JP2013257112A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator which can turn on a light for indicating an operation state on a door, to improve convenience.SOLUTION: In a refrigerator 1, a storeroom 3 is opened or closed by a door 5 which has a door body part 10 covering the front of the storeroom 3, and a handle part 20 arranged along an end of the door body part 10. The refrigerator includes: light guide members 41 and 42 which have incident surfaces 41a and 42a of an end face in a longitudinal direction extending along the handle part 20, and emission faces 41b and 42b extending in the longitudinal direction; a light source 45 disposed in a space part 47 formed between the incident surfaces 41a and 42a; and a light guide member 43 which covers the space part 47, and also has an incident surface 43a facing the light source 45, and an emission face 43b facing the same direction as the emission faces 41b and 42b. The light emitted from the light source 45 is guided by the light guide members 41 to 43, and is emitted from the emission faces 41b to 43b to indicate the operating state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator that lights up a notification light of an operation state on a door.

  A conventional refrigerator is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This refrigerator has a door main body that covers a front surface of the storage chamber with a door that opens and closes the storage chamber, and a handle that is provided at one end of the door main body. The handle portion protrudes laterally from the side surface of the door main body portion and extends in the vertical direction, and a space for placing a finger on the back side is formed.

  A plurality of sets of operation switches and light sources are arranged in the vertical direction above the space on the back side of the handle portion. The operation switch is formed by a push button switch, and is disposed opposite to a pressing member penetrating the handle portion. The light source is formed of an LED, and is disposed opposite to a diffusion member that penetrates the handle portion.

  The operation switch indicates a desired operation state, and when the operation switch is pressed via the pressing member, the light source corresponding to the operation switch emits light. The light emitted from the light source enters the diffusing member, diffuses and transmits, and is emitted to the front side of the door. Thereby, the operation state of the refrigerator corresponding to the operation switch can be notified by the notification light emitted to the front side of the door.

  Moreover, in other embodiment of patent document 1, a diffusion member is distribute | arranged on a door main-body part. The light emitted from each light source is diffused in a direction parallel to the front surface of the door body, and is emitted from the side of the handle portion to the front side.

Japanese Patent No. 3944530 (page 3 to page 9, FIG. 11)

  However, according to the conventional refrigerator, the light emitted from the light source is diffused through the diffusing member, but the lighting area is widened in a range that does not interfere with the light from the adjacent light source. For this reason, since the lighting area of the notification light is still narrow and the visibility is poor, there is a problem that the convenience of the refrigerator is poor. Further, when the handle portion is deformed due to long-term use, the relative position between the diffusing member and the light source is shifted and the amount of light is reduced, so that the visibility of the notification light is further lowered.

  In addition, since the operation switch and the light source are arranged in the space on the back side of the handle portion, there is a problem that the area that can be gripped by the user is narrowed and the convenience of the refrigerator becomes worse.

  An object of this invention is to provide the refrigerator which can improve the convenience.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the storage chamber by a door having a door main body portion covering the front surface of the storage chamber and a handle portion arranged along a longitudinal direction of one circumferential surface of the door main body portion. In the refrigerator that opens and closes,
A first incident surface disposed on the door main body and extending along the handle portion and having a longitudinal end surface and a first light exiting surface extending in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the first incident surface. 1 light guide member;
A second incident surface that is disposed on the door main body portion and extends along the handle portion, and includes one end surface in the longitudinal direction facing the first incident surface, and extends in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the second incident surface. A second light guide member having a second exit surface facing in the same direction as the first exit surface;
A light source disposed in a space formed between the first incident surface and the second incident surface;
A third light guide member that covers the space and has a third incident surface facing the light source and a third emission surface facing in the same direction as the first emission surface;
The light emitted from the light source is incident and guided from the first incident surface, the second incident surface, and the third incident surface, respectively, and is emitted from the first exit surface, the second exit surface, and the third exit surface. Then, the driving state is notified.

