CN113251725A

CN113251725A - Refrigerator with a door

Info

Publication number: CN113251725A
Application number: CN202011603069.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 富泽孝仁; 三岛浩二
Original assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products and Services Corp
Priority date: 2020-02-10
Filing date: 2020-12-30
Publication date: 2021-08-13
Also published as: JP2021127835A

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator, wherein short circuit is difficult to occur even when a plurality of electric wires with different applied voltages are bundled and arranged close to each other in a refrigerator main body or a door. The refrigerator is provided with: a refrigerator main body having a storage chamber; a door arranged on the refrigerator main body for opening and closing the storage chamber; 1 st electric wiring arranged in the refrigerator main body or the door; and a 2 nd electric wire which is provided in the refrigerator main body or the door and to which a voltage lower than a voltage applied to the 1 st electric wire or a current smaller than a current flowing through the 1 st electric wire is applied. At least a part of the 1 st electric wiring and the 2 nd electric wiring have an adjacent portion which is adjacent to each other, and the adjacent portion is subjected to a treatment for improving the insulation strength.

Description

Refrigerator with a door

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

Background

A plurality of harnesses are arranged in the refrigerator main body or the door. These harnesses may be arranged in close proximity to each other by bundling a plurality of harnesses due to problems such as installation space and wiring. In this case, if the harnesses bundled and the like are brought into contact with each other and short-circuited, the harnesses may affect the respective devices of the refrigerator, and there is a possibility that a person may get an electric shock when the person comes into contact with the harnesses.

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2016 + 188760

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which a short circuit is less likely to occur even when a plurality of electric wires having different applied voltages are bundled and arranged close to each other in a refrigerator main body or a door.

The refrigerator of the embodiment is provided with: a refrigerator main body having a storage chamber; a door provided in the refrigerator main body to open and close the storage chamber; a 1 st electric wire installed in the refrigerator main body or the door; and a 2 nd electric wire which is provided in the refrigerator main body or the door and to which a voltage lower than a voltage applied to the 1 st electric wire or a current smaller than a current flowing through the 1 st electric wire is applied. At least a part of the 1 st electric wiring and the 2 nd electric wiring have an adjacent portion which is adjacent to each other, and the adjacent portion is subjected to a treatment for improving the insulation strength.

Effects of the invention

Provided is a refrigerator wherein short-circuiting is less likely to occur even when a plurality of harnesses to which different voltages are applied are bundled and placed close to each other in a refrigerator main body or a door.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1, as viewed from diagonally above from the front.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a refrigerator according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an example of the refrigerator according to embodiment 1, showing an internal structure of the power supply housing portion as viewed from obliquely above from behind.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an installation form of a special device and an external connection terminal in the refrigerator according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an insertion direction when the special device and the external connection terminal are mounted on the right refrigerating chamber door in the refrigerator according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of a refrigerator according to embodiment 2.

Description of the reference numerals

1 … refrigerator; 10 … refrigerator main body; 11 … refrigerator compartment (storage compartment); 12 … vegetable room (storage room); 13 … ice making chamber (storage chamber); 14 … small freezing chamber (storage chamber); 15 … freezer compartment (storage compartment); 21 … right side refrigerating chamber door (door); 60 … external connection terminals; 61 … harness (2 nd harness); 61 … electric wiring; 62 … insulating tube; 90 … external devices; 521 … harness (1 st harness); 551 … harness (1 st harness); c … approach site.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, refrigerators according to various embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially the same constituent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

First, referring to fig. 1, a schematic structure of a refrigerator 1 will be described. As shown in fig. 1, the refrigerator 1 is configured to have a plurality of storage chambers in a refrigerator main body 10 in a vertically long rectangular box shape having an opening on a front surface. In the following description, the opening side of the refrigerator main body 10 is defined as the front side of the refrigerator 1, and the opposite side to the opening side is defined as the rear side of the refrigerator 1. The vertical direction with respect to the gravity direction when refrigerator 1 is installed on the floor surface in the posture of fig. 1 is defined as the vertical direction of refrigerator 1. The left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 in fig. 1 is the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 when viewed from the front side.

As shown in fig. 1, the refrigerator 1 is configured with a refrigerator main body 10 as a main body. The refrigerator main body 10 is constituted by a rectangular cabinet having a heat insulating property with an opening on a front surface. In this case, although not shown in detail, the refrigerator main body 10 is configured by providing a heat insulating material between, for example, a resin inner box and a metal outer box. In the present embodiment, a wall constituting the top surface, which is the upper surface of the refrigerator main body 10, is referred to as a top wall portion 101, and a wall constituting the rear surface of the refrigerator main body 10 is referred to as a rear wall portion 102.

The refrigerator main body 10 includes, for example, a refrigerating compartment 11, a vegetable compartment 12, an ice making compartment 13, a small freezing compartment 14, and a freezing compartment 15 as a plurality of storage compartments for storing stored items. The refrigerating chamber 11 and the vegetable chamber 12 are storage chambers of a refrigerating temperature range. Ice making compartment 13, small freezing compartment 14, and freezing compartment 15 are storage compartments of freezing temperature ranges.

The refrigerating chamber 11 is disposed at the uppermost portion of the refrigerator main body 10. The vegetable compartment 12 is disposed below the refrigerating compartment 11. Ice making compartment 13 and small freezing compartment 14 are located below vegetable compartment 12, and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The freezing chamber 15 is provided below the ice making chamber 13 and the small freezing chamber 14, i.e., the lowermost portion of the refrigerator main body 10.

