JP7018860B2 - Refrigerator and insulation divider - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a heat insulating partitioning device used therein.

As for the refrigerator, it has been proposed that the heat insulating partition device for partitioning the storage room is configured separately from the heat insulating box body (refrigerator body). Such a heat insulating partition device is configured by storing the vacuum heat insulating material in a case (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-173187

However, in a refrigerator as described in Patent Document 1, since the area of the heat insulating partition device is large, if ribs are formed on the inner surface of the case in order to increase the rigidity of the case, the ribs will be formed when the vacuum heat insulating material is stored in the case. Make point contact (or line contact) with the vacuum heat insulating material. As a result, there is a problem that the vacuum heat insulating material is easily damaged.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator and a heat insulating partition device capable of improving the rigidity of a case while protecting the vacuum heat insulating material.

The present invention includes a heat insulating partition device for partitioning into a plurality of storage chambers arranged one above the other, and the heat insulating partition device includes a vacuum heat insulating material and a case for storing the vacuum heat insulating material. It is characterized in that ribs for suppressing dew condensation are formed on the outer surface facing the vacuum heat insulating material and serving as the ceiling surface of the storage chamber . Other solutions will be described later in the form for carrying out the invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator and a heat insulating partition device capable of improving the rigidity of the case while protecting the vacuum heat insulating material.

It is an external perspective view which shows the refrigerator which concerns on this embodiment. It is a vertical sectional view which shows the inside of the refrigerator of this embodiment. It is a front view which shows the inside of the refrigerator main body. It is a figure explaining the flow of cold air. It is a schematic diagram which shows the fan casing. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a schematic diagram explaining the flow of the whole cold air of a refrigerator. It is an exploded perspective view which shows the heat insulation partition device. It is a perspective view when the lower case is seen from the outer surface side. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which attached the heat insulation partition device to the refrigerator main body. It is an enlarged view of the rib shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining the arrangement of a rib. It is sectional drawing which shows the arrangement of a heater. The arrangement of the heater is shown, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a sectional view taken along the line BB of (a). It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the arrangement of a heater. A means for connecting a heat insulating partition device provided with a heater to the refrigerator main body is shown, (a) is before connection, and (b) is after connection. Other means for connecting the heat insulating partition device provided with a heater to the refrigerator main body are shown, (a) is before connection and (b) is after connection. A configuration diagram in which a door rail member is integrated with a heat insulating partition device is shown, (a) is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state of being attached to a refrigerator main body. It is another block diagram which integrated the rail member of a door with a heat insulation partition device. It is a process diagram when the heat insulation partition device is attached to the refrigerator body from the upper side. It is another process diagram in the case of attaching a heat insulating partition device to a refrigerator body from the upper side. The sealing material to be attached to the heat insulating partition device is shown, (a) is a block diagram, (b) is in the middle of attachment, and (c) is after attachment. It is sectional drawing which shows the other attachment method to the refrigerator main body of a heat insulation partition device.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (the present embodiment) will be described. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the following contents, and can be arbitrarily modified and implemented without impairing the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following, the description will be described with reference to the direction shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a refrigerator according to the present embodiment. In the following, a 6-door refrigerator 1 will be described as an example, but it can also be applied to a refrigerator with 5 doors or less and a refrigerator with 7 doors or more.
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 has a refrigerator main body 10 including a refrigerating room 30, an ice making room 40, a freezing room 50, an upper switching room 60 (switching room), and a lower switching room 70 (switching room). There is. The upper switching chamber 60 can switch the temperature zone from the refrigerating temperature zone (for example, 1 ° C. to 6 ° C.) to the freezing temperature zone (for example, about −20 ° C. to −18 ° C.). Similarly, the lower switching chamber 70 can switch the temperature zone from the refrigerating temperature zone to the freezing temperature zone. The refrigerating chamber 30 is set to a refrigerating temperature zone (for example, 6 ° C.), and the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 are set to a refrigerating temperature zone (for example, about −20 ° C.).

Further, the refrigerator 1 has a refrigerating room door 2 and 3 for opening and closing the refrigerating room 30, an ice making room door 4 for opening and closing the ice making room 40, and a freezing room door 5 for opening and closing the freezing room 50 in front of the refrigerator main body 10. The upper switching chamber door 6 for opening and closing the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber door 7 for opening and closing the lower switching chamber 70 are provided.

The refrigerating room doors 2 and 3 are configured so that they can be opened by double doors. The ice making chamber door 4, the freezing chamber door 5, the upper switching chamber door 6, and the lower switching chamber door 7 are configured to be retractable toward the front. The refrigerating room doors 2 and 3, the ice making room door 4, the freezing room door 5, the upper switching room door 6 and the lower switching room door 7 are heat insulating doors.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the inside of the refrigerator of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator main body 10 is a combination of an inner box 11 and an outer box 12, and a foam heat insulating material and a vacuum heat insulating material are sandwiched between them to form a heat insulating box body. The foam insulation is made of rigid urethane foam. This rigid urethane foam is formed by foaming a urethane foam stock solution (raw material solution for foaming heat insulating material) and then curing it. By the way, as the urethane foam undiluted solution, for example, a solution obtained by premixing a polyether polyol with a foaming agent such as cyclopentane and water, and an auxiliary agent such as a catalyst and a foam stabilizer, and an isocyanate solution are used. Can be mentioned.

The outer box 12 is composed of a top plate 1a formed by bending a thin steel plate into a gate shape, left and right side plates 1b and 1c (see FIG. 1), a back plate 1d composed of a separate member, and a separate member. It is composed of a bottom plate 1e. The top plate 1a is provided with a recessed portion at the rear portion, and the control board 13 is provided at the recessed portion. The control board 13 controls the refrigerator 1 in an integrated manner.

Vacuum heat insulating materials V1 and V2 are provided on the inner wall surfaces of the top plate 1a and the back plate 1d. A vacuum heat insulating material V3 is provided on the bottom surface side of the inner box 11. Vacuum heat insulating materials V7 and V8 (see FIG. 3) are provided on the inner wall surfaces of the left and right side plates 1b and 1c (see FIG. 1).

The vacuum heat insulating material V4 is provided on the refrigerating room doors 2 and 3. The vacuum heat insulating material V5 is provided on the upper switching chamber door 6. The vacuum heat insulating material V6 is provided on the lower switching chamber door 7.

Further, the refrigerator main body 10 is provided with a heat insulating partition wall 15 that vertically heat-insulates the refrigerating room 30, the ice making room 40, and the freezing room 50. Further, the refrigerator main body 10 is provided with a heat insulating partition device (heat insulating partition member) 16 for insulatingly partitioning the ice making chamber 40, the freezing chamber 50, and the upper switching chamber 60. Further, the refrigerator main body 10 is provided with a heat insulating partition device (heat insulating partition member) 17 for insulatingly partitioning the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70. Further, the heat insulating partition devices 16 and 17 are provided with vacuum heat insulating materials V9 and V10, respectively.

The materials of the vacuum heat insulating materials V1 to V10 are not particularly limited, but for example, they are made of a heat insulating material in which a core material such as glass wool having a porous structure is vacuum-packed with a laminated film and the inside is vacuum-packed and sealed. .. Since the gas thermal conductivity is almost zero, it has excellent heat insulation performance.

The refrigerator 1 has a cooler on the back side of the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70 in order to cool each of the ice making chamber 40, the freezing chamber 50, the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70 to a predetermined temperature. An 80A (EVP: evaporator) is provided. The cooler 80A constitutes a refrigerating cycle by a compressor 81, a condenser (not shown), and a capillary tube (not shown). Above the cooler 80A, the cold air cooled by the cooler 80A is circulated to each of the ice making chamber 40, the freezing chamber 50, the upper switching chamber 60, and the lower switching chamber 70 to maintain the temperature at a predetermined temperature. A fan 90 is arranged.

