JP7481163B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator.

There is a known refrigerator in which the control board that constitutes the refrigerator's control device is attached to a board storage section that is recessed into the thermal insulation space on the back or top of the refrigerator body (see Patent Document 1 below).

In such refrigerators, it is necessary to ensure insulation between the circuit board storage section and the storage compartment to prevent condensation from forming inside the circuit board storage section, and this can result in protrusions on the back and top of the storage compartment that correspond to the circuit board storage section, which can mar the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the storage compartment.

JP 2013-80610 A

The embodiment of the present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a refrigerator that can secure space for a board storage section that stores a control board without compromising the insulation performance or the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the storage compartment.

A refrigerator in one embodiment includes a refrigerator main body including an inner box having a storage chamber therein that opens forward, an outer box arranged on the outside of the inner box, and a heat insulating material stored in a heat insulating space provided between the inner box and the outer box, a board storage section that is provided in a concave shape that recesses forward from an upper end of a back surface of the refrigerator main body, and a refrigerator control board provided inside the board storage section, wherein the back surface of the inner box includes an inner box inclined surface that slopes forward as it goes upward at an upper end, the board storage section includes a storage section bottom surface that faces the inner box inclined surface in the front-to-rear direction, the storage section bottom surface includes a board mounting surface that slopes forward as it goes upward, and a component mounting surface provided above the board mounting surface along the vertical direction, the control board is attached to the board mounting surface, electrical components connected to the control board are attached to the component mounting surface, and the board mounting section is longer in the vertical direction than the component mounting surface.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Front view of a refrigerator without the door AA cross-sectional view of FIG. Perspective view of rear wall panel Rear view of rear wall panel Enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1 Exploded perspective view of the top of the refrigerator seen from the rear Rear view of the top of the refrigerator without the cover Enlarged view of the main part of Figure 2 Enlarged view of the main part of FIG. Enlarged view of the main part of FIG.

The following describes a refrigerator 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is merely an example, and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto. Various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made to the following embodiment without departing from the gist of the invention. The following embodiment and its variations are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

In the following description, the left-right, front-back, and up-down directions refer to the directions when the refrigerator is viewed from the front, and the left-right direction corresponds to the width direction of the refrigerator. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the terms right, left, top, bottom, back, rear, and front refer to the position or side when the refrigerator is viewed from the front. Furthermore, the side of the inner box 4 of the refrigerator 1 that faces the storage compartment is the inside side, and the side facing the outer box 3 through the insulation material is the insulated space side.

(1) Configuration of refrigerator 1 The configuration of refrigerator 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, refrigerator 1 includes refrigerator body 2 that opens at the front. Refrigerator body 2 includes outer box 3 made of steel plate and inner box 4 made of synthetic resin, and an insulating space 5 for storing insulating material such as foam insulating material or vacuum insulating panel is formed between outer box 3 and inner box 4. Refrigerator body 2 includes multiple storage compartments inside inner box 4. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, a refrigerator compartment 6 and a vegetable compartment 7 are provided in this order from the top, and a freezer compartment 10 is provided below them.

The refrigerator compartment 6 and vegetable compartment 7 are storage compartments that are cooled to a refrigeration temperature range (e.g., 1 to 4°C) based on the temperature detected by a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36 installed on the rear surface of the compartment. The refrigerator compartment 6 and vegetable compartment 7 are separated from each other by a partition plate 11 made of synthetic resin, and air from the refrigerator compartment 6 flows into the vegetable compartment 7 through a communication hole 17 installed at the rear end of the partition plate 11. A pivoting insulated door 6a supported by a hinge is installed at the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 6.

The rear surface of the refrigerator compartment 6 is partitioned by a rear wall member 40 that is provided in front of the inner box back surface 4e with a space in between. Between the rear wall member 40 and the inner box back surface 4e, a first flow path section 24b and a second flow path section 24c that constitute a part of the refrigerator side flow path 24 through which the cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 6 flows are formed. In addition, the rear wall member 40 is provided with an operation panel 39 that allows the user to perform various settings such as temperature settings for the refrigerator compartment 6 and the freezer compartment 10, and a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36 that detects the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 6.

The interior space of the refrigerator compartment 6 is provided with multiple shelves 12 spaced apart vertically. The space partitioned vertically by the partition plate 11 and the lowest shelf 12a forms a lower storage chamber 6b for storing pull-out containers such as a water tank 30 and a storage container 14, and the space partitioned above the lowest shelf 12a forms an upper storage chamber 6c in which shelves 12 are provided.