The refrigerator 1 is provided with a right refrigerating chamber door 21, a left refrigerating chamber door 22, a vegetable chamber door 23, an ice making chamber door 24, a freezer chamber door 25, and a freezer chamber door 26. The right and left refrigerating

chamber doors

21 and 22 are, for example, two-piece hinged openable doors, and open and close the front opening of the refrigerating chamber 11. The width of the right refrigerating compartment door 21 and the width of the left refrigerating compartment door 22 may be the same or different. In the case of the present embodiment, the right-side refrigerating compartment door 21 is configured to be wider than the left-side refrigerating compartment door 22.

The right refrigerating compartment door 21 has a right hinge 211, and the left refrigerating compartment door 22 has a left hinge 221. The

hinges

211 and 221 are provided at upper and lower portions of outer ends of the refrigerating

compartment doors

21 and 22, respectively, and rotatably support the refrigerating

compartment doors

21 and 22. Vegetable compartment door 23, ice making compartment door 24, freezer compartment door 25, and freezer compartment door 26 are drawer type doors that open and close the front openings of vegetable compartment 12, ice making compartment 13, freezer compartment 14, and freezer compartment 15, respectively.

The refrigerator 1 further includes a main power supply device 30 and another power supply device 40. The refrigerator 1 further includes a power supply housing portion 16 and a cover member 17. The power supply housing portion 16 constitutes a space for housing the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40 in the refrigerator main body 10. In the case of the present embodiment, the power supply housing portion 16 is formed in a rectangular container shape with an upper side opened, and is provided in a portion of the refrigerator main body 10 near the rear side of the top wall portion 101 so as to be embedded therein. The cover member 17 is detachably provided above the power supply housing portion 16, and closes an opening above the power supply housing portion 16.

The power supply housing portion 16 and the cover member 17 are made of a material having water resistance and flame retardancy, such as a metal plate or a flame-retardant resin. Therefore, the internal space of the power supply housing portion 16 is formed as a region for preventing water leakage or fire propagation. Therefore, even if water flows into the power supply housing portion 16, the water can be prevented from leaking into the refrigerator main body 10. Even if a fire or the like occurs in the power supply housing portion 16, the fire can be prevented from spreading in the refrigerator main body 10.

In the present embodiment, the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40 are both provided in the power supply storage portion 16. That is, the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40 are provided in the same space inside the top wall portion 101 of the refrigerator main body 10. In this case, the same space means a space common to regions for preventing water leakage and fire spread, such as the space in the same power supply housing portion 16. In other words, the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply device 40 being provided in the same space means that: the space where the main power supply apparatus 30 is provided and the space where the other power supply apparatus 40 is provided are spaces that are not completely isolated by some component.

In the present embodiment, the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction in the power supply storage portion 16 as shown in fig. 1 and 3. In this case, the main power supply device 30 is disposed in front of the other power supply devices 40 in the power supply housing portion 16. In other words, the other power supply device 40 is disposed behind, i.e., on the rear side of the main power supply device 30 in the power supply housing portion 16.

The main power supply device 30 includes an AC-DC converter, a switching circuit, and the like, and is configured by mounting an electric component 32 and the like on a circuit board 31 as shown in fig. 3, for example. As shown in fig. 2, the main power supply 30 is connected to a commercial power supply via a power supply line 2, and has a function of converting electric power supplied from the commercial power supply into a form suitable for each device and supplying electric power to each device to be supplied with electric power from the main power supply 30.

As shown in fig. 2, the main power supply apparatus 30 has a 1 st-order side 301 and a 2 nd-order side 302. The voltage of the commercial power supply is input to the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply device 30. Further, the main power supply device 30 outputs the voltage of the commercial power supply input to the 1 st-order side 301 directly or at a high voltage on the 1 st-order side 301, and steps down and outputs the voltage on the 2 nd-order side 302. In this case, for example, double insulation or reinforced insulation is performed in the circuit board 31 between the 1 st side 301 and the 2 nd side 302 of the main power supply device 30 to increase the insulation strength.

In the case of the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes a compressor 51 and a heater 52 as shown in fig. 2. The compressor 51 constitutes a refrigeration cycle for generating cold air to be supplied to the storage compartments 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 together with an evaporator or a condenser, not shown. The heater 52 is, for example, a condensation preventing heater provided on the outer periphery of each of the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, a heater for defrosting an evaporator, not shown, or the like.

The compressor 51 and the heater 52 are devices that need to be driven to perform a cooling operation, and consume a particularly large amount of power compared to other devices. The main power supply device 30 supplies driving power to at least the devices required for the cooling operation, such as the compressor 51 and the heater 52. In the case of the present embodiment, the compressor 51 is driven by the DC15V having a voltage lower than that of the commercial power supply. Therefore, the compressor 51 is connected to the 2 nd side 302 of the main power supply apparatus 30 via the harness 511. In the present embodiment, the heater 52 is driven by AC100V having the same voltage as the commercial power supply. Therefore, the heater 52 is connected to the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply apparatus 30 via the harness 521.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes the control device 53 and the operation device 54. The control device 53 is constituted by a microcomputer having a CPU or a memory, for example, and controls each device provided in the refrigerator 1. In the case of the present embodiment, the control device 53 is driven by DC5V having a voltage lower than that of the commercial power supply. In this case, the control device 53 is connected to the 2 nd side 302 of the main power supply device 30 via the harness 531.

