EP2320180A1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Refrigerator Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2320180A1
EP2320180A1 EP09808027A EP09808027A EP2320180A1 EP 2320180 A1 EP2320180 A1 EP 2320180A1 EP 09808027 A EP09808027 A EP 09808027A EP 09808027 A EP09808027 A EP 09808027A EP 2320180 A1 EP2320180 A1 EP 2320180A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
container
storage case
slide
refrigerator
storage compartment
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP09808027A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2320180A4 (en
Inventor
Toshiyuki Moriuchi
Atsuhiro Ohshima
Masato Sasaki
Fumio Ishikawa
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Panasonic Corp
Original Assignee
Panasonic Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP2008210429A external-priority patent/JP2011214725A/en
Priority claimed from JP2008210428A external-priority patent/JP2011214724A/en
Application filed by Panasonic Corp filed Critical Panasonic Corp
Publication of EP2320180A1 publication Critical patent/EP2320180A1/en
Publication of EP2320180A4 publication Critical patent/EP2320180A4/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D25/00—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
    • F25D25/02—Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled by shelves
    • F25D25/024—Slidable shelves
    • F25D25/025—Drawers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D23/00—General constructional features
    • F25D23/06—Walls
    • F25D23/065—Details
    • F25D23/067—Supporting elements
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D2400/00—General features of, or devices for refrigerators, cold rooms, ice-boxes, or for cooling or freezing apparatus not covered by any other subclass
    • F25D2400/22—Cleaning means for refrigerating devices

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to refrigerators, and particularly relates to a refrigerator including a slide-out container.
  • refrigerators often include a slide-out container in consideration of full utilization of entire storage space, usability, and so on. Since such a container stores various kinds of food and so on, it is necessary to increase the storage capacity of the container and provide ease of taking in and out such food and so on from the container.
  • Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a peripheral configuration of a container 206 of a slide-out type in a conventional refrigerator 300.
  • the conventional refrigerator 300 includes a body 208. Space within the body 208 is divided by two partitions 208a. Accordingly, a storage compartment 220, a storage compartment 230, and a storage compartment 240 are formed in the body 208.
  • a door 202 is provided at an opening 204 in a front part of the storage compartment 220, and a frame 203 is connected to a portion near a central portion in a vertical direction of the door 202.
  • a container 206 housed in the storage compartment 220 includes a flange portion 205.
  • the frame 203 supports the container 206 in a detachable and attachable manner through the flange portion 205.
  • the container 206 includes an inclined portion 210 including an inclined surface 210a at a lower rear end of the flange portion 205.
  • the user can detach the container 206 from the refrigerator 300 by tilting the container 206.
  • the space within the storage compartment 230 is not effectively utilized.
  • at least the space below the frame 203 is an invalid space which is not used for storing goods.
  • the container 206 needs to be tilted when taken out, and also needs to be tilted when inserted into the storage compartment 230 before attached to the frame 203. Thus, attachment and detachment of the container 206 is not very easy.
  • the stopping protrusion 203a restricts a maximum slide-out distance of the container 206 to a distance such that a rear portion of the container 206 remains within the storage compartment 230. For this reason, it is not easy to recognize the whole area inside the container 206, and it cannot be said that taking food and so on in and out of the container 206 is easy.
  • refrigerator which is not of a slide-out type but includes a single-swing hinged door which allows, by opening the hinged door, sliding out the container through the opening in the storage compartment.
  • such a slide-out container also requires ease of taking in and out food and so on as well as ease of attachment and detachment.
  • the techniques are premised on a presence of a door which is provided in front of the container and is therefore in the way of attachment and detachment of the container.
  • the techniques are not necessarily appropriate for improving the usability of the container that is slid out by opening the hinged door.
  • An object of the present invention which is conceived in view of the conventional problems above is to provide a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container that is provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment.
  • a refrigerator including a heat-insulating main body including: an outer case; an inner case; a heat insulating material provided between the outer case and the inner case; a storage compartment provided inside the heat-insulating main body and including an opening in a front part; and a hinged door covering the opening in the storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing
  • the refrigerator includes: a container which is provided inside the storage compartment and stores an item; and a slide-out rail unit supporting the container in a manner to allow the container to be vertically detachable and attachable, and supporting the container in a manner to allow, by being extensible, the container to be slid out
  • the slide-out rail unit includes: a rail part elongated in a front-rear direction and attached, in a detachable and attachable manner, to each of ends in a right-left direction of the container; and a fixed part supporting the rail part in a manner to allow the rail part to slide in
  • a maximum slide-out distance of the container is a distance such that the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of the container is located before the front end of another component provided above the container.
  • This increases ease of recognizing the item stored in the container as well as ease of taking food and so on in and out of the container. In addition, this facilitates taking in and out a relatively large item.
  • the container when attaching the container to the refrigerator, it is possible to attach the container to the refrigerator by vertically lowering, with the rail parts on both ends extended, the container from above the rail parts. That is, the container can be easily attached to the refrigerator.
  • a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container that is provided, behind the hinged door, inside the storage compartment.
  • the refrigerator may further include: another storage compartment provided above the storage compartment and including an opening in a front part; and another door which covers the opening in the other storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing, and the slide-out rail unit may be extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of the container is located before a front surface of the other door, the front surface being the front end of the other component included in the refrigerator and located above the container.
  • the refrigerator may further include: another storage compartment provided above the storage compartment and including an opening in a front part; and a divider which separates the storage compartment from the other storage compartment by dividing a space inside the heat-insulating main body into upper and lower parts, and the door may be a single door that covers, with flexibility in opening and closing, both the opening in the storage compartment and the opening in the other storage compartment, and the slide-out rail unit may be extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of the container is located before a front end of the divider that is the front end of the other component included in the refrigerator and located above the container.
  • a refrigerator including a heat-insulating main body including: an outer case; an inner case; a heat insulating material provided between the outer case and the inner case; a storage compartment provided inside the heat-insulating main body and including an opening in a front part; and a hinged door covering the opening in the storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing
  • the refrigerator includes: a first container which is provided inside the storage compartment and stores an item; and a slide-out rail unit supporting the container in a manner to allow the container to be vertically detachable and attachable, and supporting the container in a manner to allow, by being extensible, the container to be slid out
  • the slide-out rail unit includes: a rail part elongated in a front-rear direction and attached, in a detachable and attachable manner, to each of right-left ends in a lower portion of the first container; and a fixed part supporting the rail part in a manner to allow
  • the rail part for the right and left is attached to each of the right-left ends in the lower portion of the first container. This secures stability when sliding out or pushing back the first container, and allows minimizing such invalid space under the rail parts that is present in the conventional refrigerator described above. That is, it is possible to increase the capacity of the first container as compared to the conventional refrigerator.
  • a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container that is provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment.
  • the first container may include an attachment hole provided on each of the right-left ends in the lower portion of the first container
  • the rail part may include a protrusion projecting upward and engaged to the attachment hole
  • the slide-out rail unit with the protrusion of the rail part on each of the right-left ends being insertable and removable through the attachment hole, may support the first container in a manner to allow the first container to be vertically detachable and attachable, the attachment hole being provided on each of the right-left ends of the first container.
  • the first container is steadily held by a slide-out rail unit.
  • a user can easily detach the first container from the slide-out rail unit by lifting up the first container.
  • the first container may be formed using a light-transmissive resin through which the item stored in the first container can be visually recognized from a side of the first container. According to this configuration, visibility of an interior portion of the first container is increased. In addition, since the rail part is attached to a lower portion of the container, the visibility of the interior portion of the first container as viewed from the side is very satisfactory. This allows the user to easily recognize, for example, the kind and number of food articles stored in the first container.
  • the refrigerator may further include a second container which is shallower than the first container and has right and left ends supported, respectively, by right and left ends in an upper portion of the first container.
  • the second container suppresses an amount of strain on the first container that is caused when storing food that is heavy in weight.
  • a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container that is provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment.
  • Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • the refrigerator 100 includes two doors, and includes, in a heat-insulating main body 70, three partitioned storage compartments.
  • the heat-insulating main body 70 includes a heat-insulating wall in which a space formed between an inner case 71 that is formed by vacuum-forming a resin such as ABS and an outer case 72 formed using a metal material such as a pre-coated metal plate is filled with foam insulation 73.
  • the refrigerator 100 includes: a refrigerating compartment 10, a vegetable compartment 20, and a freezing compartment 30. Note that each dotted rectangular in the figure indicates an opening in each storage compartment.
  • the vegetable compartment 20 houses a slide-out container described later.
  • a heat insulating door 107 filled with foam insulation such as urethane is provided.
  • a first door 11 of a hinged type is provided to cover, with flexibility in opening and closing, the opening in each of the refrigerating compartment 10 and the vegetable compartment 20.
  • the first door 11 includes a hinge on the left edge as one faces it and rotates around a longitudinal rotational axis. Note that the first door 11 is an example of the hinged door in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • a second door 31 of a slide-out type is provided in the freezing compartment 30.
  • the refrigerating compartment 10 is cooled by direct cooling system, and the vegetable compartment 20 and the freezing compartment 30 are cooled by indirect cooling system.
  • Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • the refrigerating compartment 10 and the vegetable compartment 20 are partitioned by an upper divider 15.
  • the vegetable compartment 20 and the freezing compartment are partitioned by a lower divider 25.