  According to this configuration, the handle portion is provided along the longitudinal direction of the circumferential surface of the door main body portion, and the door is opened and closed by gripping the handle portion. The handle portion may be formed to extend in the vertical direction along the longitudinal direction of the side surface of the door main body portion, or may be formed to extend in the left-right direction along the longitudinal direction of the upper and lower surfaces of the door main body portion. The first and second light guide members are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction through the space where the light source is disposed, and are disposed along the handle portion. The third light guide member covers the space portion and is disposed along the handle portion. The light source emits light according to the operating state of the refrigerator, and the light emitted from the light source enters the first to third light guide members via the first to third incident surfaces. The light incident on the first to third light guide members is guided from the first to third light exit surfaces facing in the same direction. Thereby, the lighting area | region of the notification light according to a driving | running state is formed in the wide range which follows a handle | steering-wheel part.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the handle portion has a space for placing a finger on the back side and protrudes from the peripheral surface of the door body portion, and the first emission surface, the second emission surface, and the third emission surface. The front surface has a reflective surface that is inclined and opposed to the surface, and the light emitted from the first light output surface, the second light output surface, and the third light output surface is reflected forward by the reflection surface.

  According to this configuration, the handle portion is provided so as to protrude from the peripheral surface of the door body portion, and the door is opened and closed by placing fingers placed in the space on the back side of the handle portion on the handle portion. Light incident on the first to third light guide members from the light source is emitted from the first to third emission surfaces that are guided to the sides and reflected forward by an inclined reflecting surface formed on the handle portion. .

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, the third light guide member may include an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to a direction in which the handle portion extends on an emission side of both end portions adjacent to the first incident surface and the second incident surface. It is characterized by having. According to this configuration, light incident from the third incident surface is reflected by the inclined surface and guided through the third light guide member.

  According to the present invention, in the refrigerator configured as described above, the third light guide member has a bent portion that bends toward the inside of the space portion in the vicinity of the first incident surface and the second incident surface. The inclined surface is formed by the outer surface of the bent portion, and the inclined angle of the inclined surface with respect to the direction in which the handle portion extends is larger than the inclined angle of the third incident surface. Yes.

  According to this configuration, the light emitted from the light source enters the third light guide member via the third incident surface formed by the inner surface of the bent portion, and reaches the inclined surface of the outer surface of the bent portion. Since the inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to the extending direction of the handle portion is larger than that of the third incident surface, the incident angle with respect to the inclined surface is increased, and light is totally reflected by the inclined surface to guide the third light guide member.

  In the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the present invention includes a plurality of the light sources, and the first incident surface and the second incident surface are orthogonal to each other and the third incident surface is inclined or parallel to the optical axis of each light source. It is characterized by being arranged. According to this configuration, the light emitted from the light source is incident on the first and second light guide members via the first and second incident surfaces orthogonal to the optical axis, and is inclined or parallel to the optical axis. A part of the light enters the third light guide member via.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator configured as described above, an opaque member is disposed on the surface facing the third emission surface. According to this structure, visual recognition in the space is prevented by the opaque member.

  According to the present invention, in the refrigerator configured as described above, the first light guide member, the second light guide member, and the third light guide member are recessed on the opposing surfaces of the first output surface, the second output surface, and the third output surface, respectively. And having a plurality of prism portions arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction. According to this configuration, the light guided through the first to third light guide members is reflected by the prism portions arranged in the longitudinal direction and is incident on the first to third emission surfaces at an incident angle smaller than the critical angle. Light is emitted.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the light source is formed by a multicolor LED, and the light emission color of the light source is varied in accordance with the operation state. According to this configuration, the light source formed by the multicolor LED emits light in different colors according to the operating state.

  According to the present invention, it is provided with first and second light guide members disposed along the handle portion with a space portion in which a light source is disposed interposed therebetween, and a third light guide member that covers the space portion. Notification light is emitted from the light guide member. For this reason, the wide range along a handle part can be made into the lighting region of the notification light of a driving state, and the visibility of notification light can be improved.

  In addition, since the light guide member and the light source are arranged on the door main body portion, even if the handle portion is deformed due to long-term use, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of light and prevent a decrease in visibility, and the entire longitudinal direction of the handle portion. Can be gripped. Furthermore, since the notification light is emitted also from the third light guide member that covers the space portion, it is possible to prevent the dark portion of the notification light from being formed by the space portion. Therefore, the convenience of the refrigerator can be improved.