Further, the cooler 80A is arranged in the cooler storage space 100 provided between the back side of the ice making chamber 40, the freezing chamber 50, the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70, and the inner box 11. The cooler storage space 100 extends from directly above the compressor 81 provided in the machine room Q to the height position of the blower fan 90.

In the cooler storage space 100, a defrost heater 82 is provided below the cooler 80A. The drain water generated during defrosting by the defrost heater 82 once drops into the gutter 83 and is stored in an evaporating dish (not shown) provided on the upper part of the compressor 81 through the drain hole (not shown). ..

The air (cold air) cooled by the cooler 80A is directly supplied to the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 without using a damper member. Cold air is supplied to the upper switching chamber 60 via the damper member 120 for direct cooling and the damper portion 141 (see FIG. 4) of the damper member 140 for indirect cooling described later. Cold air is supplied to the lower switching chamber 70 via the damper member 130 for direct cooling (see FIG. 4) and the damper portion 142 (see FIG. 4) of the damper member 140 for indirect cooling, which will be described later. The direct cooling is a method of directly supplying cold air to the stored food to cool it. Indirect cooling is a method of supplying and cooling the stored food so that the cold air does not come into direct contact with the stored food in order to prevent the food from drying.

Further, in the refrigerator 1, a cooler 80B is provided in the lower part of the back side of the refrigerating chamber 30 in order to cool the refrigerating chamber 30 to a predetermined temperature. The cooler 80B constitutes a refrigerating cycle by a compressor 81, a condenser (not shown), and a capillary tube (not shown). Further, above the cooler 80B, a blower fan (not shown) is provided which circulates the cold air cooled by the cooler 80B to the refrigerating chamber 30 and keeps the temperature at a predetermined temperature.

Further, in the upper switching chamber 60, for example, an upper storage container 61 and a lower storage container 62 are arranged vertically. Further, in the lower switching chamber 70, for example, an upper storage container 71 and a lower storage container 72 are arranged vertically. The number of each storage container 61, 62, 71, 72 is not limited to this embodiment, and may be appropriately changed, and each may have one stage or three or more stages.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the inside of the refrigerator body. Note that FIG. 3 schematically shows a state in which the doors 2 to 7 (see FIG. 1), the storage container, and the like are removed from the refrigerator 1.
As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator main body 10 includes a back heat insulating partition member 65 that constitutes the inner back surface of the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70. The lower end of the back heat insulating partition member 65 is located above the inward protrusion of the machine room Q (see FIG. 2).

The back heat insulating partition member 65 is provided with case members 112 and 113 at positions corresponding to the upper switching chamber 60, and case members 114 and 115 at positions corresponding to the lower switching chamber 70.

The case member 112 is formed with a plurality of discharge ports 63a, 63a, 63b, 63b to discharge cold air when the upper switching chamber 60 is set to the freezing temperature zone. The discharge ports 63a and 63a are arranged on the left and right sides of the upper switching chamber 60 toward the center of the upper part. The discharge ports 63b and 63b are arranged below the discharge ports 63a and 63a so as to be separated from each other on the left and right.

The discharge port 63a is formed at a position where cold air can be directly supplied into the upper storage container 61 (see FIG. 2). Further, the discharge port 63b is formed at a position where cold air can be directly supplied into the lower storage container 62 (see FIG. 2).

The case member 113 is formed with a discharge port 63c to which cold air is discharged when the upper switching chamber 60 is set to the refrigerating temperature zone. The discharge port 63c is located on the side of the discharge ports 63a and 63b (on the left side in FIG. 3). Further, the discharge port 63c is configured to discharge cold air toward the inner box 11 on the left side surface as shown by the broken line arrow. As a result, cold air passes through the outside of the upper storage container 61 (see FIG. 2) and the outside of the lower storage container 62 (see FIG. 2) (to indirectly cool the food).

The case member 114 is formed with a plurality of discharge ports 73a, 73a, 73b, 73b to discharge cold air when the lower switching chamber 70 is set to the freezing temperature zone. The discharge ports 73a and 73a are arranged on the upper part of the lower switching chamber 70 so as to be separated from each other on the left and right. The discharge ports 73b, 73b are arranged below the discharge ports 73a, 73a so as to be separated from each other on the left and right.

The discharge port 73a is formed at a position where cold air can be directly supplied into the upper storage container 71 (see FIG. 2). Further, the discharge port 73b is formed at a position where cold air can be directly supplied into the lower storage container 72 (see FIG. 2).

The case member 115 is formed with a discharge port 73c to which cold air is discharged when the lower switching chamber 70 is set to the refrigerating temperature zone. The discharge port 73c is located on the side of the discharge port 73a (on the left side in FIG. 3). Further, the discharge port 73c is configured to discharge cold air toward the inner box 11 on the left side surface as shown by the broken line arrow. As a result, cold air can pass through the outside of the upper storage container 71 (see FIG. 2) and the outside of the lower storage container 72 (see FIG. 2) (to indirectly cool the food).

Further, the back heat insulating partition member 65 is formed with a return port 73d for returning the cold air discharged from the discharge ports 73a, 73b, 73c to the cooler 80A (see FIG. 2). The return port 73d is formed on the side opposite to the discharge port 73c (on the right side in FIG. 3) with the discharge port 73a interposed therebetween.

Further, the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 are formed with discharge ports 40a and 50a in which cold air is directly supplied into the ice making container (not shown) and the freezing container (not shown), respectively. Further, on the back surface of the freezing chamber 50, a return port 41a through which the cold air discharged from the discharge ports 40a and 50a returns is formed.

FIG. 4 is a view of the cold air passage when viewed from the back. Note that FIG. 4 schematically shows a state in which the inner box 11 is removed and viewed from the back surface.
As shown in FIG. 4, a blower fan 90 is provided above the cooler 80A. The blower fan 90 is composed of a centrifugal fan such as a turbo fan or a sirocco fan.

Further, above the cooler storage space 100, a fan casing 111 for storing the blower fan 90 is provided. The fan casing 111 is formed with circular openings 111s at positions facing the blower fan 90. Cold air is sucked through the opening 111s by the blower fan 90, and the cold air is discharged into the fan casing 111 from the circumferential direction.

Damper members 120, 130, and 140 are attached to the fan casing 111. The damper member 120 supplies cold air to the upper switching chamber 60 (see FIG. 3), and is provided above the blower fan 90. The damper member 130 supplies cold air to the lower switching chamber 70 (see FIG. 3), and is provided below the blower fan 90 and on the left side of the cooler 80A (on the right side in FIG. 4). The damper member 140 includes damper portions 141 and 142, and is provided on the left side (right side in FIG. 4) of the blower fan 90.

Further, the damper member 120 includes a drive unit 123 that opens and closes the flapper. The damper member 130 includes a drive unit 133 that opens and closes the flapper. The damper member 140 includes a drive unit 133 that opens and closes the flapper of the damper portion 141 and opens and closes the flapper of the damper portion 142.

Returning to FIG. 3, the case member 112 is arranged so as to cover the front of the damper member 120 (see FIG. 2), and is formed so as to project forward from the back heat insulating partition member 65. The case member 113 is arranged so as to cover the front of the damper portion 141 (see FIG. 4), and is formed so as to project forward from the back heat insulating partition member 65.

The case member 114 is provided so as to cover the front of the damper member 130 (see FIG. 4), and is formed so as to project forward from the back heat insulating partition member 65. The case member 115 communicates with the flow path 116 (see FIG. 4) extending from the damper portion 142, and is formed so as to project forward from the back heat insulating partition member 65.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cooler storage space 100 is formed with a return flow path 41b for merging the cold air coming out of the return port 41a with the cold air coming out of the return port 73d. The return flow path 41b is configured to flow in the vertical direction on the right side (left side in FIG. 4) of the back heat insulating partition member 65.

