JP2024045717A - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that conventional refrigerators are abandoned due to poor appearance caused by incomplete filling areas of a foam insulation material.

SOLUTION: In a refrigerator 10 of the invention, a foam heat insulation material 17A is formed at a heat insulation space 50 as seen in a lateral direction of a heat insulation box body 11 in a state that a vacuum heat insulation material 17B is pressed to an inner box side surface plate 16B by a heat insulation correction member 40 and a spacer 30 to contact with the inner box side surface plate 16B closely at the heat insulation space 50. The structure prevents incomplete filling areas of the foam heat insulation material 17A from occurring between the vacuum heat insulation material 17B and an outer box side surface plate 15B. As a result, poor appearance caused by the incomplete filling areas of the foam heat insulation material 17A is prevented to improve the yield of the refrigerator 10.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to a refrigerator that reduces manufacturing costs by fixing the vacuum insulation material in a state where it is pressed against the inner box using an insulating correction member, thereby improving workability.

In a typical refrigerator, a storage chamber is formed inside an insulated box body, and a front opening of the storage chamber is closed so as to be openable and closable with an insulated door. The insulating box body consists of an outer box made of a steel plate, an inner box made of a synthetic resin plate placed inside the outer box, and a heat insulating material filled between the outer box and the inner box.

Urethane foam is generally used as the insulation material filled in the insulation box of a refrigerator. However, in order to achieve further energy savings in refrigerators, a heat insulating material with higher heat insulating properties than urethane foam is preferable.

Therefore, a vacuum heat insulating material is sometimes employed as the heat insulating material built into the heat insulating box. Vacuum insulation material is vacuum-packed fibrous inorganic material such as glass wool, and has a heat insulation effect more than ten times that of urethane foam. With such a configuration, the storage room and the outside can be well insulated by the vacuum heat insulating material, and the energy required for cooling the refrigerator can be reduced.

Referring to FIG. 12, the configuration of a conventional refrigerator 100 that uses a vacuum insulation material will be described. FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a conventional refrigerator 100.

As shown in FIG. 12, the refrigerator 100 has an outer box 101 and an inner box 102, and a storage chamber 107 is formed inside the inner box 102. Further, a foamed heat insulating material 103 and a vacuum heat insulating material 104 are provided as heat insulating materials between the outer box 101 and the inner box 102. Vacuum heat insulating material 104 is adhered to the inner surface of outer box 101. Further, on the inner surface of the outer box 101, a pipe 106 through which a refrigerant flows is arranged. Therefore, a groove 105 is formed on the outer surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 104 in accordance with the pipe 106.

Patent No. 4111096

However, in the refrigerator 100 shown in FIG. 12, there is room for improvement both from the viewpoint of heat insulation of the refrigerator 100 and from the viewpoint of the manufacturing method of the refrigerator 100.

In the refrigerator 100, the vacuum insulation material 104 is arranged on the outer box 101 side. However, there are areas at the four corners of the outer box 101 where the vacuum insulation material 104 is not arranged, and there is a problem that heat can enter the storage chamber 107 from these areas, making it difficult to fully achieve the insulation effect.

In addition, in the manufacturing process of the refrigerator 100, it is necessary to attach the vacuum insulation material 104 to the inner surface of the outer box 101 using an adhesive, but there is a problem that performing the adhesive process increases the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator 100.

In addition, since pipes 106 through which a refrigerant flows are arranged on the inner surface of the outer box 101, grooves 105 for installing the pipes 106 must be formed in the vacuum insulation material 104 to improve heat dissipation from the pipes 106. Therefore, grooves 105 must be formed in the vacuum insulation material 104 to match the piping path of the pipes 106, which poses the problem of increased manufacturing costs for the refrigerator 100.

In order to solve the above problem, a structure in which the vacuum heat insulating material 104 is disposed along the inner box 102 can be considered. If the bonding step is omitted from the viewpoint of manufacturing costs, there is a risk that a gap will occur between the vacuum insulation material 104 and the inner box 102 in the curved regions at both ends of the vacuum insulation material 104 in the longitudinal direction. be. Then, the foam insulation material 103 penetrates into the gap and stands up between the vacuum insulation material 104 and the inner box 102, so that the foam insulation material 103 is left between the vacuum insulation material 104 and the outer box 101. There is a possibility that the yield will deteriorate due to the appearance of the outer box 101 due to the occurrence of filled areas and the unfilled areas.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a refrigerator that reduces manufacturing costs by fixing the vacuum insulation material in a pressed state against the inner box using an insulating correction member, improving workability.

In a first aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, there is provided an insulating box body in which a storage chamber is formed, a refrigeration cycle that cools air blown into the storage chamber, and refrigerant piping through which refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle flows. , the insulating box body includes an outer box forming an outer surface of the insulating box body, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and a heat insulating box between the outer box and the inner box. and a heat insulating material disposed in the space, the heat insulating material being disposed at least in the heat insulating spaces on both sides of the heat insulating box in the width direction, and extending in the height direction of the heat insulating box. A vacuum insulation material having a longitudinal direction and a foam insulation material foam-filled into the insulation space, and one end side of the vacuum insulation material located on the front side in the depth direction of the insulation box, A plurality of spacers arranged between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material are attached, at least a part of which is attached to the other end side of the vacuum insulation material located on the rear side in the depth direction of the insulation box body. is arranged between the outer box and the vacuum heat insulating material, and a plurality of heat insulating correction members having their longitudinal direction in the depth direction of the heat insulating box body, and the heat insulating correction members are arranged between the vacuum heat insulating material It is characterized in that the material is fixed in the heat insulating space in a state in which the material is pressed toward the inner box side. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material is fixed in a pressed state against the inner box by the heat-insulating straightening member, and there is no need to attach the vacuum insulation material to the inner box with adhesive, reducing manufacturing costs. Ru.

