JP6877529B2 - How to make refrigerators and refrigerator doors - Google Patents

Description

One aspect of the present invention relates to a refrigerator having an electronic component such as a camera and a display panel on the door. Further, one aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a refrigerator door including electronic parts.

In recent years, with the miniaturization of electronic components, it has become technically possible to install electronic components having a wiring board such as a display panel and an operation panel in a refrigerator. In addition, with the progress of information and communication technology, there is an increasing demand for connecting home appliances such as refrigerators to the Internet.

In response to this trend, attempts have been made to install electronic components such as display panels, operation panels, and cameras on the doors of refrigerators. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator having an operation unit and a substrate connected to the operation unit on the inner plate of the refrigerator door. Specifically, the refrigerator of Patent Document 1 is provided with a heat insulating portion between the outer plate and the inner plate, and is provided with a door for opening and closing a box body whose front surface is open. Further, it includes a substrate storage member having an operation portion exposed on the inner plate surface side of the door and a substrate portion connected to the operation portion, and a partition member for partitioning between the substrate storage member and the heat insulating portion. ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-46771

By the way, inside the refrigerator door, there is a heat insulating layer formed of a foamed heat insulating material such as polyurethane foam (also referred to as rigid urethane foam) in order to maintain the heat insulating performance inside the refrigerator. That is, the refrigerator door is mainly composed of an outer plate (also referred to as a front side member) constituting the outer shape of the door, an inner plate (also referred to as a back side member), and the above-mentioned heat insulating layer existing between them. Has been done.

When manufacturing a door having such a structure, a material for a heat insulating layer (for example, a mixture of a monomer agent which is a raw material of polyurethane and a foaming agent) is usually placed on either an outer plate or an inner plate. Immediately after placement, cover the other of the outer and inner plates from above. As a result, a closed space is formed between the outer plate and the inner plate. Then, in this closed space, the formation reaction of polyurethane foam proceeds, and a heat insulating layer is formed.

However, with the door structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to manufacture the door by using the manufacturing method as described above. That is, it is technically very difficult to cover the outer plate on which the material of the heat insulating layer is placed with the inner plate in which the substrate accommodating member having the operation portion and the substrate portion is installed.

Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, we propose a structure in which electronic components can be more easily attached to the back surface member of the refrigerator door. Further, another aspect of the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a refrigerator door into which an electronic component can be installed on a back surface member.

The refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention includes a door and electronic components installed on the door. In this refrigerator, the door includes a front side member, a back side member arranged to face the front side member, and a heat insulating layer arranged between the front side member and the back side member. .. On the front side member side, a connector protection member having a space for arranging a connector connected to the electronic component is provided. Further, on the back side member side, an electronic component installation portion to which the electronic component is attached is provided. Then, the electronic component installation unit communicates with the space of the connector protection member, and the electronic component can be connected to the connector from the electronic component installation unit.

In the refrigerator of one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the connector protective member is formed of a second heat insulating material different from the heat insulating material contained in the heat insulating layer.

In the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention, the heat insulating layer may be formed on the front surface side member, and the connector protective member may be arranged on the heat insulating layer.

In the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention, a second space for arranging the connector of the electronic component is formed together with the connector protection member in the electronic component installation portion on the back surface side member side. A connector protection member may be provided.

In the refrigerator of one aspect of the present invention, the back surface side member may be provided with a protrusion, and the electronic component installation portion may be arranged on the protrusion.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a refrigerator door including electronic components. This manufacturing method includes a step of arranging a front side member having a connector protection member and a back side member having an electronic component installation portion facing each other, and a foaming heat insulating material between the front side member and the back side member. It includes at least a step of foaming a raw material to form a heat insulating layer and a step of attaching the electronic component to the electronic component installation portion. The connector protection member is formed with a space for arranging a connector connected to the electronic component. Then, in the step of arranging the front side member and the back side member so as to face each other, the front side member and the back side member are overlapped with each other so that the space formed in the connector protection member and the electronic component installation portion overlap. And place.

As described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, the electronic component can be more easily attached to the back surface member of the refrigerator door.

It is a front view which shows the appearance of the refrigerator which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the structure of the back side of the right refrigerating room door provided in the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the back side of the front member which constitutes the refrigerating room door shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the front side of the front member of the refrigerating room door shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the front side of the door back which constitutes the refrigerating room door shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the door back of the refrigerating room door shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the front side of the refrigerating room door shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a part of the refrigerating room door shown in FIG. This figure is a cross-sectional view of the AA line portion of the refrigerator compartment door shown in FIG. (A) and (b) are perspective views which show the structure of the door back in the process of manufacturing a refrigerating room door. (A) and (b) are perspective views which show the structure of the front member of the stage in the process of manufacturing a refrigerating room door. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a part of the right refrigerating room door provided in the refrigerator which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. This figure is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the refrigerator compartment door shown in FIG. 2 corresponding to the portion along the line AA. It is a side view which shows the right side refrigerating room door of the refrigerator which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. This figure shows a state in which the camera mounting structure 135 is removed. It is a side view which shows the right side refrigerating room door of the refrigerator which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. This figure shows a state in which the camera mounting structure 135 is mounted. It is a top view which shows the structure of the back side of the right refrigerating room door provided in the refrigerator which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the right refrigerating room door provided in the refrigerator which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are the same. Therefore, the detailed description of them will not be repeated.

