CN113614474B

CN113614474B - Refrigerator and method of manufacturing the same

Info

Publication number: CN113614474B
Application number: CN201980092983.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 山川贵志; 青木均史; 土田俊之
Original assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Current assignee: Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co Ltd; Haier Smart Home Co Ltd; Aqua Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-27
Filing date: 2019-12-09
Publication date: 2023-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 2039-12-09
Also published as: JP7287643B2; JP2023072000A; CN113614474A; WO2020134996A1; JP2020106215A

Abstract

A refrigerator (10) and a manufacturing method thereof, wherein a side vacuum heat insulating material (22) is arranged on the outer surface of a side plate (162) of an inner box of the refrigerator (10), and a foaming heat insulating material (23) is filled between the inner box (16) and an outer box (15) in a foaming way. The spacer (30) is disposed between one end of the side vacuum heat insulating material (22) and the outer box side panel (152). The side vacuum heat insulating material (22) is used for properly insulating the storage chamber from the outside, thereby realizing energy saving.

Description

Refrigerator and method of manufacturing the same

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a refrigerator including a vacuum heat insulating material as a heat insulating material and a method of manufacturing the same.

Background

In a general refrigerator, a storage compartment is formed inside a heat-insulating box, and a front opening of the storage compartment is openably closed by a heat-insulating door. The heat insulation box body is composed of the following components: an outer case formed of a steel plate, an inner case formed of a synthetic resin plate and disposed inside the outer case, and a heat insulating material filled between the outer case and the inner case.

Foamed polyurethane is generally used as a heat insulating material to be filled in a heat insulating box of a refrigerator. However, in order to cope with further energy saving of the refrigerator, a heat insulating material having a heat insulating property higher than that of foamed polyurethane is preferable.

For this reason, a vacuum heat insulating material may be used as a heat insulating material to be incorporated in the heat insulating box. The vacuum heat insulating material is obtained by vacuum packaging fibrous inorganic material such as glass fiber, and has heat insulating effect of more than ten times of foamed polyurethane. With this configuration, the storage compartment can be well insulated from the outside by the vacuum heat insulating material, and the energy required for the cooling operation of the refrigerator can be reduced.

A structure of a refrigerator 100 using a vacuum heat insulating material will be described with reference to fig. 10. Fig. 10A is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the refrigerator 100, and fig. 10B is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 100.

Referring to fig. 10A and 10B, the refrigerator 100 includes an outer case 101 and an inner case 102, and a storage chamber 107 is formed inside the inner case 102. Further, between the outer case 101 and the inner case 102, a foamed heat insulating material 103 and a vacuum heat insulating material 104 are disposed as heat insulating materials. Vacuum heat insulating material 104 is adhered to the inner surface of outer case 101. A pipe 106 through which a refrigerant flows is provided on the inner surface of the outer casing 101. Thus, grooves 105 are formed in the outer surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 104 in the form of pipes 106. Fig. 10A shows a case where 4 grooves 105 are formed in the vacuum heat insulating material 104, and fig. 10B shows a case where 2 grooves 105 are formed.

(problem to be solved by the invention)

However, the above-described refrigerator has room for improvement from the standpoint of heat insulation of the refrigerator and from the standpoint of a method of manufacturing the refrigerator.

Specifically, in the refrigerator described in japanese patent publication No. 4111096, a vacuum heat insulating material is disposed on the outer box side. Thus, the surface area is larger than the inner box surface, which is the heat transfer surface into the chamber, and there is a problem in that: the heat insulating effect of the portion without the vacuum heat insulating material such as four corners cannot be fully exerted.

In addition, in the manufacturing process, it is necessary to adhere the vacuum heat insulating material 104 to the inner surface of the outer case 101 using an adhesive, but there is a possibility that the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator 100 increases by performing the adhering process.

Further, since the duct 106 for heat dissipation is provided on the inner surface of the outer case 101, it is necessary to form the groove 105 for providing the duct 106 in the vacuum heat insulating material 104, and thus there is a possibility that the processing of the vacuum heat insulating material 104 and the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator 100 may be increased. In addition, the grooves 105 formed in the vacuum heat insulating material 104 are difficult to narrow the width between the grooves 105, and therefore the pitch of the pipes 106 cannot be narrowed.

Further, in the step of foaming and filling the foamed heat insulating material 103, it is necessary to dispose an exhaust passage in the groove 105 in order to prevent the occurrence of irregularities in the outer case 101. This results in a complicated manufacturing process, and an increase in manufacturing cost.

Further, when the outer case and the inner case are combined after the vacuum heat insulating material is attached to the outer case or the like, there is a possibility that the package of the vacuum heat insulating material may be broken during the assembly operation. Further, if the vacuum heat insulator is to be adhered to the outer case or the inner case, an adhesive applying apparatus, a vacuum heat insulator adhering apparatus, or the like for the above is required, and the manufacturing method becomes complicated, and further, there is a possibility that the manufacturing cost increases.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator having high heat insulation efficiency including a vacuum heat insulating material and a manufacturing method capable of easily manufacturing the refrigerator.