Further, in a second aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the vacuum heat insulating material is pressed against the inner box by the spacer and the heat insulating correction member. With this structure, the vacuum heat insulating material is fixed in a pressed state against the inner box by the spacer and the heat insulating correction member. The workability of assembling the vacuum insulation material is improved, and the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator is reduced.

Further, in a third aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the heat-insulating correction member is elastically deformed within the heat-insulating space, so that the vacuum heat-insulating material is brought into close contact with the inner box. shall be. With this structure, the vacuum heat insulating material is pressed by the heat insulating correction member within the heat insulating space and is fixed in close contact with the inner box. The workability of assembling the vacuum insulation material is improved, and the manufacturing cost of the refrigerator is reduced.

In addition, in a fourth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer has a notched portion that fixes the position of the one end side of the vacuum insulation material. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material is stably positioned within the insulation space and fixed in a state pressed against the inner box. This improves the ease of assembly of the vacuum insulation material and reduces the manufacturing costs of the refrigerator.

In the refrigerator of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material is fixed in a pressed state against the inner box by the insulating correction member, improving workability and reducing manufacturing costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view of the refrigerator seen from the front, and (B) is a sectional view of the refrigerator. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view of an outer box seen from the front, and (B) is a perspective view of an inner box seen from the front. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a heat-insulating correction member according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing a spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention, (A) is a perspective view showing the spacer, (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration in which the spacer is assembled to a vacuum insulation material, and (C) is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration in which the spacer is assembled to a vacuum insulation material. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration in which a spacer is assembled to a vacuum heat insulating material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a rear view of a heat-insulating correction member seen from the rear, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator, and FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the refrigerator concerning an embodiment of the present invention, and (A) to (C) are sectional views of the refrigerator. 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views illustrating a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of the refrigerator concerning an embodiment of the present invention, and (A) to (C) are sectional views of the refrigerator. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional refrigerator.

Hereinafter, the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be explained in detail based on the drawings. In the following description, the vertical direction indicates the height direction of the refrigerator 10, the horizontal direction indicates the width direction when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the front, and the longitudinal direction indicates the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. Moreover, when describing this embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used for the same members in principle, and repeated description will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic configuration of a refrigerator 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1(A) is a perspective view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment viewed from the front. FIG. 1(B) is a side sectional view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. In addition, in FIG. 1(B), the flow of cold air is shown by arrows.

As shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the refrigerator 10 has a refrigerator compartment 12 and a freezing compartment 13 as storage compartments formed inside a heat insulating box body 11. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by a heat insulating door 34 so as to be openable and closable, and the front opening of the freezer compartment 13 is closed by a heat insulating door 35 so as to be openable and closable. The heat insulation doors 34 and 35 are rotary doors whose right end portions are rotatably supported by the heat insulation box 11. Note that a pull-out type door may be adopted as the heat insulating doors 34 and 35.

As shown in FIG. 1(B), a cooling chamber 27 is defined at the rear of the freezing chamber 13, and an evaporator 26 is disposed in the cooling chamber 27. Further, a machine room 14 is defined at the rear of the lowest part of the heat insulating box 11, and a compressor 29 is disposed in the machine room 14. The evaporator 26 and the compressor 29 are connected to an expansion means and a condenser (not shown) via a refrigerant pipe 18 (see FIG. 2(A)) to form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. Note that a defrosting heater 20 for melting frost on the evaporator 26 is disposed below the evaporator 26.

A blower 28 is disposed above the cooling chamber 27, and the cold air inside the cooling chamber 27 cooled by the evaporator 26 is blown via the blower 28 to the refrigerator chamber 12 and the freezer chamber 13. A damper 19 is disposed in the air path to the refrigerator chamber 12. Here, a control device (not shown) detects the temperature inside the refrigerator chamber 12 with a sensor (not shown) and controls the opening and closing of the damper 19. Then, the flow rate of cold air to the refrigerator chamber 12 is adjusted to keep the temperature inside the refrigerator chamber 12 constant.

By the above control by the control device, the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled to the refrigerator temperature range, and the freezer compartment 13 is cooled to the freezer temperature range. Then, the cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 returns to the cooling compartment 27 via the return air duct.

As shown in the figure, the insulating box 11 mainly comprises an outer box 15 made of a steel plate that forms the outer shape of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 16 made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 15, and a thermal insulation material 17 disposed in the insulating space 50 between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16.

As the heat insulating material 17, a foamed heat insulating material 17A and a vacuum heat insulating material 17B are used. For example, foamed urethane is used as the foamed heat insulating material 17A. As the vacuum heat insulating material 17B, for example, a material in which an aggregate of fibers such as glass is housed in a bag and the inside of the bag is kept in a vacuum state is employed.