[First Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, as the refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator having a camera and a display panel on the refrigerator door will be described as an example.

<Overall configuration of refrigerator>
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. The refrigerator 1 has a first refrigerating room in the upper stage, a freezing room in the middle stage, and a second refrigerating room (vegetable room) in the lower stage.

The configuration and arrangement of each storage room in the refrigerator 1 is not limited to the above. The configuration and arrangement of each storage room can be appropriately changed according to the capacity and use of the refrigerator.

Further, in the first refrigerating room in the upper stage, a double door (French door) type refrigerating room door 11 (right side refrigerating room door) and 12 (left side refrigerating room door) are provided. In the present embodiment, the refrigerating room door 11 on the right side is larger than the refrigerating room door 12 on the left side. A drawer-type freezing room door 13 is provided in the freezing room in the middle stage. A drawer-type refrigerator compartment door 14 is provided in the lower second refrigerator compartment.

The configuration of each door in the refrigerator 1 is not limited to the above. Depending on the structure, use, position, etc. of each storage room, the door of each storage room may be, for example, a double door method, a method of opening and closing from either the left or right end, a method of opening and closing from both the left and right sides, a drawer method, etc. It can be adopted as appropriate.

In the present embodiment, the surface provided with the door is the front surface (front surface) of the refrigerator. Then, with reference to the front surface, each surface of the refrigerator 1 is defined as an upper surface, a side surface, a back surface, and a bottom surface based on the positions existing when the refrigerator 1 is installed in a normal state. Therefore, when the term "front side" or "back side" is defined in the present specification, the front side or the back side is provided with reference to an arbitrary position, or the front side or the back side is directed from an arbitrary position. It means the direction. Further, in the present specification, the direction from the front surface to the back surface of the refrigerator 1 and the direction from the back surface to the front surface of the refrigerator 1 are referred to as a front-rear direction. Further, in the present specification, the direction from one side surface of the refrigerator 1 to the other side surface is referred to as a left-right direction. Further, in the present specification, as a general rule, the "right side" of the refrigerator or the refrigerator compartment door means the side corresponding to the right side when viewed from the front of the refrigerator, and the "left side" of the refrigerator or the refrigerator compartment door means. It means the side that hits the left side when viewed from the front of the refrigerator.

A display panel 50 is installed on the refrigerating room door (door or refrigerator door) 11 on the right side. The display panel 50 is an example of electronic components provided in the refrigerator compartment door 11. The display panel 50 is arranged at the central portion of the refrigerator compartment door 11 in the vertical direction. The display panel 50 can be composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The display panel 50 can also be removable. In this case, the removed display panel 50 can be used as a tablet terminal.

A small camera 70 is provided in the refrigerator compartment door 11 on the right side (see FIG. 2). The small camera 70 is also an example of electronic components provided in the refrigerator compartment door 11. The small camera 70 is for taking a picture of the refrigerating room. Therefore, the small camera 70 is installed on the back side (that is, the door back 31) of the refrigerator compartment door 11. The number of the small cameras 70 may be one or a plurality.

The display panel 50 can display refrigerator operation information, refrigerator control information, in-house inventory information, calendar information, recipe information, message information, and the like. In addition, the display panel 50 can also display an image in the refrigerator taken by the small camera 70. Further, when the display panel 50 is connected to the Internet, it is possible to display information on various homepages obtained via the Internet. Further, by providing an input device such as a touch sensor on the display surface or edge of the display panel, it is possible to perform an input operation according to the display content from the display panel 50.

In another aspect of the present invention, the refrigerator compartment door may be provided with only a small camera and not with a display panel. In this case, the video data in the refrigerator taken by the small camera is transmitted from the transmission unit in the refrigerator to a tablet terminal or the like at a remote position. As a result, the image in the refrigerator taken by the small camera can be displayed on the tablet terminal.