(technical solution for solving the problems)

The refrigerator of the present invention includes: a heat-insulating box body having a storage chamber formed therein; and a heat-insulating door closing the opening of the storage compartment, the heat-insulating box comprising: an outer box forming an outer surface of the insulated box; an inner case disposed inside the outer case; and a heat insulating material disposed between the outer case and the inner case, the outer case including: an outer case rear panel extending in a width direction of the heat insulation case; and an outer box side panel extending in a depth direction of the heat insulation box, the inner box comprising: an inner box rear panel extending in a width direction of the heat insulation box; and an inner box side panel extending in a depth direction of the heat insulation box, the heat insulation material comprising: a side vacuum heat insulating material disposed in the vicinity of the outer surface of the inner box side panel; and a foam heat insulating material that is foam-filled between the outer case and the inner case, wherein a spacer is attached to one end of the side vacuum heat insulating material, and the spacer is disposed between the side vacuum heat insulating material and the outer case side panel.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, a rear vacuum heat insulating material is disposed between the outer case rear panel and the inner case rear panel, and an end portion of the rear vacuum heat insulating material is disposed outside a rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material in a width direction.

In addition, regarding the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer includes: a first bonding surface bonded to an outer main surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material; and a second bonding surface bonded to an end surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, the spacer is attached to a side of the side vacuum heat insulating material disposed on the opening side of the storage compartment.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, the side vacuum heat insulating material is disposed in the vicinity of the inner box side panel without using an adhesive.

The manufacturing method of the refrigerator comprises the following steps: preparing an outer box comprising outer box side panels, an inner box comprising inner box side panels, and a side vacuum heat insulating material, wherein a spacer is arranged on the side surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material in the long side direction; after the inner box is arranged in the outer box, the side vacuum heat insulating material is inserted into a space between the outer box side plate and the inner box side plate, and the spacer is arranged at the front end of the space, so that the side vacuum heat insulating material is arranged at the side of the inner box side plate; and filling the space between the outer case and the inner case with a foamed heat insulating material.

In the method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to the present invention, in the filling step, a liquid foam heat insulating material is injected into the space between the outer case and the inner case from an injection hole formed in the outer case rear panel of the outer case in a state where the outer case and the inner case are laid down, and the distance between the spacers and the injection hole is 200mm or more in the horizontal direction.

(effects of the invention)

The refrigerator of the present invention includes: a heat-insulating box body having a storage chamber formed therein; and a heat-insulating door closing the opening of the storage compartment, the heat-insulating box comprising: an outer box forming an outer surface of the insulated box; an inner case disposed inside the outer case; and a heat insulating material disposed between the outer case and the inner case, the outer case including: an outer case rear panel extending in a width direction of the heat insulation case; and an outer box side panel extending in a depth direction of the heat insulation box, the inner box comprising: an inner box rear panel extending in a width direction of the heat insulation box; and an inner box side panel extending in a depth direction of the heat insulation box, the heat insulation material comprising: a side vacuum heat insulating material disposed in the vicinity of the outer surface of the inner box side panel; and a foam heat insulating material that is foam-filled between the outer case and the inner case, wherein a spacer is attached to one end of the side vacuum heat insulating material, and the spacer is disposed between the side vacuum heat insulating material and the outer case side panel. Thus, the refrigerator according to the present invention includes the vacuum heat insulating material and has high heat insulating efficiency. Specifically, by disposing the side vacuum heat insulating material substantially in close contact with the inner case and filling the foam heat insulating material in the vicinity of the inner surface of the outer case, unnecessary concave-convex portions are not formed in the outer case, and thus, a reduction in the design of the entire refrigerator can be avoided. In addition, by disposing the spacers between the side vacuum heat insulating material and the outer box side panels, the position of the plate-like vacuum heat insulating material can be fixed to exert a predetermined heat insulating function.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, a rear vacuum heat insulating material is disposed between the outer case rear panel and the inner case rear panel, and an end portion of the rear vacuum heat insulating material is disposed outside a rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material in a width direction. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the gap between the side vacuum heat insulating material and the rear vacuum heat insulating material can be reduced, and the heat leakage occurring in the gap can be reduced.

In addition, regarding the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer includes: a first bonding surface bonded to an outer main surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material; and a second bonding surface bonded to an end surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer is compressed between the side vacuum insulation material and the side panel of the outer case somewhat, so that the side vacuum insulation material can be made to be substantially closely attached to the outer surface of the side panel of the inner case based on its repulsive force.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, the spacer is attached to a side of the side vacuum heat insulating material disposed on the opening side of the storage compartment. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the side edge of the side vacuum heat insulating material arranged on the opening side of the storage chamber can be made to approach the inner box side panel.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, the side vacuum heat insulating material is disposed in the vicinity of the inner box side panel without using an adhesive. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the step of applying the adhesive can be omitted, and the side vacuum heat insulating material can be disposed in the vicinity of the inner box side panel without using a special adhesive device.