  • the refrigerator 100 includes two coolers. Specifically, a first cooler 12 is provided on a flip side of an internal back surface 10a of the refrigerating compartment 10. The internal back surface 10a of the refrigerating compartment 10 is cooled by thermal conductivity from the first cooler 12. The internal back surface 10a thus cooled cools the air inside the refrigerating compartment 10.
  • the first cooler 12 includes a cooling pipe 12a and a metal plate 12b.
  • the internal back surface 10a of the refrigerating compartment 10 is directly cooled by the metal plate 12b that is attached in contact with the flip side of the internal back surface 10a.
  • the refrigerator 100 includes a second cooler 32 on the flip side of the internal back surface of the freezing compartment 30.
  • An inside of the freezing compartment 30 is cooled by a circulation of cool air discharged from the second cooler 32.
  • the cool air discharged from the second cooler 32 is also supplied to the vegetable compartment 20, and is maintained, for example, at a temperature zone between temperature zones of the refrigerating compartment 10 and the freezing compartment 30.
  • the vegetable compartment 20 houses a storage case 21 of a slide-out type, and allows a user to slide out the storage case 21 by opening the first door 11.
  • the storage case 21 is an example of the container in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a feature which is ease of taking food and so on in and out of the storage case 21 as well as ease of attaching and detaching the storage case 21.
  • the following will describe the storage case 21 and the slide-out configuration thereof with reference to Figs. 3 to 5 .
  • Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an appearance of the storage case 21 according to the first embodiment.
  • the storage case 21 is supported by a rail part 42.
  • the rail part 42 is elongated in the longitudinal direction, and is supported in a manner to be slidable in the front-rear direction by the fixed part 41 which is fixed in the vegetable compartment 20.
  • the storage case 21 has a holding part 23 protruding outward and provided on each end in a right-left direction, more specifically, on each end in the right-left direction in a lower portion of the storage case 21.
  • the holding part 23 includes an attachment hole 23a that allows attachment and detachment of the storage case 21 to the rail part 42.
  • the rail part 42 includes a protrusion 43 protruding upward and engaged to the attachment hole 23a.
  • Each protrusion 43 of the rail part 42 on each side of the storage case 21 is insertable or removable through the attachment hole 23a.
  • the slide-out unit 40 supports the storage case 21 in a manner to allow the storage case 21 to be vertically detachable and attachable.
  • the storage case 21 is formed using a light-transmissive resin through which the item stored in the storage case 21 can be recognized from the side of the storage case 21. That is, the storage case 21 is formed using a resin having relatively high transparency.
  • a small item case which is shallower than the storage case 21 is attached in a detachable and attachable manner.
  • the small item case 22 suppresses the amount of strain on the storage case 21 that is caused when storing food that is heavy in weight.
  • slide-out unit 40 is an example of the slide-out rail unit in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention, and includes the rail part 42 and fixed part 41 in each of the right-left sides of the storage case 21.
  • Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view showing the storage case 21 and the slide-out unit 40 according to the first embodiment.
  • the slide-out unit 40 includes the fixed part 41 and rail part 42 which are provided on each of the right-left sides of the storage case 21.
  • each of the two rail parts 42 includes a middle rail 42a and a support rail 42b.
  • the support rail 42b is a rail that directly supports the storage case 21, and is slidable in a front-rear direction with respect to the middle rail 42a.
  • the middle rail 42a is slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the fixed part 41.
  • Such a configuration of the rail part 42 allows the entire slide-out unit 40 to be extended in the front-rear direction.
  • the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 is a distance that increases the usability of the storage case 21.
  • Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • the slide-out unit 40 is extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction (the right-left direction in Fig. 5 ) of a rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before a front end B of the upper divider 15 provided above the storage case 21.
  • the upper divider 15 in the first embodiment is an example of a component provided above the container in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • the user when taking food and so on out of the storage case 21, the user can easily take out the food from any storage position of the food in the storage case 21.
  • the user is able to detach the storage case 21 from the refrigerator 100 without a motion to avoid the upper divider 15 such as tilting the storage case 21.
  • the refrigerator 100 includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is housed in the vegetable compartment 20.
  • the maximum slide-out distance thereof is a distance at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front end B of the upper divider 15 provided above the storage case 21.
  • ease of attachment and detachment of the storage case 21 also means ease of cleaning the storage case 21, and this is very effective in keeping clean the storage case 21 for storing food.
  • the refrigerator 100 is a refrigerator 100 which includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is a user-friendly storage case 21 that is provided, behind the hinged door, inside the storage compartment.
  • Fig. 6 is a front view of a refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • the refrigerator 200 includes three doors, and includes, in a heat-insulating main body 170, three storage compartments.
  • the refrigerator 200 includes: a refrigerating compartment 110, a vegetable compartment 120, and a freezing compartment 130.
  • a heat insulating door is provided at an opening in each storage compartment.
  • the refrigerator 200 includes: a top door 111 which covers the opening in the refrigerating compartment 110 with flexibility in opening and closing, a middle door 121 which clovers the opening in the vegetable compartment 120 with flexibility in opening and closing, and a bottom door 131 which covers the opening in the freezing compartment 130 with flexibility in opening and closing.
  • each dotted rectangular in the figure indicates the opening in each storage compartment.
  • top door 111 and middle door 121 are hinged doors, each of which includes a hinge at a left end as one faces it and rotates around a vertical rotational axis.
  • middle door 121 is another example of the hinged door in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • top door 111 is an example of such another door in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • the cooling system for each of the three storage compartments is the same as the first embodiment. Specifically, the refrigerating compartment 110 is cooled by the direct cooling system, and the vegetable compartment 120 and the freezing compartment 130 are cooled by the indirect cooling system.
  • the vegetable compartment 120 houses a storage case 21 of a slide-out type which is detachably and attachably supported by a slide-out unit 140 described later.
  • the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment is different from the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment in that the refrigerator 200 includes a door at each of the refrigerating compartment 110 and the vegetable compartment 120.
  • the top door 111 when opening, with the top door 111 closed, the middle door 121 to slide out the storage case 21, the top door 111 is present above a portion that is part of the storage case 21 and slid out through the opening of the vegetable compartment 120.
  • the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 in the second embodiment is different from the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 in the first embodiment.
  • Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • the storage case 21 is provided in the vegetable compartment 120 that is vertically partitioned by an upper divider 115 and a lower divider 125, and is supported by the slide-out unit 140.
  • the basic configuration of the slide-out unit 140 includes a fixed part 141 and a rail part 142 that are provided on each of the right and left sides of the storage case 21 (at the back and the front in Fig. 7 ).
  • the rail part 142 includes two rails which reciprocally slide with each other.
  • a protrusion 143 is provided in the rail part 142 and engaged to the attachment hole 23a of the storage case 21 in an insertable and removable manner.
  • the storage case 21 is supported by the rail part 142 in a vertically detachable and attachable manner.
  • the slide-out unit 140 has the same basic configuration as the slide-out unit 40 according to the first embodiment. However, the slide-out unit 140 is configured such that the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 is longer than the maximum slide-out distance by the slide-out unit 40 according to the first embodiment.
  • the slide-out unit 140 is extended up to the position at which the position in the front-rear direction (the right-left direction in Fig. 7 ) of a rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before a front surface C of the top door 111 provided above the storage case 21.
  • the storage case 21 does not interfere with the top door 111 that is another component.
  • the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment is a refrigerator 200 which includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is a user-friendly storage case 21 that is provided, behind the middle door 121 of the hinged type, inside the storage compartment.
  • slide-out unit 140 may be extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located between the front end of the upper divider 115 and the front surface C of the top door 111.
  • the top door 111 is not a substantial obstacle in improving the usability of the storage case 21.
  • the user is able to take the storage case 21 out of the refrigerator 200 without causing interference of the rear end of the storage case 21 with the top door 111.
  • the presence of the top door 111 is not such an obstacle that significantly decreases ease of recognizing the storage item and taking in and out the food and so on.
  • the storage case 21 is more user-friendly than the conventional slide-out container, even in the case where the slide-out unit 140 is extended up to the point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located between the front end of the divider 115 and the front surface C of the top door 111.
  • the direct cooling system and the indirect cooling system have been described as cooling systems adopted for the three storage compartments.
  • the system for cooling each compartment is not limited to any particular system.
  • all of the refrigerating compartment 10, the vegetable compartment 20, and the freezing compartment 30 may be cooled by the indirect cooling system.
  • the same is applicable to the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment.
  • each storage compartment is not limited to the types described in the first and second embodiments above.
  • each of the vegetable compartments 20 and 120 may be a storage compartment which is called a variable temperature compartment which allows the user to set a temperature zone.
  • each of the hinged doors such as the first door 11 and middle door 121 is what is called a single swing door.
  • such hinged doors as the first door 11 and middle door 121 may also be French doors in which each of door sheets provided side by side in a right-left direction rotates around the rotational axis along an external edge side.
  • one first door 11 may be made up of the two door sheets. The same is applicable to the middle door 121.
  • the effect of improving the usability of the storage case 21, which is an advantageous effect of the present invention can be produced without depending on the type or cooling system of the storage compartment.
  • the front view, the longitudinal sectional view, the enlarged perspective view showing an appearance of a storage case, and the plan sectional view showing the storage case and the slide-out unit are the same as those of the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment as shown in the Figs. 1 to 4 , and the description thereof will therefore be omitted.