The front view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The front view which shows the door of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention AA sectional view of FIG. BB sectional view of FIG. Front sectional drawing which shows the operation part cover of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The front view which shows arrangement | positioning of the lighting device of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention

<First Embodiment>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. In the refrigerator 1, a refrigerator compartment 3 is arranged at the upper part of a main body (not shown) formed by a heat insulating box, and a freezer compartment 4 is arranged at the lower part. The front of the refrigerator compartment 3 is opened and closed by double doors 5 and 6 pivoted at the left and right ends of the heat insulation box. The front surface of the freezer compartment 4 is opened and closed by double doors 7 and 8 pivoted at the left and right ends of the heat insulating box.

  The left door 5 of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the left door 7 of the freezer compartment 4 are formed in the same cross-sectional shape, and the right door 6 of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the right door 8 of the freezer compartment 4 are similar cross-sectional shapes. Formed. Further, the door 5 is provided with an operation unit 31 that can be operated from the front surface, and is provided with a lighting device 40 (see FIG. 6) for turning on notification light as will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a front view showing details of the door 5, and FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. The door 5 includes a door main body portion 10 that covers the front surface of the refrigerator compartment 3 and a handle portion 20 that protrudes laterally from the right side surface of the door main body portion 10. The back surface of the door body 10 is covered with a back cover (not shown) of a resin molded product, and the front surface is covered with a glass plate 11. Both side surfaces of the door main body 10 are respectively covered with side covers 12 made of resin molded products, and caps (not shown) of resin molded products are fitted on the upper and lower surfaces. And the foam heat insulating material 13 is filled in the inside of the door main-body part 10.

  The side cover 12 at the right end of the door main body 10 is formed with a stepped portion 14 with the front surface recessed. A handle portion 20 that protrudes to the right is attached to a mounting surface 14 a facing the side of the stepped portion 14 with a screw 21. At this time, a space for inserting a finger is formed behind the handle portion 20 by the step portion 14. The handle portion 20 is formed to extend in one direction by extrusion molding of a metal such as aluminum, and is disposed over the upper and lower ends of the door 5 along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the side surface of the door main body portion 10.

  The exposed surface 14b facing the front of the stepped portion 14 extends to the side of the handle portion 20 and is exposed so as to be visible from the front. Thereby, the finger inserted from the right side of the handle part 20 is hung on the back surface of the handle part 20, and the door 5 can be opened. The door 6 on the right side of the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided with a handle portion (not shown) on the left side, and is opened by placing a finger inserted from the right side of the handle portion 20 of the door 5 on the handle portion of the door 6.

  Further, a groove portion 14c extending in the vertical direction is recessed in the mounting surface 14a. A light guide member 41, which will be described in detail later, is disposed in the groove portion 14c.

  4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 2 and shows a cross section passing through the operation unit 31. FIG. 2 and 4, a storage chamber 30 for the operation unit 31 is formed on the back side of the glass plate 11 at the center in the vertical direction of the door 5. The operation unit 31 is inserted into the storage chamber 30 through an opening (not shown) provided on the mounting surface 14 a of the stepped portion 14.

  The storage chamber 30 is provided with a connector (not shown) to which a lead wire is connected. A terminal portion (not shown) provided on the circuit board 32 is connected to the connector by inserting the operation portion 31. The lead wire is led out from an electrical component provided in the main body (not shown), and is inserted into a shaft (not shown) that forms a pivot shaft of the door 5 and pulled out into the door 5.

  The operation unit 31 is formed by connecting a touch panel 33 to a circuit board 32 on which circuit components are mounted, and performs a setting operation of the refrigerator 1 and displays an operation state. For example, the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 is set by operating the touch panel 33. By the display on the touch panel 33, the operation state such as the occurrence of a temporary power failure, the open state of the doors 5 to 8, the abnormally high temperature of the refrigerator compartment 3 or the freezer compartment 4 is notified.

  Further, the refrigerator 3 is provided with an ion generator (not shown), and the ion generator is driven by the touch panel 33 and the driving state is displayed. Ions can be sent into the refrigerator compartment 3 by driving the ion generator, so that the bacteria in the refrigerator compartment 3 can be sterilized and deodorized.

  The opening for inserting the operation portion 31 provided on the attachment surface 14 a is closed by the operation portion cover 36. FIG. 5 is a front sectional view of the operation unit cover 36. The operation portion cover 36 is formed of a resin molded product, and is screwed to the mounting surface 14a (see FIG. 3) by screws (not shown) inserted through screw holes 36c provided at the upper and lower ends.