<Composition of refrigerator door>
Subsequently, a more specific configuration of the refrigerator compartment door 11 provided in the refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 11. 3 and 4 show the configuration of the front member (front side member) 41 constituting the refrigerator compartment door 11. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the front member 41 on the back surface (back surface) side. Further, FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the front member 41 on the front (front) side. 5 and 6 show the configuration of the door back (rear side member) 31 constituting the refrigerator compartment door 11. 5 and 6 show the configuration of the front side (the side facing the front member 41) of the door back 31. FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the front side of the refrigerator compartment door 11 with the display panel 50 removed. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional configuration of the refrigerating chamber door 11 on the open end side (the end opposite to the end on which the hinge is provided). The refrigerator compartment door 11 is opened and closed from the open end side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 11 is formed by a door back 31. The door back 31 is formed of, for example, a resin plate-shaped member. A plurality of storage pockets 61, 62, and 63 are attached to the door back 31 so as to extend the back surface of the refrigerator compartment door 11 in the left-right direction. Further, on the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 11, a protruding wall (projection portion) 32 is formed along the outer circumference of the door. The protruding wall 32 is also called a bank, a flange, or the like.

A center cap 21 is attached to the open end of the refrigerator compartment door 11. A heat radiating pipe for preventing dew condensation may be arranged inside the center cap 21. Further, a side cap 23 is attached to the right end portion (the end portion on the opposite side of the open end portion) of the refrigerator compartment door 11. A hinge portion 22 is provided inside the side cap 23 (see FIG. 3).

Further, three small cameras 70 (70a, 70b, 70c) are provided at the tip of the protruding wall 32 at the open end of the refrigerator compartment door 11. The small camera 70 is composed of, for example, a CCD camera or the like. Of the three small cameras 70, the uppermost small camera 70a is located above the storage pocket 61, and the central small camera 70b is located between the storage pocket 61 and the storage pocket 62, and is the lowest. The small camera 70c is located between the storage pocket 62 and the storage pocket 63. By providing a plurality of small cameras 70 arranged at different heights in this way, it is possible to reduce blind spots in the refrigerating room that cannot be photographed.

Subsequently, each component member constituting the refrigerator compartment door 11 will be described. The refrigerator compartment door 11 includes a front member 41, a door back 31, and a heat insulating layer 44 (see FIG. 8) as main constituent members. The front member 41 is located on the front side of the refrigerator compartment door 11 and constitutes the front surface of the refrigerator compartment door 11. The door back 31 is arranged to face the front member 41 and constitutes the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 11. The door back 31 is fitted into the back surface of the front member 41, and the side surface portion is covered with the center cap 21 and the side cap 23, whereby the outer shape of the refrigerator compartment door 11 is formed. Further, the heat insulating layer 44 is arranged between the front member 41 and the door back 31.

The heat insulating layer 44 is composed of, for example, a vacuum heat insulating material and a foam heat insulating material. The vacuum heat insulating material is a sheet-shaped or plate-shaped heat insulating material. The foamed heat insulating material includes, for example, polyurethane foam (also referred to as rigid urethane foam).

The vacuum heat insulating material is partially arranged inside the refrigerator housing and each door. The vacuum heat insulating material is formed by covering a core material having fine voids such as glass wool or silica powder with an outer cover material (bag-like body, for example, a laminated film) having a gas barrier property, and sealing the inside of the outer cover material under reduced pressure. Ru. The vacuum heat insulating material can realize a high heat insulating effect by keeping the internal space in a high vacuum and reducing the amount of heat transmitted through the gas phase as much as possible. As the material constituting the vacuum heat insulating material, conventionally known materials can be used.

Therefore, it is desirable to arrange the vacuum heat insulating material in a place where particularly high heat insulating property is required in the refrigerator. For example, in the refrigerator 1, it is preferable to arrange the vacuum heat insulating material at a position facing the display panel 50 in the refrigerator compartment door 11. As a result, the heat generated from the display panel 50 can be more reliably blocked, and the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator compartment door 11 can be improved.

Polyurethane foam is the main constituent material of the heat insulating layer 44. Polyurethane foam is a uniform resin foam obtained by mixing a catalyst, a foaming agent, a foaming agent, and the like with two types of main raw materials and simultaneously causing a foaming reaction and a resinification reaction. After completion of the reaction, the foamed polyurethane has hardness.

As shown in FIG. 4, the front side of the front member 41 is composed of a glass panel installation surface 42a, a display panel installation portion 42c, and a glass panel installation surface 42b in this order from above. Glass panels are attached to the glass panel installation surfaces 42a and 42b. Further, the display panel installation portion 42c located at the central portion is formed at a position recessed from the glass panel installation surfaces 42a and 42b. A display panel 50 is attached to the display panel installation unit 42c.