  • the storage case 21 shown in Fig. 2 is an example of the first container in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • the small item case 22 is an example of the second container in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • a mode of attachment of the small item case 22 to the storage case 21 will be described later using Fig. 10A .
  • the storage case 21 is provided, effectively utilizing the space inside the vegetable compartment 20.
  • Fig. 8A is a diagram showing a longitudinal section of the storage case 21 in the third embodiment
  • Fig. 8B is a diagram showing a longitudinal section of a conventional general slide-out container 250.
  • a rail part 251 for the right and left is generally attached to a central portion in the vertical direction of each of the right-left ends of the container 250.
  • the rail part 42 for the right and left side is attached to each lower end of the storage case 21.
  • the storage case 21 according to the third embodiment is provided in the refrigerator 100 by effectively utilizing the invalid space that is present outside the conventional container 250.
  • the storage case 21 is formed using a resin having high transparency, and the rail part 42 is provided in a lower portion of the storage case 21. This achieves a very satisfactory visibility of an interior portion of the storage case 21 as viewed from the side of the storage case 21.
  • the storage case 21 when reliably attached to the rail part 42, is steadily held by the slide-out unit 40 and is also easily detachable from the rail part 42.
  • Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an attachment hole 23a in the storage case 21 and a protrusion 43 of the rail part 42 in the third embodiment.
  • the rail part 42 has the protrusion 43 near a tip of the support rail 42b.
  • the protrusion 43 includes an elastic part having upper and lower ends inclined in a front-rear direction (in the right-left direction in Fig. 9 ).
  • a front-rear width of the protrusion 43 is greater than a width of the attachment hole 23a provided in the holding part 23 of the storage case 21.
  • the protrusion 43 is inserted, shrinking in width, through the attachment hole 23a.
  • the protrusion 43 is pulled out, shrinking in width, through the attachment hole 23a.
  • the small item case 22 is attached to the storage case 21 in a detachable and attachable manner. This small item case 22 suppresses an amount of strain on the storage case 21.
  • Fig. 10A is a sectional schematic view showing a mode of attachment of the small item case 22 to the storage case 21 according to the third embodiment.
  • the small item case 22 includes, at each end, a stopper 22a including a barb downward.
  • the small item case 22 is attached to the storage case 21, with these stoppers 22a hooked on top ends of the right and left sidewalls of the storage case 21.
  • the user is able to, for example, selectively use the storage case 21 and the small item case 22.
  • this also suppresses an amount of outward tilt of the sidewalls of the storage case 21 that is caused when storing food that is heavy in weight.
  • the small item case 22 suppresses the amount of strain on the storage case 21.
  • small item case 22 may be attached to the storage case 21 in another mode.
  • an attachment part 21a including a slot may be provided on top of each of right and left internal sidewalls of the storage case 21.
  • the small item case 22 is attached to the storage case 21.
  • the amount of strain on the storage case 21 is also suppressed by the small item case 22.
  • the small item case 22 may be attached to the storage case 21 by mounting the stopper 22a, which includes no barb downward, on top of each of the right and left sidewalls of the storage case 21.
  • the small item case 21 suppresses the amount of strain on the storage case 21.
  • the small item case 22 attached to the storage case 21 such that the left and right ends of the small item case 22 are supported by the left and right ends in an upper portion of the storage case 21, the amount of strain on the storage case 21 can be suppressed.
  • the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 is a distance that improves the usability of the storage case 21.
  • Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 according to the third embodiment.
  • the slide-out unit 40 is extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction (the right-left direction in Fig. 11 ) of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front end B of the upper divider 15 provided above the storage case 21.
  • the user when taking food and so on out of the storage case 21, the user can easily take out the food from any storage position of the food within the storage case 21.
  • the user is able to take the storage case 21 out of the refrigerator 100, without a motion to avoid the upper divider 15 such as tilting the storage case 21.
  • the refrigerator 100 includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is housed in the vegetable compartment 20.
  • the rail part 42 supporting, on the right and left side, the storage case 21 is attached to a lower end of the storage case 21.
  • the storage case 21 is formed using a resin having high transparency, and the rail part 42 is provided in a lower portion of the storage case 21, thus achieving a very satisfactory visibility of an interior portion of the storage case 21 as viewed from the side of the storage case 21.
  • the storage case 21 is attached to the rail part 42. With this, the storage case 21 is steadily held by the slide-out unit 40. In addition, it is possible to easily detach the storage case 21 from the slide-out unit 40.
  • the amount of strain on the storage case 21 can be suppressed.
  • the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 is a distance at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front end B of the upper divider 15 provided above the storage case 21.
  • ease of attachment and detachment of the storage case 21 also means ease of cleaning the storage case 21, and this is very effective in keeping clean the storage case 21 for storing food.
  • the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment is a refrigerator 100 which includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is a user-friendly storage case 21 that is provided, behind the hinged door 11, inside the storage compartment.
  • a refrigerator including three doors will be described. Note that the front view of the refrigerator 200 according to the fourth embodiment is the same as the front view of the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment as shown in Fig.6 , and the description thereof will therefore be omitted.
  • Fig. 12 is a schematic view showing the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 according to the fourth embodiment.
  • the storage case 21 is provided in the vegetable compartment 120 that is vertically partitioned by an upper divider 115 and a lower divider 125, and is supported by the slide-out unit 140.
  • the basic configuration of the slide-out unit 140 includes a fixed part 141 and a rail part 142 that are provided on each of the right and left sides of the storage case 21 (at the back and the front in Fig. 12 ).
  • the rail part 142 includes two rails which reciprocally slide with each other.
  • a protrusion 143 is provided in the rail part 142. With the protrusion 143 inserted through the attachment hole 23a in a lower portion of the storage case 21, the storage case 21 is attached to the rail part 142.
  • the rail parts 142 on each of the right and left sides is attached to a lower end of the storage case 21.
  • the storage case 21 is steadily held by the slide-out unit 140.
  • the slide-out unit 140 has the same basic configuration as the slide-out unit 40 according to the third embodiment.
  • the slide-out unit 140 is configured such that the maximum slide-out distance of the storage unit 21 is longer than the maximum slide-out distance of the slide-out unit 40 according to the third embodiment.
  • the slide-out unit 140 is extended up to the position at which the position in the front-rear direction (the right-left direction in Fig. 12 ) of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front surface C of the top door 111 provided above the storage case 21.
  • the storage case 21 does not interfere with the top door 111 that is another component.
  • the refrigerator 200 according to the fourth embodiment is a refrigerator 200 including the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is a user-friendly storage case 21 that is provided, behind the middle door 121 of the hinged type, inside the storage compartment.
  • slide-out unit 140 may be extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located between the front end of the upper divider 115 and the front surface C of the top door 111.
  • the top door 111 is not a substantial obstacle in improving the usability of the storage case 21.
  • the user is able to take the storage case 21 out of the refrigerator 200 without causing interference of the rear end of the storage case 21 with the top door 111.
  • the presence of the top door 111 is not such an obstacle that significantly decreases ease of recognizing the storage item and taking in and out the food and so on.
  • the storage case 21 is more user-friendly than the conventional slide-out container, even in the case where the slide-out unit 14 is extended up to the point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located between the front end of the divider 115 and the front surface C of the top door 111.
  • the direct cooling system and the indirect cooling system have been described as the cooling systems adopted for the three storage compartments.
  • the system for cooling each compartment is not limited to any particular system.
  • all of the refrigerating compartment 10, the vegetable compartment 20, and the freezing compartment 30 may be cooled by the indirect cooling system.
  • the same is applicable to the refrigerator 200 according to the fourth embodiment.
  • each storage compartment is not limited to the types described in the third and fourth embodiments above.
  • each of the vegetable compartments 20 and 120 may be a storage compartment which is called a variable temperature compartment which allows the user to set a temperature zone.
  • each of the hinged doors such as the first door 11 and middle door 121 is what is called a single swing door.
  • such hinged doors as the first door 11 and middle door 121 may also be French doors in which each of door sheets provided side by side in the right-left direction rotates around the rotational axis along an external edge side.
  • one first door 11 may be made up of the two door sheets. The same is applicable to the middle door 121.
  • the effect of improving the usability of the storage case 21, which is an advantageous effect of the present invention can be produced without depending on the type or cooling system of the storage compartment.
  • the present invention it is possible to provide a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment. Accordingly, the present invention is applicable to a refrigerator or the like of various types and sizes for home and professional uses, and so on.

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator including a user-friendly slide-out container provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment.
A refrigerator (100) includes: a heat-insulating main body (70); a vegetable compartment provided inside the heat-insulating main body (70) and including an opening in a front surface; a storage case (21) provided in a vegetable compartment (20) and storing an item; and a slide-out unit (40) supporting the storage case (21) to allow the storage case (21) to be slidable, and the slide-out unit (40) includes a rail part (20) and a fixed part (41), and the rail part (42), supported by the fixed part (41) in a manner to move forward, slides along the fixed part (41), to thereby allow the slide-out unit (40) to extend up to a point at which a position in a front-rear direction of a rear end A of the storage case (21) is located before a front end B of a constituent element above the storage case (21).

Description

    [Technical Field]
  • The present invention relates to refrigerators, and particularly relates to a refrigerator including a slide-out container.