The configuration of the outer box 15 and inner box 16 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2(A) is a perspective view of the outer box 15 of this embodiment as seen from below the front. Figure 2(B) is a perspective view of the inner box 16 of this embodiment as seen from below the front. Note that in the description of the outer box 15, reference will be made to Figure 6(A) as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 2(A), the outer box 15 is formed by bending a thin steel plate with a thickness of about 0.5 mm. The outer box 15 mainly has an outer box back panel 15A (see FIG. 6(A)), outer box side panels 15B formed from the left and right ends of the outer box back panel 15A toward the front, and an outer box top panel 15C formed from the upper end of the outer box back panel 15A toward the front.

The outer box side plate 15B and the outer box top plate 15C are integrally formed by bending a single steel plate into a U-shape. A refrigerant pipe 18 through which a refrigerant used in a vapor compression refrigeration cycle flows is attached to the inner surfaces of the outer box side plate 15B and the outer box top plate 15C with aluminum tape 32.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the inner box 16 is a synthetic resin molded body vacuum-formed into a predetermined shape. The inner box 16 mainly comprises an inner box back panel 16A, inner box side panels 16B formed from the left and right ends of the inner box back panel 16A toward the front, an inner box top panel 16C formed from the upper end of the inner box back panel 16A toward the front, and an inner box bottom panel 16D formed from the lower end of the inner box back panel 16A toward the front. In addition, a heat-insulating partition wall 33 is formed in the vertical middle of the inner box back panel 16A to separate the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

The thickness of the resin constituting the inner box 16 is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, and more preferably 0.7 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. By setting the thickness of the inner box 16 within this range, sufficient strength of the inner box 16 can be ensured, and the inner box 16 will not be deformed during the filling process with the foamed heat insulating material 17A (see FIG. 1(B)) in the manufacturing process. It is prevented from doing so.

The heat-insulating straightening member 40 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the heat-insulating straightening member 40 of this embodiment. In addition, in the description of the heat-insulating straightening member 40, Figure 6 (A) will be referred to as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heat-insulating correction member 40 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The length L1 of the heat insulating correction member 40 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 250 mm or more and 350 mm or less. The heat-insulating correction member 40 preferably has at least half the length of the inner box 16 (see FIG. 2(B)) in the depth direction of the heat-insulating box 11 (see FIG. 1(B)), and further It is preferable that the inner box 16 has a length of about 2/3 of the inner box 16 in the depth direction. On the other hand, the length L2 of the heat insulating correction member 40 in the lateral direction is preferably about 50 mm. Notch surfaces 43 are formed on both end surfaces 41 and 42 of the heat insulating correction member 40 in the longitudinal direction, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 is disposed in the heat-insulating space 50 between the vacuum heat-insulating material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B. The heat-insulating straightening member 40 has a thickness T2 of about 25 mm, and is a member that presses and fixes the vacuum heat-insulating material 17B against the inner box side panel 16B, and corrects the curved shape of the vacuum heat-insulating material 17B. The heat-insulating straightening member 40 is an elastic member, and is formed from, for example, a foamed resin material such as foamed polyethylene, polyethylene resin, or polyethylene foam, and does not deteriorate the heat-insulating efficiency of the refrigerator 10 even if it is disposed in the heat-insulating space 50. Furthermore, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 is compressed and deformed along the shape of the refrigerant pipe 18 at the contact point with the refrigerant pipe 18. This prevents the design surface of the outer box 15 from becoming uneven in the area where the refrigerant pipe 18 is disposed, which would cause a poor appearance.

As shown in the figure, the cutout surface 43 is formed on each of the end faces 41, 42 of the heat insulating straightening member 40, and the cutout surface 43 is formed at a diagonal position in the longitudinal direction. However, this structure is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the cutout surface 43 may be formed on either one of the end faces 41, 42 of the heat insulating straightening member 40.

The spacer 30 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4(A) is a perspective view showing the spacer 30 of this embodiment. Figure 4(B) is a cross-sectional view showing the spacer 30 attached to the vacuum insulation material 17B of this embodiment. Figure 4(C) is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the spacer 30 attached to the vacuum insulation material 17B of this embodiment. Note that in the description of the spacer 30, reference will be made to Figure 7(A) as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), the spacer 30 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with each corner chamfered. When the spacer 30 is viewed from the front of the paper in FIG. 4(A), the spacer 30 has a cross-sectional shape with the upper left portion of the paper cut out. The spacer 30 mainly has a first adhesive surface 30A that is a flat surface facing the left side of the paper, and a second adhesive surface 30B that is a flat surface facing upward on the paper and perpendicularly intersects with the first adhesive surface 30A. The height L3 of the spacer 30 is preferably 10 mm or more and less than 50 mm.

The spacer 30 is made of a foamed resin material such as foamed polyethylene. By using a foamed resin material as the spacer 30, the spacer 30 is appropriately compressed and deformed when it is inserted into the insulation space 50, as shown in FIG. 7(A). Then, by utilizing the repulsive force generated by the spacer 30, the vacuum insulation material 17B is pressed against the inner box side panel 16B and is firmly fixed in the desired position.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the spacer 30 is attached to the end of the vacuum insulation material 17B on the lower side of the paper. The first adhesive surface 30A of the spacer 30 is adhered to the side near the bottom surface of the vacuum insulation material 17B on the right side of the paper. Meanwhile, the second adhesive surface 30B of the spacer 30 is adhered to the bottom surface of the vacuum insulation material 17B on the lower side of the paper. An adhesive tape or adhesive is used to adhere the vacuum insulation material 17B to the spacer 30.