Further, harnesses 74 and 75 pass through the display panel installation portion 42c. More specifically, the harnesses 74 and 75 pass through the space between the display panel 50 and the display panel installation portion 42c. The harness 74 is a set of wirings for connecting the control unit and the power supply unit or the display panel 50 provided in the main body of the refrigerator 1 to each of the small cameras 70. The harness 75 is a set of wirings for connecting the control unit and the power supply unit provided in the main body of the refrigerator 1 to the display panel 50 or the small camera 70. FIG. 4 illustrates a part of the harness 75.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, on the back side of the front member 41, the harness 74 extends along the open end portion (center cap 21 side). The harness 74 extends from the display panel installation portion 42c toward the installation portions of the small cameras 70a, 70b, and 70c. As shown in FIG. 3, a connector 72 is attached to the tip of each harness 74. The connector 72 is connected to the wiring 71 (see FIG. 8) on the small camera 70 side. As a result, power can be supplied to the small camera 70 and the like. Further, the data of the image taken by the small camera 70 can be transmitted to the control board of the display panel 50.

Further, on the back side of the front member 41, the connector protection member 43 is arranged at a place where each connector is arranged. In the example shown in FIG. 3, four connector protection members 43 are arranged along the open end portion (center cap 21 side). However, the number of connector protection members 43 is not limited to four. The number of connector protection members 43 may be determined according to the number of connectors.

The connector protection member 43 is provided with a space P in which the tip end portion of the harness 74 including the connector 72 is housed. The space P is obtained by forming a recess on the surface of the connector protection member 43. As will be described later, in the state where the refrigerator compartment door 11 is assembled, the connector 72 is surrounded by the connector protection member 43 and the second connector protection member 33 (electronic component installation portion) provided on the door back 31 side. Is covered (see FIG. 8). That is, the foamed polyurethane cannot enter the region where the connector 72 is arranged.

The connector protection member 43 is preferably formed of a heat insulating material in order to maintain the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator door 11. Further, it is preferable to form the space P with a material softer than the foamed polyurethane which is a main component of the heat insulating layer 44 so that the space P can be easily formed. In the present embodiment, the connector protection member 43 is made of Styrofoam (second heat insulating material).

Styrofoam is made of polystyrene containing bubbles. Styrofoam is softer than polyurethane foam, so it can be easily molded into a desired shape. Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, Styrofoam is suitably used as a material for the connector protection member 43 and the second connector protection member 33.

Subsequently, the door back 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. Note that FIGS. 5 and 6 show a part of the configuration of the front side (the side facing the front member 41) of the door back 31. Specifically, FIGS. 5 and 6 show a detailed configuration of the open end side 31a (center cap 21 side) on which the harness 74 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 5, the left end of the door back 31 is 31a, and the right end of the door back 31 is 31b. The left end 31a corresponds to an open end to which the center cap 21 is attached. In the present embodiment, a plurality of second connector protection members 33 are arranged along the left end portion 31a of the door back 31.

The second connector protection member 33 is arranged at a position corresponding to the connector protection member 43 of the front member 41, respectively. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 5, four second connector protection members 33 are arranged along the open end portion (center cap 21 side) corresponding to the connector protection member 43 on the front member 41 side. .. However, the number of the second connector protection members 33 is not limited to four, and can be appropriately determined according to the number of connectors.

A space P is provided in the second connector protection member 33. The space P is obtained by forming a recess on the surface of the second connector protection member 33. In the assembled state of the refrigerator compartment door 11, the space P formed in the second connector protection member 33 communicates with the space P formed in the front member 41 described above. Then, the tip portion of the harness 74 including the connector 72 is housed in this space P. Further, in the state where the small camera 70 is attached, the wiring 71 on the small camera 70 side connected via the connector 72 is also arranged in the space P.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, each of the second connector protection members 33 is arranged along the arrangement position of the protruding wall 32. This is because the small camera 70, which corresponds to an electronic component, is installed at the tip of the protruding wall 32. Therefore, the space P formed in the second connector protection member 33 penetrates the inside of the protruding wall 32. The space P formed in the second connector protection member 33 corresponds to an electronic component installation portion on which electronic components are mounted.

The second connector protection member 33 is preferably formed of a heat insulating material in order to maintain the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator door 11. Further, it is preferable to form the space P with a material softer than the foamed polyurethane which is a main component of the heat insulating layer 44 so that the space P can be easily formed. In the present embodiment, the second connector protection member 33 is made of styrofoam (second heat insulating material) like the connector protection member 43.

With the heat insulating layer 44 inside, the above-mentioned front member 41 and the door back 31 are arranged to face each other to form the refrigerator compartment door 11 as shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 shows the internal configuration of the protruding wall 32 on which the small camera 70 is installed. When the front member 41 and the door back 31 are arranged to face each other and the refrigerator compartment door 11 is assembled, the connector protection member 43 and the second connector protection member 33 are overlapped in the front-rear direction. Then, the spaces P formed in the protective members 43 and 33 communicate with each other to form one space P. In this space P, a wiring 71, a connector 72, and a harness 74 that are electrically connected to the small camera 70 are arranged.