The cold air discharged from the discharge ports 63a and 63b (see FIG. 3) flows from the return port 63d below the cooler 80A, rises in the cooler 80A, and is sucked into the blower fan 90 again. Further, the cold air discharged from the discharge port 63c (see FIG. 3) is similarly sucked into the blower fan 90 again after passing through the cooler 80A from the return port 63d.

Further, the cold air discharged from the discharge ports 73a and 73b (see FIG. 3) returns to the lower side of the cooler 80A from the return port 73d, rises in the cooler 80A, and is sucked into the blower fan 90 again. Further, the cold air discharged from the discharge port 73c (see FIG. 3) also returns to the return port 73d, passes through the cooler 80A, and is sucked into the blower fan 90 again.

After cooling the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50, the cold air flows from the return port 41a through the return flow path 41b and through the same flow path as the return flow path from the return port 73d to the cooler 80A. return.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a fan casing.
As shown in FIG. 5, the fan casing 111 includes a flow path 111a for guiding cold air toward the damper member 120, and a flow path 111b for guiding cold air to the damper member 130. Further, the fan casing 111 includes a flow path 111c for guiding cold air toward the damper portion 141 of the damper member 140, and a flow path 111d for guiding cold air to the damper portion 142 of the damper member 140.

A damper member 120 is fitted to the end of the flow path 111a via a sealing material (not shown). A damper member 130 is fitted at the end of the flow path 111b via a sealing material (not shown). A damper portion 141 is fitted at the end of the flow path 111c via a sealing material (not shown). A damper portion 142 is fitted at the end of the flow path 111d via a sealing material (not shown).

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. In FIG. 6, the outer box 12, the heat insulating material between the inner box 11 and the outer box 12, the doors 4, 6 and 7, and the storage containers 61, 62, 71 and 72 are not shown.
As shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerator main body 10 includes a heat insulating partition device 16 that insulates the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 (see FIG. 3) and the upper switching chamber 60. Further, the refrigerator main body 10 is provided with a heat insulating partition device 17 that insulates the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70. Further, the refrigerator main body 10 includes a back heat insulating partition member 65 that insulates the upper switching chamber 60, the blower fan 90, and the cooler 80A.

The blower fan 90 is fixed to the back heat insulating partition member 65 via the bracket 92. The means for attaching the blower fan 90 is not limited to the means for fixing to the back heat insulating partition member 65, and a bracket may be provided on the cold air suction side of the fan casing 111 to fix the fan casing 111.

The heat insulating partitioning devices 16 and 17 are both configured to include the vacuum heat insulating materials V9 and V10. The back heat insulating partition member 65 is configured to include the vacuum heat insulating material V11.

Further, as described above, the refrigerator main body 10 is provided with vacuum heat insulating materials V7 and V8 (see FIG. 3) on the left and right side surfaces of the upper switching chamber 60. As described above, the vacuum heat insulating material V5 (see FIG. 2) is also provided on the upper switching chamber door 6 that opens and closes the upper switching chamber 60. In this way, the upper switching chamber 60 is surrounded by the vacuum heat insulating materials V5, V7, V8, V9, V10, and V11 on six surfaces, front and rear, left and right, and upper and lower. As a result, when the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 are set to the refrigerating temperature zone and the cooler 80A is arranged on the back surface, the conditions as when the upper switching chamber 60 is set to the refrigerating temperature zone are severe. Even in this case, the upper switching chamber 60 can be set to the refrigerating temperature zone.

Further, in the upper switching chamber 60, the refrigerator main body 10 is formed with an opening 63e communicating with the return port 63d to the cooler 80A on the back side of the heat insulating partition device 17 constituting the bottom surface. The opening 63e is formed in an elongated shape along the left-right direction.

Further, in the refrigerator main body 10, a rail member 11a that slidably supports the upper storage container 61 (see FIG. 2) in the front-rear direction is formed on the left side surface of the upper switching chamber 60. The upper switching chamber door 6 (see FIG. 2) is provided with a slide member (not shown) for holding the lower storage container 62 (see FIG. 2), and the slide member is provided as a rail member 11b in the upper switching chamber 60. It is supported by sliding freely. A rail member having the same configuration is also provided on the right side surface of the upper switching chamber 60.

Further, in the refrigerator main body 10, a rail member 11c that slidably supports the upper storage container 71 (see FIG. 2) in the front-rear direction is formed on the left side surface of the lower switching chamber 70. The lower switching chamber door 7 (see FIG. 2) is provided with a slide member (not shown) for holding the lower storage container 72 (see FIG. 2), and the slide member is provided as a rail member 11d in the lower switching chamber 70. It is supported by sliding freely. A rail member having the same configuration is also provided on the right side surface of the lower switching chamber 70.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of cold air in the refrigerator according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the refrigerating chamber 30 of the refrigerator 1, the cold air generated by the cooler 80B provided exclusively for the refrigerating chamber 30 is sucked into the blower fan 91, and a plurality of cold air provided on the back surface of the refrigerating chamber 30. Is discharged from the discharge port (not shown). After cooling the food, the cold air returns to the cooler 80B from the return port (not shown) provided at the lower part of the refrigerating chamber 30.

In the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 of the refrigerator 1, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A is discharged into the ice making chamber 40 by the blower fan 90 (see FIG. 3) and the freezing chamber 50. It is discharged from 50a (see FIG. 3). Then, the air after cooling the food is sucked into the return port 41a provided on the back side of the freezing chamber 50, passes through the return flow path 41b, and returns to the cooler 80A. As described above, in the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A is constantly sent.

When the upper switching chamber 60 is set to the freezing temperature zone, the damper member 120 is opened. In this case, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A passes through the damper member 120. Then, the cold air is directly supplied to the food in the upper storage container 61 from the discharge port 63a provided in the upper switching chamber 60, and is directly supplied to the food in the lower storage container 62 from the discharge port 63b.

Further, when the upper switching chamber 60 is set to the refrigerating temperature zone, the damper portion 141 of the damper member 140 is opened. In this case, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A passes through the damper portion 141. Then, the food is indirectly cooled by the cold air flowing from the discharge port 63c provided in the upper switching chamber 60 to the outside of the upper storage container 61 and the outside of the lower storage container 62. As a result, it is possible to suppress the drying of the food in the upper storage container 61 and the lower storage container 62.

When the lower switching chamber 70 is set to the freezing temperature zone, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A passes through the damper member 130. Then, it is directly supplied to the food in the upper storage container 71 from the discharge port 73a provided in the lower switching chamber 70, and is directly supplied to the food in the lower storage container 72 from the discharge port 73b.

Further, when the lower switching chamber 70 is set to the refrigerating temperature zone, the damper portion 142 of the damper member 140 is opened. In this case, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A passes through the damper portion 142 and the flow path 116 (see FIG. 4). Then, the food is indirectly cooled by the cold air flowing from the discharge port 73c provided in the lower switching chamber 70 to the outside of the upper storage container 71 and the outside of the lower storage container 72. As a result, it is possible to suppress the drying of the food in the upper storage container 71 and the lower storage container 72.

As described above, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the upper switching chamber 60 can be set to the refrigerating temperature zone and the lower switching chamber 70 can be set to the freezing temperature zone. Further, in the refrigerator 1, the upper switching chamber 60 can be set to the freezing temperature zone and the lower switching chamber 70 can be set to the refrigerating temperature zone. Further, in the refrigerator 1, both the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70 can be set in the freezing temperature zone. Further, in the refrigerator 1, both the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70 can be set in the refrigerating temperature zone.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a heat insulating partition member.
As shown in FIG. 8, the heat insulating partition device 16 includes a synthetic resin case 160 composed of a lower case (inner case) 161 and an upper case (outer case) 162, a vacuum heat insulating material V9, and a sealing material 164 and 165. , Is configured with. Since the heat insulating partition device 17 has the same configuration as the heat insulating partition device 16, only the heat insulating partition device 16 will be described below.