The lower storage compartment 6b is divided in the width direction of the refrigerator by a vertical partition wall 13 arranged against one side wall (left side wall) of the refrigerator compartment 6 (see FIG. 3). A water supply tank 30 and a water supply device 31 are provided in the space between the left side wall of the refrigerator compartment 6 and the vertical partition wall 13. The water supply tank 30 is a pull-out container that is stored at a predetermined position in the front-rear direction by a positioning portion (not shown) provided on the partition plate 11.

A drawer-type storage container 14 is stored in the space between the vertical partition wall 13 and the other side wall (right side wall) of the refrigerator compartment 6. The vertical partition wall 13 is positioned so as to be hidden behind the front part of the storage container 14 as shown in FIG. 3.

In the lower storage chamber 6b, the rear wall member 40 and the housing case 38 (described later) located at the rear of the lower storage chamber 6b are covered from the front by the water tank 30 and the storage container 14.

The upper storage compartment 6c is the storage compartment located at the top of the refrigerator 1, and when no stored goods are stored in it, the rear wall panel 41 of the rear wall member 40 located at the rear of the upper storage compartment 6c is exposed and visible from the front.

The bottom shelf 12a may be fixed to the left and right side surfaces 4a, 4b of the inner box 4, or may be removably attached to the left and right side surfaces 4a, 4b of the inner box 4.

The ceiling wall of the refrigerator body 2, which forms the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 6, is formed with a lighting storage recess 8 that recesses upward (towards the insulated space) from the inside of the compartment, and a lighting device 80 that illuminates the inside of the refrigerator compartment 6 is stored in the lighting storage recess 8.

A pull-out insulated door 7a is provided at the front opening of the vegetable compartment 7. A storage container 15 that constitutes a storage container is connected to the back of this insulated door 7a, and the storage container 15 is configured to be pulled out of the compartment when the door is opened.

The freezer compartment 10 is a storage compartment that is cooled to a freezing temperature range (e.g., -10 to -20°C) based on the temperature detected by a freezer compartment temperature sensor 37 installed on the rear side. The vegetable compartment 7 and the freezer compartment 10 are separated from each other by an insulated partition wall 16 with insulating material installed inside. A pull-out insulated door 10a is installed at the front opening of the freezer compartment 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the freezer compartment 10 has three storage containers arranged vertically, the lower container 100, the middle container 101, and the upper container 102. The lower container 100 is connected to the rear of the insulated door 10a, and is configured so that the lower container 100 and the middle container 101, which is supported on the upper surface of the lower container 100, are pulled out of the freezer when the door is opened.

An ice-making device 105 including an ice tray and ice-release mechanism is provided above the upper container 102, and ice made by the ice-making device 105 falls into the upper container 102 and is stored there. The ice-making device 105, together with a water supply tank 30 and a water supply device 31 provided in the refrigerator compartment 6, constitutes an automatic ice-making device, and water from the water supply tank 30 sucked up by the water supply device 31 is supplied to the ice tray.

At the back of the freezer compartment 10, there is a cooler 21 that generates cold air to cool the storage compartments 6, 7, and 10, and a cooler compartment 23 that houses a cooler fan 22. The cooler compartment 23 is connected to a refrigeration side flow path 24 that supplies the cold air generated by the cooler 21 to the refrigerator compartment 6, a freezer side flow path 26 that supplies the cold air generated by the cooler 21 to the freezer compartment 10, and a return duct 19 that returns the air that has flowed through each storage compartment 6, 7, and 10 to the cooler compartment 23. A refrigeration damper 25 is provided at the connection between the cooler compartment 23 and the refrigeration side flow path 24, and a freezer damper 27 is provided at the connection between the cooler compartment 23 and the freezer side flow path 26.

The refrigeration side flow path 24 is formed by connecting, in order from below, the vegetable compartment flow path 24a provided on the rear surface of the vegetable compartment 7, and the first flow path section 24b and the second flow path section 24c provided at the rear of the refrigerator compartment 6.

The vegetable compartment flow path 24a is positioned such that its widthwise center is shifted toward one widthwise side (the right side in this embodiment) from the widthwise center of the vegetable compartment 7. The vegetable compartment flow path 24a widens in width as it moves upward from the refrigeration damper 25 and is connected to the lower end of the first flow path section 24b.

The first flow path section 24b extends upward from the lower end of the lower storage chamber 6b, extends to a position above the lowest shelf 12a, and is provided at the rear of the lower storage chamber 6b and at the rear of the lower part of the upper storage chamber 6c. The first flow path section 24b is positioned such that its widthwise center is shifted toward one widthwise side (the right side in this embodiment) from the widthwise center of the refrigerator chamber 6.