<About the manufacturing method of the refrigerator door>
Subsequently, a method for manufacturing the refrigerator compartment door 11 according to one aspect of the present invention will be described. As described above, the refrigerator compartment door 11 includes electronic components such as a small camera 70. Such a method of manufacturing the refrigerating room door 11 is a step of arranging a front member 41 having a connector protection member 43 and a door back 31 having an electronic component installation portion facing each other, and between the front member 41 and the door back 31. It includes at least a step of foaming a raw material of a foamable heat insulating material to form a heat insulating layer and a step of attaching an electronic component to an electronic component installation portion formed on the door back 31 side.

In the above manufacturing method, the connector protection member 43 is formed with a space P for arranging the connector 72 and the wiring 71 connected to the electronic component. Then, in the step of arranging the front member 41 and the door back 31 so as to face each other, the front member 41 and the door back 31 are arranged so that the space formed in the connector protection member 43 and the electronic component installation portion overlap in the front-rear direction. To do.

Hereinafter, a more specific manufacturing method will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. 9 (a) and 9 (b) show a part of the door back 31 before assembly. The area of the door back 31 shown in these figures corresponds to the area within the broken line frame shown in FIG. 10 (a) and 10 (b) show a part of the front member 41 before assembly. The region of the front member 41 shown in these figures corresponds to the region within the broken line frame shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the door back 31 is provided with second connector protective members 33a and 33b. Further, a space P1 is formed in the second connector protection member 33a, and a space P2 is formed in the second connector protection member 33b.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the front member 41 is provided with connector protection members 43a and 43b. Further, a space P1 is formed in the connector protection member 43a, and a space P2 is formed in the connector protection member 43b. The space P1 and the space P2 accommodate the tip portion of the harness 74 having the connector 72.

Then, before the step of arranging the front member 41 and the door back 31 so as to face each other, as shown in FIG. 9B, the surfaces of the second connector protection members 33a and 33b are covered so as to cover the space P1 and the space P2. The sheet member 81 is attached to the door. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 10B, the sheet member 82 is attached to the surfaces of the connector protection members 43a and 43b so as to cover the space P1 and the space P2. The sheet members 81 and 82 are, for example, adhesive tapes and the like.

Subsequently, the raw material of polyurethane foam is added to either the front member 41 or the door back 31. Here, the raw material of polyurethane foam is a mixture of two main raw materials, a catalyst, a foaming agent, a foaming agent, and the like.

After that, the front member 41 and the door back 31 are arranged to face each other. Here, the space P1 of the connector protection member 43a and the space P1 of the second connector protection member 33a face each other, and the space P2 of the connector protection member 43b and the space P2 of the second connector protection member 33b The front member 41 and the door back 31 are arranged so as to face each other.

During this time, the raw material of the foamed polyurethane existing between the front member 41 and the door back 31 causes a foaming reaction and a resinification reaction at the same time to form a hard foamed polyurethane which is a resin foam. As a result, the heat insulating layer 44 is formed.

During the formation reaction of polyurethane foam, each space P1 and P2 is covered with a sheet member 81 or 82. Therefore, even when the space P on the connector protection member 43 side and the space P on the second connector protection member 33 side are arranged slightly offset or a slight gap is formed, the polyurethane foam is contained in the space P. Can be more reliably suppressed from entering.

After that, the small camera 70 is installed at the tip of the protruding wall 32 of the door back 31. Specifically, a part of the portion (that is, the electronic component installation portion) where the space P of the door back 31 is formed is cut out. Then, the formed notch portion enters the space P and breaks the sheet members 81 and 82. As a result, the connector 72 housed in the space P on the connector protection member 43 side can be pulled out. Further, the wiring 71 of the small camera 70 is passed through the notch formed in the door back 31. Then, by connecting the wiring 71 to the connector 72, the attachment of the small camera 70 is completed (see FIG. 8).

The cutout portion may be formed in advance in the door back 31, or the installation location of the electronic component to be installed in the door back 31 may be used as the cutout portion. In such a case, the connector protective member 33 surrounds the notch so that the polyurethane foam does not penetrate into the notch. Alternatively, a sealing member such as an adhesive tape is attached to the notch so that the polyurethane foam does not leak out of the door back 31, and then polyurethane foam is generated to form the heat insulating layer 44.

(Summary)
According to the configuration according to the present embodiment, the connector 72 can be arranged in the space P formed in the connector protection member 43. Therefore, when the refrigerating chamber door 11 is manufactured, the connector 72 can be protected so as not to come into contact with polyurethane foam, which is a main component of the heat insulating layer 44. That is, it is possible to prevent the connector 72 from being eroded by the foamed polyurethane that foams and expands during the production of the refrigerating chamber door 11 and buried in the foamed polyurethane.

