plug 43 is positioned in the recess 41 in the lower side of the right door 10 of the refrigerator, so that the appearance is not deteriorated. Since the USB connector 40 is located on the inner side of the recess 41, water splashing or foreign matter adhesion to the USB connector 40, dust accumulation, and the like can be prevented.

Further, since the USB connector 40 is provided not in the center of the refrigerator right door 10 but in the lower frame portion 44a of the frame member 44 as the peripheral portion, the USB connector 40, that is, the USB substrate unit 50 can be assembled relatively easily when the refrigerator right door 10 is manufactured. Further, the USB connector 40, that is, the USB substrate unit 50 can be provided without reducing the heat insulator, in other words, without deteriorating the heat insulation of the refrigerator right door 10. Further, deterioration of the appearance of the refrigerator right door 10 due to the provision of the USB connector 40 can be suppressed. Further, by inclining the bottom wall portion of the concave portion 41, the concave portion 41 is not wastefully enlarged, and the volume in the concave portion 41 can be reduced. Accordingly, the space outside the recess 41 can be increased correspondingly, and effective use can be achieved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the installation position of the USB connector 40 to which the external device can be connected is set as the lower edge portion of the peripheral portion of the right door 10 of the refrigerator, the arrangement of the USB connector 40 can be made more appropriate. At this time, since the connection port 41a of the USB connector 40 is disposed facing the inner wall of the recess 41, and the USB plug 43 is inserted obliquely, there is an advantageous effect that the USB connector 40 can be properly disposed.

(2) Embodiment 2

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing embodiment 2. Embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in the position of the USB connector 40, which is an example of a connection portion, provided in the right door 61 of the refrigerator compartment. That is, in embodiment 2, the USB connector 40 is provided not at the lower edge portion but at the side surface portion facing the outside of the refrigerator main body 1, in this case, at the vicinity of the lower portion of the right side surface portion, in the peripheral edge portion of the refrigerator right door 61. In this case, the position in the front-rear direction where the USB connector 40 is provided is set to be the center portion or the front portion in the right side surface portion of the refrigerator right door 61. The USB connector 40 is also disposed in a recess 62 provided in the right edge of the right door 61 of the refrigerator.

In this case, the recess 62 is provided in the right frame portion of the frame member 44 of the right door 61 of the refrigerator. The recess 62 is provided in a right side surface portion opening, and has a lower wall portion, front and rear inner wall portions, an upper wall portion, and a left and rear bottom wall portion. The lower wall portion is provided with a plate surface facing obliquely upward and rightward, and the USB connector 40 is disposed with a back surface facing obliquely upward. The front surface of the bottom wall portion of the recess 62 is formed as an inclined guide surface 63. In this way, the USB plug 43 is inserted obliquely to the USB connector 40 as indicated by an arrow B in the recess 62.

In embodiment 2, as in embodiment 1, by inserting the USB plug 43 into the USB connector 40 in the recess 62 from the side of the refrigerator right door 61 in the direction of arrow B, the insertion and removal operations by the user are facilitated. Accordingly, in the configuration provided with the USB connector 40 capable of connecting to an external device, there is a good effect that the USB connector 40 can be appropriately arranged at an appropriate position.

Further, in the connected state, since the USB plug 43 is not disposed to protrude toward the front surface side of the refrigerator right door 61, the effect of preventing the hand or body of the user from coming into contact with the USB plug 43 can be further improved. Since the device is provided on the rotation base end side of the right door 61, even when the right door 61 is opened or closed in a state where the smart phone 39 is connected, the movement amount of the USB plug 43 or the USB cable 42 is small, and the opening or closing of the door and the taking and placing of the stored article are not hindered. The concave portion 52 and the USB connector 40 are not exposed to the front surface of the refrigerator right door 61, and thus the appearance is not deteriorated.

(3) Embodiment 3

Fig. 10 shows embodiment 3, which differs from embodiment 1 and the like in the following points. That is, in the present embodiment, the USB connector 40 as an example of the connection portion is provided in the vegetable compartment door 71, which is a pull-out door, among the plurality of doors. In this case, the USB connector 40 is provided at an upper edge portion of the peripheral edge portion of the vegetable room door 71, more specifically, at a right end portion of the upper edge portion, that is, at a right end portion of the handle portion 72a, and is provided at a central portion or a front portion with respect to the front-rear direction. Here, the vegetable room door 71 is formed by forming a rectangular box body having a thin front-rear shape as a whole, and filling the inside thereof with a heat insulating material, not shown, such as urethane foam or a vacuum heat insulating material, and includes a front panel made of a steel plate constituting the front surface and the left and right side edges of the vegetable room door 71, an upper closing member 72 made of plastic constituting the upper edge, and a lower closing member and a rear surface member constituting the lower edge.