The lower case 161 is configured to have a square bottom surface portion 161s and a side surface portion 161a that stands up from the outer peripheral edges of the four sides of the bottom surface portion 161s. Further, in the lower case 161, locking claws 161b and 161b are formed on opposite sides of the outer surface of the side surface portion 161a (in FIG. 8, only one side surface portion 161a is shown).

The upper case 162 is configured to have a square top surface portion 162s and a side surface portion 162a hanging from the outer peripheral edges of the four sides of the top surface portion 162s (extending toward the lower case 161). Further, in the upper case 162, a locking hole 162b with which the locking claw 161b is engaged is formed on the opposite side of the outer surface of the side surface portion 162a.

Further, the upper case 162 is formed with reinforcing ribs 162t in a grid pattern. The rib 162t is formed linearly and protrudes from the outer surface of the top surface portion 162s. Further, the rib 162t is formed linearly from one end of one facing side surface portion 162a toward the other end, and is formed linearly from one end of the other facing side surface portion 162a toward the other end. By forming the ribs 162t in a grid pattern (two orthogonal directions) in this way, reliability can be improved (surface strength can be improved) as compared with the case where the ribs are formed in one direction.

By the way, the resin generally undulates due to the variation in shrinkage if the ribs are not formed. Then, the surface accuracy deteriorates, and if there is a slidable object on the surface accuracy, it interferes with it or causes an appearance defect. Further, if a portion for fitting the heat insulating partition device 16 (see FIG. 3) is provided in the refrigerator main body 10 (inside the refrigerator), the fitting with the mating component is also affected. Therefore, as described above, the rib 162t is formed on the upper case 162 to prevent waviness (sledding).

The vacuum heat insulating material V9 has the same structure as that of the vacuum heat insulating materials V1 to V8 described above, and is formed in a rectangular shape so as to be accommodated along the lower case 161. Further, the vacuum heat insulating material V9 has a thickness such that the surface (upper surface) of the vacuum heat insulating material V9 becomes substantially the same as the height of the side surface portion 161a when housed in the lower case 161.

Further, a sealing material 164 is attached to the side surface of the vacuum heat insulating material V9. The sealing material 164 is soft and is formed on the entire outer peripheral surface of the vacuum heat insulating material V9. By providing such a sealing material 164, the gap between the lower case 161 and the outer peripheral surface of the vacuum heat insulating material V9 can be filled, and the vacuum heat insulating material V9 moves in the lower case 161 and the vacuum heat insulating material V9 is damaged. Can be prevented from doing.

In such a heat insulating partition device 16, the vacuum heat insulating material V9 is housed in the lower case 161 and then covered with the upper case 162. In this case, the side surface portion 162a of the upper case 162 is located outside the side surface portion 161a of the lower case 161. Therefore, when the upper case 162 is put on the lower case 161, the side surface portion 162a does not come into contact with the vacuum heat insulating material V9, so that the vacuum heat insulating material V9 can be prevented from being damaged.

Further, a double-sided tape 162c is provided on the inner surface of the upper case 162. By adhering the upper case 162 and the vacuum heat insulating material V9 with the double-sided tape 162c, it is possible to prevent the upper case 162 from peeling off from the lower case 161. Further, the double-sided tape 162c can suppress the formation of a gap (space) between the upper case 162 and the vacuum heat insulating material V9, and can suppress the generation of frost in the gap. The double-sided tape 162c may not be provided.

In this embodiment, the case where the lower case 161 and the upper case 162 are fixed by fitting the locking claw 161b into the locking hole 162b is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the lower case 161 and the upper case 162 may be screwed and fixed.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the lower case when viewed from the outer surface side. Note that FIG. 9 is a view of the lower case of FIG. 8 as viewed from below.
As shown in FIG. 9, in the lower case 161, reinforcing ribs 161t are formed in a grid pattern on the outer surface of the bottom surface portion 161s. By forming the ribs 161t in a grid pattern in this way, it is possible to obtain the same effect as in the case where the grid-shaped ribs 162t (see FIG. 8) are provided.

Further, in the lower case 161, a square frame-shaped rib 161u is formed so as to be located inside from the outer peripheral edge portion 161c. The square frame-shaped rib 161u and the grid-shaped rib 161t are continuously formed.

Further, in the lower case 161, a flat surface 161w having no rib formed with a predetermined width is formed between the outer peripheral edge portion 161c and the rib 161u. The flat surface 161w is a region to which the sealing material 165 is attached, and is set to have the same width as the width of the sealing material 165. The sealing material 165 is the same as the sealing material 164 (see FIG. 8), and seals the gap formed between the heat insulating partitioning devices 16 and 17 and the inner box 11 (see FIG. 2). be. Further, the rib 161u functions as a positioning when the operator attaches the sealing material 165 to the lower case 161 at the time of manufacturing. For example, when the width of the sealing material 165 is 10 mm, the rib 161u is formed at a position 10 mm from the outer peripheral edge portion 161c.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the heat insulating partition device is attached to the refrigerator main body. In the following, the heat insulating partition devices 16 and 17 have basically the same configuration, and therefore, the heat insulating partition device 16 will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 10, the heat insulating partition device 16 is provided with a sealing material 165 on a flat surface 161w on the outer periphery of the lower case 161. On the other hand, the inner box 11 is formed with a support portion 11e that supports the heat insulating partition device 16 from the lower side so as to project inward (inward). The support portions 11e are formed at the same height on both the left and right sides of the inner box 11. Further, a space filled with urethane (hard urethane foam) U is formed in the support portion 11e.

By the way, in the vacuum heat insulating material V9, the external dimensions are liable to vary in manufacturing, and the difference between the maximum vacuum heat insulating material and the minimum vacuum heat insulating material is widened. Depending on the size of such a difference, heat insulation may not be possible, and in that case, frost may occur at the end of the switching chamber (when the refrigerated temperature zone chamber is used). Therefore, the tip P2 of the urethane (hard urethane foam) U of the support portion 11e is inside (inward) in the left-right direction (width direction) from the position where the vacuum heat insulating material V9 becomes the minimum dimension (outer peripheral end portion P1). positioned. In other words, the end portion of the vacuum heat insulating material V9 and the support portion 11e filled with urethane U are configured to overlap each other in the vertical direction. With such an arrangement, it is possible to suppress the risk of not being insulated between the upper switching chamber 60 and the ice making chamber 40, and between the upper switching chamber 60 and the freezing chamber 50.

Further, the heat insulating partition device 16 can be attached to the support portion 11e from above. As a result, workability can be improved as compared with the case where the support portion 11e is attached from below. Further, the sealing material 165 is in contact with the upper surface 11e1 of the support portion 11e, and the weight of the heat insulating partitioning device 16 acts, so that a force acts in the direction of crushing the sealing material 165, and the sealing property can be improved.

Further, in the heat insulating partition device 16, the vacuum heat insulating material V9 is stored in the lower case 161 and then covered with the upper case 162. In this case, the side surface portion 162a of the upper case 162 is located outside the side surface portion 161a of the lower case 161. Therefore, when the upper case 162 is put on the lower case 161, the side surface portion 162a does not come into contact with the vacuum heat insulating material V9, so that the vacuum heat insulating material V9 can be prevented from being damaged.

Further, in the heat insulating partition device 16, since the side surface portion 162a of the upper case 162 is located outside the side surface portion 161a of the lower case 161 it is possible to prevent water from entering the case 160.