As shown in FIG. 4C, the vacuum heat insulating material 17B has a substantially rectangular shape that is elongated in the vertical direction of the paper, and a plurality of spacers 30 are attached to the front side of the paper. In this embodiment, two spacers 30 are attached near the center and near the lower end of the longitudinal sides of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B. By attaching the plurality of spacers 30 to the vacuum heat insulating material 17B, the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is more stably positioned and incorporated into the heat insulating box 11.

With reference to FIG. 5, the structure of the heat insulating space 50 between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16 of the refrigerator 10 will be described. FIG. 5(A) is a rear view of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B of this embodiment viewed from the rear side of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 5(B) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, in which the refrigerator 10 is cut along the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10 at an intermediate portion in the depth direction.

FIG. 5A shows three patterns of the shape of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B as an example. The vacuum insulation material 17B, which is disposed on the side of the refrigerator 10 in the width direction and along the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10, has a longitudinal length that is approximately the same as the length in the height direction of the inner box 16. It has a length. Further, the thickness T1 of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is manufactured within a range of 15 mm±1 mm. The shape of the vacuum insulation material 17B is preferably a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum insulation material 17B, as shown in the middle of FIG. 5(A). As shown in FIG. 2, there is also a vacuum heat insulating material 17B on the market in which both end portions in the longitudinal direction are curved in the left-right direction in the drawing.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the refrigerant pipes 18 are fixed to the inner surface of the outer box 15. In the insulation spaces 50 on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10, the vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged in approximately close contact with the inner box side panel 16B of the inner box 16 on the refrigerator compartment 12 side. On the other hand, on the freezer compartment 13 side, the vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged in approximately close contact with the rail portion 49 that guides the storage container or its reinforcing plate. In the area where the rail portion 49 is not formed, the foam insulation material 17A is filled between the inner box side panel 16B and the vacuum insulation material 17B. Similarly, the foam insulation material 17A is also filled in the insulation partition wall 33 that partitions the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

Here, as described above with reference to FIG. 5(A), the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is also available in the market in a state where both ends of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B are curved in the horizontal direction in the drawing. If the vacuum insulating material 17B has a step of adhering to the inner box side plate 16B, the curved vacuum insulating material 17B does not pose a problem, but the step of adhering the vacuum insulating material 17B By having this, the manufacturing cost increases.

Therefore, in this embodiment, two each of the insulating correction members 40 and spacers 30 are arranged in the insulation space 50 on both the left and right sides of the width direction of the refrigerator 10 together with the vacuum insulation material 17B. The process of attaching the vacuum insulation material 17B is omitted, reducing manufacturing costs, and the curved shape of the vacuum insulation material 17B is corrected, achieving close contact between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B.

Specifically, the heat-insulating straightening members 40 are disposed on the rear side of the refrigerator 10 at positions slightly below the inner box top panel 16C of the inner box 16. The heat-insulating straightening members 40 are also disposed on the rear side of the refrigerator 10 at the upper level of the freezer compartment 13. Meanwhile, the spacers 30 are disposed on the front side of the refrigerator 10 at positions slightly above the inner box bottom panel 16D of the inner box 16. The spacers 30 are also disposed on the front side of the refrigerator 10 at the middle level of the refrigerator compartment 12. In other words, the heat-insulating straightening members 40 and the spacers 30 are alternately disposed at the desired intervals in the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10, thereby realizing adhesion between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B.

With reference to FIG. 6, the cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, taken along the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 in the region where the heat-insulating correction member 40 is provided. FIG. 6(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area marked with a circle 51 shown in FIG. 6(A).

As shown in FIG. 6(A), first, on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10, the insulating correction member 40 and the vacuum insulating material 17B are arranged in the insulating space 50 between the inner box side panel 16B and the outer box side panel 15B. Then, the vacuum insulating material 17B is in almost intimate contact with the inner box side panel 16B, continuing from near the front end of the inner box side panel 16B to near the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10.

Meanwhile, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 is inserted into the heat-insulating space 50 from the rear side of the refrigerator 10 and is arranged so as to abut against the refrigerant pipe 18 and the vacuum insulation material 17B. The heat-insulating straightening member 40 is arranged in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10, at least from near the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B to its central region. As shown in the figure, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 abuts against two refrigerant pipes 18.

Specifically, the width W1 of the insulation space 50 is 40 mm. As described above, the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulation material 17B is 15 mm, the thickness T2 of the insulating correction member 40 is 25 mm, and the thickness T3 of the refrigerant piping 18 is 4 mm. With this structure, the total thickness of the above members in the area where the refrigerant piping 18 is installed is 44 mm, which is thicker than the width W1 of the insulation space 50.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the insulating straightening member 40 is made of a foamed resin material such as foamed polyethylene, and at the point of contact with the refrigerant pipe 18, it is compressed and deformed inward by about 4 mm to conform to the shape of the refrigerant pipe 18. This structure generates a repulsive force from the compressed insulating straightening member 40 toward the inner box side panel 16B, and the insulating straightening member 40 presses the vacuum insulation material 17B toward the inner box side panel 16B. The improved adhesion between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B prevents the vacuum insulation material 17B from moving inadvertently when forming the foam insulation material 17A during the manufacturing process.

As shown in the figure, three rows of refrigerant pipes 18 are arranged approximately parallel to each other in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10, and the refrigerant pipe 18 located in the middle is located approximately in the center of the inner box side panel 16B. The insulating correction member 40 is supported in a balanced manner by two rows of refrigerant pipes 18 from the rear side of the inner box 16, and is arranged to be as parallel as possible to the inner box side panel 16B and the outer box side panel 15B. With this structure, the insulating correction member 40 can improve the adhesion between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side panel 16B even on the front side of the vacuum insulation material 17B that is not in contact with the insulating correction member 40 by pressing the contact area with the vacuum insulation material 17B with a uniform force.

