JP2018128207A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator including a dew condensation inhibition structure which is effective for energy saving.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes a swing door 10 in a refrigerator body 20. The door 10 has an inner panel 40D to which a gasket 12 is attached. The refrigerator body 20 has: an inner panel 40R which forms a wall surface of a flange part 24 located at the inner side relative to an adhesion portion of the gasket 12 and is made of resin; an outer panel 30R which forms a wall surface of the flange part 24 located at the outer side relative to the adhesion portion of the gasket 12 and is made of metal; and a heat insulation material 50R. A thin-walled part 60 is provided on a rear surface on the inner panel 40R which is located near the adhesion portion of the gasket 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a dew condensation suppressing structure effective for energy saving.

  The opening of the refrigerator compartment or freezer compartment of the refrigerator is sealed with a gasket provided around the door. The portion around the opening (the flange portion of the refrigerator main body) with which the gasket is in contact has a problem of dew condensation because the cold heat from the inside is easily transmitted.

  Therefore, in the conventional refrigerator, like the refrigerator of patent document 1, the condensation pipe and heater of a refrigerating cycle are installed along the flange part, and the dew condensation is prevented in many cases.

  However, in such a refrigerator, since the flange portion is heated, there is a problem that the power consumption of the refrigerator is increased as a result of the heat being transferred to the interior.

  Therefore, although it is a door side, the refrigerator which devised to suppress dew condensation by reducing the heat conduction of cold without providing such a heating apparatus is also proposed (patent document 2). Specifically, a slit-like long hole that blocks heat conduction in a portion (peripheral portion 8) that is bent inward and faces the flange portion of the outer panel 6 of the thin metal plate constituting the cabinet door 5 The (blocking portions 15) are formed in a row at intervals to make it difficult for cold heat to be transmitted to the outer panel 6.

  Moreover, the refrigerator which integrated the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor in the inside of the hinge cover of a refrigerator is disclosed regarding this invention (patent document 3).

JP 2002-62022 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-97290 JP 2016-44942 A

  The refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above is superior in terms of energy saving because the flange portion is not heated unlike the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1. However, although condensation on the outer panel of the door can be suppressed, condensation on the refrigerator body side cannot be suppressed.

  Even if a long hole similar to the door outer panel 6 is formed in the outer panel 2 on the refrigerator main body side, the refrigerator main body side is different from the door side. It cannot be formed. Therefore, it is difficult to adopt because the beauty is impaired.

  Furthermore, the heat conduction is blocked in the portion where the long hole is formed, but the heat conduction is transmitted through the portion because the portion between the adjacent long holes cannot block the heat conduction. Therefore, there is a problem of local condensation. Conversely, external heat is also transmitted to the inside of the refrigerator body through this portion, so that there is a problem that cooling efficiency is lowered and wasteful energy consumption occurs.

  In addition, when the vicinity of the flange portion is covered by the hinge cover, there is a problem that the inside of the hinge cover is particularly susceptible to dew condensation because of cold air. In particular, when an electrical component is housed inside the hinge cover as in the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 3, there is a risk of causing problems such as poor connection and short circuit.

  Then, the objective of this invention is providing the refrigerator provided with the dew condensation suppression structure effective in energy saving.

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator that includes a refrigerator body that includes a storage chamber that opens to the front surface, and a door that is swingably supported by the refrigerator body via a hinge and opens and closes the opening.

  The door has a resin internal panel to which a gasket is attached. The refrigerator main body constitutes the wall surface of the storage chamber, the resin internal panel constituting the wall surface of the flange portion on the inner side of the adhesion portion of the gasket, and the outer wall surface of the refrigerator main body, and the gasket A metal outer panel that constitutes the wall surface of the flange portion on the outside from the close contact portion, and a heat insulating material filled between the back surface of the internal panel and the back surface of the external panel. And the thin part is provided in the circumference | surroundings of the said opening by forming a groove | channel in the back surface near the adhesion | attachment site | part of the said gasket in the internal panel of the said door, or the internal panel of the said refrigerator main body.