The operation device 54 is a device for receiving an operation from a user to change or display various settings such as operation contents of the refrigerator 1. In the case of the present embodiment, the operation device 54 is driven by DC5V, which is lower in voltage than the commercial power supply. In this case, the operation device 54 is connected to the 2 nd side 302 of the main power supply device 30 via the harness 541.

In the present embodiment, the operation device 54 is, for example, an electrostatic touch type operation device. Further, the operation device 54 is built in, for example, one or both of the

refrigerating compartment doors

21 and 22. In the case of the present embodiment, the operation device 54 is built in the right refrigerating compartment door 21. In this case, the user can perform an input operation on the operation device 54 by touching the region where the operation device 54 is provided in the surface of the right refrigerating compartment door 21. The operation device 54 is not limited to the electrostatic touch type, and may be a button type. In this case, the operation device 54 functions as a special device that operates upon receiving the supply of electric power from the main power supply device 30.

In the case of the present embodiment, the operation device 54 is provided at a position on the opposite side of the hinge 211, that is, a position on the center side of the refrigerator 1, in the right refrigerating compartment door 21. In this case, the right refrigerating chamber door 21 has an operation device housing portion 212. The operation device housing portion 212 is provided at the peripheral edge of the right refrigerating compartment door 21, in this case, at the edge opposite to the hinge 211.

The operation device housing portion 212 is a space formed inside the right refrigerating compartment door 21, and is a space for housing the operation device 54. In the present embodiment, the operation device housing portion 212 is opened in a direction opposite to the hinge 211 in a horizontal direction with respect to the right refrigerating compartment door 21. Therefore, when the operation device 54 is attached to the right refrigerating compartment door 21, the operation device 54 is housed in the operation device housing portion 212 from the side opposite to the hinge 211 toward the hinge 211 in the horizontal direction with respect to the right refrigerating compartment door 21 as indicated by an arrow a in fig. 5. Thus, the operation device 54 is detachably, i.e., replaceably, provided in the operation device housing portion 212 of the right refrigerating chamber door 21.

The refrigerator 1 may further include a door assist device 55. The door assist device 55 has a function of assisting the opening of the

refrigerator compartment doors

21 and 22 that are openable and closable by hinges. The door assistant device 55 is provided corresponding to the refrigerating

chamber doors

21, 22 at the upper surface front side of the top wall portion 101 of the refrigerator main body 10. Although not shown in detail, the door assist device 55 includes an actuator such as a solenoid or a motor, and a shaft pushed and pulled by the actuator. Further, the door assisting device 55 can push the shafts out by driving the actuator, thereby pushing the

refrigerating compartment doors

21 and 22 open.

In the door assist device 55, relatively large electric power is required for driving the actuators in order to push the

refrigerating compartment doors

21 and 22 apart. Therefore, the main power supply apparatus 30 has the booster circuit 33 on the 1 st side 301. The booster circuit 33 boosts the commercial power supply input to the 1 st stage 301 to a voltage required for driving the door assist device 55, for example, DC 280V. Further, the door assist device 55 is connected to the booster circuit 33 provided on the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply device 30 via the harness 551.

The other power supply device 40 is configured separately from the main power supply device 30. The other power supply device 40 includes an AC-DC converter, a switching circuit, and the like. The other power supply device 40 is configured by mounting an electric component 42 or the like on a circuit board 41 separate from the circuit board 31 of the main power supply device 30, as shown in fig. 3, for example. The other power supply device 40 has a 1 st side 401 and a 2 nd side 402 as shown in fig. 2. In the case of the present embodiment, the 1 st side 401 of the other power supply device 40 is connected to the commercial power supply via the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply device 30.

That is, the other power supply device 40 is connected to the commercial power supply via the main power supply device 30. That is, the voltage of the commercial power supply is input to the 1 st side 401 of the other power supply device 40. Further, the other power supply device 40 steps down the voltage of the commercial power supply input to the 1 st-order side 401 on the 2 nd-order side 402 and outputs the stepped down voltage. In this case, for example, double insulation or reinforced insulation is performed in the circuit board 31 between the 1 st-order side 401 and the 2 nd-order side 402 of the other power supply device 40, thereby improving the insulation strength. The 1 st order side 401 of the other power supply device 40 may be configured to be directly connected to the commercial power supply without passing through the 1 st order side 301 of the main power supply device 30.

The other power supply device 40 is a device that is separate from the main power supply device 30 and supplies power to a different object from the object to which power is supplied from the main power supply device 30. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the other power supply device 40 supplies power to the objects other than the compressor 51, the heater 52, the control device 53, the operation device 54, and the door assist device 55, which are the objects to which power is supplied from the main power supply device 30. In the present embodiment, as for the target of power supply from the other power supply device 40, an external device other than the refrigerator 1, for example, a portable information terminal 90 such as a smartphone or a tablet is assumed, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The refrigerator 1 is also provided with an external connection terminal 60. The external connection terminal 60 is connected to the secondary 2 side 402 of the other power supply device 40 via a harness 61. As shown in fig. 4, the external connection terminal 60 connects an external device 90 such as a smartphone or a tablet to the external device in a detachable and power-supplying manner directly or via a cable 91. Further, the other power supply device 40 supplies power to the external device 90 connected via the external connection terminal 60.

