JP6733078B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator equipped with a display device.

A refrigerator having a display device on a door is known. Among them, there is proposed a refrigerator in which a member that absorbs heat from the display device or the substrate thereof is provided in the door in order to cope with heat generation from the display device or the substrate thereof (for example, see Patent Document 1). ).

JP, 2014-206318, A

As the size of the display device provided on the door increases, the amount of heat generated from the display device and its substrate also increases. Therefore, when the display device becomes large, the heat absorbing member described in Patent Document 1 may not be able to sufficiently suppress the temperature inside the door of the refrigerator. On the other hand, if an opening for taking in outside air is provided inside the door for strengthening cooling, water, dust, etc. will enter the inside of the door through this opening, causing deterioration or damage to the inside of the door. There is a possibility that

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and even when the door is equipped with a large-sized display device, the display device and its substrate can be sufficiently cooled, and It is to provide a refrigerator that can be protected.

The present invention includes a housing,
A door that is attached to the housing so that it can be opened and closed
A display device installed on the door,
A vent provided in the side cover portion of the door,
Equipped with
It is characterized in that it has a storage part capable of storing a liquid below the vent hole.

According to the present invention, since air can flow between the inside and the outside of the door by the vent provided in the side cover portion of the door, even in a large-sized display device, the display device and its substrate can be used. The heat of can be sufficiently radiated to the outside. There may be only one vent hole or a plurality of vent holes.

On the other hand, if the vent hole is provided, not only the air but also various liquids such as water may enter the inside of the door. Basically, liquid such as water has a larger specific gravity than air, and therefore flows into the lower side of the vent hole. According to the present invention, since the storage part that can store the liquid is provided below the vent hole, the storage part can prevent the liquid from flowing into the door. In addition, the storage section can prevent not only liquid but also solid such as dust having a larger specific gravity than air from entering the inside of the door.

The air can flow in from the entire area of the vent, and the air that has flowed into the lower side of the vent can also flow upward through the airflow. Therefore, even if there is a storage portion, air can flow into the inside from the outside of the door through the ventilation port. Similarly, even if there is a storage portion, air can flow out from the inside of the door to the outside through the vent hole. Even in this case, the storage section can prevent liquid, dust, and the like from entering the inside of the door.

As described above, according to the present invention, by having the storage portion on the lower side of the vent hole, it is possible to sufficiently cool the display device and its substrate even when the door has a large display device. Thus, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that can protect the inside of the door.

In the present invention, the vent hole,
A first opening provided on the outer surface of the side cover;
A second opening provided above the reservoir,
Further having
The storage section is capable of storing a predetermined amount of liquid that has flowed in from the first opening.

According to the present invention, the storage section can store a predetermined amount of the liquid that has flowed in from the first opening. Therefore, by appropriately selecting the storage amount of the storage section, liquid, dust, etc. can enter the interior of the door. Can be reliably prevented. On the other hand, the air can flow into the interior of the door through the second opening provided above the reservoir. Similarly, air can flow from the inside of the door to the outside through the vents. Even in this case, the storage section can reliably prevent liquid, dust, and the like from entering the inside of the door.

As described above, according to the present invention, by the storage portion and the second opening in the upper portion thereof, it is possible to achieve ventilation inside and outside the door and to reliably prevent liquid, dust, and the like from entering the inside of the door. You can

In the present invention, the storage portion has a surface portion that extends from the first opening to the inside of the door and covers a region from a lower end of the first opening to a predetermined height, and the surface portion does not exist. The second opening is formed in the upper region.

In the present invention, since the storage portion has the surface portion that covers the region from the lower end of the first opening to the predetermined height, by appropriately selecting the predetermined height, the ventilation inside and outside the door is realized. In addition, it is possible to reliably prevent liquid, dust, etc. from entering the inside of the door.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that a cooling fan is provided inside the door, and the ventilation port is provided on each of a suction side and a discharge side of the cooling fan.

In the present invention, since the ventilation port is provided on each of the suction side and the discharge side of the cooling fan, the heat from the display device and its substrate is effectively radiated, and liquid, dust, and the like enter the inside of the door. You can surely prevent it.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the bottom surface cover portion of the door has an opening through which gas can flow between the inside and the outside of the door.

Since the opening of the bottom cover of the door is open downward, the possibility that liquid, dust, etc. will enter the door is basically low even without the liquid storage part. In the present invention, in addition to the vent holes of the side surface cover portion of the door, air can flow in and out of the door through the opening of the bottom surface cover portion, so that the heat from the display device and its substrate can be more effectively applied. Can dissipate heat.