  That is, the refrigerator which is the premise of the present invention is provided with a storage room such as a refrigerator room whose opening is swingably opened and closed by a swing door. The opening of the storage chamber is sealed with a gasket of the swing door in close contact with a flange portion provided in the refrigerator main body along the edge of the opening.

  Of the flange portion, the inner wall surface from the close contact portion where the gasket is in close contact is composed of an internal panel made of resin, the outer wall surface including the close contact portion, that is, the outer wall surface including the close contact portion, It consists of a metal outer panel. And between these inner panel and outer panel is filled with a heat insulating material excellent in heat insulation, so the heat transfer between the storage chamber and the outside is mainly the inner panel and outer panel And is going to be done through.

  In this regard, the present inventors diligently studied and found that heat tends to be transmitted easily in the vicinity of the close contact portion of the gasket of the internal panel. Therefore, a thin portion with a small thickness was provided around the opening by forming a groove on the back surface of the internal panel in that region.

  If it is a resin-made internal panel, since a thin part with a big thickness difference can be formed, heat conduction can be interrupted | blocked effectively. If it is made of a synthetic resin, a thin portion with high thickness accuracy can be provided easily and stably. In addition, since a thin part is provided by forming a groove on the back surface of the internal panel, the aesthetic appearance is not impaired. Since the thickness of the inner panel, which has a lower thermal conductivity than the outer panel, is reduced to make it difficult for heat to be transmitted, the heat conduction can be blocked more efficiently.

  Specifically, the thin portion is formed in a region between the close contact portion of the gasket in the inner panel and a portion 60 mm away from the close contact portion along the internal panel toward the storage chamber. It is good to have it.

  In this region, the heat flux of the moving heat tended to change abruptly, so by providing a thin part in this region that restricts heat conduction, it is effective to prevent cold leakage and heat intrusion. Can be suppressed. Thereby, condensation and useless power consumption can be effectively prevented.

  In particular, it is preferable that the thickness of the thinnest portion in the thin portion is less than 90% of the thickness of the inner panel.

  If it does so, the suitable effect which interrupts | blocks heat conduction will be acquired.

  In addition, the storage chamber is disposed on an upper portion of the refrigerator body, the hinge includes an upper hinge disposed on a top surface of the refrigerator body, and a hinge cover that covers the upper hinge is disposed on the refrigerator body. When provided along the front edge of the top surface, a plurality of vent holes may be formed in the hinge cover so as to be separated from each other.

  When such a hinge cover is provided, cold air builds up inside the hinge cover, so that it is particularly easy to condense.However, by forming such a vent, air inside the hinge cover The flow facilitates the introduction and derivation of air from the outside, and the air can be effectively exchanged inside and outside the hinge cover. As a result, it is difficult to reach the dew point inside the hinge cover, and condensation can be suppressed.

  And when the electrical component is accommodated in the inside of the hinge cover, it is preferable that the plurality of air holes are formed in a region other than the region where the electrical component is disposed.

  Then, since there is no vent hole in the region where the electrical component is disposed, it is possible to prevent problems such as a short circuit caused by dust adhering to the electrical component. On the other hand, even if the vent hole is formed only in the region where the electrical component is not arranged, the air flow is generated inside the hinge cover, so that there is almost no variation in the dew point inside the hinge cover. Therefore, problems due to condensation can be prevented.

  According to the refrigerator of the present invention, energy saving can be achieved and condensation can be effectively suppressed.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the refrigerator of this embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the XX line in FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the YY line in FIG. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the principal part of a hinge cover.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the following description is merely illustrative in nature and does not limit the present invention, its application, or its use.

  In FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is shown. This refrigerator 1 is a model for general households, and has a refrigerator body 20 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is vertically long and wide. The refrigerator main body 20 is provided with a plurality of (three in the present embodiment) storage chambers 21, 22, and 23 having a rectangular box shape opening on the front surface. In the refrigerator 1, a large refrigerator compartment 23 is disposed at the top of the refrigerator body 20, and two storage chambers 21 and 22 including a freezer compartment and a vegetable compartment are disposed vertically below the refrigerator compartment 23. .