  An engaging portion 36a and a substrate installation portion 36b are provided to project from the surface of the operation portion cover 36 on the storage chamber 30 side. The engaging portion 36 a is engaged with the wall surface of the storage chamber 30 to temporarily fix the operation portion cover 36. The board installation part 36b is arranged in the storage chamber 30 through the opening of the mounting surface 14a, and two circuit boards 44 arranged in parallel up and down are installed. The circuit board 44 is connected to the circuit board 32 (see FIG. 4) via lead wires (not shown).

  A light source 45 is mounted on each of the upper surface of the upper circuit board 44 and the lower surface of the lower circuit board 44. Accordingly, the light source 45 is arranged at the same height as the operation unit 31. The light source 45 is formed by a three-color LED in which RGB LED chips are integrated. Thereby, the light emission color of the light source 45 is varied according to the operation of the operation unit 31 or the operation state of the refrigerator 1.

  For example, the light source 45 emits blue light when the ion generator is in a driving state, and emits green light after a temporary power failure occurs and the power is restored. The light source 45 emits red light when the refrigerator compartment 3 or the freezer compartment 4 is abnormally hot, and emits white light when the doors 3 to 8 are open. The light source 45 may be a two-color LED or a multicolor LED.

  Further, the operation portion cover 36 is provided with a groove portion 36d (not shown in FIG. 5) in which the groove portion 14c (see FIG. 3) is extended and the light guide member 41 is disposed. A light guide member 42 (see FIG. 6) extending downward facing the lower light source 45 is provided, and the light guide member 42 is disposed in the groove portion 14c and the groove portion 36d formed in the same manner as described above. A light guide member 43 (see FIG. 6) is provided between the light guide members 41 and 42. The lighting device 40 that lights the notification light is configured by the light source 45 and the light guide members 41 to 43.

  FIG. 6 is a front view showing the arrangement of the lighting device 40. The light guide members 41 and 42 are formed of a transparent resin in a bar shape extending in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the side surface of the door 5. The light guide members 41 and 42 are disposed above the upper light source 45 and below the lower light source 45, respectively. Thereby, the light guide members 41 and 42 are arranged along the handle portion 20 over the upper and lower ends of the door 5.

  The light guide member 41 (first light guide member) forms an incident surface 41 a (first incident surface) whose one end surface (lower surface) in the longitudinal direction faces the light source 45. The incident surface 41 a is orthogonal to the optical axis of the light source 45. In addition, the light guide member 41 is arranged with an emission surface 41b (first emission surface) extending in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the incident surface 41a facing the right side.

  Similarly, the light guide member 42 (second light guide member) forms an incident surface 41 a (second incident surface) whose one end surface (upper surface) in the longitudinal direction faces the light source 45. The incident surface 42 a is orthogonal to the optical axis of the light source 45. In addition, the light guide member 42 is arranged with an emission surface 42b (second emission surface) extending in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the incident surface 42a facing the right side.

  Thereby, the light guide members 41 and 42 oppose the incident surfaces 41a and 42a and are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction. A space 47 in which the light source 45 is disposed is formed between the incident surfaces 41a and 42a. The right side of the space 47 is covered with a light guide member 43 (third light guide member) formed of a transparent resin.

  The light guide member 43 has bent portions 43e that are bent into the space 47 at the upper and lower ends adjacent to the incident surfaces 41a and 42a of the light guide members 41 and 42, and the front cross section is formed in a substantially U-shape. The right side surface of the light guide member 43 forms an output surface 43b (third output surface) that faces the same right side as the output surfaces 41b and 42b.

  The outer surface of the bent portion 43e forms an inclined surface 43d continuous with the emission surface 43b. The inclined surface 43d is inclined at an inclination angle β with respect to the optical axis direction of the light source 45 that coincides with the direction in which the handle portion 20 (see FIG. 2) and the light guide members 41 and 42 extend. The inner surface of the bent portion 43e forms an incident surface 43a (third incident surface) facing the light source 45. The incident surface 43a is inclined at an inclination angle α with respect to the optical axis direction of the light source 45 coinciding with the direction in which the handle portion 20 (see FIG. 2) and the light guide members 41 and 42 extend.