In the present embodiment, the external connection terminal 60 is, for example, a connector based on the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, and is, for example, constituted by a USB female connector. The external connection terminal 60 is not limited to a USB connector, as long as it is a standard component that can be connected to the external device 90 so as to be able to supply power.

The external connection terminals 60 are provided in the

doors

21, 22, 23, 25, and 26 or the refrigerator main body 10. In the case of the present embodiment, the external connection terminal 60 is provided in the same door as the door where the operation device 54, which is a special device, is provided, in this case, the right refrigerating chamber door 21. The external connection terminal 60 is provided near the lower end portion of the right refrigerating chamber door 21. In this case, the right refrigerating chamber door 21 has a recess 213 and an external connection terminal housing part 214 as shown in fig. 1 and 4.

The recess 213 is provided at a peripheral edge portion, in this case, a lower end portion, of the right refrigerating chamber door 21. The recess 213 is formed by recessing a surface portion of the right refrigerating compartment door 21 in the thickness direction of the door 21. That is, the recess 213 is opened toward the user side in the right refrigerating compartment door 21.

The external connection terminal housing portion 214 is a space formed inside the right refrigerating chamber door 21, and is adjacently provided around the recess portion 213. In the case of the present embodiment, the external connection terminal housing portion 214 is opened downward with respect to the right refrigerating chamber door 21. Therefore, when the external connection terminal 60 is mounted on the right refrigerating chamber door 21, the external connection terminal 60 is inserted into the external connection terminal housing portion 214 from below the right refrigerating chamber door 21 toward above as indicated by arrow B in fig. 5. In this case, the external connection terminal 60 is inserted into the door 21 from a direction different from that of the operation device 54 which is a special device, and is detachably, that is, replaceably provided in the door 21.

In this case, the operating device 54 and the external connection terminal 60 are both provided in the same door, in this case, in the right-side refrigerating compartment door 21, in an exchangeable manner. The operation device 54 and the external connection terminal 60 are disposed in different housing portions in the right refrigerating chamber door 21. Specifically, the operating device 54 is housed in the operating device housing portion 212, and the external connection terminals 60 are housed in the external connection terminal housing portion 214.

The external connection terminal 60 is accommodated in the external connection terminal accommodation portion 214 in a state where the insertion port of the external connection terminal 60 is exposed to the outside of the right refrigerating chamber door 21 in the recessed portion 213. Thus, as shown in fig. 4, for example, a user can connect the external device 90 to another power supply apparatus 40 via the external connection terminal 60 by inserting the male connector 92 provided at one end of the cable 91 connected to the external device 90 from the recess 213 into the insertion port of the external connection terminal 60.

The external connection terminal 60 need not always be exposed to the outside, but may be exposed to the outside only when the external device 90 is connected. That is, for example, a cover or the like covering the insertion port of the external connection terminal 60 may be provided in the recess 213. In this case, when the external device 90 is not connected to the external connection terminal 60, the external connection terminal 60 is covered by the cover and is not exposed to the outside. On the other hand, when the external device 90 is connected to the external connection terminal 60, the user may open the cover to expose the external connection terminal 60.

Next, the form of the wiring of the

harness

511, 521, 531, 541, 551, 61 connected to the main power supply apparatus 30 and the other power supply apparatus 40 will be described. In the case of the present embodiment, the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, 551 connected to the main power supply device 30 are drawn out from the power supply housing portion 16 into the back wall portion 102 of the refrigerator main body 10 in a bundled state as shown in fig. 3. Further, of the bundled harnesses 511, 521, 531, 541, and 551, the harness 511 connected to the compressor 51, the harness 521 connected to the heater 52, and the harness 531 connected to the control device 53 extend downward while passing through the back wall portion 102, and are then connected to the compressor 51, the heater 52, and the control device 53, respectively.

Among the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, and 551 connected to the main power supply device 30, the harness 541 connected to the operation device 54 is drawn out into the back wall portion 102 as shown in fig. 3 and 1, branched from the harness of the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, and 551, passed through the top wall portion 101, drawn into the door 21 from the hinge 211, and connected to the operation device 54 provided in the door 21.

Among the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, and 551 connected to the main power supply device 30, the harness 551 connected to the door assist device 55 is led out into the back wall portion 102 as shown in fig. 3 and 1, and then branched from the harness of the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, and 551 to pass through the top wall portion 101 to be connected to the left and right door assist devices 55.

As shown in fig. 3, the harness 61 connected to the other power supply device 40 is drawn out from the power supply housing portion 16 into the back wall portion 102 of the refrigerator main body 10 in a parallel state near the bundle of the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, 551 connected to the main power supply device 30. Further, as shown in fig. 3 and 1, the harness 61 connected to the other power supply device 40 is drawn into the back wall portion 102, and then arranged along the harness 541 connected to the operation device 54 in the top wall portion 101. Further, the harness 61 is drawn into the door 21 from the hinge 211, and is connected to the external connection terminal 60 provided in the door 21.