The manufacturing method of the refrigerator comprises the following steps: preparing an outer box comprising outer box side panels, an inner box comprising inner box side panels, and side vacuum insulation materials with spacers mounted on the long side surfaces; after the inner box is arranged in the outer box, the side vacuum heat insulating material is inserted into a space between the outer box side plate and the inner box side plate, and the spacer is arranged at the front end of the space, so that the side vacuum heat insulating material is arranged at the side of the inner box side plate; and filling the space between the outer case and the inner case with a foamed heat insulating material. Thus, according to the method for manufacturing a refrigerator of the present invention, after the inner case is disposed inside the outer case, that is, after the foam heat insulating material can be filled, the side vacuum heat insulating material and the foam heat insulating material are disposed in the space between the outer case side panels and the inner case side panels. Therefore, the occurrence of a burst, which is a state in which the outer surface of the side vacuum insulation material is damaged, can be avoided. Further, by inserting the side vacuum heat insulating material into the space between the outer case side panel and the inner case side panel, the side vacuum heat insulating material can be disposed at a predetermined position using the spacer, and thus the productivity of the refrigerator can be improved. In addition, since the side vacuum heat insulating material can be disposed at a predetermined position by the spacer, an attaching device or the like for attaching the side vacuum heat insulating material to the inner box using an adhesive is not required. Further, since the side vacuum heat insulating material is disposed on the inner box side, an unfilled region, which is a portion where the foam heat insulating material is unfilled, is avoided from being formed in the vicinity of the outer box, and the design of the entire refrigerator can be improved.

In the method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to the present invention, in the filling step, a liquid foam heat insulating material is injected into the space between the outer case and the inner case from an injection hole formed in the outer case rear panel of the outer case in a state where the outer case and the inner case are laid down, and the distance between the spacers and the injection hole is 200mm or more in the horizontal direction. Thus, according to the method for manufacturing a refrigerator of the present invention, by making the distance between the spacer and the injection hole be 200mm or more, it is possible to prevent the flow of the liquid foaming heat insulating material injected from the injection hole from being blocked by the spacer, and to fill the foaming heat insulating material between the inner case and the outer case well.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, (1A) is a perspective view of the refrigerator viewed from the front, and (1B) is a side sectional view of the refrigerator;

fig. 2 is a view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, (2A) is a perspective view of an outer case viewed from the front, and (2B) is a perspective view of an inner case viewed from the front;

fig. 3 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, (3A) is a perspective view showing a spacer, (3B) is a cross-sectional view showing a structure in which the spacer is assembled to a side vacuum heat insulator, and (3C) is a perspective view showing a structure in which the spacer is assembled to a side vacuum heat insulator;

fig. 4 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, (4A) is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate portion in a vertical direction of the refrigerator, (4B) and (4C) are enlarged cross-sectional views of (4A);

fig. 5 is a view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a front cross-sectional view of the refrigerator;

fig. 6 is a diagram showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is an upper cross-sectional view of the refrigerator;

fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a method of manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a view showing a method of manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (8A) to (8C) are cross-sectional views;

fig. 9 is a view showing a method of manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, (9A) is a side sectional view, and (9B) is a sectional view at a cutting line A-A of (9A);

fig. 10 shows a refrigerator according to the related art, (10A) is an upper cross-sectional view, and (10B) is a perspective view.

Detailed Description

A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the vertical direction indicates the height direction of the refrigerator 10, the horizontal direction indicates the width direction of the refrigerator 10, and the front-rear direction indicates the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. In the description of the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same members in principle, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

A schematic configuration of the refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to fig. 1. Fig. 1A is a perspective view of the refrigerator 10 from the front, and fig. 1B is a side sectional view of the refrigerator 10.

Referring to fig. 1A and 1B, a refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerator compartment 12 and a freezer compartment 13 as storage compartments formed in a heat-insulating box 11, wherein a front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by a heat-insulating door 34, and a front opening of the freezer compartment 13 is closed by a heat-insulating door 35. The heat-insulating door 34 and the heat-insulating door 35 are, for example, rotary doors, and the right end portions thereof are rotatably connected to the heat-insulating box 11. As the heat-insulating door 34 and the heat-insulating door 35, a pull-out door may be used.

As shown in fig. 1B, a cooling chamber 27 is partitioned and formed behind the freezing chamber 13, and an evaporator 26 is housed in the cooling chamber 27. Further, a machine chamber 14 is partitioned and formed at the rear of the lowermost portion of the heat insulating box 11, and a compressor 29 is housed in the machine chamber 14. The evaporator 26 and the compressor 29 are connected to an expansion unit and a condenser, not shown, via refrigerant pipes, and form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle.