Furthermore, the cutout surface 43 formed on the front end surface 41 of the insulating correction member 40 is disposed on the outer box side panel 15B side. As described above, the insulating correction member 40 is inserted into the insulation space 50, which is a narrow area, while being compressed and deformed inward by the refrigerant piping 18. At this time, the insulating correction member 40 uses the cutout surface 43 on the front side to climb over the refrigerant piping 18 and is inserted into the insulation space 50, which is a narrow area, thereby greatly improving workability.

Next, in the insulation space 50 between the inner box back panel 16A and the outer box back panel 15A, the vacuum insulation material 17B is attached to the inner surface of the outer box back panel 15A and is spaced apart from the inner box back panel 16A. A foam insulation material 17A is formed between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box back panel 16A. Then, both end faces 52 of the vacuum insulation material 17B are positioned outside the end faces 53 of the vacuum insulation material 17B that are in almost close contact with the inner box side panel 16B. This structure reduces the gaps between the vacuum insulation materials 17B, reducing heat leakage and improving the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10.

The cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7(A) is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, cut along the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 in the area where the spacer 30 is arranged. Figure 7(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area circled 54 shown in Figure 7(A).

As shown in FIG. 7(A), vacuum insulation material 17B and spacers 30 are disposed in the insulation space 50 between the inner box side panel 16B and the outer box side panel 15B on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10. The vacuum insulation material 17B is in almost intimate contact with the inner box side panel 16B, continuing from near the front end of the inner box side panel 16B to near the rear end of the inner box side panel 16B in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10.

In addition, in the heat insulation space 50 between the inner box back plate 16A and the outer box back plate 15A, the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is attached to the inner surface of the outer box back plate 15A, and is spaced apart from the inner box back plate 16A. ing. A foamed heat insulating material 17A is filled between the vacuum heat insulating material 17B and the inner box back plate 16A. Both end surfaces 52 of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B are arranged on the outer side of the end surface 53 of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B, which is in substantially close contact with the inner box side plate 16B. With this structure, the gap between each vacuum heat insulating material 17B becomes smaller, heat leakage can be reduced, and the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator 10 can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 7(B), a spacer 30 is adhesively fixed to the front end surface 55 of the vacuum insulation material 17B, and the spacer 30 is compressed between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B. This structure generates a repulsive force from the compressed spacer 30 toward the inner box side panel 16B, and the spacer 30 presses the periphery of the end surface 55 of the vacuum insulation material 17B against the inner box side panel 16B. This prevents the vacuum insulation material 17B from moving inadvertently when forming the foam insulation material 17A during the manufacturing process.

Further, an outer box joint 44 is formed by bending the tip of the outer box side plate 15B, and an inner box joint 45 is formed by bending the tip of the inner box side plate 16B. By fitting the inner box joint part 45 to the outer box joint part 44, the tip of the outer box side plate 15B and the tip of the inner box side plate 16B are joined.

As shown in the figure, an end portion 46 that widens toward the rear is formed at the end of the outer box joint portion 44 in order to facilitate fitting with the inner box joint portion 45. Since the end portion 46 is an end face of a steel plate, if the end portion 46 is pressed against the vacuum insulation material 17B, there is a risk that the outer skin of the vacuum insulation material 17B may be torn.

Therefore, in this embodiment, by disposing the spacer 30 on the end surface 55 of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B, a structure is created in which the spacer 30 contacts the end portion 46, and the end portion 46 does not come into contact with the vacuum heat insulating material 17B. This structure prevents the vacuum insulation material 17B from being torn by the end portion 46.

Furthermore, because the spacer 30 contacts the end 46, a space 47 is formed in front of the vacuum insulation material 17B. With this structure, when the foam insulation material 17A is foam-filled into the insulation space 50 during the manufacturing process of the refrigerator 10, the space 47 can be used to allow the liquid foaming materials 63, 64 (see FIG. 10) described below to flow smoothly.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, in the insulation space 50 in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10, the vacuum insulation material 17B is disposed on the inner box side plate 16B side, and the foam insulation material 17A is disposed on the outer box side plate 16B. It is arranged on the side plate 15B side. Since the vacuum insulation material 17B and the foam insulation material 17A have different coefficients of thermal expansion, the vacuum insulation material 17B is attached to the outer box side plate 15B, so that the vacuum insulation material 17B and the foam insulation material 17A are different from each other. There is a possibility that the boundary may appear like a step on the outer surface of the outer box side plate 15B. However, in this embodiment, the boundary between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the foam insulation material 17A is formed apart from the outer box side plate 15B, so the boundary does not appear on the outer box side plate 15B, and the refrigerator 10 The deterioration of the appearance design of the side surface is prevented.