  The lower two storage chambers 21 and 22 are sealed with slide doors 2 that can be pulled forward. Although not shown, a box having an opening on the upper surface is attached to the inside of each slide door 2, and each of these boxes is accommodated in each of the accommodation chambers 21 and 22. Moreover, although not shown in figure, various apparatuses, such as the refrigerating cycle comprised by the compressor, the condenser, etc. and the control apparatus, are arrange | positioned at the back side of the refrigerator main body 20, or the rear lower part.

  On the other hand, the opening 23a of the refrigerator compartment 23 is sealed with a pair of swing doors 10 and 10 that are opened in a double-open manner. In other words, a pair of hinges (upper hinge 3a and lower hinge 3b) are vertically attached to the left and right sides of the rectangular opening 23a of the refrigerator compartment 23 in the refrigerator body 20. A rectangular thick plate-shaped swing door 10 is swingably supported via the upper hinge 3a and the lower hinge 3b. The opening 23a is sealed by causing the sides of the swinging tip sides of the swing doors 10, 10 to abut each other at the center in the width direction of the opening 23a.

  Although details will be described later, the outer surface of the refrigerator main body 20 (surface exposed to the outside) is mainly composed of an external panel made of a steel plate such as stainless steel. The outer surfaces of the slide door 2 and the swing door 10 are mainly composed of an external panel made of synthetic resin. Further, the inner surface of the refrigerator body 20 (that is, the wall surfaces of the storage chambers 21, 22, and 23), the inner surfaces of the slide door 2 and the swing door 10 are mainly composed of an internal panel made of a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate. ing. And between the back surface of an external panel and the back surface of an internal panel, heat insulating materials, such as urethane foam, are filled. Thereby, each of these refrigerator main body 20, the slide door 2, and the swing door 10 has a structure excellent in heat insulation.

  In the refrigerator 1, a monitor 4 that displays the temperature of each of the storage chambers 21, 22, 23, operating buttons, and the like is installed on the outer surface of one swing door 10. On the inner surface of each swing door 10, a pocket 11 for storing a refrigerated product is provided. In addition, a rectangular frame-like gasket 12 extending along the edge is attached to the edge of the inner surface of each swing door 10.

  A belt-like flat region (flange 24) extending along the edge of the opening 23a is provided on the edge of the opening 23a on the front surface of the refrigerator body 20. When both the swing doors 10, 10 are closed, the upper and lower sides of the inner surface of each swing door 10 and the swinging proximal end side face the flange portion 24, and these sides of the swing doors 10, 10 The gasket 12 of the part is in close contact with the flange part 24 so as to surround the opening 23a, so that the gap between the refrigerator body 20 and the swing doors 10 and 10 is sealed.

  FIG. 2 shows the vicinity of the flange portion 24 in a state where the swing door 10 is closed. In FIG. 2, 40D is an internal panel of the swing door 10, and 50D is a heat insulating material of the swing door 10. Further, 40R is an internal panel of the refrigerator main body 20, and 30R is an external panel of the refrigerator main body 20. 50R is a heat insulating material of the refrigerator main body 20. In FIG. 2, the portion of the flange portion 24 on the lower side of the opening 23 a is shown, but the basic structure is the same for the upper, left, and right portions of the opening 23 a, although details such as dimensions and shapes are different. .

  In the inner panel 40D of the swing door 10, a concave portion 13 extending along the edge is formed in a portion constituting the edge of the inner surface of the swing door 10. The gasket 12 is attached to the swing door 10 by press-fitting into the recess 13. The gasket 12 is made of an elastically deformable synthetic resin molded product having heat insulation properties, and a belt-like magnet 12a is attached to the protruding end so as to extend in parallel with the gasket 12, whereby the seal portion 12b is formed. Is provided.