    • [Background Art]
  • Conventionally, refrigerators often include a slide-out container in consideration of full utilization of entire storage space, usability, and so on. Since such a container stores various kinds of food and so on, it is necessary to increase the storage capacity of the container and provide ease of taking in and out such food and so on from the container.
  • In addition, it is necessary to detach the container from the refrigerator when cleaning the container and so on. This accordingly requires ease of attaching and detaching the container to and from the refrigerator.
  • In this context, a technique of improving usability of the slide-out container is disclosed (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
  • Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a peripheral configuration of a container 206 of a slide-out type in a conventional refrigerator 300.
  • As shown in Fig. 13, the conventional refrigerator 300 includes a body 208. Space within the body 208 is divided by two partitions 208a. Accordingly, a storage compartment 220, a storage compartment 230, and a storage compartment 240 are formed in the body 208.
  • A door 202 is provided at an opening 204 in a front part of the storage compartment 220, and a frame 203 is connected to a portion near a central portion in a vertical direction of the door 202.
  • A container 206 housed in the storage compartment 220 includes a flange portion 205. The frame 203 supports the container 206 in a detachable and attachable manner through the flange portion 205.
  • When a user pulls the door 202, the container 206 supported by the frame 203 is slid out until a stopping protrusion 203a provided in the frame 203 comes into contact with a roller 207.
  • In such a peripheral configuration of the container 206, the container 206 includes an inclined portion 210 including an inclined surface 210a at a lower rear end of the flange portion 205.
  • With this, as shown in Fig. 13, it is possible to tilt the container 206 up to an angle that allows taking the container 206 out of the refrigerator 300 without causing interference of the door 202 with the container 206.
  • Thus, the user can detach the container 206 from the refrigerator 300 by tilting the container 206.
    • [Citation List] [Patent Literature] [PTL 1]
  • Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-6694
    • [Summary of Invention] [Technical Problem]
  • However, in providing the container 206 in the conventional refrigerator 300 as described above, the space within the storage compartment 230 is not effectively utilized. For example, at least the space below the frame 203 is an invalid space which is not used for storing goods.
  • In addition, in the conventional refrigerator 300, the container 206 needs to be tilted when taken out, and also needs to be tilted when inserted into the storage compartment 230 before attached to the frame 203. Thus, attachment and detachment of the container 206 is not very easy.
  • In addition, the stopping protrusion 203a restricts a maximum slide-out distance of the container 206 to a distance such that a rear portion of the container 206 remains within the storage compartment 230. For this reason, it is not easy to recognize the whole area inside the container 206, and it cannot be said that taking food and so on in and out of the container 206 is easy.
  • In addition, there is another type of refrigerator which is not of a slide-out type but includes a single-swing hinged door which allows, by opening the hinged door, sliding out the container through the opening in the storage compartment.
  • As with the container slid out along with the door, such a slide-out container also requires ease of taking in and out food and so on as well as ease of attachment and detachment.
  • However, these techniques used in the conventional refrigerator 300 are intended for attachment and detachment of the container that is slid out along with the door.
  • In other words, the techniques are premised on a presence of a door which is provided in front of the container and is therefore in the way of attachment and detachment of the container. Thus, the techniques are not necessarily appropriate for improving the usability of the container that is slid out by opening the hinged door.
  • Note that it is possible to consider that decreasing a length of the container in a depth direction facilitates recognizing a storage item and taking food and so on in and out of the container. In addition, it is also possible to consider that this also allows detaching the container by sliding out and vertically lifting the container, thus increasing ease of attaching and detaching the container.
  • In this case, however, there is a problem of decrease in capacity of the container which accordingly results in decrease in storage amount, and there is also another problem of increase in invalid space within the storage compartment which houses the container.
  • Thus, decreasing the length of the container in the depth direction is not a practical method for improving the usability of the container.
  • An object of the present invention which is conceived in view of the conventional problems above is to provide a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container that is provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment.
    • [Solution to Problem]
  • To solve the conventional problem as described above, a refrigerator according to an aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator including a heat-insulating main body including: an outer case; an inner case; a heat insulating material provided between the outer case and the inner case; a storage compartment provided inside the heat-insulating main body and including an opening in a front part; and a hinged door covering the opening in the storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing, and the refrigerator includes: a container which is provided inside the storage compartment and stores an item; and a slide-out rail unit supporting the container in a manner to allow the container to be vertically detachable and attachable, and supporting the container in a manner to allow, by being extensible, the container to be slid out, and the slide-out rail unit includes: a rail part elongated in a front-rear direction and attached, in a detachable and attachable manner, to each of ends in a right-left direction of the container; and a fixed part supporting the rail part in a manner to allow the rail part to slide in the front-rear direction and fixed inside the storage compartment, and the rail part, supported by the fixed part in a manner to move forward, slides along the fixed part, so that the slide-out rail unit extends up to a point at which a position in the front-rear direction of a rear end of the container is located before a front end of another component that is included in the refrigerator and located above the container.
  • With this configuration according to the aspect of the present invention, it is possible, by opening the hinged door, to slide out the container having each of right and left sides supported by the rail part.
  • In addition, a maximum slide-out distance of the container is a distance such that the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of the container is located before the front end of another component provided above the container.
  • This increases ease of recognizing the item stored in the container as well as ease of taking food and so on in and out of the container. In addition, this facilitates taking in and out a relatively large item.
  • In addition, when sliding out the container, it is possible to detach the container from the refrigerator by vertically lifting the container. That is, the container can be easily detached from the refrigerator.
  • In addition, when attaching the container to the refrigerator, it is possible to attach the container to the refrigerator by vertically lowering, with the rail parts on both ends extended, the container from above the rail parts. That is, the container can be easily attached to the refrigerator.
  • Thus, according to the aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container that is provided, behind the hinged door, inside the storage compartment.
  • In addition, the refrigerator may further include: another storage compartment provided above the storage compartment and including an opening in a front part; and another door which covers the opening in the other storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing, and the slide-out rail unit may be extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of the container is located before a front surface of the other door, the front surface being the front end of the other component included in the refrigerator and located above the container.
  • According to this configuration, even in the case where a door of another storage compartment is present above the container that is slid out, it is possible to slide out the container up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of the container is located before a front surface of the other storage compartment provided above. This facilitates taking food and so on in and out of the container, and also facilitates attachment and detachment of the container to and from the refrigerator.
  • In addition, the refrigerator may further include: another storage compartment provided above the storage compartment and including an opening in a front part; and a divider which separates the storage compartment from the other storage compartment by dividing a space inside the heat-insulating main body into upper and lower parts, and the door may be a single door that covers, with flexibility in opening and closing, both the opening in the storage compartment and the opening in the other storage compartment, and the slide-out rail unit may be extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of the container is located before a front end of the divider that is the front end of the other component included in the refrigerator and located above the container.
  • According to this configuration, even in the case where one hinged door is provided for opening and closing the two storage compartments, it is possible to slide out the container housed in a lower storage compartment up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of the container is located before the front end of the divider. This facilitates taking food and so on in and out of the container, and also facilitates attachment and detachment of the container to and from the refrigerator. In other words, for example, such positioning in which the rear end of the container is located before the front end surface of the divider, though behind the front surface of the door of the storage compartment above, allows the user to attach or detach the container relatively easily by vertically lifting or slightly tilting the container without an extra effort to set down the container for attachment or detachment.
  • In addition, in some cases where, when opening the door of the storage compartment, no storage compartment including another door is present above the storage compartment, or a storage space is formed above the container provided in a space in a lower part of the storage compartment, such positioning, in which the rear end of the container is located up to the point before the front end of the divider when opening the door of the storage compartment and sliding out the container, allows the user to attach or detach the container by opening the door of the storage compartment and vertically lifting or lowering the container.
  • In addition, to solve the conventional problem as described above, a refrigerator according to an aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator including a heat-insulating main body including: an outer case; an inner case; a heat insulating material provided between the outer case and the inner case; a storage compartment provided inside the heat-insulating main body and including an opening in a front part; and a hinged door covering the opening in the storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing, and the refrigerator includes: a first container which is provided inside the storage compartment and stores an item; and a slide-out rail unit supporting the container in a manner to allow the container to be vertically detachable and attachable, and supporting the container in a manner to allow, by being extensible, the container to be slid out, and the slide-out rail unit includes: a rail part elongated in a front-rear direction and attached, in a detachable and attachable manner, to each of right-left ends in a lower portion of the first container; and a fixed part supporting the rail part in a manner to allow the rail part to slide in the front-rear direction and fixed inside the storage compartment.
  • With this configuration, in the refrigerator according to the aspect of the present invention, it is possible, by opening the hinged door, to slide out the first container having each of the right and left sides supported by the rail part.
  • In addition, the rail part for the right and left is attached to each of the right-left ends in the lower portion of the first container. This secures stability when sliding out or pushing back the first container, and allows minimizing such invalid space under the rail parts that is present in the conventional refrigerator described above. That is, it is possible to increase the capacity of the first container as compared to the conventional refrigerator.
  • Thus, according to the aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container that is provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment.
  • In addition, the first container may include an attachment hole provided on each of the right-left ends in the lower portion of the first container, the rail part may include a protrusion projecting upward and engaged to the attachment hole, and the slide-out rail unit, with the protrusion of the rail part on each of the right-left ends being insertable and removable through the attachment hole, may support the first container in a manner to allow the first container to be vertically detachable and attachable, the attachment hole being provided on each of the right-left ends of the first container.