Further, the door back 31 of the refrigerator compartment door 11 is provided with an electronic component installation portion to which an electronic component such as a camera is attached, and this electronic component installation portion communicates with the space P of the connector protection member 43. .. Therefore, after the assembly of the refrigerator compartment door 11 is completed, the electronic component can be connected to the connector 72 from the electronic component installation portion of the door back 31. As a result, the electronic components can be easily installed on the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 11.

Further, in the refrigerator compartment door 11 according to the present embodiment, the connector protection member 43 is formed of a second heat insulating material (for example, Styrofoam) different from the foamed polyurethane. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the heat insulating performance of the refrigerating room door 11.

Further, in the refrigerator compartment door 11 according to the present embodiment, a second connector protection member 33 is provided at the electronic component installation portion of the door back 31. The second connector protection member 33 forms a space P for arranging the connector 72 together with the connector protection member 43. As a result, a larger space for arranging the connector 72 can be secured. Further, by bringing the surface of the connector protection member 43 into contact with the surface of the second connector protection member 33, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the polyurethane foam enters the space P in which the connector 72 or the like is accommodated.

[Second Embodiment]
Subsequently, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the mounting structure of the electronic component is different from that of the first embodiment. As for other configurations, basically the same configurations as in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in the following, the mounting structure of the electronic component will be mainly described.

FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional configuration of the refrigerator compartment door 111 of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment. Further, FIGS. 12 and 13 show the left side surface (the side surface on the open end side) of the refrigerator compartment door 111. The refrigerator compartment door 11 includes a front member 141, a door back 131, and a heat insulating layer 44 as main constituent members. As the front member 141, the same configuration as that of the front member 41 of the first embodiment can be applied. Further, the heat insulating layer 44 can have the same configuration as that of the heat insulating layer 44 of the first embodiment.

The door back 131 has substantially the same configuration as the door back 31 of the first embodiment. However, the door back 131 is formed with a recess 132 on the open end side (that is, the side on which the center cap 21 is provided). As shown in FIG. 12, the recess 132 is formed so as to cut out a part of the protruding wall 32. In the present embodiment, the camera mounting structure 135 (electronic component) is mounted in the recess 132 (see FIG. 13). That is, the recess 132 of the door back 131 corresponds to the electronic component installation portion.

Further, on the back side of the front member 141, the connector protection member 143 is arranged at a place where each connector is arranged. Similar to the first embodiment, a plurality of connector protection members 143 are arranged along the open end portion (center cap 21 side).

Similar to the first embodiment, the connector protection member 143 is provided with a space P in which the tip end portion of the harness 74 including the connector 72 is housed. The space P is obtained by forming a recess on the surface of the connector protection member 143. Similar to the first embodiment, the connector protection member 143 is made of Styrofoam (second heat insulating material).

In the first embodiment, the second connector protection member 33 is provided at a position corresponding to the connector protection member 43 on the door back 31 side. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the door back 131 is not provided with the connector protection member. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the connector protection member 143 is formed so as to be in contact with the door back 131.

Then, the front member 141 and the door back 131 are arranged to face each other so that the recess 132 of the door back 31 is located at a position corresponding to the space P formed in the connector protection member 143. An opening is provided in the recess 132, and the opening faces the space P formed in the connector protection member 143. A sheet member is attached to the surface of the connector protection member 143 so as to cover the space P, as in the first embodiment. A sheet member may also be attached to the opening of the recess 132.

After arranging the front member 141 and the door back 131 in this way, the heat insulating layer 44 is formed by injecting a raw material of polyurethane foam between the front member 141 and the door back 131 to form a hard polyurethane foam. The door.

On the other hand, the camera mounting structure 135 is formed separately from the refrigerator compartment door 111. The camera mounting structure 135 includes a small camera 70, wiring 71, a second connector protection member 133, a mounting portion 136, and the like. The same configuration as that of the first embodiment can be applied to the small camera 70 and the wiring 71.

The mounting portion 136 forms the outer shape of the camera mounting structure 135. The mounting portion 136 can be formed of, for example, the same resin material as the material of the door back 131. The mounting portion 136 is arranged so as to project rearward from the surface of the door back 131. The mounting portion 136 has a substantially tubular shape having substantially the same shape as the cross section of the protruding wall 32, and a cavity is formed inside. Then, the small camera 70 is attached to one end (tip) of the attachment portion 136. Further, the other end of the mounting portion 136 is connected to the door back 131.

A second connector protection member 133 is arranged inside the mounting portion 136. The second connector protection member 133 is arranged so as to occupy a part of the internal space of the mounting portion 136 having a substantially tubular shape. The second connector protection member 133, like the connector protection member 143, is made of a heat insulating material such as Styrofoam. In the present embodiment, the second connector protection member 133 is arranged at a position corresponding to the outside of the refrigerator 1.