Here, when one of the harnesses provided in the refrigerator main body 10 or the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 is the 1 st harness, the harness to which a voltage lower than a voltage applied to the 1 st harness is applied or a current smaller than a current flowing through the 1 st harness flows is the 2 nd harness. In the case of the present embodiment, the electric power of the commercial power supply input to the main power supply apparatus 30 is directly output or boosted and then output from the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply apparatus 30. Therefore, for example, a larger voltage or a larger current is applied to the harness connected to the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply device 30 than to the harness connected to the 2 nd side 402 of the other power supply device 40.

That is, in the case of the present embodiment, a larger voltage or a larger current is applied to the harness 521 connecting the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply apparatus 30 and the heater 52 and the harness 551 connecting the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply apparatus 30 and the door assist apparatus 55 than to the harness 61 connecting the 2 nd side 402 of the other power supply apparatus 40 and the external connection terminal 60. Therefore, when the 1 st harness is used as the harness 521 connecting the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply apparatus 30 and the heater 52 and the harness 551 connecting the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply apparatus 30 and the door assist apparatus 55, the harness 61 connecting the 2 nd side 402 of the other power supply apparatus 40 and the external connection terminal 60 is the 2 nd harness.

In this case, as shown in fig. 1 and 3, at least a part or all of the 2 nd wire harness 61 connected to the other power supply device 40 is disposed in the refrigerator main body 10 or the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 through a path different from the 1

st wire harness

521, 551 connected to the main power supply device 30 and to which a voltage larger than a voltage applied to the 2 nd wire harness 61 is applied or through which a current larger than a current flowing through the 2 nd wire harness 61 flows.

Specifically, the 1 st electrical wiring 521 connected to the heater 52 is drawn out from the power supply housing portion 16 into the back wall portion 102 of the refrigerator main body 10, passes through the back wall portion 102, extends downward, and is connected to the heater 52. On the other hand, the 2 nd electric wire 61 connected to the external connection terminal 60 is drawn out from the power supply unit 16 into the back wall portion 102 of the refrigerator main body 10, similarly to the 1 st electric wire 521. Then, the 2 nd harness 61 passes through the inside of the ceiling wall portion 101, is drawn into the door 21 from the hinge 211, and is connected to the external connection terminal 60 provided in the door 21.

In this case, the 1 st harness 521 connected to the heater 52 and the 2 nd harness 61 connected to the external connection terminal 60 have portions at least partially adjacent to each other. In this case, the "mutually adjacent portions" of the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 mean: the insulation between the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 may be damaged if the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 are not insulated doubly or reinforced. In this case, "close" also includes contact. In this case, the "portions close to each other" may be portions where the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 are arranged in parallel or may be portions where they intersect with each other.

In the case of the present embodiment, a portion shown by a two-dot chain line C in fig. 2 and 3, specifically, a portion drawn out from the power supply storage unit 16 into the back wall portion 102 of the refrigerator main body 10 and a portion passing through the back wall portion 102, of the 1 st harness 521 connected to the heater 52 and the 2 nd harness 61 connected to the external connection terminal 60 become an approach portion C which is a portion that approaches each other. In the case of the present embodiment, the adjacent portion C of the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61, which is adjacent to each other, is provided in the

wall portions

101 and 102 of the refrigerator main body 10. In this case, although not shown in detail, the proximity portion C is embedded inside a heat insulating material such as urethane provided in the

wall portions

101 and 102.

In a portion of the 1 st electric wire 521 connected to the heater 52 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 connected to the external connection terminal 60 which portion is close to each other, specifically, a portion C close to each other as shown by a two-dot chain line in fig. 2 and 3, either one or both of the 1 st electric wire 521 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 is subjected to a treatment for improving the insulation strength.

That is, in the present embodiment, the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 have: a separated part where the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 are separated from each other; and an approaching portion C where the 1 st harness 521 is closer to the 2 nd harness 61 than to the distant portion. In this case, the approach portion C is a portion indicated by a two-dot chain line in the 1 st electric wiring 521 and the 2 nd electric wiring 61. The separated portion is a portion other than the approaching portion C shown by the two-dot chain line in the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61. Further, at least one or both of the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 is subjected to a treatment for improving the insulation strength with respect to the approach portion C indicated by the two-dot chain line.

In the case of the present embodiment, the treatment for improving the insulation strength includes performing double insulation or reinforcing insulation. In this case, the double insulation means that an independent additional insulation is additionally provided for the base insulation that is responsible for the base protection against electric shock, in order to protect the base insulation from electric shock when the base insulation is broken. Further, the reinforced insulation means a single insulation that is protected by a double insulation or more as much as the double insulation against the risk of electric shock.

In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the approach portion C of the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61, i.e., the portion subjected to the treatment for improving the insulation strength, is overlapped with the main power supply device 30 in the width direction of the refrigerator main body 10, and is provided behind the main power supply device 30. In this case, the portion C close to the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61, i.e., the portion subjected to the treatment for improving the insulation strength passes through the side of the other power supply device 40. That is, the adjacent portion C of the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 passes laterally of the other power supply device 40.

In the case of the present embodiment, the treatment for improving the insulation strength is performed by providing an insulating tube or an insulating tape at least one of the 1 st electric wire 521 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 at the approach portion C shown by the two-dot chain line in fig. 2 and 3 in the 1 st electric wire 521 and the 2 nd electric wire 61. The insulating tube is, for example, a heat shrinkable tube having electrical insulation. The insulating tape is, for example, a vinyl tape having electrical insulation. The insulating tube or the insulating tape covers the outer peripheral portions of one or both of the 1 st electric wire 521 and the 2 nd electric wire 61, thereby increasing the thickness of the coating of the 1 st electric wire 521 or the 2 nd electric wire 61 and improving the insulating strength.