  • According to this configuration, with the protrusion of each rail part inserted through the attachment hole of the first container, the first container is steadily held by a slide-out rail unit. In addition, a user can easily detach the first container from the slide-out rail unit by lifting up the first container.
  • In addition, the first container may be formed using a light-transmissive resin through which the item stored in the first container can be visually recognized from a side of the first container. According to this configuration, visibility of an interior portion of the first container is increased. In addition, since the rail part is attached to a lower portion of the container, the visibility of the interior portion of the first container as viewed from the side is very satisfactory. This allows the user to easily recognize, for example, the kind and number of food articles stored in the first container.
  • In addition, the refrigerator may further include a second container which is shallower than the first container and has right and left ends supported, respectively, by right and left ends in an upper portion of the first container.
  • This, for example, allows the user to selectively use the first container and the second container. In addition, for example, the second container suppresses an amount of strain on the first container that is caused when storing food that is heavy in weight.
    • [Advantageous Effects of Invention]
  • Thus, according to an implementation of the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container that is provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment.
    • [Brief Description of Drawings]
    • [Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an appearance of a storage case according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view showing a storage case and a slide-out unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing a maximum slide-out distance of the storage case according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a maximum slide-out distance of the storage case according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 8A] Fig. 8A is a diagram showing a longitudinal section of a storage case according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 8B] Fig. 8B is a diagram showing a longitudinal section of a conventional general slide-out container.
    • [Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an attachment hole in the storage case and a protrusion of a rail part according the third embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 10A] Fig. 10A is a sectional schematic view showing a mode of attachment of a small item case to the storage case according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 10B] Fig. 10B is a first diagram showing another example of the mode of attachment of the small item case to the storage case according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 10C] Fig. 10C is a second diagram showing another example of the mode of attachment of the small item case to the storage case according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 11] Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing a maximum slide-out distance of the storage case according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 12] Fig. 12 is a schematic view showing a maximum slide-out distance of a storage case according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
    • [Fig. 13] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a peripheral configuration of a slide-out container in a conventional refrigerator.
    [Description of Embodiments]
  • Hereinafter, embodiments of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by these embodiments.
    • [Embodiment 1]
  • Fig. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • As shown in Fig. 1, the refrigerator 100 includes two doors, and includes, in a heat-insulating main body 70, three partitioned storage compartments.
  • The heat-insulating main body 70 includes a heat-insulating wall in which a space formed between an inner case 71 that is formed by vacuum-forming a resin such as ABS and an outer case 72 formed using a metal material such as a pre-coated metal plate is filled with foam insulation 73.
  • The three storage compartments described above are provided in the heat-insulating main body 70. Specifically, the refrigerator 100 includes: a refrigerating compartment 10, a vegetable compartment 20, and a freezing compartment 30. Note that each dotted rectangular in the figure indicates an opening in each storage compartment. In addition, the vegetable compartment 20 houses a slide-out container described later.
  • At the opening in each storage compartment, a heat insulating door 107 filled with foam insulation such as urethane is provided.
  • Specifically, a first door 11 of a hinged type is provided to cover, with flexibility in opening and closing, the opening in each of the refrigerating compartment 10 and the vegetable compartment 20. The first door 11 includes a hinge on the left edge as one faces it and rotates around a longitudinal rotational axis. Note that the first door 11 is an example of the hinged door in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • In addition, a second door 31 of a slide-out type is provided in the freezing compartment 30.
  • In the refrigerator 100 thus configured according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerating compartment 10 is cooled by direct cooling system, and the vegetable compartment 20 and the freezing compartment 30 are cooled by indirect cooling system.
  • Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • As shown in Fig. 2, in the heat-insulating main body 70, the refrigerating compartment 10 and the vegetable compartment 20 are partitioned by an upper divider 15. In addition, the vegetable compartment 20 and the freezing compartment are partitioned by a lower divider 25.
  • In addition, the refrigerator 100 includes two coolers. Specifically, a first cooler 12 is provided on a flip side of an internal back surface 10a of the refrigerating compartment 10. The internal back surface 10a of the refrigerating compartment 10 is cooled by thermal conductivity from the first cooler 12. The internal back surface 10a thus cooled cools the air inside the refrigerating compartment 10.
  • The first cooler 12 includes a cooling pipe 12a and a metal plate 12b. The internal back surface 10a of the refrigerating compartment 10 is directly cooled by the metal plate 12b that is attached in contact with the flip side of the internal back surface 10a.
  • In addition, the refrigerator 100 includes a second cooler 32 on the flip side of the internal back surface of the freezing compartment 30. An inside of the freezing compartment 30 is cooled by a circulation of cool air discharged from the second cooler 32.
  • The cool air discharged from the second cooler 32 is also supplied to the vegetable compartment 20, and is maintained, for example, at a temperature zone between temperature zones of the refrigerating compartment 10 and the freezing compartment 30.
  • In addition, the vegetable compartment 20 houses a storage case 21 of a slide-out type, and allows a user to slide out the storage case 21 by opening the first door 11. Note that the storage case 21 is an example of the container in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • The refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a feature which is ease of taking food and so on in and out of the storage case 21 as well as ease of attaching and detaching the storage case 21. The following will describe the storage case 21 and the slide-out configuration thereof with reference to Figs. 3 to 5.
  • Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an appearance of the storage case 21 according to the first embodiment.
  • As shown in Fig. 3, the storage case 21 is supported by a rail part 42. In addition, the rail part 42 is elongated in the longitudinal direction, and is supported in a manner to be slidable in the front-rear direction by the fixed part 41 which is fixed in the vegetable compartment 20.
  • Specifically, the storage case 21 has a holding part 23 protruding outward and provided on each end in a right-left direction, more specifically, on each end in the right-left direction in a lower portion of the storage case 21.
  • In addition, the holding part 23 includes an attachment hole 23a that allows attachment and detachment of the storage case 21 to the rail part 42.
  • The rail part 42 includes a protrusion 43 protruding upward and engaged to the attachment hole 23a. Each protrusion 43 of the rail part 42 on each side of the storage case 21 is insertable or removable through the attachment hole 23a.
  • With this, the slide-out unit 40 supports the storage case 21 in a manner to allow the storage case 21 to be vertically detachable and attachable.
  • In addition, the storage case 21 is formed using a light-transmissive resin through which the item stored in the storage case 21 can be recognized from the side of the storage case 21. That is, the storage case 21 is formed using a resin having relatively high transparency.
  • With this, for example, it is possible to easily recognize, from the side of the storage case 21, the kind and number of food articles stored in the storage case 21.
  • In addition, in a top rear part of the storage case 21, a small item case which is shallower than the storage case 21 is attached in a detachable and attachable manner. With this, for example, it is possible to selectively use the storage case 21 and the small item case 22. In addition, for example, the small item case 22 suppresses the amount of strain on the storage case 21 that is caused when storing food that is heavy in weight.
  • Note that the slide-out unit 40 is an example of the slide-out rail unit in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention, and includes the rail part 42 and fixed part 41 in each of the right-left sides of the storage case 21.
  • Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view showing the storage case 21 and the slide-out unit 40 according to the first embodiment.
  • As shown in Fig. 4, the slide-out unit 40 includes the fixed part 41 and rail part 42 which are provided on each of the right-left sides of the storage case 21.
  • In addition, each of the two rail parts 42 includes a middle rail 42a and a support rail 42b.
  • The support rail 42b is a rail that directly supports the storage case 21, and is slidable in a front-rear direction with respect to the middle rail 42a. In addition, the middle rail 42a is slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the fixed part 41.
  • Such a configuration of the rail part 42 allows the entire slide-out unit 40 to be extended in the front-rear direction.
  • In other words, when, as shown in Fig. 4, the first door 11 rotates around the rotational axis 50 of the hinge, that is, when the first door 11 is opened, the slide-out unit 40 is extended by the user drawing the storage case 21, and the storage case 21 is slid out of the vegetable compartment 20.
  • In addition, the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 is a distance that increases the usability of the storage case 21.
  • Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • As shown in Fig. 5, the slide-out unit 40 is extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction (the right-left direction in Fig. 5) of a rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before a front end B of the upper divider 15 provided above the storage case 21.
  • Note that the upper divider 15 in the first embodiment is an example of a component provided above the container in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • This allows the user to easily recognize what is stored in the storage case 21. In addition, when placing food in the storage case 21, it is possible to easily place the food at any storage position within the storage case 21.
  • In addition, when taking food and so on out of the storage case 21, the user can easily take out the food from any storage position of the food in the storage case 21.
  • In addition, it is also possible to take a relatively large article of food in and out of the storage case 21.
  • Furthermore, simply by vertically lifting the storage case 21, the user is able to detach the storage case 21 from the refrigerator 100 without a motion to avoid the upper divider 15 such as tilting the storage case 21.
  • In addition, with the slide-out unit 40 extended as shown in Fig. 5, simply by lowering the storage case 21 from above the rail part 42, the user is able to attach the storage case 21 to the slide-out unit 40.
  • Thus, the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is housed in the vegetable compartment 20. In addition, the maximum slide-out distance thereof is a distance at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front end B of the upper divider 15 provided above the storage case 21.