  At this time, the inclination angle β is larger than the inclination angle α. Thereby, the light incident from the incident surface 43a at the incident angle θ1 smaller than the critical angle can be incident on the inclined surface 43d at the incident angle θ2 larger than the critical angle. Therefore, the light can be totally reflected by the inclined surface 43 d and guided to the light guide member 43.

  In addition, you may form the entrance plane 43a in parallel with the output surface 43b, without providing the bending part 43e. At this time, the inclination angle α is 0 °, which is smaller than the inclination angle β. However, when the bent portion 43e is provided, a part of the light traveling from the light source 45 toward the incident surfaces 41a and 42a is blocked by the bent portion 43e. Thereby, the light taken in into the light guide member 43 from the incident surface 43a increases, and the light quantity of the emitted light of the light guide member 43 can be increased.

  Further, a shielding plate 46 made of an opaque member such as a white resin is provided between the upper and lower bent portions 43e of the light guide member 43 so as to face the facing surface 43c facing the emission surface 43b. Visibility in the space 47 is prevented by the shielding plate 46, and the beauty of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

  Light emitted from the light source 45 in the vertical direction enters the light guide members 41 and 42 from the incident surfaces 41a and 42a, and is guided as indicated by an arrow A1. And the light which guided the light guide members 41 and 42 and reached | attains the output surfaces 41b and 42b with the incident angle smaller than a critical angle is radiate | emitted from the output surfaces 41b and 42b as shown by arrow A2.

  Light emitted laterally from the light source 45 enters the light guide member 43 from the incident surface 43a and is guided as indicated by an arrow B1. And the light which guided the light guide member 43 and reached | attained the output surface 43b with the incident angle smaller than a critical angle is radiate | emitted from the output surface 43b as shown by arrow B2.

  Note that a plurality of prism portions arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction may be provided on the opposing surfaces 41c to 43c of the emission surfaces 41b to 43b of the light guide members 41 to 43. Thereby, the light guide of the light guide members 41-43 can be easily radiate | emitted from the output surfaces 41b-43b. At this time, it is more desirable to increase the depth of the prism portion as the distance from the incident surfaces 41a to 43a increases. Thereby, the light quantity fall of the emitted light of the position away from the light source 45 can be suppressed, and a light quantity can be made uniform.

  3 and 4, the light guide members 41 and 42 have a rectangular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and are fitted into the grooves 14c and 36d. The handle portion 20 attached to the attachment surface 14a extends on the opening surfaces of the groove portions 14c and 36d. As a result, the light guide members 41 and 42 fitted in the groove portions 14c and 36d are locked by the handle portion 20, and are held between the bottom surfaces of the groove portions 14c and 36d and the handle portion 20. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide engagement claws or the like for fixing the light guide members 41 and 42, and it is possible to prevent the emitted light from becoming non-uniform due to diffusion or reflection by the engagement claws or the like.

  On the front surface of the handle portion 20, a reflective surface 20 a that is inclined and opposed to the emission surfaces 41 b to 43 b of the light guide members 41 to 43 is provided. The front surface including the reflective surface 20a of the handle portion 20 is covered with a protective cover 22 that is sandwiched between the tip of the handle portion 20 and the mounting surface 14a. The protective cover 22 is formed of a transparent resin molded product. The protective cover 22 can prevent the light guide members 41 to 43 from being soiled or flooded into the storage chamber 30 due to finger contact.

  The outgoing light from the outgoing surfaces 41b to 43b is reflected forward by the reflecting surface 20a as shown by an arrow A3 and passes through the protective cover 22. As a result, a wide range along the handle portion 20 that is easy to reach when the user grips it becomes a lighting region of the notification light in the driving state. Therefore, when grasping the handle part 20 or in a state away from the refrigerator 1, the notification light can be easily visually recognized, and the visibility of the notification light can be improved.