The upper end of the first flow path section 24b is connected to the second flow path section 24c via an inclined section 24d that is inclined diagonally inward in the width direction (to the left in this embodiment) with respect to the vertical direction. The second flow path section 24c is positioned such that its width direction center is closer to the width direction center of the refrigerator compartment 6 than the width direction center of the first flow path section 24b.

An outlet 18b that opens into the lower storage chamber 6b is provided on the front surface of the first flow path section 24b, and an outlet 18c that opens into the upper storage chamber 6c is provided on the front surface of the second flow path section 24c.

The cooler 21 forms a refrigeration cycle together with a compressor 29 and a condenser housed in a machine chamber 28 formed in the lower back of the refrigerator body 2, and is cooled by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 29. The cooler 21 cools the air in the cooler chamber 23 to generate cold air for cooling each of the storage chambers 6, 7, and 10.

As shown in Figures 6 to 8, a circuit board storage section 60 that recesses forward is provided at the upper rear portion of the refrigerator body 2, and a control board 70 that controls the refrigerator 1 and electrical components 71 such as a reactor are provided inside the circuit board storage section 60.

The control board 70 controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 1 by controlling the opening and closing of the refrigeration damper 25 and the freezing damper 27, the rotation speed of the cooler fan 22, and the operating frequency of the compressor 29 based on detection signals input from the various sensors 36, 37 and the operation panel 39 and a control program pre-stored in memory.

In a refrigerator 1 configured in this way, the rotation of the cooler fan 22 and the opening and closing of the refrigeration damper 25 and freezer damper 27 are controlled to supply the cold air generated by the cooler 21 to the refrigerator compartment 6, vegetable compartment 7, and freezer compartment 10 in a switched manner, thereby cooling each of the storage compartments 6, 7, and 10 so that the temperatures detected by the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36 and freezer compartment temperature sensor 37 satisfy the specified temperature conditions.

Specifically, when cooling the refrigerator compartment 6 and the vegetable compartment 7, the compressor 29 is driven to lower the temperature of the cooler 21, while the refrigerator damper 25 is opened and the freezer damper 27 is closed, and the cooler fan 22 is driven. As a result, the air cooled by the cooler 21 flows upward through the vegetable compartment flow path 24a, the first flow path section 24b, the inclined section 24d, and the second flow path section 24c, and is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 6 through the air outlets 18b and 18c, cooling the refrigerator compartment 6. The air that has flowed through the refrigerator compartment 6 flows into the vegetable compartment 7 through the communication hole 17 provided in the partition plate 11, cools the inside of the vegetable compartment 7, and is then taken into the return duct 19 through the suction port 19a provided on the back of the vegetable compartment 7, returns to the cooler compartment 23, and is cooled again by heat exchange with the cooler 21.

When cooling the freezer compartment 10, the compressor 29 is driven to lower the temperature of the cooler 21, while the freezer damper 27 is opened and the refrigeration damper 25 is closed, and the cooler fan 22 is driven. As a result, the air cooled by the cooler 21 passes through the freezer side flow path 26 and is supplied to the freezer compartment 10 from the outlet 34, cooling the freezer compartment 10. The air that flows through the freezer compartment 10 is taken into the return duct 19 from the suction port 19b provided on the back of the freezer compartment 10, returns to the cooler compartment 23, and is cooled again by heat exchange with the cooler 21.

(2) Refrigerator body 2
Next, the configuration of the refrigerator body 2 will be described.

The inner box 4 is made of a synthetic resin molded body integrally formed by a vacuum molding machine, and has a box-like shape with an open front and an inner box left side 4a, inner box right side 4b, inner box top surface 4c, inner box bottom surface 4d, and inner box back surface 4e.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the portion of the inner box back surface 4e located behind the refrigerator compartment 6 is composed of a surface that is increasingly inclined in the vertical direction the further upward it goes. In this embodiment, the inner box back surface 4e has an inner box vertical surface 4e1 that extends parallel to the vertical direction from the lower end of the refrigerator compartment 6, an inner box inclined surface 4e2 that is provided above the inner box vertical surface 4e1 and inclined forward the further upward it goes, and an inner box connecting surface 4e3 that smoothly connects the inner box vertical surface 4e1 and the inner box inclined surface 4e2.