  • This allows the user to easily recognize the item stored in the storage case 21, and to easily take food and so on in and out of the storage case 21.
  • In addition, ease of attachment and detachment of the storage case 21 also means ease of cleaning the storage case 21, and this is very effective in keeping clean the storage case 21 for storing food.
  • As described above, the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment is a refrigerator 100 which includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is a user-friendly storage case 21 that is provided, behind the hinged door, inside the storage compartment.
    • [Embodiment 2]
  • As a second embodiment, a refrigerator including three doors will be described.
  • Fig. 6 is a front view of a refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • As shown in Fig. 6, the refrigerator 200 includes three doors, and includes, in a heat-insulating main body 170, three storage compartments.
  • Specifically, the refrigerator 200 includes: a refrigerating compartment 110, a vegetable compartment 120, and a freezing compartment 130.
  • A heat insulating door is provided at an opening in each storage compartment. Specifically, the refrigerator 200 includes: a top door 111 which covers the opening in the refrigerating compartment 110 with flexibility in opening and closing, a middle door 121 which clovers the opening in the vegetable compartment 120 with flexibility in opening and closing, and a bottom door 131 which covers the opening in the freezing compartment 130 with flexibility in opening and closing. In the figure, each dotted rectangular in the figure indicates the opening in each storage compartment.
  • In addition, the top door 111 and middle door 121 are hinged doors, each of which includes a hinge at a left end as one faces it and rotates around a vertical rotational axis.
  • Note that the middle door 121 is another example of the hinged door in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention. In addition, the top door 111 is an example of such another door in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention.
  • In addition, the cooling system for each of the three storage compartments is the same as the first embodiment. Specifically, the refrigerating compartment 110 is cooled by the direct cooling system, and the vegetable compartment 120 and the freezing compartment 130 are cooled by the indirect cooling system.
  • Furthermore, as with the first embodiment, the vegetable compartment 120 houses a storage case 21 of a slide-out type which is detachably and attachably supported by a slide-out unit 140 described later.
  • However, the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment is different from the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment in that the refrigerator 200 includes a door at each of the refrigerating compartment 110 and the vegetable compartment 120.
  • Thus, when opening, with the top door 111 closed, the middle door 121 to slide out the storage case 21, the top door 111 is present above a portion that is part of the storage case 21 and slid out through the opening of the vegetable compartment 120.
  • Accordingly, the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 in the second embodiment is different from the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 in the first embodiment.
  • Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
  • As shown in Fig. 7, the storage case 21 is provided in the vegetable compartment 120 that is vertically partitioned by an upper divider 115 and a lower divider 125, and is supported by the slide-out unit 140.
  • Note that the basic configuration of the slide-out unit 140, as with the slide-out unit 40 according to the first embodiment, includes a fixed part 141 and a rail part 142 that are provided on each of the right and left sides of the storage case 21 (at the back and the front in Fig. 7).
  • In addition, the rail part 142 includes two rails which reciprocally slide with each other. A protrusion 143 is provided in the rail part 142 and engaged to the attachment hole 23a of the storage case 21 in an insertable and removable manner. In other words, the storage case 21 is supported by the rail part 142 in a vertically detachable and attachable manner.
  • Thus, the slide-out unit 140 has the same basic configuration as the slide-out unit 40 according to the first embodiment. However, the slide-out unit 140 is configured such that the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 is longer than the maximum slide-out distance by the slide-out unit 40 according to the first embodiment.
  • Specifically, the slide-out unit 140 is extended up to the position at which the position in the front-rear direction (the right-left direction in Fig. 7) of a rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before a front surface C of the top door 111 provided above the storage case 21.
  • This allows the user to easily recognize the item stored in the storage case 21, and to easily take the food and so on in and out of the storage case 21. In addition, it is also possible to take a relatively large article of food in and out of the storage case 21.
  • In addition, when sliding out the storage case 21 up to the maximum slide-out distance and lifting the storage case 21 to detach the storage case 21 from the rail part 142, the storage case 21 does not interfere with the top door 111 that is another component.
  • In other words, as with the first embodiment, simply by lifting the storage case 21 upward, the user is able to detach the storage case 21 from the rail part 142 without a motion to avoid the top door 111.
  • In addition, simply by lowering the storage case 21 down to the rail part 42, the user is able to attach the storage case 21 to the rail part 142.
  • As described above, the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment is a refrigerator 200 which includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is a user-friendly storage case 21 that is provided, behind the middle door 121 of the hinged type, inside the storage compartment.
  • Note that the slide-out unit 140 may be extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located between the front end of the upper divider 115 and the front surface C of the top door 111.
  • This is because, with the storage case 21 located at the maximum slide-out point, the usability of the storage case 21 is improved as compared to the conventional storage case, as long as the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located, though not before the front surface C of the top door 111, before the front end of the upper divider 115.
  • In other words, in some cases, the top door 111 is not a substantial obstacle in improving the usability of the storage case 21.
  • For example, by lifting up the front end of the storage case 21 to move the storage case 21 slightly forward, the user is able to take the storage case 21 out of the refrigerator 200 without causing interference of the rear end of the storage case 21 with the top door 111.
  • In other words, vertically lifting the storage case 21 is not the only action required for taking out the storage case 21. However, in some cases, particularly when the top door 111 is relatively thin, taking out the storage case 21 requires minimum motion to avoid the top door 111.
  • In addition, when the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front end of the divider 115, almost all the part of the storage case 21 is slid out of the refrigerator 200.
  • Therefore, the presence of the top door 111 is not such an obstacle that significantly decreases ease of recognizing the storage item and taking in and out the food and so on.
  • Thus, it is possible to say that the storage case 21 is more user-friendly than the conventional slide-out container, even in the case where the slide-out unit 140 is extended up to the point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located between the front end of the divider 115 and the front surface C of the top door 111.
  • In other words, for example, such positioning in which the rear end of the container is located before the front end surface of the divider, though behind the front surface of the door of the storage compartment above, allows the user to attach and detach the container relatively easily by vertically lifting the container or slightly tilting the container, without an extra effort to set down the container for attachment or detachment.
  • In addition, in some cases where, when opening the door of the storage compartment, no storage compartment including another door is present above the storage compartment, or a storage space is formed above the container which is provided in a space in a lower part of the storage compartment, such positioning, in which the rear end of the container is located up to the point before the front end of the divider when opening the door of the storage compartment and sliding out the container, allows the user to attach or detach the container by opening the door of the storage compartment and vertically lifting or lowering the container.
  • Thus, as compared to the conventional container, visibility of an interior portion of the container is increased for practical use as compared to the conventional container, along with increase in ease of attaching and detaching the container to a very satisfactory level, thus enhancing a practical effect of providing a configuration of a user-friendly slide-out container that satisfies the recent growing consumer needs for detaching the container for cleaning to keep it in a hygienic condition.
  • In the first and second embodiments described above, the direct cooling system and the indirect cooling system have been described as cooling systems adopted for the three storage compartments. However, in implementation of the present embodiment, the system for cooling each compartment is not limited to any particular system.
  • For example, in the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment, all of the refrigerating compartment 10, the vegetable compartment 20, and the freezing compartment 30 may be cooled by the indirect cooling system. The same is applicable to the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment.
  • In addition, the type of each storage compartment is not limited to the types described in the first and second embodiments above. For example, each of the vegetable compartments 20 and 120 may be a storage compartment which is called a variable temperature compartment which allows the user to set a temperature zone.
  • In addition, each of the hinged doors such as the first door 11 and middle door 121 is what is called a single swing door. However, such hinged doors as the first door 11 and middle door 121 may also be French doors in which each of door sheets provided side by side in a right-left direction rotates around the rotational axis along an external edge side.
  • In other words, one first door 11 may be made up of the two door sheets. The same is applicable to the middle door 121.
  • Thus, the effect of improving the usability of the storage case 21, which is an advantageous effect of the present invention, can be produced without depending on the type or cooling system of the storage compartment.
    • [Embodiment 3]
  • Of the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment, the front view, the longitudinal sectional view, the enlarged perspective view showing an appearance of a storage case, and the plan sectional view showing the storage case and the slide-out unit are the same as those of the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment as shown in the Figs. 1 to 4, and the description thereof will therefore be omitted.
  • Note that the storage case 21 shown in Fig. 2 is an example of the first container in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention. In addition, the small item case 22 is an example of the second container in the refrigerator according to an implementation of the present invention. In addition, a mode of attachment of the small item case 22 to the storage case 21 will be described later using Fig. 10A.
  • In addition, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, in the refrigerator 100 thus configured, the storage case 21 is provided, effectively utilizing the space inside the vegetable compartment 20.
  • Fig. 8A is a diagram showing a longitudinal section of the storage case 21 in the third embodiment, and Fig. 8B is a diagram showing a longitudinal section of a conventional general slide-out container 250.
  • As shown in Fig. 8B, with the slide-out container 250 of the conventional type, a rail part 251 for the right and left is generally attached to a central portion in the vertical direction of each of the right-left ends of the container 250.
  • This causes presence, below the rail part 251, of an invalid space (a region indicated by dots in Fig. 8B) which is not used for storing food and so on.
  • On the other hand, in the third embodiment as shown in Fig. 8A, the rail part 42 for the right and left side is attached to each lower end of the storage case 21.