Further, inside the mounting portion 136, a space P is formed in a region not occupied by the second connector protection member 133. Wiring 71 connected to the small camera 70 is arranged in the space P. As shown in FIG. 11, with the camera mounting structure 135 mounted on the door back 131, the space P inside the mounting portion 136 is the space P formed in the connector protection member 143 on the refrigerator compartment door 111 side. Positioned so that they overlap at least partially in front view. As a result, the space P of the connector protection member 143 and the space P of the second connector protection member 133 form a space for arranging the connector 72, the wiring 71, and the harness 74 of the small camera 70.

The camera mounting structure 135 is mounted on the refrigerator door 111 after the refrigerator door 111 is formed. When the camera mounting structure 135 is mounted in the recess 132 of the door back 131, the tips of the connector 72 and the harness 74 housed in the space P in the connector protection member 143 are taken out from the opening formed in the recess 132. At this time, if the sheet member is attached to the connector protection member 143 or the opening, the sheet member is broken and the tips of the connector 72 and the harness 74 are pulled out. After that, the wiring 71 is connected to the connector 72, and the mounting portion 136 is fixed on the door back 131.

As described above, according to the configuration according to the second embodiment, the small camera 70 can be installed on the back surface of the refrigerator compartment door 111 by attaching the camera mounting structure 135 to the recess 132 of the door back 131. As a result, the electronic component can be more easily attached to the door back 131 of the refrigerator compartment door 111. Further, since the camera mounting structure 135 is formed separately from the refrigerator compartment door 111, it can be easily attached to and detached from the refrigerator compartment door 111 even when the small camera 70 is replaced due to a failure or upgrade. Can be done.

[Third Embodiment]
Subsequently, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, the mounting position of the electronic component is different from that in the first embodiment. As for other configurations, basically the same configurations as in the first embodiment can be applied. Therefore, in the following, the mounting structure of the electronic component will be mainly described.

FIG. 14 shows the configuration on the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 211 of the refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional configuration of the refrigerator compartment door 211 of the refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment. The refrigerator compartment door 211 includes a front member 241, a door back 231 and a heat insulating layer 44 as main constituent members. The front member 241 can be configured in the same manner as the front member 41 of the first embodiment. Further, the heat insulating layer 44 can have the same configuration as that of the heat insulating layer 44 of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 14, the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 211 is formed by a door back 231. A plurality of storage pockets 61, 62, and 63 are attached to the door back 231 so as to extend the back surface of the refrigerator compartment door 11 in the left-right direction. Further, on the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 211, a protruding wall 232 is formed along the outer circumference of the door. The same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied to the storage pockets 61, 62, 63 and the protruding wall 232.

In the first embodiment, a small camera (electronic component) 70 is attached to the protruding wall 32 of the door back 31. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the small camera (electronic component) 270 is installed on the flat surface portion existing inside the protruding wall 232 of the door back 231. That is, the flat surface portion of the door back 231 corresponds to the electronic component installation portion. The number of the small cameras 270 may be one or a plurality. In the example shown in FIG. 14, two small cameras 270 are provided.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, a connector protection member 243 is arranged between the front member 241 and the door back 231. The connector protection member 243 is provided at a position where the connector 272 connected to the wiring 271 of the small camera 270 is arranged.

Similar to the first embodiment, the connector protection member 243 is provided with a space P in which the tip end portion of the harness 274 including the connector 272 is housed. The space P is obtained by forming a recess on the surface of the connector protection member 143. Similar to the first embodiment, the connector protection member 243 is made of Styrofoam (second heat insulating material).

In the first embodiment, the second connector protection member 33 is provided at a position corresponding to the connector protection member 43 on the door back 31 side. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the door back 231 is not provided with the connector protection member. Therefore, the upper surface of the connector protection member 243 is arranged so as to come into contact with the door back 231.

As shown in FIG. 15, the connector protection member 243 is arranged so as to be separated from the front member 241 toward the back side by a predetermined distance. A heat insulating layer 44 made of foamed polyurethane is arranged between the connector protection member 243 and the front member 241. That is, the heat insulating layer 44 is formed on the front member 241 and the connector protection member 243 is arranged on the heat insulating layer 44.

In order to realize the above configuration, a height holding member 245 is provided between the front member 241 and the connector protection member 243. As a result, the connector protection member 243 can be arranged on the back surface of the front member 241 at a predetermined distance from the front member 241. A part of the heat insulating layer 44 may be used as the vacuum heat insulating material. In this case, at least a part of the height holding member 245 may be a vacuum heat insulating material.

When manufacturing the refrigerator compartment door 211, the front member 241 to which the connector protection member 243 is attached via the height holding member 245 and the door back 231 are arranged to face each other, and the front member 241 and the door back are arranged to face each other. The raw material of the foamable heat insulating material is foamed between the 231 and the heat insulating layer 44 to form the heat insulating layer 44. As a result, it is possible to obtain the refrigerator compartment door 211 in which the connector protection member 243 is arranged on the door back 231 side.