  The internal panel 40R of the refrigerator main body 20 has an inner surface portion 41 constituting the wall surface of the refrigerator compartment 23 and a front end surface portion 42 that is bent from the front end of the inner surface portion 41 and faces forward. The external panel 30 </ b> R of the refrigerator main body 20 includes an outer surface portion 31 that constitutes an outer wall surface of the refrigerator main body 20, and a joint surface portion 32 that continues to the outer surface portion 31. The front end surface portion 42 is connected to the joint surface portion 32 so that both surfaces are connected in a flat manner.

  The joint surface portion 32 is a portion facing the seal portion 12b of the gasket 12 when each swing door 10 is closed, and the seal portion 12b is in close contact with the joint surface portion 32 by the magnetic force of the magnet 12a. That is, the flange portion 24 is configured to include the front end surface portion 42 and the joint surface portion 32, and the joint surface portion 32 is a close contact portion of the gasket 12.

(Thin part)
And in this refrigerator 1, while the cold heat of the refrigerator compartment 23 is transmitted to the internal panel 40R and the external panel 30R and it suppresses dew condensation, external heat is transmitted to the external panel 30R and the internal panel 40R, and the refrigerator compartment 23 The thin portion 60 is provided on the back surface of the internal panel 40R in the vicinity of the flange portion 24 in order to prevent the cooling efficiency of the steel plate from decreasing. Specifically, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, a linear groove 61 having an arc-shaped cross section is formed on the back surface of the front end surface portion 42 over a wide range around the opening 23 a. The inner panel 40R is thinner by the depth.

  As a result of the analysis of the heat flow rate of heat moving between the refrigerator compartment 23 and the outside in the vicinity of the flange portion 24 under various temperature conditions, the present inventors have determined that the gasket 12 is closely attached to the inner panel 40R. A region between the region (strictly speaking, the boundary with the outer panel 30R) and a region 60 mm away from the close contact region along the inner panel 40R toward the refrigerator compartment 23 (region indicated by an arrow S in FIG. 2) The present inventors have found that the heat flux of the heat (cold heat and hot heat) between the refrigerator compartment 23 and the outside changes abruptly, that is, heat is easily transmitted.

  Therefore, in this refrigerator 1, by providing a thin portion (thin portion 60) in the region of the back surface of the inner panel 40R, the heat conduction between the refrigerator compartment 23 and the outside is effectively cut off. It is possible to effectively suppress the leakage of heat and the intrusion of heat. The position where the thin portion 60 is provided may be any region as long as it is in that region. However, since it is preferable to be close to the close contact portion of the gasket 12, in this embodiment, the back surface of the front end surface portion 42 (approximately 5 mm from the close contact portion of the gasket 12). The thin portion 60 is provided at the position).

  Since the inner panel 40R is made of a synthetic resin, the thickness is generally larger than that of the outer panel 30 made of a steel plate in terms of strength and the like. Therefore, since the thin part 60 with a large thickness difference can be formed, heat conduction can be effectively cut off. The through hole cannot be formed over a wide range around the opening 23a, but the groove 61 can be formed over a wide range around the opening 23a. Therefore, dew condensation and intrusion of outside air can be effectively suppressed.

  Furthermore, the heat insulating material 50 is generally filled between the inner panel 40R and the outer panel 30 by being injected in a liquid state and then foamed and cured. At that time, there is a problem that the heat insulating material 50 leaks through the through-hole. On the other hand, the thin portion 60 does not have such a problem.

  And if it is a product made from a synthetic resin, the thin part 60 with the high precision of thickness can be provided easily and stably. In addition, since the groove 61 is formed on the back surface of the inner panel 40R and the thin portion 60 is provided, the aesthetic appearance is not impaired. Since the thickness of the inner panel 40R having a lower thermal conductivity than that of the outer panel 30R is reduced to make it difficult to transfer heat, the heat conduction can be blocked more efficiently.

  The thickness d (thickness of the thinnest portion) of the thinnest portion 60 of the thin portion 60 is preferably less than 90% of the thickness of the inner panel 40R. If it is 90% or more, the effect of blocking the heat flow rate is thin, and a sufficient effect may not be obtained. In consideration of the strength, the thickness of the thinnest portion of the thin portion 60 is preferably 30% or more of the thickness of the inner panel 40R.