A fan 28 is disposed at an upper portion of the cooling chamber 27, and the fan 28 sends air inside the cooling chamber 27 cooled by the evaporator 26 to the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13. A damper 19 is inserted into the duct to the refrigerating chamber 12. The control device, not shown here, detects an indoor temperature sensor, not shown, of the refrigerator compartment to control opening and closing of the damper 19. Thereby, the flow rate of the cold air to the refrigerating chamber 12 is adjusted, and the indoor temperature of the refrigerating chamber 12 is kept constant. Thus, the refrigerating chamber 12 is cooled to a refrigerating temperature range, and the freezing chamber 13 is cooled to a freezing temperature range. The cold air obtained by cooling the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 is returned to the cooling compartment 27. In fig. 1B, the flow of cold air is shown by arrows. A defrosting heater 20 is disposed below the evaporator 26 to melt frost formed on the evaporator 26.

The heat insulating box 11 is constituted by: an outer case 15 forming the outer shape of the refrigerator 10 and formed of a steel plate; an inner case 16 formed inside the outer case 15 and made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate; and a heat insulating material 17 filled between the outer case 15 and the inner case 16.

The heat insulating material 17 is a foamed heat insulating material and a vacuum heat insulating material. The foamed heat insulating material is, for example, foamed polyurethane. The vacuum heat insulating material is a product obtained by storing an aggregate of fibers such as glass in a bag and putting the inside of the bag in a vacuum state. In the present embodiment, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the rear vacuum heat insulating material 25 described later are used as the vacuum heat insulating material. In fig. 1B, a rear vacuum heat insulating material 25 is disposed near the back of the heat insulating box 11. The side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the rear vacuum heat insulating material 25 are plate-shaped vacuum heat insulating materials.

The structures of the outer case 15 and the inner case 16 will be described with reference to fig. 2. Fig. 2A is a perspective view of the outer case 15 from the front lower side, and fig. 2B is a perspective view of the inner case 16 from the front lower side.

Referring to fig. 2A, the outer case 15 includes: an outer case rear panel 151 (see fig. 4A) formed by bending a thin steel plate having a thickness of about 0.5mm, an outer case side panel 152 extending forward from the left-right direction end portion of the outer case rear panel 151, and an outer case upper panel 153 extending forward from the upper end portion of the outer case rear panel 151.

The outer case side panel 152 and the outer case upper panel 153 are formed by bending a single steel plate into a U shape. Referring to fig. 4B, the rear end of the outer box side panel 152 is bent into a groove shape, thereby forming a groove 154. The width-direction end of the outer case rear panel 151 is an end 155 bent into an L-shape. The end 155 of the outer case rear panel 151 is inserted into the groove 154 of the outer case side panel 152, and a foaming process described later is performed, whereby the outer case rear panel 151 and the outer case side panel 152 are joined.

Further, a refrigerant pipe 18 is attached to the inner surfaces of the outer case side plate 152 and the outer case upper plate 153 by an aluminum tape 32, and a refrigerant used in the vapor compression refrigeration cycle flows through the refrigerant pipe 18.

Referring to fig. 2B, the inner case 16 is composed of a molded body made of synthetic resin vacuum-molded into a given shape. The inner box 16 includes: an inner box rear panel 161, an inner box side panel 162 extending forward from the left-right direction end of the inner box rear panel 161, an inner box upper panel 163 extending forward from the upper end of the inner box rear panel 161, and an inner box lower panel 164 extending forward from the lower end of the inner box rear panel 161. Further, a heat insulating partition wall 33 for partitioning the refrigerating chamber 12 from the freezing chamber 13 is formed in the middle portion in the up-down direction of the inner box rear panel 161.

The thickness of the resin constituting the inner case 16 is preferably 0.5mm or more and 2.0mm or less, more preferably 0.7mm or more and 1.5mm or less. By setting the thickness of the inner case 16 to this range, it is possible to ensure that the strength of the inner case 16 is sufficiently large, and to prevent the inner case 16 from being deformed in the step of filling the foaming resin in the manufacturing process.

The side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the spacers 30 for restricting the position thereof will be described with reference to fig. 3. Fig. 3A is a perspective view showing the spacer 30, fig. 3B is a sectional view showing a state in which the spacer 30 is attached to the side vacuum heat insulating material 22, and fig. 3C is a perspective view showing an overall configuration in which the spacer 30 is attached to the side vacuum heat insulating material 22.

Referring to fig. 3A, the spacer 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with each corner portion chamfered. When the spacer 30 is viewed from the front of the paper surface in fig. 3A, the spacer 30 has a cross-sectional shape obtained by cutting a portion above the left side of the paper surface. Spacer 30, formed with: the first adhesive surface 301 faces the left of the paper surface and is flat, and the second adhesive surface 302 perpendicularly crosses the first adhesive surface 301 and faces the upper of the paper surface and is flat.