As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator capable of sufficiently cooling the display device and its substrate and protecting the interior of the door even when the door is provided with a large-sized display device. You can

It is a perspective view showing the outline of the refrigerator concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing the outline of the door of the refrigerator concerning one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the door shown in FIG. 2. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the lower side part of the 1st side surface cover part of the door shown in FIG. 3, especially the structure which has several ventilation holes. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a bottom cover portion of the door shown in FIG. 3, particularly a structure having a plurality of openings. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view schematically showing the structure of a vent hole according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the door schematically showing a cooling mechanism inside the door including the vent hole shown in FIG. 6. It is a side sectional view which shows typically the structure of the ventilation hole which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a side sectional view which shows typically the structure of the ventilation hole which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Next, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Description of Refrigerator According to One Embodiment of the Present Invention)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outer shape of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, an outline of a refrigerator 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The refrigerator 2 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 4 and two upper and lower doors 6 attached to the housing 4 so as to be openable and closable. A display device 8 is attached to each of the two doors 6. The display surface of the display device 8 is located on the front side of the door 6, and a glass cover may be arranged on the front side of the display surface. A substrate for controlling the display device 8 is arranged on the back side of the display device 8. A first side surface cover portion 10 is arranged on the hinge side surfaces of the upper and lower doors 6.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of the door portion 6 of the refrigerator 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The outer shape of the door 6 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The upper and lower doors have basically the same structure, but here, the upper door 6 will be described as an example.
The door 6 is provided with an inner panel 6a on the refrigerating compartment or freezing compartment side, and four side cover portions are connected to the four sides of the inner panel 6a. Specifically, the first side cover portion 10 is installed on the side surface of the door 6 on the hinge hole 38 side. The bottom cover portion 12 is installed on the lower side surface. The second side surface cover portion 14 is installed on the side surface on the handle side. The upper surface cover portion 16 is installed on the upper side surface. As will be described later, the first side surface cover portion 10 is provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 20 for cooling the display device 8 and the substrate 50 thereof.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the door 6 shown in FIG. Next, the internal structure of the door 6 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the display device 8 is removed so that the substrate 50 of the display device arranged on the back side of the display device 8 is visible.
The inner panel 6a and the middle plate 6b of the door 6 are arranged so as to face each other with a predetermined gap. A space between the inner panel 6a and the middle plate 6b, which is surrounded by the first side surface cover portion 10, the bottom surface cover portion 12, the second side surface cover portion 14, and the upper surface cover portion 16 on four sides, is filled with a heat insulating material. Has been done.

On the other hand, the display device 8 and the substrate 50 supported by the frame 32 are arranged in the space surrounded by the bottom surface cover portion 12, the second side surface cover portion 14, and the upper surface cover portion 16 on the front side of the middle plate 6b. .. In FIG. 3, since the display device 8 is removed, the frame 32 and the substrate 50 are visible. Further, as indicated by the white arrow, the first side surface cover portion 10 and the bottom surface cover portion 12 are removed.

Since the substrate 50 generates a large amount of heat, the cooling mechanism inside the door 6 can effectively cool the substrate 50. The first side cover part 10 is provided with a plurality of vent holes 20 to allow air to flow inside and outside the door 6. Similarly, the bottom cover 12 is also provided with a plurality of openings 30 to allow air to flow inside and outside the door 6. A plurality of through holes 36 are provided at positions corresponding to the vent holes 20 on the side surface of the frame 32. Adjacent to the inside of these through holes 36, a total of four cooling fans 40 are installed, two at the top and two at the bottom. In order to efficiently cool the substrate 50, the current plate 34 is installed so as to connect the cooling fan 40 and the substrate 50. This cooling mechanism will be described later in detail with reference to FIG. 7.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a lower portion of the first side cover portion 10 of the door 6 shown in FIG. 3, particularly a structure having a plurality of ventilation holes 20. 4A shows the shape of the lower side portion of the first side surface cover portion 10 as seen from the arrow A in FIG. 3, seen from the outside, and FIG. 4A shows the shape as seen from the arrow B in FIG. The shape which looked at the lower side part of the 1st side cover part 10 from the inside is shown.