If the vacuum insulation material 17B is arranged so as to be in close contact with the outer box side panel 15B, measures must be taken to prevent air from pooling near the refrigerant pipe 18. For example, measures must be taken to form a recess in the side of the vacuum insulation material 17B corresponding to the refrigerant pipe 18. However, in this embodiment, the refrigerant pipe 18 is embedded in the foam insulation material 17A or penetrates into the thermally insulating correction member 40, so that the above-mentioned recess processing measures are not necessary, simplifying the configuration of the refrigerator 10 and reducing manufacturing costs.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, with reference to FIG. 5(A), the vacuum insulation material 17B is disposed apart from the refrigerant piping 18, so that the refrigerant piping is disposed on the side surface of the vacuum insulation material 17B. There is no need to form a groove to avoid 18. Furthermore, the heat-insulating straightening member 40 that comes into contact with the refrigerant pipe 18 is compressively deformed along the shape of the refrigerant pipe 18 . With this structure, a vacuum heat insulating material 17B with a simple flat side surface can be used, and manufacturing costs can be reduced. Further, the manufacturing cost can also be reduced by arranging the refrigerant pipes 18 relatively freely.

Next, a method for manufacturing the refrigerator 10 described above will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 11. Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the process of incorporating the inner box 16 into the outer box 15 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. Figs. 9(A), 9(B), and 9(C) are cross-sectional views illustrating the process of incorporating the vacuum insulation material 17B of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment into the insulation space 50. Fig. 10 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the process of foam-filling the foam insulation material 17A of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment into the insulation space 50. Figs. 11(A), 11(B), and 11(C) are cross-sectional views illustrating the process of foam-filling the foam insulation material 17A of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment into the insulation space 50.

In the following explanation, reference will be made to FIGS. 1 to 7 and their explanations as appropriate, and the same constituent members as those of the refrigerator 10 explained using FIGS. Explanation will be omitted. In addition, the cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 11(A) to 11(C) are cut in the area where the heat insulating correction member 40 is provided near the inner box top plate 16C, and the lower side from the cutting position is shown in FIG. FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, prepare an outer box 15 formed by forming a steel plate into a predetermined shape, and an inner box 16 made of synthetic resin and vacuum-formed into a predetermined shape. Then, as shown in FIG. 2(A), refrigerant pipes 18 through which the refrigerant used in the vapor compression refrigeration cycle flows are attached to the inner surfaces of the outer box side panels 15B and the outer box top panel 15C of the outer box with aluminum tape 32. After that, install the inner box 16 inside the outer box 15. Note that during this installation process, the outer box back panel 15A shown in FIG. 6(A) is not attached.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9(A), vacuum insulation materials 17B are prepared, and vacuum insulation is applied to the insulation spaces 50 on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10 between the inner box side panels 16B and the outer box side panels 15B. Insert the material 17B. The width W1 of the heat insulating space 50 has a tapered shape that narrows toward the front in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 4(C), the vacuum insulation material 17B has a generally rectangular shape that is elongated in the vertical direction of the page, and two spacers 30 are attached to the front side edge of the vacuum insulation material 17B in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10, near the center and near the lower end.

Next, the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is inserted into the heat insulating space 50 with the side where the spacer 30 is installed facing downward. Then, when the lower end side of the vacuum insulation material 17B is inserted to the lower end of the insulation space 50, the spacer 30 is compressed between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the outer box side plate 15B. As a result, as described above, the vacuum insulation material 17B is pressed against the inner box side plate 16B by using the repulsion force generated from the spacer 30, so that the vacuum insulation material 17B can be more stably applied to the insulation box. 11 and installed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the insulating correction member 40 is prepared and inserted into the insulating space 50 into which the vacuum insulating material 17B has been inserted. As described above with reference to FIG. 6(A) and FIG. 6(B), the width W1 (see FIG. 9(A)) of the insulating space 50 on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator 10 is 40 mm, the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulating material 17B is 15 mm, and the thickness T3 of the refrigerant piping 18 is 4 mm. The width W1 of the insulating space 50 is tapered so as to narrow toward the front in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10.

With this structure, the width W2 of the insulation space 50 after inserting the vacuum insulation material 17B is 25 mm in the area without the refrigerant piping 18, and 21 mm in the area where the refrigerant piping 18 is installed. The thickness T2 of the insulating correction member 40 is 25 mm, and the work of inserting the insulating correction member 40 into the insulation space 50 requires pulling the outer box side panel 15B outward or crushing the vacuum insulation material 17B, which is a very time-consuming task.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the heat-insulating correction member 40 is inserted into the heat-insulating space 50 with the cutout surface 43 of the end face 41 of the heat-insulating correction member 40 being located on the outer box side plate 15B side. In the area where the refrigerant pipe 18 is disposed, which is a particularly narrow area within the heat insulating space 50, by using the notch surface 43, it becomes easier to climb over the refrigerant pipe 18, and the workability of inserting the heat insulating correction member 40 is greatly improved. can be improved.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9(C), the heat insulating correction member 40 is disposed in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 from at least the vicinity of the rear end of the inner box side plate 16B to the central region thereof. Preferably, the heat-insulating correction member 40 is disposed from the vicinity of the rear end of the inner box side plate 16B to about two-thirds thereof. In this embodiment, the heat insulating correction member 40 is in contact with the two refrigerant pipes 18 on its side surfaces. Thereafter, the outer case back plate 15A to which the vacuum insulation material 17B is attached is prepared, and the outer case back plate 15A is assembled into the upper end of the outer case side plate 15B. Through this operation, the heat insulating space 50 filled with the foamed heat insulating material 17A is formed as a substantially sealed space, and the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is firmly fixed at a predetermined position in the heat insulating space 50.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, injection holes 61 and 62 are formed in the outer box rear panel 15A. Injection hole 61 is a hole for injecting liquid foaming material 63, and injection hole 62 is a hole for injecting liquid foaming material 64. Here, the inner box 16 and the outer box 15 are laid on their sides so that the front side of the refrigerator 10 faces downward, and the liquid foaming materials 63 and 64 are injected into the insulation space 50 through the injection holes 61 and 62.