Further, the small camera 270 is attached to the door back 231 via the attachment portion 275. The mounting portion 275 can be formed of, for example, the same resin material as the material of the door back 231. The mounting portion 275 is arranged so as to project rearward from the surface of the door back 231. Then, the small camera 70 is attached to one end (the surface on the back side) of the attachment portion 275. Further, the other end of the mounting portion 275 is connected to the door back 231.

Further, a space P is formed inside the mounting portion 275. Wiring 271 connected to the small camera 270 is arranged in the space P. As shown in FIG. 15, with the mounting portion 275 attached to the door back 231, the space P inside the mounting portion 275 is the space P formed in the connector protection member 243 on the refrigerator compartment door 211 side and the front surface. Positioned so that they overlap in sight. As a result, the space P of the connector protection member 243 and the space P of the mounting portion 275 form a space P for arranging the connector 272, the wiring 271, and the harness 274 of the small camera 270.

When the attachment portion 275 is attached to the door back 231, an opening 231 a is formed in the door back 231. Then, the connector 272 accommodated in the space P in the connector protection member 243 is taken out from the opening 231a, and the wiring 271 is connected to the connector 272. After that, the mounting portion 275 is fixed on the door back 231.

As described above, according to the configuration according to the third embodiment, the electronic component such as the camera can be easily attached to the place other than the area where the protruding wall 232 of the door back 231 is formed. Further, according to the configuration according to the third embodiment, the heat insulating layer 44 is arranged on the front member 241 and the connector protective member 243 is arranged on the heat insulating layer 44, and the connector 272 is provided on the door back 231 side. A space P for arranging can be formed. As a result, the heat insulating performance of the refrigerator door 211 can be maintained.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of claims rather than the above description, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims. In addition, a configuration obtained by combining the configurations of different embodiments described in the present specification with each other is also included in the scope of the present invention.

1: Refrigerator 11: Refrigerator door (door, refrigerator door)
21: Center cap 22: Hinge part 31: Door back (rear side member)
32: Protruding wall (protruding part)
33: Second connector protection member 41: Front member (front side member)
43: Connector protection member (second heat insulating material)
44: Insulation layer 50: Display panel 70: Small camera (electronic component)
71: Wiring 72: Connector 74: Harness 111: Refrigerator door 131: Door back (rear side member)
132: Recessed portion 133: Second connector protection member 135: Camera mounting structure 141: Front member (front side member)
143: Connector protection member (second heat insulating material)
211: Refrigerator door 231: Door back (rear side member)
232: Protruding wall 241: Front member (front member)
243: Connector protection member (second heat insulating material)
245: Height holding member 270: Small camera (electronic component)
275: Mounting part P: Space

Claims (6)

A refrigerator equipped with a door and electronic components installed on the door.
The door is
Front side member and
With the back side member arranged to face the front side member,
A heat insulating layer arranged between the front side member and the back side member is provided.
On the front side member side, a connector protection member having a space for arranging a connector connected to the electronic component is provided, and the connector protection member is provided.
An electronic component installation portion to which the electronic component is attached is provided on the back side member side.
The electronic component installation portion communicates with the space of the connector protection member, and communicates with the space.
The electronic component can be connected to the connector from the electronic component installation unit .
A recess forming the space for arranging the connector is provided on one surface of the connector protection member, and the electronic component is installed by opening a sheet member arranged so as to cover the recess. The portion communicates with the space of the connector protection member.
refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the connector protection member is formed of a second heat insulating material different from the heat insulating material contained in the heat insulating layer. The heat insulating layer is formed on the front surface member.
The connector protection member is arranged on the heat insulating layer.
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2. The electronic component installation portion on the back side member side is provided with a second connector protection member that forms the space for arranging the connector of the electronic component together with the connector protection member .
The second connector protective member is formed of a second heat insulating material different from the heat insulating material contained in the heat insulating layer, and has a surface facing the one surface of the connector protective member. ,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The back side member is provided with a protrusion.
The electronic component installation portion is arranged on the protrusion.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A method of manufacturing refrigerator doors equipped with electronic components.
A process of arranging a front side member having a connector protection member and a back side member having an electronic component installation portion so as to face each other.
A step of forming a heat insulating layer by foaming a raw material of a foamable heat insulating material between the front side member and the back side member.
At least including the step of attaching the electronic component to the electronic component installation portion,
The connector protection member is formed with a space for arranging a connector connected to the electronic component.
In the step of arranging the front side member and the back side member so as to face each other, the space formed in the connector protection member after the sheet member is attached to the connector protection member so as to close the space in which the connector is arranged. The front side member and the back side member are arranged so that the electronic component installation portion and the electronic component installation portion overlap with each other .
A method of opening the sheet member and pulling out the connector to the electronic component installation portion after the step of forming the heat insulating layer .

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