Note that the surface with a greater inclination in the vertical direction the further upward it is is not limited to a surface connecting an inner box vertical surface and one inner box inclined surface as described above, but may be, for example, a surface in which an inner box vertical surface and multiple inner box inclined surfaces with different inclinations in the vertical direction are lined up and connected so that the inclination in the vertical direction becomes greater the further upward it is, a surface in which multiple inner box inclined surfaces with different inclinations in the vertical direction are lined up and connected so that the inclination in the vertical direction becomes greater the further upward it is, without providing an inner box vertical surface, or a surface that gradually curves so that the inclination in the vertical direction becomes greater the further upward it is. In addition, in the above embodiment, the inner box vertical surface and the inner box inclined surface are smoothly connected via the inner box connecting surface, but the inner box vertical surface and the inner box inclined surface may be directly connected without the inner box inclined surface, or inclined surfaces with different inclinations in the vertical direction may be directly connected without the connecting surface.

The inner box left side surface 4a, inner box right side surface 4b, and inner box top surface 4c that define the upper storage chamber 6c are connected to the inner box back surface 4e via the connecting portion 4f. In this embodiment, the inner box left side surface 4a, inner box right side surface 4b, and inner box top surface 4c that define the upper storage chamber 6c are front extension surfaces that extend forward from the left and right side ends and the top end of the inner box back surface 4e via the connecting portion 4f.

As shown in Figures 3, 6, 10, and 11, the connecting portion 4f includes a step portion 4g connected to the rear ends of the front extension surfaces 4a, 4b, and 4c, and a recess forming portion 4h provided at the rear end of the step portion 4g, and together with the inner box back surface 4e, forms a stepped recess at the back of the inner box 4.

The step portion 4g has a curved surface 4g1 connected to the rear ends of the front extension surfaces 4a, 4b, and 4c, and a flat surface 4g2 extending rearward from the rear end of the curved surface 4g1. The curved surface 4g1 is a curved surface that bulges rearward toward the inside of the upper storage chamber 6c as it goes rearward. The curved surface 4g1 has a common tangent at the connection point with the front extension surfaces 4a, 4b, and 4c, and is smoothly connected to the front extension surfaces 4a, 4b, and 4c. The flat surface 4g2 is a flat surface that extends tangentially from the rear end of the curved surface 4g1, and the concave forming portion 4h is connected to its rear end.

The recessed portion 4h includes a rear extension portion 4h1 that bends rearward from the rear end of the flat surface 4g2 and extends rearward, and an inclined portion 4h2 that slopes inward in the width direction as it moves rearward from the rear end of the rear extension portion 4h1.

In addition, as shown in Figures 3 and 11, the recessed portion 4h is provided with a plurality of spaced apart inner box engagement portions 4i that engage with the locking pieces 50 provided on the rear peripheral edge of the rear wall plate 41 of the rear wall member 40.

In this embodiment, the length of the recessed portion 4h in the front-to-rear direction is shorter than the length of the step portion 4g in the front-to-rear direction. In addition, the angle θh of the inclined portion 4h2 of the recessed portion 4h relative to the front-to-rear direction is smaller than the angle θg of the plane 4g2 of the step portion 4g relative to the front-to-rear direction, and the inclined portion 4h2 extends in the front-to-rear direction beyond the plane 4g2 (see FIG. 10).

The outer box 3 made of steel plate that constitutes the outer shell of the refrigerator body 2 is box-shaped with an opening at the front, and has an outer box left side 3a, outer box right side 3b, outer box top side 3c, outer box bottom side 3d, and outer box back side 3e that face the inner box left side 4a, inner box right side 4b, inner box top side 4c, inner box bottom side 4d, and inner box back side 4e of the inner box 4, respectively. The outer box left side 3a, outer box right side 3b, and outer box top side 3c are formed by bending a single long steel plate into an approximately U-shape. The outer box bottom side 3d and outer box back side 3e are members provided separately from the outer box left side 3a, outer box right side 3b, and outer box top side 3c. A step portion is bent and formed on the outer box bottom side 3d to form the machine room 28.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a pair of left and right handles 35 are provided at the left and right upper ends of the outer box back surface 3e. Each of the left and right handles 35 has a hollowed-out portion 35a that is recessed forward from the outer box back surface 3e, and a gripping portion 35b that forms an upper opening that communicates with the hollowed-out portion 35a. In rear view as shown in Figure 8, the hollowed-out portion 35a has a recessed relief portion 35c that is recessed outward in the width direction at a lower corner on the inner side in the width direction of the refrigerator 1. Also, at the upper end of the outer box back surface 3e,
Between the left and right handles 35, a board storage section 60 for storing a control board 70 and electrical components 71 is provided.

(3) Substrate storage section 60
The configuration of the substrate storage section 60 will now be described with reference mainly to Figures 6 to 8. The substrate storage section 60 is shaped like a flat dish in the front-to-rear direction and opens to the rear. The substrate storage section 60 is disposed behind the inner box inclined surface 4e2 such that a storage section bottom surface 61 constituting the bottom surface of the substrate storage section 60 faces the inner box inclined surface 4e2 in the front-to-rear direction with a heat insulating material interposed therebetween.