  According to the present embodiment, the light guide members 41 and 42 (first and second light guide members) disposed along the handle portion 20 with the space portion 47 in which the light source 45 is disposed interposed therebetween, and the guide that covers the space portion 47. An optical member 43 (third light guide member) is provided, and notification light is emitted from the light guide members 41 to 43. For this reason, the wide range which follows the handle | steering-wheel part 20 can be made into the lighting area | region of the alerting | reporting light of a driving | running state, and the visibility of alerting | reporting light can be improved. Therefore, the convenience of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

  In addition, since the light guide members 41 to 43 and the light source 45 are arranged in the door main body 10, the light guide members 41 to 43 and the light source 45 are not misaligned even if the handle portion 20 is deformed due to long-term use. Thereby, the light quantity reduction of notification light can be prevented and the fall of visibility can be prevented. In addition, since the light source 45 and the wiring, which are electrical components, are not exposed even if the handle portion 20 falls off due to long-term use, the safety of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

  Further, since the light guide members 41 to 43 and the light source 45 are arranged on the door main body portion 10, the entire length of the handle portion 20 can be grasped. Therefore, the convenience of the refrigerator 1 can be further improved. In addition, since the notification light is emitted from the light guide member 43 that covers the space portion 47, the formation of a dark portion of the notification light by the space portion 47 can be prevented. Thereby, while the visibility of notification light is improved more, the beauty | look of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

  Further, a space for placing a finger on the back side of the handle portion 20 is formed, and a reflecting surface 20a facing the emission surfaces 41b to 43b facing the side is provided on the front surface. For this reason, the light guide members 41 to 43 are not exposed to the front, and the beauty of the refrigerator 1 can be improved. In addition, since fingers are not arranged near the light source 45, the safety of the refrigerator 1 can be further improved. Furthermore, the reflective surface 20a can be formed at a desired inclination angle and the design can be easily changed to a desired reflection direction.

  In addition, you may arrange | position the output surfaces 41b-43b of the light guide members 41-43 toward the front of the door 5. FIG. Thereby, although the light guide members 41 to 43 are exposed to the front, the notification light can be turned on along the handle portion 20.

  Further, since the light guide member 43 has inclined surfaces 43d inclined with respect to the direction in which the handle portion 20 extends on the emission side of both ends adjacent to the incident surfaces 41a and 42a, the light incident on the light guide member 43 is inclined. The light can be easily guided by being reflected by the surface 43d.

  Further, the light guide member 43 has a bent portion 43e that bends in the space portion 47 in the vicinity of the incident surfaces 41a and 42b, and the inclination angle β of the inclined surface 43d with respect to the direction in which the handle portion 20 extends has an incident surface 43a. Is greater than the inclination angle α. Thereby, the light incident from the incident surface 43a is increased, the amount of light emitted from the light guide member 43 is increased, and the formation of a dark portion by the space 47 can be more reliably prevented. Further, since the inclination angle β is larger than the inclination angle α, the light incident from the incident surface 43a can be totally reflected by the inclined surface 43d and guided.

  Further, the incident surfaces 41a and 42a are orthogonal to the optical axes of the plurality of light sources 45, and the incident surface 43a is inclined. Accordingly, it is possible to easily realize the lighting device 40 that guides light by entering the light guide members 41 to 43, respectively. Note that the incident surface 43 a may be formed parallel to the optical axis of the light source 45 as in the case where the bent portion 43 e is omitted.

  In addition, since the shielding plate 46 made of an opaque member is disposed on the facing surface 43c of the light guide member 43 that faces the light exit surface 43b, visual recognition in the space 47 can be prevented and the aesthetics of the refrigerator 1 can be further improved. .

  In addition, when a plurality of prism portions that are recessed in the opposing surfaces 41c to 43c of the light guide members 41 to 43 and arranged in the longitudinal direction are provided, the light guides of the light guide members 41 to 43 are guided from the emission surfaces 41b to 43b. It can be easily emitted.

  Moreover, since the light source 45 is formed of multicolor LEDs and the emission color of the light source 45 is varied according to the operating state, the number of the light sources 45 can be reduced and the cost of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced.

  The light guide members 41 and 42 are disposed in the grooves 14c and 36d provided in the mounting surface 14a on the peripheral surface of the door body 10, and are guided by the handle portion 20 extending on the opening surfaces of the grooves 14c and 36d. The optical members 41 and 42 are locked. As a result, the light guide members 41 and 42 can be easily prevented from falling off, and the light emitted from the light guide members 41 and 42 can be prevented from becoming uneven due to the engaging claws or the like.