Further, a double-sided tape 162c is provided on the inner surface of the upper case 162. By adhering the upper case 162 and the vacuum heat insulating material V9 with the double-sided tape 162c, it is possible to suppress the formation of a gap (space) between the upper case 162 and the vacuum heat insulating material V9, and it is possible to prevent the formation of a gap (space) in the gap. The generation of frost can be suppressed.

Further, since the rib 161t is formed on the outer surface of the bottom surface portion 161s of the lower case 161 and the inner surface of the bottom surface portion 161s of the lower case 161 is flat, the operator may hit or drop the heat insulating partition device 16. When an impact is applied from the outside, the impact is first received by the rib 161t, and the vacuum heat insulating material V9 and the lower case 161 come into surface contact, so that the impact is dispersed and the vacuum heat insulating material V9 is damaged (the bag is damaged). Inconveniences such as tearing) can be suppressed. Further, as in the upper case 162, the rib 162t is formed on the outer surface of the top surface portion 162s and the inner surface of the top surface portion 162s is flat, so that damage to the vacuum heat insulating material V9 due to an external impact can be suppressed. ..

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the rib shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11, when the plate thickness of the lower case 161 is T and the width of the rib 161t is W, the width W is preferably set to T / 2 or less and T / 4 or more. If the width W exceeds T / 2 (if it is made too thick), sink marks may occur when the resin is molded with a mold and cooled, which may cause an appearance defect. Further, when the width W is less than T / 4, the effect as reinforcement of the lower case 161 becomes small. Further, the height H of the rib 161t is preferably set to 2 mm or more.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of ribs.
By the way, in the lower case 161 and the upper case 162, the portion most easily warped is near the center. On the other hand, the side surface portions 161a and 162a are difficult to warp. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, it is preferable to form the ribs 161t and 162t at least near the center (near the center) of the lower case 161 and the upper case 162.

The vicinity of the center is within the range of plus or minus 10% (total 20%) with respect to the center Ca of one of the total length La of the lower case 161 and the upper case 162, and plus or minus with respect to the center Cb of the other total length Lb. It is within the range of 10% (20% in total). It is preferable that the ribs 161t and 162t are formed within the range of the square indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 12.

By forming at least ribs 161t and 162t near the center of the lower case 161 and the upper case 162 in this way, it is possible to prevent large warpage from occurring in the lower case 161 and the upper case 162.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of heaters.
As shown in FIG. 13, the refrigerator main body 10 includes heaters H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5. These heaters H1 to H5 are arranged with linear heater wires along the surface, and are intended to raise the temperature and prevent dew. The arrangement and number of heaters shown in this embodiment are examples, and are appropriately set according to the heat balance of the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70.

The heater H1 is provided on the lower surface side in the heat insulating partition device 16 constituting the upper surface of the upper switching chamber 60. The heater H2 is provided on the upper surface side in the heat insulating partition device 17 constituting the lower surface of the upper switching chamber 60. The heater H3 is provided on the front side of the back heat insulating partition member 65 constituting the back surface of the upper switching chamber 60. The heater H4 is provided on the lower surface side in the heat insulating partition device 17 constituting the upper surface of the lower switching chamber 70. The heater H5 is provided on the upper surface side in the inner box 11 constituting the bottom surface of the lower switching chamber 70.

For example, when the upper switching chamber 60 is set to the refrigerating temperature zone and the lower switching chamber 70 is set to the freezing temperature zone, heat inflow is assumed from the front side (door side) and the left and right side surfaces of the upper switching chamber 60. It is assumed that heat flows out from the upper surface, the lower surface, and the back surface of the upper switching chamber 60. Therefore, the heaters H1, H2, and H3 are energized so that the upper switching chamber 60 has a heat balance in the refrigerating temperature range, and the upper switching chamber 60 is heated.

Further, when the upper switching chamber 60 is set to the freezing temperature zone and the lower switching chamber 70 is set to the refrigerating temperature zone, heat flows in from the front side (door side), the left and right side surface sides, and the bottom surface side of the upper switching chamber 60. It is assumed that heat flows out from the upper surface side and the back surface side of the lower switching chamber 70. Therefore, the heaters H4 and H5 are energized so that the lower switching chamber 70 has a heat balance in the refrigerating temperature range, and the lower switching chamber 70 is heated.

Further, the blower fan 90 and the heaters H1 to H5 may be combined to control the heat balance of the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70. For example, the temperature of the cold air discharged from the cooler 80A may be lowered by lowering the rotation speed of the blower fan 90 than usual. As a result, when the upper switching chamber 60 is set to the refrigerating temperature zone and the lower switching chamber 70 is set to the freezing temperature zone, the upper switching chamber 60 can be easily set to the refrigerating temperature zone.

In this embodiment, the case where the heaters H1 to H5 are mounted has been described as an example, but the arrangement is not limited to this, and the heaters H1 to H5 are appropriately omitted, and the case 160 (FIG. 10). (See) may be equipped with only the vacuum heat insulating material.

14A and 14B show a state in which a heater and an aluminum sheet are arranged, FIG. 14A is a plan view, and FIG. 14B is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 14A. Note that FIG. 14 shows a state in which the vacuum heat insulating material V9 (see FIG. 10) and the upper case 162 (see FIG. 10) are removed from the lower case 161.
As shown in FIG. 14A, the lower case 161 is provided with a heater H1 and an aluminum sheet 167.

The heater H1 is arranged in a plane shape by arranging the heater wire 166 while meandering with respect to the bottom surface portion 161s. The heater wire 166 is composed of, for example, a lead wire having a diameter of 3 mm. As a result, the heater wire 166 is stretched around substantially the entire bottom surface portion 161s of the lower case 161.

The aluminum sheet 167 spreads the heat from the heater wire 166 to the entire bottom surface portion 161s, and is composed of a rectangular aluminum foil (metal foil made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy) larger than the installation area of the heater 166. There is.

As shown in FIG. 14B, the aluminum sheet 167 is arranged so as to be in contact with the apex portion of the heater wire 166 and the inner surface of the bottom surface portion 161s. Further, the aluminum sheet 167 is raised in a mountain shape at the position of the heater wire 166. Further, the aluminum sheet 167 is adhered and fixed to the lower case 161 by a tape (not shown) having adhesive layers on both sides.

Further, by arranging the heater H1 so as to cover the heater H1 with the aluminum sheet 167, a space S1 surrounded by the heater wire 166, the aluminum sheet 167, and the bottom surface portion 161s is formed on both sides of the heater wire 166. This space S1 can be used as an air heat insulating layer, and the heat insulating property as the heat insulating partition device 16 can be improved.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example when arranging the heater.
As shown in FIG. 15, a groove 161v is formed on the inner surface of the bottom surface portion 161s of the lower case 161 along the meanderingly arranged heater wire 166 (heater H1). The groove 161v is formed in a rectangular shape in a cross-sectional view. Further, the depth of the groove 161 is formed so that the heater wire 166 can be accommodated and the aluminum sheet 167 can make point contact with the heater wire 166 in a cross-sectional view.

The aluminum sheet 167 is composed of a rectangular aluminum foil larger than the installation area of the heater 166. By arranging the heater wire 166 in the groove 161v in this way, the aluminum sheet 167 can be arranged flat. Therefore, when the vacuum heat insulating material V9 is housed in the lower case 161, no space is formed between the vacuum heat insulating material V9 and the heater wire 166 (aluminum sheet 167), so that the internal volume of the case 160 can be effectively used. ..

Further, when the heater wire 166 is configured to be housed in the groove 161v, a space S2 surrounded by the heater 166, the aluminum sheet 167, and the inner wall surface of the groove 161v is formed. This space S2 can be used as an air heat insulating layer, and the heat insulating property as the heat insulating partition device 16 can be improved.