  Further, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 61 constituting the thin portion 60 is not limited to the arc shape, and may be a V shape, a U shape, a slit shape or the like. However, if the groove width is too small, the heat insulating material 50 is not filled, and there is a possibility that it cannot be reinforced. Therefore, an arc shape or a V shape is preferable.

(Hinge cover)
In the refrigerator 1, the upper hinge 3 a is disposed at the left and right front corners of the top surface 20 a of the refrigerator body 20. Therefore, in this refrigerator 1, from the viewpoint of aesthetics and the like, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the hinge cover 70 that covers these upper hinges 3 a and 3 a extends along the front edge portion of the top surface 20 a of the refrigerator body 20. Is provided.

  The hinge cover 70 is made of an elongated box-shaped synthetic resin member having an open bottom surface, and is attached to the external panel 30R along the front edge portion of the top surface 20a of the refrigerator main body 20. The hinge cover 70 includes a pair of hinge covering portions 71 and 71 that accommodate the left and right upper hinges 3a, and a front edge covering portion 72 that is continuous between the hinge covering portions 71 and 71.

  The hinge cover 70 also covers the external panel 30R constituting the front edge portion of the top surface 20a of the refrigerator body 20. For this reason, the cold heat transmitted from the refrigerator compartment 23 to the external panel 30 </ b> R tends to reach the dew point inside the hinge cover 70, so that the inside of the hinge cover 70 particularly tends to be condensed.

  In view of this, in the refrigerator 1, a plurality of ventilation holes 73 are formed in the hinge cover 70 at positions separated from each other, so that dew condensation inside the hinge cover 70 is suppressed. Specifically, a plurality of ventilation holes 73 penetrating inward and outward are formed on the upper surface of the front edge covering portion 72 of the hinge cover 70.

  Inside the hinge cover 70, the temperature of the outer panel 30R is lowered, and thus air flows. When the internal space is closed, the cold air is condensed and dewed. However, when the air vent 73 is formed at a distant position, the introduction of air from the outside due to the flow of air inside the hinge cover 70 and Derivation is promoted and air can be effectively exchanged inside and outside the hinge cover 70. As a result, it is difficult to reach the dew point inside the hinge cover 70 and condensation can be suppressed.

  The overall opening ratio of the vent hole 73 (ratio of the opening area per unit area of the hinge cover 70) is preferably large, but if it is too large, dust or the like is likely to enter. The aperture ratio may be set to 1% to 10%, for example.

  In particular, in the case of the refrigerator 1, since the monitor 4 is installed on one swing door 10, the electrical wiring is wired through the inside of the hinge cover 70. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, a relay terminal 80 is installed at the front corner of the top surface 20a of the refrigerator body 20, and a connection cable 81 having a connection plug 81a is led out therefrom. On the other hand, a connected cable 82 is led out from the vicinity of the upper hinge 3a of the swing door 10, and the connected plug 82a is detachably connected to the connecting plug 81a.

  The electrical components such as the relay terminal 80, the connection cable 81, and the connection plug 81a are accommodated in the hinge cover 70, that is, in the hinge covering portion 71. Therefore, condensation inside the hinge cover 70 may cause problems such as poor connection and short-circuit, but in the case of the refrigerator 1, a plurality of vent holes 73 are formed in the hinge cover 70. Problems can also be prevented.

  Further, in the refrigerator 1, the air holes 73 are formed only in the front edge covering portion 72, which is a region other than the hinge covering portion 71 where the electrical component is disposed. If the vent hole 73 is formed in the hinge covering part 71 where the electrical component is disposed, dust may adhere to the electric component and cause a malfunction such as a short circuit. However, the vent hole 73 is formed in the hinge covering part 71. Therefore, it is difficult to invite such troubles. On the other hand, even if the vent hole 73 is formed only in a region where no electrical component is disposed, the air flow occurs inside the hinge cover 70, so that there is almost no dew point variation inside the hinge cover 70. Therefore, problems due to condensation can be prevented.