As shown in FIG. 4A, a plurality of diamond-shaped recesses are provided in almost the entire area of the first side cover portion 10 corresponding to the space in which the display device 8 is arranged. A part of the plurality of diamond-shaped recesses constitutes a vent 20 that allows air to flow inside the door 6. As shown in FIG. 4B, two areas in which the plurality of vent holes 20 are circularly arranged are provided. Similarly, the upper portion of the first side surface cover portion 10 is also provided with two regions in which the plurality of ventilation holes 20 are arranged in a circle. A cooling fan 40 is arranged corresponding to each of the areas where these vents 20 are arranged in a circle. As will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 6, the vent 20 has a structure that prevents liquid, dust, and the like from entering the door 6.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the bottom cover portion 12 of the door 6 shown in FIG. 3, particularly a structure having a plurality of openings 30. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of openings 30 are provided in substantially the entire area of the bottom cover portion 12 corresponding to the space in which the display device 8 is arranged. Since these openings 30 are open downward, it is basically unlikely that liquid, dust, or the like will enter the interior of the door 6 through the openings 30. Details will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

(Explanation of the vent according to one embodiment of the present invention)
FIG. 6 is a side sectional view schematically showing the structure of the vent hole 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. Next, the structure of the vent hole 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. A plurality of vent holes 20 are provided in the first side cover portion 10 of the door 6. Each vent 20 has basically the same structure.

A storage portion 24 capable of storing the liquid is provided below the ventilation port 20. The vent 20 has a first opening 22 provided on the outer surface of the first side cover 10 and a second opening 26 provided above the reservoir 24. Then, the storage section 24 can store a predetermined amount of liquid that has flowed in from the first opening section 22.
The storage portion 24 has a surface portion 28 that extends from the first opening portion 22 to the inside of the door 6 and covers a region from the lower end of the first opening portion 22 to a predetermined height H. The second opening 26 is formed in the upper region where the surface portion 28 does not exist. In particular, in one embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the surface portion 28 of the storage portion 24 has a lower surface portion 28 a extending substantially horizontally from the lower end of the first opening portion 22 and a side surface extending substantially vertically upward from the lower surface portion 28 a. And part 28b.

According to the present embodiment, air can flow between the inside and the outside of the door 6 by the plurality of ventilation holes 20 provided in the first side surface cover portion 10 of the door 6. The flow of air between the inside and the outside of the door 6 can efficiently cool the display device 8 and the substrate 50 installed in the door 6, as described later.

However, if the vent hole 20 is provided, not only air but also various liquids such as water may enter the inside of the door 6. Basically, a liquid such as water has a larger specific gravity than air, and therefore, as shown by the thick solid line arrow in FIG. Collect In the present embodiment, since the storage part 24 capable of storing the liquid is provided below the ventilation port 20, the storage part 24 can prevent the droplet 60 from flowing into the interior of the door 6. Further, the storage section 24 can prevent not only liquid but also solid such as dust having a larger specific gravity than air from entering the inside of the door 6.

On the other hand, the air can flow in from the entire area of the vent hole 20, and the air that has flowed into the lower side of the vent hole 20 also flows from the lower side to the upper side as shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. Can flow. Therefore, even if there is the storage portion 24, the air can flow from the outside of the door 6 to the inside through the ventilation port 20. Similarly, even if there is the storage portion 24, air can flow out from the inside of the door 6 to the outside through the ventilation port 20. Even in this case, the storage section 24 can prevent liquid, dust, and the like from entering the inside of the door 6.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the door 6 is provided with the large-sized display device 8, the storage device 24 is provided below the ventilation port 20. It is possible to provide the refrigerator 2 that can sufficiently cool the substrate 50 and can protect the inside of the door 6.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the storage part 24 can store a predetermined amount of the liquid that has flowed in from the first opening part 22, by appropriately selecting the storage amount of the storage part 24, liquid, dust, etc. It is possible to surely prevent the inside of 6 from entering. On the other hand, the air can flow into the interior of the door 6 through the second opening 26 provided above the reservoir 24. Similarly, air can flow out from the inside of the door 6 to the outside through the ventilation port 20, and the storage portion 24 can reliably prevent liquid, dust, and the like from entering the inside of the door 6. it can.
As described above, according to the present invention, the storage portion 24 and the second opening portion 26 provided above the storage portion 24 allow ventilation inside and outside the door 6, and liquid, dust, and the like enter the inside of the door 6. Can be reliably prevented.

Further, since the storage portion 24 has the surface portion 28 that covers the region from the lower end of the first opening portion 22 to the predetermined height H, the door 6 can be selected by appropriately selecting the predetermined height H. It is possible to achieve ventilation inside and outside of the door, and to reliably prevent liquid, dust, and the like from entering the inside of the door 6.