  • In other words, the storage case 21 according to the third embodiment is provided in the refrigerator 100 by effectively utilizing the invalid space that is present outside the conventional container 250.
  • In other words, when assuming the case of providing the storage case 21 in the storage compartment of a size and the case of providing the container 250 in the storage compartment of the same size, the case of providing the storage case 21 results in a larger storage capacity.
  • In addition, the storage case 21 is formed using a resin having high transparency, and the rail part 42 is provided in a lower portion of the storage case 21. This achieves a very satisfactory visibility of an interior portion of the storage case 21 as viewed from the side of the storage case 21.
  • This allows the user to easily recognize, from the side of the storage case 21, the kind and number of food articles stored in the storage case 21.
  • In addition, the storage case 21, when reliably attached to the rail part 42, is steadily held by the slide-out unit 40 and is also easily detachable from the rail part 42.
  • Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an attachment hole 23a in the storage case 21 and a protrusion 43 of the rail part 42 in the third embodiment.
  • As shown in Fig. 9, the rail part 42 has the protrusion 43 near a tip of the support rail 42b. In addition, the protrusion 43 includes an elastic part having upper and lower ends inclined in a front-rear direction (in the right-left direction in Fig. 9).
  • A front-rear width of the protrusion 43 is greater than a width of the attachment hole 23a provided in the holding part 23 of the storage case 21.
  • However, when attaching the storage case 21 to the rail part 42, the protrusion 43 is inserted, shrinking in width, through the attachment hole 23a.
  • Thus, with the protrusion 43 inserted through the attachment hole 23a in the storage case 21, the storage case 21 is steadily held by the slide-out unit 40.
  • In addition, in the case of detaching the storage case 21 from the rail part 42, the protrusion 43 is pulled out, shrinking in width, through the attachment hole 23a.
  • In other words, as shown in Fig. 9, by lifting the storage case 21 upward with respect to the rail part 42, it is possible to easily detach the storage case 21 from the rail part 42.
  • In addition, as described above, the small item case 22 is attached to the storage case 21 in a detachable and attachable manner. This small item case 22 suppresses an amount of strain on the storage case 21.
  • Fig. 10A is a sectional schematic view showing a mode of attachment of the small item case 22 to the storage case 21 according to the third embodiment.
  • As shown in Fig. 10A, the small item case 22 includes, at each end, a stopper 22a including a barb downward.
  • The small item case 22 is attached to the storage case 21, with these stoppers 22a hooked on top ends of the right and left sidewalls of the storage case 21.
  • Thus, with the small item case 22 attached to the storage case 21, the user is able to, for example, selectively use the storage case 21 and the small item case 22.
  • In addition, for example, this also suppresses an amount of outward tilt of the sidewalls of the storage case 21 that is caused when storing food that is heavy in weight. In other words, the small item case 22 suppresses the amount of strain on the storage case 21.
  • Note that the small item case 22 may be attached to the storage case 21 in another mode.
  • For example, as shown in Fig. 10B, an attachment part 21a including a slot may be provided on top of each of right and left internal sidewalls of the storage case 21.
  • In this case, with the stopper 22a, which is provided on each end of the small item case 22, inserted into the slot in each of the right and left sides of the attachment unit 21a, the small item case 22 is attached to the storage case 21.
  • By thus forming the storage case 21 and small item case 22 into shape, the amount of strain on the storage case 21 is also suppressed by the small item case 22.
  • In addition, for example, as shown in Fig. 10C, the small item case 22 may be attached to the storage case 21 by mounting the stopper 22a, which includes no barb downward, on top of each of the right and left sidewalls of the storage case 21.
  • In this case, at least an amount of inward tilt of the sidewalls of the storage case 21 can be suppressed. In other words, the small item case 21 suppresses the amount of strain on the storage case 21.
  • Thus, with the small item case 22 attached to the storage case 21 such that the left and right ends of the small item case 22 are supported by the left and right ends in an upper portion of the storage case 21, the amount of strain on the storage case 21 can be suppressed.
  • With this, for example, it is possible to prevent deformation of the storage case 21 and decrease in smoothness due to the deformation when taking in or out the storage case 21.
  • In addition, the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 is a distance that improves the usability of the storage case 21.
  • Fig. 11 is a schematic view showing the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 according to the third embodiment.
  • As shown in Fig. 11, the slide-out unit 40 is extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction (the right-left direction in Fig. 11) of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front end B of the upper divider 15 provided above the storage case 21.
  • This allows the user to easily recognize what is stored in the storage case 21. In addition, when placing food in the storage case 21, it is possible to easily store the food at any position within the storage case 21.
  • In addition, when taking food and so on out of the storage case 21, the user can easily take out the food from any storage position of the food within the storage case 21.
  • In addition, it is also possible to take a relatively large article of food in and out of the storage case 21.
  • Furthermore, simply by vertically lifting the storage case 21, the user is able to take the storage case 21 out of the refrigerator 100, without a motion to avoid the upper divider 15 such as tilting the storage case 21.
  • In addition, with the slide-out unit 40 extended as shown in Fig. 11, simply by lowering the storage case 21 from above the rail part 42, the user is able to attach the storage case 21 to the slide-out unit 40.
  • Thus, the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is housed in the vegetable compartment 20.
  • In addition, the rail part 42 supporting, on the right and left side, the storage case 21 is attached to a lower end of the storage case 21.
  • This allows securing stability in sliding out and pushing back the storage case 21, and also allows minimizing the invalid space that is present outside the storage case 21. In other words, it is possible to increase the capacity of the storage case 21 as compared to the conventional storage case.
  • In addition, the storage case 21 is formed using a resin having high transparency, and the rail part 42 is provided in a lower portion of the storage case 21, thus achieving a very satisfactory visibility of an interior portion of the storage case 21 as viewed from the side of the storage case 21.
  • In addition, with the protrusion 43 of the rail part 42 inserted through the attachment hole 23a provided in a lower portion of the storage case 21, the storage case 21 is attached to the rail part 42. With this, the storage case 21 is steadily held by the slide-out unit 40. In addition, it is possible to easily detach the storage case 21 from the slide-out unit 40.
  • In addition, with the small item case 22 attached to the storage case 21, the amount of strain on the storage case 21 can be suppressed.
  • In addition, the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 is a distance at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front end B of the upper divider 15 provided above the storage case 21.
  • This allows the user to easily recognize the item stored in the storage case 21, and also to easily take the food and so on in and out of the storage case 21.
  • In addition, ease of attachment and detachment of the storage case 21 also means ease of cleaning the storage case 21, and this is very effective in keeping clean the storage case 21 for storing food.
  • As described above, the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment is a refrigerator 100 which includes the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is a user-friendly storage case 21 that is provided, behind the hinged door 11, inside the storage compartment.
    • [Embodiment 4]
  • As a fourth embodiment, a refrigerator including three doors will be described. Note that the front view of the refrigerator 200 according to the fourth embodiment is the same as the front view of the refrigerator 200 according to the second embodiment as shown in Fig.6, and the description thereof will therefore be omitted.
  • Fig. 12 is a schematic view showing the maximum slide-out distance of the storage case 21 according to the fourth embodiment.
  • As shown in Fig. 12, the storage case 21 is provided in the vegetable compartment 120 that is vertically partitioned by an upper divider 115 and a lower divider 125, and is supported by the slide-out unit 140.
  • Note that the basic configuration of the slide-out unit 140, as with the slide-out unit 40 according to the third embodiment, includes a fixed part 141 and a rail part 142 that are provided on each of the right and left sides of the storage case 21 (at the back and the front in Fig. 12).
  • In addition, the rail part 142 includes two rails which reciprocally slide with each other. A protrusion 143 is provided in the rail part 142. With the protrusion 143 inserted through the attachment hole 23a in a lower portion of the storage case 21, the storage case 21 is attached to the rail part 142.
  • In other words, as with the third embodiment, the rail parts 142 on each of the right and left sides is attached to a lower end of the storage case 21.
  • This, as with the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment, allows securing stability in sliding out and pushing back the storage case 21, and also allows minimizing an invalid space that is present outside the storage case 21. In addition, this achieves a very satisfactory visibility of an interior portion of the storage case 21 as viewed from the side of the storage case 21.
  • Furthermore, with the protrusion 43 inserted through the attachment hole 23a in the lower portion of the storage case 21, the storage case 21 is steadily held by the slide-out unit 140. In addition, it is possible to easily detach the storage case 21 from the slide-out unit 140.
  • Thus, the slide-out unit 140 has the same basic configuration as the slide-out unit 40 according to the third embodiment. However, the slide-out unit 140 is configured such that the maximum slide-out distance of the storage unit 21 is longer than the maximum slide-out distance of the slide-out unit 40 according to the third embodiment.
  • Specifically, the slide-out unit 140 is extended up to the position at which the position in the front-rear direction (the right-left direction in Fig. 12) of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front surface C of the top door 111 provided above the storage case 21.
  • This allows the user to easily recognize the item stored in the storage case 21, and to easily take the food and so on in and out of the storage case 21. In addition, it is also possible to take a relatively large article of food in and out of the storage case 21.
  • In addition, when sliding out the storage case 21 up to the maximum slide-out distance and lifting the storage case 21 to detach the storage case 21 from the rail part 142, the storage case 21 does not interfere with the top door 111 that is another component.