In the case of the present embodiment, the external connection terminal 60 is exposed to the outside of the right refrigerating compartment door 21 in the recessed portion 213. In this case, the secondary side 402 of the other power supply device 40 is connected to the external connection terminal 60, and the output voltage thereof is DC 5V. Therefore, even if a user or the like touches the exposed portion of the external connection terminal 60, the output voltage itself of the other power supply device 40 does not become a problem.

However, the 2 nd electric wire 61 connecting the external connection terminal 60 and the other power supply device 40 is disposed close to the 1 st electric wire 521 at a portion indicated by a two-dot chain line C in fig. 2 and 3, and the 1 st electric wire 521 is connected to the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply device 30. In this case, the voltage applied to the 1 st harness 521 is AC100V and is greater than the voltage applied to the 2 nd harness 61. The current flowing through the 1 st harness 521 is larger than the current flowing through the 2 nd harness 61.

Here, the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 are disposed in proximity to each other at a proximity portion C shown by a two-dot chain line in fig. 2 and 3, and therefore may come into contact with each other at the proximity portion. Further, when the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 come into contact with each other at the approach portion C shown by the two-dot chain line in fig. 2 and 3 and the insulation breakdown occurs, a short circuit occurs and a high voltage on the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply device 30 is applied to the external connection terminal 60. In this case, when a user or the like touches the exposed portion of the external connection terminal 60, the high voltage on the 1 st side 301 of the main power supply device 30 is applied to the user or the like via the exposed portion of the external connection terminal 60, and there is a risk of electric shock to the user or the like.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, at the approach portion C where the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 approach each other, the 2 nd harness 61, at least one of the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 which may be in contact with a person, is subjected to a process of improving the insulation strength. In this case, the 2 nd electric wire 61 is covered with, for example, an insulating tube 62 having electrical insulation and heat shrinkability to perform double insulation, thereby performing a process of improving the insulation strength. Instead of the insulating tube 62, an insulating tape having insulating properties may be wound around one or both of the 1 st electrical wiring 521 and the 2 nd electrical wiring 61. The process of improving the insulation strength is not limited to the double insulation by the insulating tube 62 or the insulating tape having the electrical insulation property, and the thickness of the coating of the electric wiring may be increased, for example.

According to the embodiment described above, the refrigerator 1 includes the refrigerator main body 10, the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, the 1

st harness

521, 551, and the 2 nd harness 61. The refrigerator main body 10 has

storage compartments

11, 12, 13, 14, 15. The

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are provided in the refrigerator main body 10 and open and close the corresponding

storage chambers

11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, respectively. The 1

st harness

521, 551 is provided in the refrigerator main body 10 or the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. The 2 nd harness 61 is provided in the refrigerator main body 10 or the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and is applied with a voltage lower than the voltage applied to the 1 st harnesses 521, 551 or a current smaller than the current flowing through the 1 st harnesses 521, 551. Further, as shown by a two-dot chain line C in fig. 1 and 3, the 1 st

electric wires

521 and 551 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 have at least a part of the adjacent portions C adjacent to each other, and the adjacent portions C arranged in the adjacent portions are subjected to a treatment for improving the insulation strength such as double insulation or insulation reinforcement.

Accordingly, by increasing the insulation strength at the portions where the 1 st

electric wires

521 and 551 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 are at least partially close to each other, it is possible to suppress the 1 st

electric wires

521 and 551 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 from being short-circuited. As a result, even when a plurality of

harnesses

521 and 551 having different voltages are bundled and disposed close to each other in the refrigerator main body 10 or the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, short circuits are less likely to occur.

The refrigerator 1 further includes an external connection terminal 60. The external connection terminals 60 are provided to be exposed from the refrigerator main body 10 or the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. The external connection terminal 60 is detachably connected to the external device 90, and supplies power to the external device 90. Accordingly, the user can connect the external device 90 such as a smartphone or a tablet to the external connection terminal 60 provided in the refrigerator 1 to perform charging, thereby improving convenience.

Further, according to this configuration, since the 1 st

electric wires

521 and 551 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 are subjected to treatment for improving the insulation strength, it is difficult to cause a short circuit between the 1 st

electric wires

521 and 551 and the 2 nd electric wire 61. Therefore, even when the user touches the external connection terminal 60 exposed to the outside, the current of the 1

st harness

521 or 551 can be prevented from flowing from the 2 nd harness 61 to the user via the external connection terminal 60. As a result, safety against electric shock can be improved.

Then, the insulating strength is improved by providing an insulating tube on at least one of the 1

st harness

521, 551 or the 2 nd harness 61. Accordingly, the insulation strength can be improved only by providing an insulating tube on at least one of the 1

st harness

521, 551 or the 2 nd harness 61, and therefore, the process of improving the insulation strength can be performed simply and more reliably.

The refrigerator 1 further includes a main power supply device 30 to which the 1 st harness 521 is connected. Further, an approaching portion C where the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 approach each other overlaps with the main power supply device 30 in the width direction of the refrigerator main body 10 and is provided behind the main power supply device 30.