At this time, the upper closing member 72 is provided with a handle portion 72a extending in the lateral direction and opening upward, for pulling out and pushing in the vegetable compartment door 71 by a user placing his/her hand thereon. The USB connector 40 is disposed in a recess 73 provided in the handle portion 72a. The recess 73 is provided so as to be open at the upper surface and has a left wall portion, front and rear inner wall portions, a right wall portion, and a bottom wall portion. The left wall portion is provided with a plate surface slightly facing obliquely upward and rightward, and the USB connector 40 is disposed on the back surface side thereof so as to face obliquely upward. The front surface of the bottom wall of the recess 73 is formed with an inclined guide surface 74 as an example of the guide portion. By this guide surface 74, the USB plug 43 is guided toward the USB connector 40 in the recess 73 as indicated by an arrow C. This allows the USB plug 43 to be inserted into the USB connector 40 obliquely with respect to the front surface of the right door 3 of the refrigerator compartment to be smoothly performed.

In embodiment 3, since the USB connector 40 is provided at the portion of the handle 72a where the user inserts his/her hand for pulling out and pushing in the vegetable compartment door 71, the user can easily insert and remove the USB connector, and the operation is simplified since the USB plug 43 is inserted from the direction of the arrow C obliquely upward with respect to the USB connector 40 in the recess 73, as in embodiments 1 and 2. Accordingly, in the configuration provided with the USB connector 40 capable of connecting to an external device, there is a good effect that the USB connector 40 can be appropriately arranged at an appropriate position.

Further, in the connected state, since the USB plug 43 is not arranged to protrude toward the front surface side of the vegetable room door 71, the effect of preventing the hand or body of the user from coming into contact with the USB plug 43 can be improved. Since the recess 73 and the USB connector 40 are not exposed on the front surface of the vegetable room door 71, the look and feel is not deteriorated. Further, since the recess 73 and the USB connector 40 are provided in the upper closing member 72 made of plastic, which is a portion of the handle 72a, the thermal insulation performance of the vegetable room door 71 is not deteriorated, and the assembly is easy, so that it is sufficient to make the structure relatively simple.

(4) Embodiment 4 and 5, other embodiments

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing embodiment 4. Embodiment 4 differs from embodiments 1 to 3 in that a USB connector 40 as an example of a connection portion is provided in a portion of the refrigerator main body 1 located around the door. In a gap portion between the refrigerating compartment right door 10 and the vegetable compartment door 11, the USB connector 40 is provided at a front surface portion of a partition wall 81 made of plastic that partitions the refrigerating compartment 3 and the vegetable compartment 4 within the refrigerator main body 1. In this case, although a detailed description is omitted, a laterally long recess 82 is provided in the right portion of the partition wall 81, and a USB connector 40 is provided by inserting a USB plug 43, which is an example of a connector, obliquely shown by an arrow a in the left inner wall portion of the recess 82. The recess 82 and the USB connector 40 are located at the right end portion of the front surface portion of the partition wall 81, and are provided at positions corresponding to the right end portion of the handle portion 11a of the door 11 of the vegetable compartment 4, which are positions separated rightward from the handle portion 10 a.

In embodiment 4, the USB connector 40 that can be connected to an external device is also provided, and therefore, the USB connector 40 can be properly arranged at a proper position. Further, since the USB connector 40 and the recess 82 are provided on the partition wall 81 made of plastic, the USB connector 40 and the recess 82 can be assembled relatively easily. Since the recess 82 is not provided at a portion shielded by the doors 10 and 11 but exposed at the front surface of the refrigerator main body 1, the user does not judge a place where the USB connector 40 is not found, but easily finds out, and the user's operation becomes easier.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing embodiment 5. In embodiment 5, a USB connector 40 and a longitudinal recess 91 as an example of a connection portion are provided on the front surface side of a right side wall portion around a right door 10 of a refrigerator compartment in a heat insulating box 2 of a refrigerator main body 1. In this case, a USB connector 40 into which a USB plug 43, which is an example of a connector, is inserted is also provided in the lower wall portion of the recess 91. The USB connector 40 is disposed obliquely upward and rightward from the front, and the USB plug 43 is inserted in an arrow D direction which is an oblique direction as viewed from the front to the rear. In this case, the recess 91 and the USB connector 40 are provided on the front end side in the front-rear direction at a height position corresponding to the lower end portion of the refrigerator right door 10 in the right side wall portion of the heat insulation box 2. In embodiment 5, as in embodiment 1 and the like, a good effect can be obtained in that the USB connector 40 can be appropriately arranged at an appropriate position in a configuration in which the USB connector 40 to which an external device can be connected is provided.