Here, the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is fixed in two places from the rear side in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 by the heat insulating correction member 40, and is fixed in two places in the front side in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 by the spacer 30. . As illustrated, the heat insulating correction members 40 and the spacers 30 are arranged alternately in the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10.

In particular, the injection hole 61 is formed near the upper end side of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B. As described above using FIG. 5(A), the vacuum insulation material 17B is distributed on the market without any problem in terms of product quality even if both ends of the vacuum insulation material 17B are curved in the horizontal direction in the drawing. . In this embodiment, the heat-insulating correction member 40 is disposed at a horizontal distance L7 of, for example, 100 mm from the injection hole 61.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 11(A), the curved shape of the upper end of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is corrected by the heat insulating correction member 40, and the curved shape of the upper end of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is corrected by the heat insulating correction member 40 toward the inner box side plate 16B. Being forced. As described above, the heat-insulating correction member 40 is pushed into the narrow region of the heat-insulating space 50, and is arranged in the depth direction of the refrigerator 10 from at least the vicinity of the rear end of the inner box side plate 16B to the central region thereof. ing. With this structure, the vacuum heat insulating material 17B is in close contact with the inner box side plate 16B over substantially the entire surface thereof.

10, liquid foaming material 63 is injected through injection hole 61, and liquid foaming material 64 is simultaneously injected through injection hole 62. The liquid foaming material 63 injected through injection hole 61 passes through insulation space 50 between vacuum insulation material 17B and outer box side panel 15B, and reaches the front end of insulation space 50 directly below injection hole 61. The liquid foaming material 63 then flows, foaming, toward spacer 30 disposed in the center of refrigerator 10.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 11(B), in the area where the heat insulating correction member 40 is disposed on the near side of the spacer 30 and the surrounding area, the liquid foam material 63 does not foam even when directed upward in the paper. while flowing. As described above, the curved shape of the upper end of the vacuum heat insulating material 17B near the injection hole 61 (see FIG. 10) is corrected by the heat insulating correction member 40, and it is brought into close contact with the inner box side plate 16B. As a result, when the liquid foam material 63 is foamed and filled, the liquid foam material 63 is prevented from entering between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the inner box side plate 16B and foaming while rising. Formation of the foamed heat insulating material 17A between the box side plate 16B and the box side plate 16B is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 11C, the liquid foaming material 63 rises from the insulation space 50 between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B, preventing the occurrence of an unfilled area in the insulation space 50 between the vacuum insulation material 17B and the outer box side panel 15B. The liquid foaming material 63 foams while wrapping around the insulation space 50 between the inner box back panel 16A and the outer box back panel 15A and the insulation space 50 between the inner box back panel 16A and the vacuum insulation material 17B attached to the outer box back panel 15A, and foaming insulation material 17A is also formed on the back side of the inner box 16.

Thereafter, as shown by arrows 65 and 66, the liquid foaming materials 63 and 64 injected from the injection holes 61 and 62 foam while flowing through the heat insulating space 50 at the front end of the refrigerator 10. In particular, filling is performed up to the central area 67. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5(A) etc., the liquid foam materials 63 and 64 injected from the injection holes 61 and 62 fill the insulation space 50 between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16 with foam. Then, foamed heat insulating material 17A is formed. Further, the refrigerator 10 is prevented from being discarded due to poor appearance due to the unfilled area of the foamed heat insulating material 17A on the outer box side plate 15B of the refrigerator 10.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the horizontal distance L4 between the injection hole 61 and the spacer 30 located at the vertical center of the refrigerator 10 is preferably 200 mm or more. Here, the horizontal distance L4 is the distance by which the injection hole 61 and the spacer 30 are separated in the horizontal direction when the outer box 15 and the inner box 16 are lying down. With this structure, the liquid foam material 63 spreads in a liquid state to some extent and reaches the spacer 30 while foaming, so the liquid foam material 63 easily overcomes the spacer 30 and flows well toward the right in the paper. can. Note that if the horizontal distance L4 is not sufficiently secured, the liquid foam material 63 will be blocked by the spacer 30.

Further, the height L5 of the spacer 30 is preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 40 mm or less. By doing so, the liquid foam material 63 can easily flow over the spacer 30 and toward the region 67.

On the other hand, the spacer 30 located at the lower end of the refrigerator 10 in the vertical direction is arranged closer to the lower end of the refrigerator 10 than the injection hole 62 is. With this structure, the liquid foam material 64 injected from the injection hole 62 is blocked by the spacer 30 and flows toward the region 67. Then, the liquid foam material 64 can be sufficiently spread over the region 67. Note that, similarly to the height L5 of the spacer 30, the height L6 of the spacer 30 is preferably 50 mm or less, and more preferably 40 mm or less.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1(A), the insulated door 34, the insulated door 35, and each component device are attached to the insulated box body 11, completing the refrigerator 10.