The height L1 of the spacer 30 is preferably 10mm or more and less than 50mm. By setting the height L1 of the spacer 30 to 10mm or more, the side vacuum insulation material 22 can be protected from the end portion (i.e., the end portion 46) of the outer box side panel 152 as described later with reference to fig. 4C. Further, since the shape of the end 46 shown in fig. 4C is the same regardless of the presence or absence of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22, the reduction in productivity can be prevented by setting the height L1 of the spacer 30 to 10mm or more and less than 50mm.

The spacer 30 is made of a foamed resin material such as foamed polyethylene. By using the foamed resin material as the spacer 30, the spacer 30 is appropriately compressed and deformed when the spacer 30 is inserted into the space 43 described later with reference to fig. 8A, and at this time, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 can be pressed against the inner box side panel 162 by the repulsive force generated from the spacer 30.

Referring to fig. 3B, the spacer 30 is attached to the lower end of the paper surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. Specifically, the first bonding surface 301 of the spacer 30 is bonded to the lower end of the right side surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. The second bonding surface 302 of the spacer 30 is bonded to the right portion of the lower end surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. The side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the spacer 30 are bonded using an adhesive tape or an adhesive.

Referring to fig. 3C, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 has a substantially rectangular shape long in the vertical direction, and a plurality of spacers 30 are attached to the front side. Here, 2 spacers 30 are attached to the front side of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 at the upper end and the lower end. By attaching the plurality of spacers 30 to the side vacuum heat insulating material 22, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 can be more stably positioned and embedded in the heat insulating box 11. As will be described later with reference to fig. 6, the spacers 30 may be disposed on the rear side of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 on the paper surface.

The cross-sectional configuration of the refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to fig. 4 and 5. Fig. 4A is a horizontal sectional view of the refrigerator 10 at an intermediate portion in the up-down direction, fig. 4B is an enlarged schematic sectional view of a portion where the gap 42 of fig. 4A is formed, and fig. 4C is an enlarged schematic sectional view of a portion where the spacer 30 of fig. 4A is disposed. Fig. 5 is a front sectional view of the refrigerator 10.

Referring to fig. 4A, in the space 43 between the inner box side panel 162 and the outer box side panel 152, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is disposed so as to be substantially in close contact with the inner box side panel 162. The side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is continuous from the vicinity of the front end of the inner box side panel 162 to the vicinity of the rear end of the inner box side panel 162, and is substantially in close contact with the outer surface of the inner box side panel 162. Here, some clearance may be formed between the outer surface of the inner box side panel 162 and the side vacuum insulation material 22.

In the space 43 between the inner box side panel 162 and the outer box side panel 152, the foamed heat insulating material 23 is foam-filled at the outer portion in the width direction. The rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is attached to the inner box rear panel 161 via the adhesive tape 31.

Referring to fig. 4B, the rear vacuum heat insulating material 25 is disposed on the inner surface of the outer case rear panel 151 so as to be separated from the inner case rear panel 161. A foam heat insulating material 23 is filled between the rear vacuum heat insulating material 25 and the inner box rear panel 161.

The end 41 of the rear vacuum heat insulator 25 in the width direction is disposed further outward in the width direction than the end 40 of the rear side of the inner surface of the side vacuum heat insulator 22. In this way, the gap 42 between the rear end of the side vacuum heat insulator 22 and the front surface of the rear vacuum heat insulator 25 can be reduced, and the leakage of heat through the gap 42 can be reduced, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10.

Referring to fig. 4C, a spacer 30 is fixed to the front end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22, and the spacer 30 is compressed between the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the outer box side panel 152. With this configuration, the front end portion of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 can be pressed against the inner box side panel 162 by the repulsive force generated from the compressed spacer 30 to the right (the inner side in the width direction). This prevents the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 from moving unexpectedly when the foam heat insulating material 23 is foam-filled in the manufacturing process.

The outer case joint portion 44 is formed by bending the front end portion of the outer case side plate 152, and the inner case joint portion 45 is formed by bending the front end portion of the inner case side plate 162. Further, by fitting the inner case joint portion 45 to the outer case joint portion 44, the front end portion of the outer case side plate 152 is joined to the front end portion of the inner case side plate 162.

Here, at the end of the outer case joint portion 44, an end 46 that widens rearward is formed in order to facilitate fitting of the inner case joint portion 45. Since the end 46 is an end surface of the steel plate, if the end 46 is pressed against the side vacuum heat insulating material 22, the outer skin of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 may be damaged. In the present embodiment, the spacer 30 disposed at the front end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is in contact with the end 46, and therefore the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is not in contact with the end 46. This prevents the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 from being broken by the end 46.

The spacer 30 meets the end 46, thus forming a space 47 in front of the side vacuum insulation material 22. In this way, in the process of manufacturing the refrigerator 10, the liquid foam heat insulating material 38 described later is satisfactorily flowed through the space 47 in the process of foaming and filling the space 43 with the foam heat insulating material 23.