In embodiment 5, the USB connector 40 is provided on the side surface of the heat insulating box 2 of the refrigerator main body 1, but a connection portion may be provided on the upper surface of the refrigerator main body. In the above embodiments, the USB connector is provided at the peripheral portion of the door of the refrigerator right door or the vegetable room, but the connection portion may be provided at the peripheral portion of the door of the refrigerator left door or the doors of the freezer and ice making room. The upper edge of the door may be provided with a connecting portion. The door of the refrigerator may not be a split door, but may be a single door, and in this case, a connection portion may be provided on a rotation support portion side that rotatably supports the door, that is, on a rotation base end side, as in the case of a right side opening and in the case of a left side opening. In the above embodiments, the inclined guide surface is provided at the bottom wall portion of the recess, but the guide surface may be provided as needed.

In the above embodiments, the configuration was such that the recess was provided in the peripheral portion of the door and the USB connector was provided in the inner wall portion of the recess, but the connection portion may be provided so as to face the front surface or the side surface of the peripheral portion of the door directly without providing the recess. In this case, if an openable/closable cover or a detachable cover is provided on the front surface portion of the connection portion, it is possible to realize waterproofing, dust prevention, improvement in appearance, and the like. In addition, the USB plug may not be inserted obliquely, but may be inserted from the front, from the side, or the like. The connection unit is not limited to a USB connector, and may be a connector for connection of various standards such as RS-485, DIN connector, IEEE1394, and the like. The shape of the connector may be variously modified such as trapezoid, circle, or the like.

Further, the external device connected to the connection unit is not limited to the smart phone 39, and may be a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, other small electronic devices, a storage device, or the like. In the above embodiments, the case where the power supply is received from the connection unit has been described, but it is needless to say that data can be exchanged. The position of the connection portion may be variously changed, for example, from one of the upper, lower, left and right side portions of the front surface of the door, from one of the left and right side portions or the upper, lower and right side portions of the peripheral edge portion of the door, and from one of the upper, lower, left and right peripheral portions of the door in the heat insulating box. The position where the connection portion is provided may be the rotation front end side of the door. The connector serving as the connecting portion may be provided so as to be exposed in the recess or protrude from the inner wall, instead of being provided in the inner wall of the recess.

The material of the front panel of the door is not limited to glass, and may be metal, synthetic resin, or the like, or may be other than synthetic resin. The door of the refrigerating chamber may be a single door instead of a double door. In the above embodiments, the refrigerator having two coolers including the refrigerator compartment cooler 21 and the freezer compartment cooler 22 is formed, but the refrigerator may be applied to a type in which 1 cooler is provided in the refrigerator main body 1 and the flow of cool air to each compartment is controlled by a damper device or the like. In addition, for example, the configuration and arrangement of each chamber in the refrigerator main body may be such that a vegetable chamber or the like is provided at the lowest stage, and various modifications may be made as to the position where a cooler or the like is provided, the duct structure, and the like.

The above embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The present embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Description of the reference numerals

In the drawings, 1 denotes a refrigerator main body; 2 represents a heat insulation box; 3 denotes a refrigerating chamber (storage chamber); 4 denotes a vegetable room (storage room); 9 denotes a refrigerating chamber left door; 10. 61 denotes a refrigerating compartment right door; 11. 71 denotes a vegetable room door; 16. 18, 19 denote gates; 39 denotes a smart phone (external device); 40 denotes a USB connector (connection portion); 41. 62, 73, 82, 91 represent recesses; 42 denotes a USB cable; 43 denotes a USB plug (insert); 44 denotes a frame member; 44b denotes a component housing portion; 45 denotes a front panel; 45a denotes a notch portion; 47 denotes a decorative member; 49. 63, 74 represent guide surfaces (guide portions); 50 denotes a USB substrate unit; 51 denotes a USB substrate; 52 denotes a cover member; 53 denotes a cover; 72 denotes an upper blocking member; 72a denotes a handle portion; 81 denotes a partition wall.

Claims

1. A refrigerator is characterized in that,

The device is provided with:

A storage chamber provided in the refrigerator main body;

A door for opening and closing the storage chamber;

A connection unit configured to be connectable to an external device and disposed in a recess provided in the door;

a connection port for inserting or extracting the external device into or from the connection portion;

a component housing part, the lower surface of which is opened and is arranged at the lower edge part of the door, for housing the connecting part; and

A cover member closing the opening of the member housing portion,

The connection port is provided on a member other than the cover member and is disposed facing the inner wall of the recess, and is configured to insert the external device obliquely.

2. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein,

The door is rotatably supported by the main body;

the connecting part is arranged at the rotating base end side of the door.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The door has front panel on the front surface;

The connecting portion is disposed at an inner portion of the notch portion of the front panel.

4. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, wherein,

The front panel is made of glass.

5. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, wherein,

A decorative member is attached to cover an edge portion of the cutout portion of the front panel.

6. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 4, wherein,