Accordingly, the access point C is provided on the back wall portion 102 side of the refrigerator main body 10 which is difficult for the user to reach with his hand, and therefore, the user can be suppressed from coming into contact with the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 at the access point C. This can prevent the 1 st electric wiring 521 and the 2 nd electric wiring 61 from being damaged by a user's touch and from deteriorating the insulation performance, and as a result, the safety can be further improved.

The access point C is provided in a wall portion such as the top wall portion 101 or the back wall portion 102 of the refrigerator main body 10. In the case of the present embodiment, the approach portion C is embedded in polyurethane as a heat insulating material in the ceiling wall portion 101 or the back wall portion 102. Accordingly, it is possible to more effectively prevent the 1 st electric wire 521 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 from being damaged by the user's contact and the insulation performance from being lowered, and as a result, the safety can be further improved.

In recent years, along with the spread of portable information terminals such as smartphones and tablets, there has been a method of using the portable information terminals to perform housework in the kitchen while watching and listening to moving pictures and music, for example. However, since battery consumption associated with viewing and listening to moving pictures or music is relatively large, it is necessary for the user to view and listen to the moving pictures or music while paying attention to the remaining battery power of the portable information terminal. Thus, for example, the following structure is provided: a connection terminal to which a portable information terminal can be connected is provided in the refrigerator, and the refrigerator and the portable information terminal are electrically connected so that power can be supplied from the refrigerator to the portable information terminal.

However, for example, if a disturbance is input to the power supply device of the refrigerator from a portable information terminal connected to the refrigerator, the power supply device of the refrigerator may be adversely affected, and as a result, the operation performance of the cooling operation of the refrigerator may be adversely affected.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is intended that the operation performance of the cooling operation of refrigerator 1 is less adversely affected even when power other than the power required for the cooling operation of refrigerator 1 is supplied.

That is, according to the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes the refrigerator main body 10, the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, the main power supply device 30, and the other power supply device 40. The refrigerator main body 10 has

storage compartments

11, 12, 13, 14, 15. The

doors

storage chambers

11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, respectively. The main power supply device 30 is provided in the refrigerator main body 10 and supplies electric power necessary for a cooling operation for cooling the inside of the

storage chambers

11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Further, the other power supply device 40 is provided in the refrigerator main body 10, is configured independently of the main power supply device 30, and supplies power to an object different from the object of power supply of the main power supply device 30.

That is, the main power supply device 30 supplies power to at least devices for performing main functions of the refrigerator 1. In the case of the present embodiment, the main power supply device 30 supplies electric power to the compressor 51, the heater 52, the control device 53, and the operation device 54. In the case of the present embodiment, the main power supply device 30 also supplies power to the door assist device 55 that requires relatively large power. In contrast, the other power supply device 40 supplies power to a device different from the compressor 51, the heater 52, the control device 53, the operation device 54, and the door assist device 55, which are the objects of power supply from the main power supply device 30. In the case of the present embodiment, the other power supply device 40 supplies power to the external device 90 connected to the external connection terminal 60 via the external connection terminal 60.

Accordingly, in the refrigerator 1, the power necessary for the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 is supplied from the main power supply device 30, and power other than the power necessary for the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1, such as the external device 90 such as a smartphone or a tablet, can be supplied from the other power supply device 40. Further, the other power supply device 40 is configured independently of the main power supply device 30. Therefore, even if a disturbance or the like is input from the external device 90 or the like to the other power supply device 40, the influence of the disturbance or the like is less likely to be transmitted to the compressor 51, the heater 52, the control device 53, the operation device 54, the door assist device 55, and the like, which receive power supply from the main power supply device 30, via the main power supply device 30.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even in a configuration in which power other than the power necessary for the cooling operation of refrigerator 1 is supplied, such as power supply to external device 90, it is possible to make it difficult to adversely affect the operation performance of the cooling operation of refrigerator 1.

The refrigerator 1 further includes an external connection terminal 60. The external connection terminal 60 is provided in the refrigerator main body 10, and is detachably connected to an external device 90 such as a smartphone or a tablet. Accordingly, by connecting the external device 90 such as a smartphone or tablet to the refrigerator 1, the external device 90 can be supplied with power from the refrigerator 1, and as a result, the convenience of the user can be improved.

The external connection terminals 60 are provided in a state of being exposed to the outside from the refrigerator main body 10 or the

doors

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26, or in a state of being capable of being exposed to the outside. In the case of the present embodiment, the external connection terminal 60 is provided in a state where the insertion port is exposed to the outside from the right refrigerating chamber door 21.

Accordingly, since the external connection terminal 60 is exposed to the outside or is provided in an exposed state, the user can easily connect the external device 90 to the external connection terminal 60. In this case, for example, the user may operate the external device 90 while cooking in the kitchen, and in this case, for example, if the external connection terminal 60 is touched with a wet hand, a failure such as a short circuit may be caused. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the external connection terminal 60 is connected to another power supply device 40. Further, the external connection terminal 60 is configured to be able to supply electric power from the other power supply device 40 to the external device 90 connected to the external connection terminal 60.

Accordingly, even if the user touches the external connection terminal 60 with his or her hand, for example, the influence thereof can be suppressed from the other power supply device 40, and the main power supply device 30 that supplies power for performing the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 can be prevented from being adversely affected.