  • In other words, as with the third embodiment, simply by lifting the storage case 21 upward, the user is able to detach the storage case 21 from the rail part 142 without a motion to avoid the top door 111.
  • In addition, simply by lowering the storage case 21 down to the rail part 42, the user is able to attach the storage case 21 to the rail part 142.
  • As described above, the refrigerator 200 according to the fourth embodiment is a refrigerator 200 including the storage case 21 of the slide-out type which is a user-friendly storage case 21 that is provided, behind the middle door 121 of the hinged type, inside the storage compartment.
  • Note that the slide-out unit 140 may be extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located between the front end of the upper divider 115 and the front surface C of the top door 111.
  • This is because, with the storage case 21 located at the maximum slide-out point, the usability of the storage case 21 is improved as compared to the conventional storage case as long as the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located, though not before the front surface C of the top door 111, before the front end of the upper divider 115.
  • In other words, in some cases, the top door 111 is not a substantial obstacle in improving the usability of the storage case 21.
  • For example, by lifting up the front end of the storage case 21 to move the storage case 21 slightly forward, the user is able to take the storage case 21 out of the refrigerator 200 without causing interference of the rear end of the storage case 21 with the top door 111.
  • In other words, vertically lifting the storage case 21 is not the only action required for taking out the storage case 21. However, in some cases, particularly when the top door 111 is relatively thin, taking out the storage case 21 requires minimum motion to avoid the top door 111.
  • In addition, when the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located before the front end of the divider 115, almost all the part of the storage case 21 is slid out of the refrigerator 200.
  • Therefore, the presence of the top door 111 is not such an obstacle that significantly decreases ease of recognizing the storage item and taking in and out the food and so on.
  • Thus, it is possible to say that the storage case 21 is more user-friendly than the conventional slide-out container, even in the case where the slide-out unit 14 is extended up to the point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end A of the storage case 21 is located between the front end of the divider 115 and the front surface C of the top door 111.
    • (Supplementary notes for Embodiments 3 and 4)
  • In the third and fourth embodiments described above, the direct cooling system and the indirect cooling system have been described as the cooling systems adopted for the three storage compartments. However, in implementation of the present embodiment, the system for cooling each compartment is not limited to any particular system.
  • For example, in the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment, all of the refrigerating compartment 10, the vegetable compartment 20, and the freezing compartment 30 may be cooled by the indirect cooling system. The same is applicable to the refrigerator 200 according to the fourth embodiment.
  • In addition, the type of each storage compartment is not limited to the types described in the third and fourth embodiments above. For example, each of the vegetable compartments 20 and 120 may be a storage compartment which is called a variable temperature compartment which allows the user to set a temperature zone.
  • In addition, each of the hinged doors such as the first door 11 and middle door 121 is what is called a single swing door. However, such hinged doors as the first door 11 and middle door 121 may also be French doors in which each of door sheets provided side by side in the right-left direction rotates around the rotational axis along an external edge side.
  • In other words, one first door 11 may be made up of the two door sheets. The same is applicable to the middle door 121.
  • Thus, the effect of improving the usability of the storage case 21, which is an advantageous effect of the present invention, can be produced without depending on the type or cooling system of the storage compartment.
  • Thus far, the refrigerator according to the present invention has been described using the embodiments above, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
  • In other words, the embodiments disclosed herein are not restrictive but illustrative in all aspects. The scope of the present invention is described not by the description above but by the claims, and is to include all the variations and modifications within the meaning and the scope equivalent to those of the claims.
  • In addition, any arbitrary combination is possible of each constituent element in the plurality of embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.
    • [Industrial Applicability]
  • According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator which includes a user-friendly slide-out container provided, behind a hinged door, inside a storage compartment. Accordingly, the present invention is applicable to a refrigerator or the like of various types and sizes for home and professional uses, and so on.
    • [Reference Signs List]
    • 10, 11
    Refrigerating compartment
    10a
    Internal back surface
    11
    First door
    12
    First cooler
    12a
    Cooling pipe
    12b
    Metal plate
    15, 115
    Upper divider
    20, 120
    Vegetable compartment
    21
    Storage case
    21a
    Attachment part
    22
    Small item case
    22a
    Stopper
    23
    Holding part
    23a
    Attachment hole
    25, 125
    Upper divider
    30, 130
    Freezing compartment
    31
    Second door
    32
    Second cooler
    40, 140
    Slide-out unit
    41, 141
    Fixed part
    42, 142, 251
    Rail part
    42a
    Middle rail
    42b
    Support rail
    43, 143
    Protrusion
    50
    Rotational axis
    70, 170
    Heat-insulating main body
    71
    Inner case
    72
    Outer case
    73
    Foam insulation
    100, 200
    Refrigerator
    111
    Top door
    121
    Middle door
    131
    Bottom door

Claims (7)

  1. A refrigerator including a heat-insulating main body including: an outer case; an inner case; a heat insulating material provided between the outer case and the inner case; a storage compartment provided inside the heat-insulating main body and including an opening in a front part; and a hinged door covering the opening in the storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing, said refrigerator comprising:
    a container which is provided inside the storage compartment and stores an item; and
    a slide-out rail unit supporting said container in a manner to allow said container to be vertically detachable and attachable, and supporting said container in a manner to allow, by being extensible, said container to be slid out,
    wherein said slide-out rail unit includes:
    a rail part elongated in a front-rear direction and attached, in a detachable and attachable manner, to each of ends in a right-left direction of said container; and
    a fixed part supporting said rail part in a manner to allow said rail part to slide in the front-rear direction and fixed inside the storage compartment, and
    said rail part, supported by said fixed part in a manner to move forward, slides along said fixed part, so that said slide-out rail unit extends up to a point at which a position in the front-rear direction of a rear end of said container is located before a front end of another component that is included in said refrigerator and located above said container.
  2. The refrigerator according to Claim 1, further comprising:
    another storage compartment provided above the storage compartment and including an opening in a front part; and
    another door which covers the opening in said another storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing,
    wherein said slide-out rail unit is extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of said container is located before a front surface of said another door, the front surface being the front end of said another component included in said refrigerator and located above said container.
  3. The refrigerator according to Claim 1, further comprising:
    another storage compartment provided above the storage compartment and including an opening in a front part; and
    a divider which separates the storage compartment from said another storage compartment by dividing a space inside the heat-insulating main body into upper and lower parts,
    wherein said door is a single door that covers, with flexibility in opening and closing, both the opening in the storage compartment and the opening in said another storage compartment, and
    said slide-out rail unit is extended up to a point at which the position in the front-rear direction of the rear end of said container is located before a front end of said divider that is the front end of said another component included in said refrigerator and located above said container.
  4. A refrigerator including a heat-insulating main body including: an outer case; an inner case; a heat insulating material provided between the outer case and the inner case; a storage compartment provided inside the heat-insulating main body and including an opening in a front part; and a hinged door covering the opening in the storage compartment with flexibility in opening and closing, said refrigerator comprising:
    a first container which is provided inside the storage compartment and stores an item; and
    a slide-out rail unit supporting said container in a manner to allow said container to be vertically detachable and attachable, and supporting said container in a manner to allow, by being extensible, said container to be slid out,
    wherein said slide-out rail unit includes:
    a rail part elongated in a front-rear direction and attached, in a detachable and attachable manner, to each of right-left ends in a lower portion of said first container; and
    a fixed part supporting said rail part in a manner to allow said rail part to slide in the front-rear direction and fixed inside the storage compartment.
  5. The refrigerator according to Claim 4,
    wherein said first container includes an attachment hole provided on each of the right-left ends in the lower portion of said first container,
    said rail part includes a protrusion projecting upward and engaged to said attachment hole, and
    said slide-out rail unit, with said protrusion of the rail part on each of the right-left ends being insertable and removable through said attachment hole, supports said first container in a manner to allow said first container to be vertically detachable and attachable, said attachment hole being provided on each of the right-left ends of said first container.
  6. The refrigerator according to one of Claims 4 and 5,
    wherein said first container is formed using a light-transmissive resin through which the item stored in said first container can be visually recognized from a side of said first container.
  7. The refrigerator according to one of Claims 4 to 6, further comprising
    a second container which is shallower than said first container and has right and left ends supported, respectively, by right and left ends in an upper portion of said first container.
EP09808027.8A 2008-08-19 2009-07-30 Refrigerator Withdrawn EP2320180A4 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2008210429A JP2011214725A (en) 2008-08-19 2008-08-19 Refrigerator
JP2008210428A JP2011214724A (en) 2008-08-19 2008-08-19 Refrigerator
PCT/JP2009/003608 WO2010021091A1 (en) 2008-08-19 2009-07-30 Refrigerator

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2320180A1 true EP2320180A1 (en) 2011-05-11
EP2320180A4 EP2320180A4 (en) 2014-05-14

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Country Status (3)

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EP (1) EP2320180A4 (en)
CN (1) CN102124289B (en)
WO (1) WO2010021091A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013031149A3 (en) * 2011-08-31 2013-06-20 Panasonic Corporation Refrigerator
WO2014129769A1 (en) * 2013-02-23 2014-08-28 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Sliding apparatus and refrigerator having the same

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WO2010021091A1 (en) 2010-02-25
EP2320180A4 (en) 2014-05-14
CN102124289B (en) 2012-11-07

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