Further, by forming the groove 161v in the lower case 161 the protrusion V of the groove 161v can be used as a rib, and the strength of the lower case 161 can be improved.

Further, when the heater H2 is provided on the upper surface side of the vacuum heat insulating material V10 (see FIG. 13), the heater H2 (heater wire 166) and the aluminum sheet 167 are provided on the inner surface (inside the top surface portion 162c) of the upper case 162. It will be provided. Further, when the heater H5 is provided in the inner box 11, the heater H5 (heater wire 166) and the aluminum sheet 167 are provided on the inner wall surface of the inner box 11.

FIG. 16 shows a means for connecting a heat insulating partition device provided with a heater to a refrigerator main body, where (a) is before connection and (b) is after connection.
As shown in FIG. 16A, the heat insulating partition device 16 includes a male connector (connection portion) 170 connected to the heater wire 166. The connector 170 has a resin housing and is fixed so as to project rearward from the side surface portion 162a of the upper case 162. The side surface portion 162a is, for example, a surface facing the back surface of the internal R. Further, the connection terminal 170a of the connector 170 projects rearward. That is, in the heat insulating partition device 16 here, the electric wire is not exposed between the connector 170 and the case 160.

On the other hand, on the back surface of the inner box 11, a fitting portion 11s into which the heat insulating partition device 16 is fitted is formed. The fitting portion 11s is provided with a female connector (connection portion) 11m that is electrically connected to the connector 170. The lead wire L1 extending from the connector 11m is connected to the control board 13 (see FIG. 2). Further, the connection terminal 11m1 of the connector 11m is formed so as to face forward.

When the heat insulating partition device 16 is attached from the front side to the back side, the connector 170 of the heat insulating partition device 16 is inserted toward the fitting portion 11s. When inserted into the fitting portion 11s, the heat insulating partition device 16 is guided and positioned so that the connection terminal 170a of the connector 170 and the connection terminal 11m1 of the connector 11m face each other. Further, when the heat insulating partition device 16 is inserted, the connection terminal 170a and the connection terminal 11m1 are connected to reach the state shown in FIG. 16B.

By connecting the connector 170 and the connector 11 m in this way, it is not necessary to route the electric wire, and it is not necessary to store the connected portion, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

FIG. 17 shows other means for connecting a heat insulating partition device provided with a heater to the refrigerator main body, where (a) is before connection and (b) is after connection.
As shown in FIG. 17A, the heat insulating partition device 16A includes a male connector (connection portion) 171 connected to the heater wire 166. The connector 171 is provided on the lower surface of the lower case 161. The connection terminal of the connector 171 projects downward.

On the other hand, the fitting portion 11t is formed so as to protrude from the inner box 11. A female connector 11n is fixed to the upper surface of the fitting portion 11t. The connection terminal 11n1 of the connector 11n is formed so as to face upward.

When the heat insulating partition device 16A is attached from the upper side to the lower side, the heat insulating partition device 16A is inserted from the front side to the back side so that the connector 171 is located above the connector 11n. Then, with the connection terminal 171a of the connector 171 and the connection terminal 11n1 of the connector 11n facing each other, the heat insulating partition device 16A is moved downward while maintaining a horizontal state, whereby the connection terminal 171a and the connection terminal 11n1 are connected. Is connected to reach the state shown in FIG. 17 (b).

By connecting the connector 171 and the connector 11n in this way, it is not necessary to route the electric wire, and it is not necessary to store the connection portion, so that the cost in the manufacturing work can be reduced.

The electric wire may be pulled out from the heat insulating partitioning devices 16 and 16A, and the connector may be connected to the tip of the electric wire. Further, the electric wire may be pulled out from the inner box 11 and the connector may be connected to the tip of the electric wire. Then, after connecting and connecting both connectors, the electric wire and the connection portion may be stored in the storage portion provided on the inner box 11 side. It is preferable that the storage portion is provided outside the projection of the heat insulating partition devices 16 and 16A. Further, when the vacuum partitioning devices 16 and 16A are attached from the upper side, the workability can be improved by providing the storage portion on the upper side.

18A and 18B show a configuration diagram in which a rail member of a door is integrated with a heat insulating partition device, FIG. 18A is a perspective view, and FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view showing a state of being attached to a refrigerator main body.
As shown in FIG. 18A, in the heat insulating partition device 16B, the ice making chamber door 4 and the rail member 180 on one side of the freezing chamber 5 (see FIG. 1) are integrally resin-molded in the case 160 (upper case 162). ing.

The rail member 180 is formed on the upper surface (outer surface) of the upper case 162. Further, the rail member 180 has recesses 180a and 180b formed on the left and right in the front view. A metal frame (not shown) is attached to the ice making chamber door 4 and the freezing chamber door 5, and the frame is slidably supported in the recesses 180a and 180b.

Further, the rail member 180 is continuously formed with ribs 162t formed in a grid pattern. Further, by forming the rail member 180 larger than the rib 162t, the strength of the upper case 162 can be improved, and the warp of the upper case 162 can be effectively suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 18B, the heat insulating partition device 16B is supported by the support portions 11e and 11e formed in the refrigerator main body R. Further, on the left side surface of the inner box 11, a rail member 12a is provided at the same height as the recess 180a. The rail member 12a is held in the recess 11f formed in the inner box 11.

Further, on the right side surface of the inner box 11, a rail member 12b is provided at the same height as the recess 180b. The rail member 12b is supported by a recess 11g formed in the inner box 11.

By integrally forming the rail member 180 with the case 160 in this way, the processing cost can be reduced and the assembly work can be simplified.

FIG. 19 is another configuration diagram in which the rail member of the door is integrated with the heat insulating partition device. In the following, the heat insulating partition device 17 for partitioning the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 19, in the heat insulating partition device 17, the rail member 190 is integrally formed with the case 160. The rail member 190 slidably supports a frame body (slide plate) provided in the lower switching chamber door 7 (see FIG. 2) provided in the lower switching chamber 70. Further, the rail member 190 is formed with a recess 190a in which the frame body of the lower switching chamber door 7 is supported.

By integrally forming the rail member 190 with the heat insulating partition device 17 in this way, the processing cost can be reduced and the assembly work can be simplified.

FIG. 20 is a process diagram when the heat insulating partition device is attached to the refrigerator body from above. In the following, a case where the heat insulating partition device 16 between the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 and the upper switching chamber 60 is attached will be described as an example.
As shown in FIG. 20, in the refrigerator main body 10, the heat insulating partition wall 15 and the partition member 18 for partitioning the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 are formed separately. The partition member 18 is provided with a rail member (not shown) on which the frame (not shown) of the ice making chamber door 4 and the freezing chamber 5 (see FIG. 1) is slidably supported.

By forming the heat insulating partition wall 15 and the partition member 18 separately in this way, first, as shown in the left figure of FIG. 20, the heat insulating partition device 16 is supported by the support portion 11e in a state where the partition member 18 is removed. , 11e to support. After that, as shown in the right figure of FIG. 20, the partition member 18 is attached.

Therefore, since the mounting work can be performed from the upper side of the heat insulating partition device 16, workability can be improved as compared with the case where the mounting work is performed from the lower side of the heat insulating partition device 16.

FIG. 21 is another process diagram when the heat insulating partition device is attached to the refrigerator body from above.
As shown in FIG. 21, the refrigerator main body 10 includes a heat insulating partition device 16C and a heat insulating partition device 16D. The heat insulating partition device 16C constitutes the bottom surface of the ice making chamber 40. The heat insulating partition device 16D constitutes the bottom surface of the freezing chamber 50. Further, as shown in the left end view of FIG. 21, the partition member 18 is provided with a support portion 11h for supporting the right end of the heat insulating partition device 16C and a support portion 11i for supporting the left end of the heat insulating partition device 16D.