  Moreover, since the protective cover 22 that covers the front of the reflective surface 20a is sandwiched between the door body 10 and the handle portion 20, it is not necessary to provide an engaging claw or the like on the protective cover 22, and the appearance of the refrigerator 1 is improved. Can do.

  Further, the light source 45 disposed at the same height as the operation unit 31 provided on the front surface of the door main body 10 emits light according to the operation of the operation unit 31. Accordingly, the wiring between the operation unit 31 and the light source 45 can be shortened, and the notification light can be turned on at a position away from the operation unit 31 by the light guide member 41. Therefore, the degree of freedom of arrangement of the operation unit 31 can be increased.

  In the present embodiment, the handle portion 20 is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction, but may extend in the horizontal direction. That is, the handle portion 20 is arranged to extend in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction) of the lower surface and the upper surface, which are the peripheral surfaces of the door main body portion 10, and the light guide members 41 and 42 are arranged to extend along the handle portion 20. Also good.

  Moreover, although the handle | steering-wheel part 20 protrudes from the side surface which is the surrounding surface of the door main-body part 10, it protrudes from the front surface of the door main-body part 10, and may be distribute | arranged along the longitudinal direction of the peripheral surface.

  According to this invention, it can utilize for the refrigerator which lights the alerting | reporting light of a driving | running state on a door.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 3 Refrigeration room 4 Freezing room 5, 6, 7, 8 Door 10 Door main-body part 11 Glass plate 12 Side cover 14 Step part 14a Mounting surface 14b Exposed surface 14c, 36d Groove part 20 Handle part 20a Reflective surface 22 Protective cover 30 Storage Chamber 31 Operation unit 32, 44 Circuit board 33 Touch panel 36 Operation unit cover 40 Lighting device 41, 42, 43 Light guide member 41a, 42a, 43a Incident surface 41b, 42b, 43b Emission surface 41c, 42c, 43c Opposing surface 43d Inclined surface 43e Bent part 45 Light source 46 Shielding plate 47 Space part

Claims (8)

In a refrigerator that opens and closes the storage chamber with a door having a door main body portion covering the front surface of the storage chamber, and a handle portion arranged along the longitudinal direction of one circumferential surface of the door main body portion,
A first incident surface disposed on the door main body and extending along the handle portion and having a longitudinal end surface and a first light exiting surface extending in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the first incident surface. 1 light guide member;
A second incident surface that is disposed on the door main body portion and extends along the handle portion, and includes one end surface in the longitudinal direction facing the first incident surface, and extends in the longitudinal direction adjacent to the second incident surface. A second light guide member having a second exit surface facing in the same direction as the first exit surface;
A light source disposed in a space formed between the first incident surface and the second incident surface;
A third light guide member that covers the space and has a third incident surface facing the light source and a third emission surface facing in the same direction as the first emission surface;
The light emitted from the light source is incident and guided from the first incident surface, the second incident surface, and the third incident surface, respectively, and is emitted from the first exit surface, the second exit surface, and the third exit surface. And reporting the operating state.   A reflective surface that protrudes from the peripheral surface of the door main body portion with a space for placing a finger on the back side of the handle portion and is inclined and opposed to the first emission surface, the second emission surface, and the third emission surface The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein light emitted from the first emission surface, the second emission surface, and the third emission surface is reflected forward by the reflection surface.   The third light guide member has an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to a direction in which the handle portion extends on an emission side of both end portions adjacent to the first incident surface and the second incident surface. Item 3. The refrigerator according to Item 2.   The third light guide member has a bent portion that is bent toward the inside of the space portion in the vicinity of the first incident surface and the second incident surface, and a third incident surface is formed by the inner surface of the bent portion and the bent portion. 4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the inclined surface is formed by an outer surface, and an inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to a direction in which the handle portion extends is larger than an inclination angle of the third incident surface.   4. A plurality of the light sources are provided, wherein the first incident surface and the second incident surface are orthogonal to each other and the third incident surface is inclined or parallel to the optical axis of each light source. Or the refrigerator of Claim 4.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an opaque member is disposed on a surface opposite to the third emission surface.   A plurality of first light guide members, second light guide members, and third light guide members that are recessed in the opposing surfaces of the first emission surface, the second emission surface, and the third emission surface, respectively, and arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising a prism portion.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the light source is formed of a multicolor LED, and a light emission color of the light source is changed according to an operation state.

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