Here, as an appropriate value of the height H, if the height from the upper end to the lower end of the first opening 22 is HT, it can be exemplified that H is set to 50 to 80% of HT. As shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 6, in the upper region of the first opening 22 where the storage portion 24 does not exist, the air flows horizontally and can flow inside and outside the door 6, so that efficient air Therefore, efficient cooling of the display device 8 and the substrate 50 can be realized. Further, when the first side surface cover portion 10 is manufactured by resin molding, it can be molded relatively easily.

(Explanation of the cooling mechanism inside the door)
FIG. 7A is a side sectional view of the door, which schematically shows the cooling mechanism inside the door 6 including the ventilation port 20 shown in FIG. 6. Further, FIG. 7B is a side sectional view schematically showing another embodiment of the bottom surface cover portion 12.
Also in FIG. 7A, the display device 8 is removed and only the substrate 50 is shown. However, since the air that has flowed in from the vent 20 flows along the back surface of the display device 8 not shown in FIG. 6, not only the substrate 50 but also the display device 8 is cooled. Further, other electronic components arranged in the flow path of the air flowing in from the ventilation port 20 are also cooled. Next, with reference to FIG. 7A, a cooling mechanism inside the door 6 including the vent hole 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

In FIG. 7A, air flows from the outside of the door 6 into the inside of the first side cover part 10 through the plurality of ventilation holes 20 arranged on the lower side of the first side cover part 10. The case where air flows out from the inside of the door 6 to the outside through the plurality of vent holes 20 arranged on the upper side is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and conversely, air flows from the outside of the door 6 to the inside via the plurality of vent holes 20 arranged on the upper side of the first side surface cover unit 10, and In some cases, air may flow from the inside of the door 6 to the outside through the plurality of vent holes 20 arranged on the lower side of the side cover portion 10.

Two cooling fans 40 are arranged in the vicinity of the plurality of ventilation holes 20 arranged on the lower side of the first side surface cover portion 10, and the plurality of ventilation holes 20 arranged on the upper side of the first side surface cover portion 10. Two cooling fans 40 are arranged in the vicinity of. Due to the suction force of the cooling fan 40 on the lower side, the air outside the door 6 flows into the suction port of the cooling fan 40 through the vent hole 20 and the through hole 36 provided in the frame 32. The air discharged from the cooling fan 40 flows to the upper left side of the drawing along the straightening vane 34 and reaches the substrate 50 of the display device. The air removes heat generated from the substrate 50 when passing through the substrate 50 while changing the traveling direction to the opposite direction along the straightening vane 34. Similarly, since air flows on the back side of the display device 8, heat generated from the display device 8 can also be taken away.

The air that has passed through the substrate 50 flows to the upper right side of the drawing along the current plate 34 by the suction force of the cooling fan 40 on the upper side, and flows into the suction port of the cooling fan 40. The air discharged from the cooling fan 40 flows out of the door 6 through the through hole 36 of the frame 32 and the ventilation port 20. Thereby, the heat taken from the substrate 50 of the display device and the display device 8 can be released to the outside. Since the air having a sufficiently low temperature constantly flows into the interior of the door 6 from the vent hole 20 on the lower side of the first side cover portion 10, the above-described cooling cycle is repeated, so that the door 6 has a large display device. Even when the display device 8 is provided, the display device 8 and the substrate 50 thereof can be sufficiently cooled.

In the present embodiment, the cooling fan 40 is arranged in the vicinity of both the vent holes 20 arranged on the upper side and the lower side of the first side surface cover unit 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the upper side and the lower side. There may be a case where the cooling fan 40 is arranged on only one side. In the present embodiment, the two cooling fans 40 are arranged on the upper side and the lower side, respectively, but one cooling fan 40 may be arranged on each side, and three or more cooling fans 40 are arranged on each side. In some cases,

In either case, since the ventilation port 20 is provided on each of the suction side and the discharge side of the cooling fan 40, the heat from the display device 8 and its substrate 50 is effectively radiated, and liquid, dust, etc. Can be surely prevented from entering the inside of the door.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the bottom cover portion 12 is provided with a plurality of openings 30. Since the bottom surface cover portion 12 is open downward, it is not necessary to provide the storage portion 24 like the first side surface cover portion. Due to the suction force and the discharge force of the cooling fan 40, the air flows inside and outside the door 6 through the plurality of openings 30. In FIG. 7A, it is described that the air flows into the inside of the door 6 through the opening 30, but the air may flow out of the door 6 depending on the atmospheric pressure inside the door 6. obtain.
As described above, since air can flow inside and outside the door 6 through the opening 30 of the bottom cover 12 in addition to the vent 20 of the first side cover 10 of the door 6, the display device 8 and The heat from the substrate 50 can be radiated more effectively.