By providing the heat insulating partition devices 16C and 16D divided into left and right in this way, first, as shown in the central view of FIG. 21, the heat insulating partition device 16C is supported by the upper surfaces of the support portions 11e and 11h. Install. Then, as shown in the rightmost view of FIG. 21, the heat insulating partition device 16D is attached so as to be supported by the upper surfaces of the support portions 11i and 11e.

Therefore, the mounting work can be performed from the upper side of the heat insulating partition devices 16C and 16D, and the workability can be improved as compared with the case where the mounting work is performed from the lower side of the heat insulating partition devices 16C and 16D.

22A and 22B show a sealing material to be attached to the heat insulating partition device, where FIG. 22A is a configuration diagram, FIG. 22B is in the middle of attachment, and FIG. 22C is after attachment.
As shown in FIG. 22A, the heat insulating partition device 16 includes an L-shaped sealing material 165a in a cross-sectional view. The L-shaped sealing material 165a in a cross-sectional view is attached to a portion where a force acts in the direction of shearing the sealing material 165a at the time of attachment.

As shown in FIG. 22B, first, with the heat insulating partition device 16 facing upward, until the heat insulating partition device 16 hits the fitting portion 11u formed in the inner box 11. It is inserted in the direction of the arrow F1.

Then, as shown in FIG. 22 (c), the front side of the heat insulating partition device 16 is rotated in the F2 direction with the heat insulating partition device 16 on the side inserted into the fitting portion 11u as a fulcrum. As a result, the heat insulating partition device 16 is supported by the fitting portion 11u.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing another method of attaching the heat insulating partition device to the refrigerator main body.
As shown in FIG. 23, the heat insulating partition device 16E includes a case 160 composed of a lower case 161 and an upper case 162A. The upper case 162A is formed with an extending portion 162d extending forward from a corner portion between the top surface portion 162s and the side surface portion 162a.

On the other hand, the refrigerator main body 10 is provided with a fixing member 200 connecting the left and right side surfaces of the inner box 11 (see FIG. 3) on the front side to which the heat insulating partition device 16E is attached. The fixing member 200 is formed with a support portion 200a that supports the extension portion 162d and a support portion 200b that supports the lower end portion of the heat insulating partition device 16E.

Further, in the heat insulating partition device 16E, the side surface portion 161a of the lower case 161 and the side surface portion 162a of the upper case 162 are fixed via screws 191. Further, in the heat insulating partition device 16E, the extending portion 162d is fixed to the supporting portion 200a via a screw 192. As described above, the fixing portion by the screw 191 is arranged at a position that cannot be visually recognized from the outside. Therefore, in order to check the inside of the heat insulating partition device 16E, it is necessary to remove the screw 192.

By the way, the vacuum heat insulating material V9 and the heater H1 which may be damaged are housed in the heat insulating partition device 16E. Therefore, if these are exposed in the chamber R, the possibility of damage increases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the lower case 161 and the upper case 162A cannot be removed until the heat insulating partition device 16E is removed from the refrigerator main body 10, so that the lower case 161 and the upper case 162A cannot be removed. By checking the inside of the heat insulating partition device 16E at the above location, the possibility of damaging the heater H1 and the vacuum heat insulating material V9 can be reduced.

As described above, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment includes a heat insulating partition device 16 that partitions the ice making chamber 40, the freezing chamber 50, and the upper switching chamber 60. The heat insulating partition device 16 includes a vacuum heat insulating material V9 and a case 160 for accommodating the vacuum heat insulating material V9. Ribs 161t and 162t are formed on the outer surface of the case 160 on the storage chamber side (see FIGS. 8 to 10). According to this, it is possible to suppress or prevent the case 160 from warping or wavy, and it is possible to stably support the vacuum heat insulating material V9 housed inside.

Further, in the present embodiment, ribs 161t and 162t are formed on both sides of the case 160 (see FIGS. 8 to 10). By forming the rib 161t on one surface (lower surface side) of the case 160, the heavy vacuum heat insulating material V9 can be stably supported. Further, by forming the rib 162t on the other surface (upper surface side) of the case 160 (by forming the water receiving portion by the rib 162t), the internal R can be kept open by keeping the door open. When dew condensation occurs, the dew condensation water can be held by the rib 162t. As a result, it is possible to suppress or prevent the dew condensation water from dripping on the floor and polluting the floor.

Further, by forming the grid-like ribs 161t and 162t in the case 160, it is possible to direct the cold air protruding from the discharge port 73c, and it is possible to suppress the short cut from the discharge port 73c and return to the return port 73d. ..

Further, in the present embodiment, the ribs 161t and 162t are formed in a grid pattern (see FIGS. 8 and 9). According to this, the reliability can be improved (the surface strength can be improved) as compared with the case where the rib is formed in one direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case 160 includes a lower case 161 and an upper case 162 that closes the lower case 161. The side surface portion 162a of the upper case 162 is located outside the side surface portion 161a of the lower case 161 (see FIG. 10). According to this, when the upper case 162 is put on the lower case 161, the side surface portion 162a does not come into contact with the vacuum heat insulating material V9, so that the vacuum heat insulating material V9 can be prevented from being damaged. Further, even if a liquid such as water leaks to the upper surface of the case 160, it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the case 160.

Further, in the present embodiment, the case 160 is formed with a rib 161u formed along the outer peripheral edge portion 161c inside the outer peripheral edge portion 161c. According to this, it is possible to position the seal material 165 when it is attached, improve the attachment work of the seal material 165, and make the attachment state of the seal material 165 uniform.

Further, in the present embodiment, the ribs 161t and 162t are formed at least near the center of the case 160 (lower case 161 and upper case 162) (see FIG. 12). According to this, by forming the ribs 161t and 162t in the vicinity of the center where the warp is most likely to occur, the warp of the case 160 can be effectively suppressed in a smaller area.

Further, in the present embodiment, the width W of the ribs 161t and 162t is 1/2 or less and 1/4 or more of the plate thickness T of the case 160 (lower case 161 and upper case 162) (see FIG. 11). According to this, it is possible to suppress sink marks that occur when the case 160 (lower case 161 and upper case 162) is resin-molded with a mold, and it is possible to suppress the appearance (appearance) from being impaired.

Further, in the present embodiment, the heater H1 (H2, H4) is arranged in the case 160 (see FIG. 13). According to this, it is possible to prevent dew condensation from occurring in the case 160. Further, when the ribs 161t and 161u are formed in the lower case 161 and the heater H1 is arranged, the surface area is increased by the ribs 161t and 161u of the lower case 161. It can be suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, a groove 161v in which the heater H1 is housed is formed in the bottom surface portion 161s of the lower case 161 (case 160) (see FIG. 15). According to this, when the vacuum heat insulating material is stored in the lower case 161, a space (gap) is not formed between the vacuum heat insulating material and the heater wire 166, so that the internal volume of the case 160 can be effectively used. .. Further, the space S2 formed around the heater wire 166 can be used as an air heat insulating layer, and the heat insulating property as the heat insulating partition device 16 can be improved. Further, by forming the groove 161v in the lower case 161 the downward protrusion V of the groove 161v can be used as a rib, and the strength of the lower case 161 can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the heater H1 (heater wire 166) is covered with an aluminum sheet 167 (see FIG. 14). According to this, the heat of the heater H1 can be transferred to the case 160 by the aluminum sheet 167 (the heat exchange rate can be increased), and the dew condensation in the heat insulating partition device 16 can be effectively suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the housings of the connectors 170 and 171 connected to the electric wires extending from the heater H1 are fixed to the case 160 (see FIGS. 16 and 17). This eliminates the need for wiring work of electric wires and storage work of connection portions, and can reduce manufacturing costs.