Fig. 5 is a front sectional view of the refrigerator 10. Referring to the figure, the thickness L3 of the heat insulating material 17 covering the freezing chamber 13 is longer than the thickness L2 of the heat insulating material 17 covering the refrigerating chamber 12. In this way, heat leakage from the freezing chamber 13 cooled to the freezing temperature range can be reduced, and a large indoor volume of the refrigerating chamber 12 cooled to the refrigerating temperature range can be ensured.

Here, since the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is substantially in close contact with the outer surface of the refrigerator compartment 165, the foamed heat insulating material 23 is not in principle present between the refrigerator compartment 165 and the side vacuum heat insulating material 22.

The guide rail portion 49 for guiding the storage container or the reinforcing plate thereof is formed on the outer side surface of the refrigerator compartment 166 so as to protrude outward in the width direction. Thus, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is in contact with the rail portion 49 at the portion where the rail portion 49 is formed.

On the other hand, in the portion where the rail portion 49 is not formed, the foamed heat insulating material 23 is interposed between the side surface of the refrigerator compartment 166 and the side surface vacuum heat insulating material 22. With this structure, a flat surface is formed by the foamed heat insulating material 23 filled between the refrigerator compartment 166 and the side vacuum heat insulating material 22, and the rail portion 49. The lower portion of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is in contact with the flat surface, and the lower portion of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is flat. Further, an upper vacuum heat insulating material 24 is disposed on the upper surface of the refrigerating chamber 165.

A refrigerator 10 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an upper cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10.

Here, the rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is disposed rearward of the rear surface of the inner box rear panel 161. In this case, the rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is not easily attached to the inner box rear panel 161 via the adhesive tape 31 shown in fig. 4A.

Therefore, a spacer 30 is also attached to the rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. The spacer 30 mounted to the rear end of the side vacuum insulation panel 22 is also compressed between the outer surface of the side vacuum insulation panel 22 and the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152. The spacer 30 attached to the rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 has the same shape as the spacer 30 attached to the front end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. By this arrangement, the rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 can be pressed against the inner box rear panel 161 side, and the whole of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 can be pressed against the inner box rear panel 161.

In the present embodiment, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is disposed on the inner side in the width direction, so that the design of the refrigerator 10 can be improved. Specifically, since the thermal expansion coefficient of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is different from that of the foamed heat insulating material 23, when the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is adhered to the outer box side panel 152, the following problems may occur: the side vacuum insulation material 22 appears like a step at the boundary of the foamed insulation material 23 on the outer surface of the outer box side panel 152. In the present embodiment, the boundary between the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the foamed heat insulating material 23 is away from the outer box side panel 152, and therefore, the boundary does not appear on the outer box side panel 152. Thereby, the reduction of the design of the side surface of the refrigerator 10 is prevented.

If the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is made to substantially adhere to the outer case side panel 152, a countermeasure against the air being unable to remain in the vicinity of the refrigerant pipe 18 is required. For example, measures such as a recess corresponding to the refrigerant pipe 18 need to be taken on the outer surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. In the present embodiment, since the refrigerant pipe 18 is embedded in the foam insulation material 23, such measures are not required, and the structure of the refrigerator 10 can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, according to the present embodiment, referring to fig. 4A, since the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is not close to the refrigerant pipe 18, it is not necessary to form a groove for avoiding the refrigerant pipe 18 on the outer surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. That is, a simple flat-plate-shaped side vacuum heat insulating material 22 can be used. Thus, the refrigerant pipe 18 is not limited by the groove formed in the side vacuum heat insulating material 22, and therefore the refrigerant pipe 18 can be arranged relatively freely.

A method of manufacturing the refrigerator 10 including the above-described structure will be described with reference to fig. 7 to 9, and further with reference to the above-described drawings. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a process of fitting the outer case 15 into the inner case 16. Fig. 8 is a sectional view sequentially showing a process of inserting the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 into the space 43 between the outer case 15 and the inner case 16. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a process of filling the space 43 with the liquid foam insulation material 38.

First, referring to the perspective view of fig. 7, the inner case 16 is fitted into the outer case 15. Here, the inner case 16 is fitted into the outer case 15 in a state where the outer case rear panel 151 shown in fig. 4A is not attached. Further, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 to which the spacers 30 shown in fig. 3C are attached is also prepared.

Next, referring to fig. 8, the side vacuum heat insulator 22 is inserted. Fig. 8A, 8B, and 8C are sectional views successively showing the process of inserting the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 into the space 43 between the outer case 15 and the inner case 16.

Referring to fig. 8A, when the inner case 16 is disposed inside the outer case 15, a space 43 is formed between the outer case side panel 152 of the outer case 15 and the inner case side panel 162 of the inner case 16. The space 43 has a tapered shape in which the width in the lateral direction is narrower toward the front.