However, the opening 30 provided in the bottom cover portion 12 is not limited to the case shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 7B, it is possible to use the ventilation port 20 having the liquid storage portion 24 similar to the case of the first side surface cover portion 10.

In the above-described embodiment, the plurality of ventilation holes 20 are provided in the first side surface cover portion 10, but the number is not limited to this. A plurality of vent holes 20 may be provided in the second side cover portion 14 on the handle side. Further, a plurality of vent holes 20 are provided in both the first side cover part 10 and the second side cover part 14, and air is taken into the inside of the door 6 from one side cover part and the other side cover part is provided. Air can also be expelled from the section.
Further, instead of the plurality of vent holes 20, for example, one horizontally long vent hole 20 extending in the horizontal direction may be employed.

(Explanation of Vents According to Other Embodiments of the Present Invention)
8 and 9 are side sectional views schematically showing the structure of the vent hole 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention. First, the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 will be described.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the storage portion 24 of the ventilation port 20 is configured not by a flat surface such as the lower surface portion and the side surface portion but by a surface portion 28 that is substantially a curved surface. In FIG. 8A, the upper end of the first opening 22 is higher than the upper end of the reservoir 24. Therefore, similarly to the vent hole 20 shown in FIG. 6, in the upper region of the first opening 22 where the storage portion 24 does not exist, the air flows horizontally and can flow inside and outside the door 6, which is efficient. Achieve a smooth air flow. Further, when the first side surface cover portion 10w is manufactured by resin molding, it can be molded relatively easily.

In FIG. 8B, the upper end of the storage portion 24 and the upper end of the first opening portion 22 have the same height. In FIG. 8C, the upper end of the first opening portion 22 is lower than the upper end of the storage portion 24. In the area above the first opening 22, air cannot flow horizontally into the interior of the door 6, but it is more effective to prevent liquid, dust, etc. from entering the interior of the door 6. Can be prevented.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the front plate member 10a in which the first openings 22 are arranged at a predetermined pitch and the back plate member 10b in which the second openings 26 are arranged at a predetermined pitch are provided. They are arranged so as to face each other. In addition, the pitch of the first openings 22 and the pitch of the second openings 26 are offset from each other, and they are arranged in a so-called staggered manner.
A lower surface portion 28a extends in a substantially horizontal direction from the lower end of the first opening 22 of the front plate member 10a and is connected to the rear plate member 10b. As a result, the portion of the rear plate member 10b where the second opening 26 is not provided is the side surface portion 28b extending substantially vertically upward from the lower surface portion 28a. In the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the storage portion 24 having a large capacity with a simple structure.

In the vent hole 20 according to any of the above-described embodiments, the storage portion 24 has the surface portion 28 that covers the region from the lower end of the first opening portion 22 to the predetermined height. With proper selection, ventilation inside and outside the door 6 can be realized, and liquid, dust, and the like can be reliably prevented from entering the inside of the door 6.

Although the embodiments and modes of the present invention have been described, the disclosure may change in details of the configuration, and combinations of elements in the embodiments and modes, changes in order, etc. are claimed. It can be realized without departing from the scope and the idea of.

2 Refrigerator 4 Housing 6 Door 6a Inner panel 6b Middle plate 8 Display 10 First side cover 10a Front side plate 10b Rear side plate 12 Bottom cover 14 Second side cover 16 Top cover 20 Ventilation Port 22 First opening 24 Reservoir 26 Second opening 28 Surface 28a Lower surface 28b Side 30 Opening 32 Frame 34 Rectifier 36 Through hole 38 Hinge hole 40 Cooling fan 50 Substrate 60 Droplet

Claims (5)

A housing,
A door that is attached to the housing so that it can be opened and closed,
A display device installed on the door,
A vent provided in the side cover portion of the door,
Equipped with
The liquid have a reservoir capable of storing the lower side of the vent,
A refrigerator comprising a cooling fan inside the door, and the ventilation port is provided on each of a suction side and a discharge side of the cooling fan . The vent is
A first opening provided on the outer surface of the side cover;
A second opening provided above the reservoir,
Further having
The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is capable of storing a predetermined amount of liquid that has flowed in from the first opening. The storage portion has a surface portion that extends from the first opening to the inside of the door and covers an area from a lower end of the first opening to a predetermined height, and the storage portion is provided in an upper area where the surface portion does not exist. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein a second opening is formed. Inside the door,
A substrate for controlling the display device,
A current plate arranged to connect between the cooling fan and the substrate,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bottom cover portion of the door has an opening through which gas can flow between the inside and the outside of the door.