The refrigerator 1 further includes an operation device 54 as a special device. In the present embodiment, the operation device 54 is provided on the right refrigerating compartment door 21 and operates upon receiving power supply from the main power supply device 30. Further, the external connection terminal 60 is provided at the same door as that where the operation device 54 as a special device is provided, in this case, the right-side refrigerating compartment door 21.

In this case, the operability for the user can be improved by providing the operation device 54 and the external connection terminal 60 in the same door 21. In addition, the electric circuit portion of the operation device 54 and the electric wiring 541 are not exposed to the outside in a normal use mode, and the possibility of direct contact by a user is extremely low. Therefore, the operation device 54 is configured to operate upon receiving power supply from the main power supply device 30, and even when the influence of interference occurs in the other power supply device 40, the operation device is less likely to be affected by the influence and can operate stably.

The operating device 54 and the external connection terminal 60, which are special devices, are provided in the same door 21 so as to be replaceable and so as to be inserted from different directions with respect to the door 21. Accordingly, by making the operation device 54 and the external connection terminal 60 replaceable, repair can be easily performed in the event of a failure. Further, by configuring the operation device 54 and the external connection terminal 60 to be inserted and installed in different directions with respect to the door 21, when only one of the operation device 54 and the external connection terminal 60 is replaced, it is not necessary to remove the other one at a time, and therefore, the replacement work can be performed more easily.

The main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40 are disposed in the same space. Accordingly, by providing the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply device 40 in the same space, that is, in a space common to the regions where water leakage or fire spread is prevented, the structure for preventing water leakage or fire spread can be shared. As a result, the number of parts required for the configuration for preventing water leakage or fire from spreading can be reduced, and the installation space of the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40 can be reduced.

Here, the upper rear side of the storage space in the refrigerator main body 10 is likely to be a dead space which is difficult for the user to reach. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40 are provided on the back side of the top wall portion 101 of the refrigerator main body 10. This makes it possible to effectively use the space that is likely to become a dead space as the space for accommodating the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40. This makes it possible to dispose the main power supply device 30 and the other power supply devices 40 while minimizing the influence on the substantial storage capacity of the refrigerator 1.

At least a part of the harness 61 connected to the other power supply device 40 is disposed in the refrigerator main body 10 or the door 21 through a path different from that of the harness connected to the main power supply device 30, in this case, the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, 551 connected to the main power supply device 30 and the operation device 54. Accordingly, the contact between the harness 61 connected to the other power supply apparatus 40 and the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, 551 connected to the main power supply apparatus 30 can be reduced as much as possible. As a result, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the occurrence of short-circuiting between the harness 61 connected to the other power supply apparatus 40 and the

harnesses

511, 521, 531, 541, 551 connected to the main power supply apparatus 30.

(embodiment 2)

Next, embodiment 2 will be described with reference to fig. 6.

In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a wall member 70. That is, in embodiment 1, for example, the insulating strength of the 1 st electric wire 521 or the 2 nd electric wire 61 is improved by covering one or both of the 1 st electric wire 521 and the 2 nd electric wire 61 with an insulating tube. In contrast, in the present embodiment, for example, by providing the wall member 70 between the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61, the creepage distance between the 1 st harness 521 and the 2 nd harness 61 can be obtained, and the insulation strength can be improved. The wall member 70 is made of, for example, an electrically insulating resin material. This also provides the same operational effects as those of embodiment 1.

In the above-described embodiment, the terminal based on the USB standard is disclosed as an example of the external connection terminal 60, but the external connection terminal 60 is not limited to the terminal based on the USB standard as long as it is a standard component that can supply power.

The other power supply device 40 includes, for example, a battery, a capacitor, and the like, and may be a component that can be detached from the refrigerator main body 10 and used as an emergency battery in an emergency such as a power failure.

The refrigerator 1 may not include the door assist device 55.

In addition, the external device 90 connected to the external connection terminal 60 may be a personal computer or the like, for example, in addition to a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. The external device 90 connected to the external connection terminal 60 is not limited to the above-described device as long as it can be operated by power supplied from another power supply device 40, for example, a device operated at DC 5V.

The above embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The above-described new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The present embodiment and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

1. A refrigerator is provided with:

a refrigerator main body having a storage chamber;

a door provided in the refrigerator main body and opening and closing the storage chamber;

a 1 st electric wire installed in the refrigerator main body or the door; and

a 2 nd electric wire provided in the refrigerator main body or the door, to which a voltage lower than a voltage applied to the 1 st electric wire is applied or a current smaller than a current flowing through the 1 st electric wire flows,

at least a part of the 1 st electric wiring and the 2 nd electric wiring have an adjacent portion which is adjacent to each other, and the adjacent portion is subjected to a treatment for improving the insulation strength.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1,

the refrigerator further includes an external connection terminal which is provided so as to be exposed from the refrigerator main body or the door, is connected to the 2 nd electric wiring, and is detachably connected to an external device so as to supply power to the external device.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2,

the insulation strength is improved by providing an insulating tube or an insulating tape to at least one of the 1 st electric wiring or the 2 nd electric wiring.

4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

further comprises a main power supply device connected to the 1 st electric wiring,

the approach portion overlaps with the main power supply device in a width direction of the refrigerator main body and is provided behind the main power supply device.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the approach portion is provided in a wall portion of the refrigerator main body.