Referring to fig. 8B, next, the side vacuum heat insulator 22 is inserted into the space 43. Specifically, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is inserted into the space 43 with the side provided with the spacers 30 as the lower end. When the lower end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is inserted into the lower end of the space 43, the spacer 30 is compressed between the outer side surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the inner side surface of the outer box side plate 152. This situation is shown in fig. 4C.

As shown in fig. 3A, the spacer 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with each corner portion chamfered. Thus, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 to which the spacer 30 of this shape is attached can be inserted well into the space 43 formed between the inner box side panel 162 and the outer box side panel 152.

Referring to fig. 8C, after the insertion process of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is completed, the outer case rear panel 151 to which the rear vacuum heat insulating material 25 is attached is fitted into the upper end of the outer case side panel 152.

Referring to fig. 9, the foam insulation material 23 is foam-filled between the inner case 16 and the outer case 15. Fig. 9A is a side cross-sectional view showing a filling process of foam-filling the foam insulation material 23 between the inner case 16 and the outer case 15. Fig. 9B is a view showing the filling process, and is a cross-sectional view at the cut line A-A in fig. 9A.

Referring to fig. 9A, an injection hole 36 and an injection hole 37 are formed in the outer case rear panel 151. The injection hole 36 is a hole for injecting the liquid foaming heat insulating material 381, and the injection hole 37 is a hole for injecting the liquid foaming heat insulating material 382. Here, the foam filling of the foam insulation material 23 is performed in a state where the inner box 16 and the outer box 15 are laid down so that the opening of the storage room is directed downward.

As shown in fig. 9A, a plurality of spacers 30 are provided on the lower surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22, and herein, the spacers 30 disposed on the left side of the paper are referred to as spacers 303, and the spacers 30 disposed on the right side are referred to as spacers 304.

In this step, the liquid foam heat insulating material 381 is injected from the injection hole 36, and the liquid foam heat insulating material 382 is injected from the injection hole 37.

Referring to fig. 9B, the liquid foam heat insulator 381 injected from the injection hole 36 reaches the front end of the space 43 through the space 43 between the side vacuum heat insulator 22 and the outer box side panel 152. Thereafter, the injected liquid foam heat insulating material 381 fills the space between the outer case 15 and the inner case 16 while foaming. A space 47 is formed in front of the side vacuum heat insulator 22, and the space 47 is a path through which the liquid foam heat insulator 381 flows. In fig. 9A, arrows indicate paths along which the liquid foam heat insulating material 381 and the liquid foam heat insulating material 382 flow, and the liquid foam heat insulating material is finally filled up to the central region 48. After this step is completed, as shown in fig. 4A, the foamed heat insulating material 23 is filled between the outer case 15 and the inner case 16.

As shown in fig. 9A, in this step, the horizontal distance L4 between the injection hole 36 and the spacer 303 is preferably 200mm or more. Here, the horizontal distance L4 is a distance at which the injection hole 36 is horizontally separated from the spacer 303 in a state where the outer case 15 and the inner case 16 are lying on each other. In other words, the horizontal distance L4 is a distance from the right end portion on the paper surface of the injection hole 36 to the left end portion on the paper surface of the spacer 303. By setting the horizontal distance L4 in this way, the liquid foam heat insulating material 381 reaches the spacer 303 while expanding and foaming in a state of a certain level of liquid, and therefore the liquid foam heat insulating material 381 can easily flow well toward the right side of the paper surface across the spacer 303.

If the horizontal distance L4 is not sufficiently secured, the liquid foam insulation 381 is blocked by the spacer 303, and therefore, referring to fig. 9B, the liquid foam insulation 381 enters between the inner box side panel 162 and the side vacuum insulation 22, and the inner box side panel 162 is uneven. In the present embodiment, by ensuring the horizontal distance L4 to be 200mm or more, the occurrence of irregularities on the inner box side panels 162 can be prevented.

The height L5 of the spacer 303 is preferably 50mm or less, and more preferably 40mm or less. In this way, the liquid foam insulation 381 can easily flow over the spacers 303.

The spacer 304 is disposed on the right side of the paper surface with respect to the injection hole 37. By providing this, the liquid foam insulating material 382 injected from the injection hole 37 can be blocked by the spacer 304, and can be caused to flow toward the region 48. This allows a sufficient amount of the liquid foam insulation 382 to reach the region 48. The height L6 of the spacer 304 is preferably 50mm or less, more preferably 40mm or less, similarly to the spacer 303.

As shown in fig. 3A, the

spacers

303 and 304 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with each corner chamfered. Thus, the

spacers

303 and 304 do not obstruct the flow of the liquid foam

heat insulating material

381 and 382.

Through the above steps, the liquid foam heat insulating material 381 and the liquid foam heat insulating material 382 are brought between the inner box 16 and the outer box 15, and the foam heat insulating material 23 is filled as shown in fig. 4A. Thereafter, as shown in fig. 1, the heat-insulating door 34, the heat-insulating door 35, and the respective structural members are mounted to the heat-insulating box 11, thereby manufacturing the refrigerator 10.