For example, the connection terminal 170a of the connector 170 is connected so as to face the back surface of the refrigerator (see FIG. 16). According to this, the heat insulating partition device 16 can be connected only by sliding it in the front-rear direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, the connection terminal 171a of the connector 171 is connected so as to face up and down in the refrigerator (see FIG. 17). According to this, since the connection terminal 171a faces downward, it is possible to prevent the connection terminal 171a from coming into contact with a liquid such as water.

Further, in the present embodiment, the heat insulating partition device 16 is integrally formed with a rail member 180 that slidably supports the drawer-type storage case (see FIGS. 18A and 18B). According to this, the processing cost can be reduced and the assembly work can be simplified.

Further, in the present embodiment, the heat insulating partition wall 15 that vertically partitions the refrigerating chamber 30, the ice making chamber 40, and the freezing chamber 50 (freezer), and the heat insulating partition wall 15 and the heat insulating partition device 16 are arranged on the left and right sides. The ice making chamber 40 (left side storage chamber) and the freezing chamber 50 (right side storage chamber), and a partition member 18 for partitioning the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 are provided. The partition member 18 is removable with respect to the heat insulating partition wall 15 (see FIG. 20). According to this, by making the partition member 18 removable from the heat insulating partition wall 15, the heat insulating partition device 16 can be mounted from above, and the mounting workability can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the heat insulating partition wall 15 that vertically partitions the refrigerating chamber 30, the ice making chamber 40, and the freezing chamber 50 (freezer), and the heat insulating partition wall 15 and the heat insulating partition device 16 are arranged on the left and right sides. The ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 are integrally formed with the heat insulating partition wall 15, and the partition member 18 for partitioning the ice making chamber 40 and the freezing chamber 50 is provided. The heat insulating partition device 16 includes a heat insulating partition device 16C constituting the bottom surface side of the ice making chamber 40 and a heat insulating partition device 16D constituting the bottom surface side of the freezing chamber 50 (see FIG. 21). According to this, the heat insulating partition device 16 can be mounted from above, and the mounting workability can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, a fixing member 200 is provided in which the heat insulating partition device 16 is fitted and fixed in front of the inside of the refrigerator. The heat insulating partition device 16 includes a screw 191 (fixing portion) for fixing the lower case 161 and the upper case 162. When the heat insulating partition device 16 is fixed to the fixing member 200, the screws 191 are arranged at positions that cannot be visually recognized from the outside (see FIG. 23). According to this, the vacuum heat insulating material V9 and the heater H1 in the heat insulating partition device 16 cannot be accessed until the entire heat insulating partition device 16 is removed, so that there is a risk that the vacuum heat insulating material V9 and the heater H1 will be damaged. Can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, it has an upper switching chamber 60 and a lower switching chamber 70 (a plurality of switching chambers) that can switch from the refrigerating temperature zone to the freezing temperature zone. The upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70 each have a configuration in which indirect cooling is performed when the cooling temperature zone is set, and direct cooling is performed when the cooling temperature zone is set (see FIGS. 3 to 7). .. According to this, the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70 can be stably set in different temperature zones by the heat insulating partitioning devices 16 and 17.

Although the present embodiment has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present embodiment is not limited to the above contents and includes various modifications. For example, when the heat insulating partition devices 16 and 17 are attached from below, a rib for positioning and attaching the sealing material 165 can be formed on the upper surface of the heat insulating partition devices 16 and 17.

Further, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 capable of switching the temperature zone between the refrigerating temperature zone and the freezing temperature zone such as the upper switching chamber 60 and the lower switching chamber 70 has been described as an example. May be applied to refrigerators with storage rooms that cannot be switched.

1 Refrigerator 10 Refrigerator body 11 Inner box 12 Outer box 15 Insulation partition wall 16, 16A, 16B, 17 Insulation partition device 16C Insulation partition device (left heat insulation partition device)
16D heat insulation partition device (right side heat insulation partition device)
18 Partition member 30 Refrigerator room 40 Ice making room (storage room, left storage room)
50 Freezing room (storage room, right storage room)
60 Upper switching room (storage room)
70 Lower switching room (storage room)
80A Cooler 90 Blower fan 100 Cooler storage space 160 Case 161 Lower case (inner case)
161a Side surface 161c Outer peripheral edge 161s Bottom surface 161t Rib 161u Rib (Outer rib)
161v groove 161w flat surface 162 upper case (outer case)
162a Side part 162s Top part 162t Rib 165 Sealing material 170,171 Connector 170a, 171a Connection terminal 180,190 Rail member 191 Screw (fixing part)
200 Fixing member H1, H2, H5 Heater R Inside V9, V10 Vacuum heat insulating material

Claims (19)

Equipped with a heat insulating partition device that divides into multiple storage rooms lined up and down
The heat insulating partition device is
Vacuum heat insulating material and
With a case for storing the vacuum heat insulating material,
The case is
The inner surface faces the vacuum heat insulating material,
A refrigerator characterized in that ribs for suppressing dew condensation are formed on the outer surface of the storage chamber, which is the ceiling surface . The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ribs are formed on both sides of the case. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ribs are formed in a grid pattern. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the case is formed with an outer peripheral rib formed along the outer peripheral edge portion inside the outer peripheral edge portion. .. The case comprises an inner case and an outer case that closes the inner case.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the side surface of the outer case is located outside the side surface of the inner case. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rib is formed at least in the vicinity of the center of the case. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the width of the rib is 1/2 or less and 1/4 or more of the plate thickness of the case. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a heater is arranged in the case. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a groove for accommodating a heater is formed in the case. The refrigerator according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the heater is covered with an aluminum sheet. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein a housing of a connector connected to an electric wire extending from the heater is fixed to the case. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the connection terminal of the connector is connected so as to face the back surface of the refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the connection terminal of the connector is connected so as to face up and down in the refrigerator. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the heat insulating partition device is integrally formed with a rail member that slidably supports a drawer-type storage case. A heat insulating partition wall that divides the refrigerator compartment and the freezer up and down,
The left side storage chamber and the right side storage chamber arranged on the left and right between the heat insulating partition wall and the heat insulating partition device,
A partition member for partitioning the left storage chamber and the right storage chamber is provided.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the partition member is removable with respect to the heat insulating partition wall. A heat insulating partition wall that divides the refrigerator compartment and the freezer up and down,
The left side storage chamber and the right side storage chamber arranged on the left and right between the heat insulating partition wall and the heat insulating partition device,
A partition member formed integrally with the heat insulating partition wall and partitioning the left side storage chamber and the right side storage chamber is provided.
The first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the heat insulating partition device includes a left heat insulating partition device constituting the bottom surface side of the left storage chamber and a right heat insulating partition device constituting the bottom surface side of the right storage chamber. Item 12. The refrigerator according to any one of Item 14. A fixing member for fitting and fixing the heat insulating partition device in front of the refrigerator is provided.
The heat insulating partition device includes a fixing portion for fixing the inner case and the outer case.
The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein when the heat insulating partition device is fixed to the fixing member, the fixing portion is arranged at a position that cannot be visually recognized from the outside. It has multiple switching rooms that can be switched from the refrigerated temperature zone to the freezing temperature zone.
17. The refrigerator according to any one item. It is a heat insulating partition device that divides the refrigerator into multiple storage rooms arranged one above the other.
Vacuum heat insulating material and
With a case for storing the vacuum heat insulating material,
The case is
The inner surface faces the vacuum heat insulating material,
A heat insulating partitioning device characterized in that a rib for suppressing dew condensation is formed on an outer surface serving as a ceiling surface of the storage chamber .

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