  In addition, the refrigerator concerning this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, The other various structure is included.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the refrigerator that opens and closes the opening 23a of the refrigerating chamber 23 with the pair of swing doors 10 and 10 that open the doors is shown, but the opening 23a of the refrigerating chamber 23 is opened and closed with one swing door that opens one side. It can also be applied to refrigerators. Although the storage room illustrated the refrigerator compartment, the freezer compartment and the vegetable compartment may be sufficient. The form and number of the storage chambers can be appropriately changed according to the specifications. There is preferably no heating device such as a condensing pipe, but it may be provided in part. The thin panel may be provided on the door-side internal panel.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 3a Upper hinge 3b Lower hinge 4 Monitor 10 Swing door 12 Gasket 20 Refrigerator main body 23 Refrigeration room (containment room)
23a Opening 24 Flange part 30R External panel 40R, 40D Internal panel 50R, 50D Thermal insulation material 60 Thin part 61 Groove 70 Hinge cover 73 Ventilation hole

Claims (6)

A refrigerator body including a storage chamber that opens on the front surface, and a door that is swingably supported by the refrigerator body via a hinge and opens and closes the opening,
The door has a resin internal panel to which a gasket is attached,
The refrigerator body is
While constituting the wall surface of the storage chamber, a resin-made internal panel constituting the wall surface of the flange portion on the inner side of the adhesion portion of the gasket,
While constituting the outer wall surface of the refrigerator body, a metal external panel constituting the wall surface of the flange portion on the outside from the close contact portion of the gasket,
A heat insulating material filled between the back surface of the internal panel and the back surface of the external panel;
Have
The refrigerator by which the thin part is provided in the circumference | surroundings of the said opening by forming a groove | channel in the back surface near the adhesion | attachment site | part of the said gasket in the internal panel of the said door, or the internal panel of the said refrigerator main body. A refrigerator main body provided with a storage chamber opened on the front, and a door that is swingably supported by the refrigerator main body via a hinge and opens and closes the opening,
The hinge includes an upper hinge disposed on the top surface of the refrigerator body,
A hinge cover that covers the upper hinge is provided along the front edge of the top surface of the refrigerator body,
A refrigerator in which a plurality of ventilation holes are formed apart from each other in the hinge cover. The refrigerator according to claim 1,
The refrigerator in which the thin portion is formed in a region between the close contact portion of the gasket and a portion 60 mm away from the close contact portion along the internal panel toward the storage chamber. In the refrigerator according to claim 1 or 3,
The refrigerator whose thickness of the thinnest part in the said thin part is less than 90% of the thickness of the said internal panel. The refrigerator according to claim 2,
A refrigerator in which an electrical component is accommodated inside the hinge cover, and the plurality of vent holes are formed in a region other than a region where the electrical component is disposed. A refrigerator main body provided with a storage chamber opened on the front, and a door that is swingably supported by the refrigerator main body via a hinge and opens and closes the opening,
The door has a gasket that adheres closely to a flange portion provided in the refrigerator main body along an edge of the opening, and a resin internal panel to which the gasket is attached,
The refrigerator body is
While constituting the wall surface of the storage chamber, a resin internal panel constituting the wall surface of the flange portion on the inner side of the adhesion portion of the gasket,
While constituting the outer wall surface of the refrigerator body, a metal external panel constituting the wall surface of the flange portion on the outside from the close contact portion of the gasket,
A heat insulating material filled between the back surface of the internal panel and the back surface of the external panel;
Have
A thin portion is provided around the opening by forming a groove on the back surface of the door or the refrigerator main body in the vicinity of the close contact portion of the gasket in the internal panel.
The hinge includes an upper hinge disposed on the top surface of the refrigerator body,
A hinge cover that covers the upper hinge is provided along the front edge of the top surface of the refrigerator body,
A refrigerator in which a plurality of ventilation holes are formed apart from each other in the hinge cover.

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