In the present embodiment, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 can be inserted into the heat insulating box 11 while preventing breakage of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. The side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is composed of vacuum packed glass or other fiber. Thus, if the side vacuum heat insulator 22 contacts with a sharp member in the manufacturing process, the vacuum package of the side vacuum heat insulator 22 may be broken, and the side vacuum heat insulator 22 may be broken. In the present embodiment, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is mounted only by inserting the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 into the space 43, and therefore, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is less likely to be damaged by contact with other members.

In the present embodiment, when the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is inserted with reference to fig. 8B, the operator may perform only the vertical alignment of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22. Thus, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 does not need to be adhered to the inner box side panel 162, and the productivity can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, as shown in fig. 8B, in the present embodiment, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is inserted into the space 43 formed between the outer box side plate 152 and the inner box side plate 162 from above. In this way, the spacer 30 disposed at the lower end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is compressed between the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the outer box side panel 152, and the lower end of the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is pressed against the outer surface of the inner box side panel 162. Thus, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 can be easily disposed on the inner box 16 side in the space 43 without using special dedicated equipment.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the step of foaming and filling the liquid foam heat insulating material 381, the position and the size of the spacer 303 are set to a range that does not interfere with the flow of the liquid foam heat insulating material 381. This allows the liquid foam heat insulating material 381 to flow satisfactorily, and avoids the formation of unfilled areas in the heat insulating box 11.

Further, in the present embodiment, referring to fig. 9B, the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 is disposed on the side of the inner box side panel 162, so that a sufficient space 43 is ensured between the side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and the outer box side panel 152. In this way, in the foam filling step, the liquid foam heat insulating material 381 can be foam-filled into the space 43 stably.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, comprising:

a heat-insulating box body having a storage chamber formed therein; and a heat-insulating door closing the opening of the storage compartment;

the heat insulation box includes: an outer box forming an outer surface of the insulated box; an inner case disposed inside the outer case; and a heat insulating material disposed between the outer case and the inner case;

the outer case includes: an outer case rear panel extending in a width direction of the heat insulation case; and an outer box side panel extending in a depth direction of the heat insulation box;

the inner box comprises: an inner box rear panel extending in a width direction of the heat insulation box; and an inner box side panel extending in a depth direction of the heat insulation box;

the heat insulating material comprises: a side vacuum heat insulating material disposed in the vicinity of the outer surface of the inner box side panel; and a foaming heat insulating material which is filled between the outer box and the inner box in a foaming way,

the foaming heat insulation material is filled between the side vacuum heat insulation material and the side panel of the outer box;

a refrigerant pipe is stuck on the inner surface of the side panel of the outer box, and the refrigerant pipe is buried in the foaming heat insulation material;

a spacer is mounted at one end of the side vacuum heat insulating material, and the spacer is arranged between the side vacuum heat insulating material and the outer box side panel;

the spacer includes: a first bonding surface bonded to an outer main surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material; and a second bonding surface bonded to an end surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein,

a rear vacuum heat insulation material is arranged between the rear panel of the outer box and the rear panel of the inner box,

the end of the rear vacuum heat insulating material is disposed outside the rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material in the width direction.

3. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein,

the spacer is attached to a side of the side vacuum heat insulating material disposed on the side of the opening of the storage compartment.

4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein,

the side vacuum heat insulating material is disposed in the vicinity of the inner box side panel without using an adhesive.

5. The refrigerator of claim 3, wherein a front end portion of the outer case side panel is formed with an outer case engaging portion, and a front end portion of the inner case side panel is formed with an inner case engaging portion, the inner case engaging portion being fitted to the outer case engaging portion;

the spacer is connected with the end part of the junction part of the outer box.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material is disposed rearward of a rear surface of the inner box rear panel, and the spacer is attached to the rear end of the side vacuum heat insulating material.

7. A method for manufacturing a refrigerator, comprising the steps of:

preparing an outer box comprising outer box side panels, an inner box comprising inner box side panels, and a side vacuum heat insulating material, wherein a spacer is arranged on the side surface of the side vacuum heat insulating material in the long side direction;

after the inner box is arranged in the outer box, the side vacuum heat insulation material is inserted into a space between the outer box side plate and the inner box side plate, and the spacer is arranged at the front end of the space, so that the side vacuum heat insulation material is arranged at the side of the inner box side plate; and

and filling the space between the outer box and the inner box with a foaming heat insulation material.

8. The method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein,

in the step of filling the foam heat insulating material, in a state where the outer case and the inner case are laid down, a liquid foam heat insulating material is injected into the space between the outer case and the inner case from an injection hole formed in a rear panel of the outer case,

in the horizontal direction, the spacer is made 200mm or more from the injection hole.