In the refrigerator of the present invention, the insulating box includes an outer box forming the outer surface of the insulating box, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and an insulating material disposed in the insulating space between the outer box and the inner box. The insulating material includes a vacuum insulating material disposed in the insulating space on at least both sides of the width direction of the insulating box, and has its longitudinal direction in the height direction of the insulating box, and a foam insulating material foamed and filled in the insulating space including the area where the vacuum insulating material is disposed. In the depth direction of the insulating box, a spacer is attached to the front side of the vacuum insulating material, at least a part of which is disposed between the outer box and the vacuum insulating material, and an insulating straightening member is disposed between the outer box and the vacuum insulating material and has its longitudinal direction in the depth direction of the insulating box. With this structure, in the above-mentioned insulating space, the vacuum insulating material is pressed against the inner box side by the insulating straightening member and the spacer, and is firmly fixed, so that the foam insulating material is formed without having an unfilled area between the vacuum insulating material and the outer box. As a result, the refrigerator is prevented from being discarded due to poor appearance caused by the unfilled areas.

In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, refrigerant pipes fixed to the outer box are arranged in the insulation spaces on both sides in the width direction of the insulation box body. The insulation straightening member is made of an elastic material and has a chamfered cutout portion at its longitudinal end. The insulation straightening member is fixed to the insulation space with at least two or more refrigerant pipes embedded in it in the longitudinal direction, and the cutout portion is located on the refrigerant pipe side. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material is pressed against the inner box side by the insulation straightening member and is in close contact with the inner box. Furthermore, the insulation straightening member is inserted into the insulation space using the cutout surface, which greatly improves workability.

In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the vacuum insulation material is arranged in the height direction of the insulating box body up to near the top surface of the inner box, and the insulating straightening member is fixed to the insulation space in a state in which the vacuum insulation material near the top surface of the inner box is pressed against the inner box. With this structure, although some vacuum insulation materials have curved shapes at both ends in the longitudinal direction, the insulating straightening member straightens out the curved shape of the vacuum insulation material before it is arranged in the insulation space, thereby preventing the occurrence of unfilled areas of the foam insulation material.

In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the insulating straightening member is made of a foamed resin material. With this structure, the insulating straightening member is arranged in the insulating space, which is a narrow area, and this improves the workability and allows the vacuum insulation material to be firmly fixed to the inner box side.

In the method for manufacturing a refrigerator of the present invention, an outer box constituting a heat insulating box body, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and a heat insulating space provided in a heat insulating space between the outer box and the inner box. A step of preparing a vacuum insulation material having its longitudinal direction in the height direction of the box body, a spacer and a heat insulation correction member for fixing the vacuum insulation material in the insulation space, and placing an inner box inside the outer box. After installing the spacer and attaching the spacer to the vacuum insulation material on the front side in the depth direction of the insulation box, inserting the vacuum insulation material into at least the insulation spaces on both sides of the insulation box in the width direction; Insert the heat insulating straightening member into the heat insulating space where the heat insulating box is placed so that its longitudinal direction is in the depth direction of the heat insulating box, and then insert the vacuum heat insulating material into the inner box from the rear side in the depth direction of the heat insulating box to at least the center. and a step of injecting a liquid foaming material into the insulation space and foaming it to form a foamed insulation material in the insulation space including the area where the vacuum insulation material is provided. With this manufacturing method, it is possible to form a foamed heat insulating material in the heat insulating space by pressing the vacuum heat insulating material against the inner box side using the heat insulating correction member and the spacer and firmly fixing the vacuum heat insulating material. The foam insulation material is prevented from being formed between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box, and the formation of an unfilled area of the foam insulation material between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box is prevented, To prevent a refrigerator from being discarded due to poor appearance due to the unfilled area.

REFRIGERATION LIST 10 Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 12 Refrigerating compartment 13 Freezer 15 Outer box 15A Outer box back panel 15B Outer box side panel 15C Outer box top panel 16 Inner box 16A Inner box back panel 16B Inner box side panel 16C Inner box top panel 16D Inner box bottom panel 17 Insulating material 17A Foamed insulating material 17B Vacuum insulating material 18 Refrigerant piping 30 Spacer 40 Insulating correction member 41, 42 End surface 43 Cutout surface 50 Insulating space 61, 62 Injection hole 63, 64 Liquid foaming material

Claims (4)

The present invention comprises a heat-insulating box having a storage chamber formed therein, a refrigeration cycle that cools air blown into the storage chamber, and a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant for the refrigeration cycle flows,
The insulating box body includes an outer box forming an outer surface of the insulating box body, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and a thermal insulating material disposed in a thermal insulation space between the outer box and the inner box,
The heat insulating material is disposed in the heat insulating space on at least both sides of the width direction of the heat insulating box, and includes a vacuum heat insulating material having a longitudinal direction in the height direction of the heat insulating box, and a foam heat insulating material that is foamed and filled in the heat insulating space,
A plurality of spacers are attached to one end side of the vacuum insulation material located at the front side in the depth direction of the insulation box body, and at least a portion of the spacers are disposed between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material,
A plurality of heat-insulating correction members are arranged between the outer box and the vacuum heat-insulating material on the other end side of the vacuum heat-insulating material located at the rear side of the depth direction of the heat-insulating box, and have a longitudinal direction in the depth direction of the heat-insulating box;
The refrigerator, wherein the heat insulating correcting member is fixed to the heat insulating space in a state in which the vacuum heat insulating material is pressed against the inner box side. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum insulation material is pressed against the inner box by the spacer and the insulating correction member. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat-insulating correction member is elastically deformed within the heat-insulating space, so that the vacuum heat-insulating material comes into close contact with the inner box. . The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spacer has a notch-shaped portion that positions and fixes the one end side of the vacuum heat insulating material.

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