Specifically, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the storage section bottom surface 61 has a board mounting surface 61a that is generally rectangular in rear view provided on the lower side, and a component mounting surface 61b provided above the board mounting surface 61a. The component mounting surface 61b is provided between the pair of left and right handle portions 35 so as to overlap with the pair of left and right handle portions 35 in the left-right direction, and is shaped so that it becomes narrower as it goes upward.

As shown in FIG. 6, the board storage section 60 is provided on the rear surface 3e of the outer box so that the lower end of the storage section bottom surface 61 (the lower end of the board mounting surface 61a) is located above the lower end of the inner box inclined surface 4e2 (the connection point with the inner box connecting surface 4e3).

The board mounting surface 61a constitutes a storage section inclined surface that inclines in the upward direction, similar to the inner box inclined surface 4e2 located in front of it. The component mounting surface 61b constitutes an extension surface that extends parallel to the up-down direction from the upper end of the board mounting surface 61a, and is located forward of the board mounting surface 61a.

In this embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the board mounting surface 61a in the vertical direction is set to be smaller than the inclination angle θ2 of the inner box inclined surface 4e2 in the vertical direction. Note that the inclination angle θ1 of the board mounting surface 61a is not limited to being set smaller than the inclination angle θ2 of the inner box inclined surface 4e2, and may be the same as the inclination angle θ2 of the inner box inclined surface 4e2, or may be larger than the inclination angle θ2 of the inner box inclined surface 4e2.

In addition, in this embodiment, the board storage section 60 is provided on the rear surface 3e of the outer box so that the entire board mounting surface 61a faces the inner box inclined surface 4e2 in the front-rear direction, and the upper portion of the component mounting surface 61b faces the connecting portion 4f of the inner box 4 in the front-rear direction.

The control board 70 is attached to the board mounting surface 61a so that the surface of the printed circuit board 70a is parallel to the board mounting surface 61a. In other words, the control board 70 is provided in the refrigerator body 2 with an inclination such that the printed circuit board 70a is tilted forward as it goes upward.

As shown in FIG. 8, an electrical component 71 is attached to the component mounting surface 61b, and a first insertion hole 62 and a second insertion hole 63 are provided on either side of the electrical component 71 in the width direction.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, when the board storage section 60 contains the control board 70 and electrical components 71 inside, the rear opening is covered by a lid 64. The lid 64 is fixed to the rear surface 3e of the outer box by fasteners 65 such as screws. When fixed to the rear surface 3e of the outer box in this manner, the lid 64 is located forward of the rear end of the gripping portion 35b of the handle 35.

(4) Control Board 70 and Electrical Components 71
Next, the configurations of the control board 70 and the electrical components 71 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS.

The control board 70 has a microcomputer that controls the refrigerator 1, a memory that stores the control program, etc., and a number of mounted components 72, such as a smoothing capacitor that constitutes part of the rectifier circuit, mounted on the printed circuit board 70a, and is connected to electrical components 71 attached to the component mounting surface 61b.

Of the components 72 mounted on the control board 70, the component 72a that protrudes the greatest from the printed circuit board 70a (hereinafter, this component may be referred to as the "tall component") is mounted at a position away from the center of the printed circuit board 70a toward one of the periphery edges.

Such a control board 70 is attached to the board mounting surface 61a so that the tall component 72a is located above the vertical center of the printed circuit board 70a. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, at least a portion of the tall component 72a is mounted on the printed circuit board 70a so as to be located below the electrical component 71 attached to the component mounting surface 61b.

The electrical component 71 is one or more components connected to the control board 70, such as a reactor or an additional board provided separately from the control board 70. As shown in FIG. 6, the reactor constituting the electrical component 71 has a size in the front-to-rear direction when attached to the component attachment surface 61b that is greater than the height (protruding height) from the printed circuit board 70a to the tip of the tall component 72a.

A power supply line 73 through which power is supplied from an external source is connected to the control board 70, and a first board lead wire 74a and a second board lead wire 74b are connected to the control board 70. The first board lead wire 74a and the second board lead wire 74b have one or more conductors used for supplying power and communicating signals to sensors and electrical devices installed in the refrigerator 1.

The first board lead wire 74a is connected to the equipment leads 75a, 75b, 75c, and 75d that are connected to the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36, freezer compartment temperature sensor 37, cooler fan 22, refrigerator damper 25, freezer damper 27, operation panel 39, and lighting device 80, and supplies power to these sensors and electrical equipment and transmits and receives signals.

The first board lead wire 74a passes through the first insertion hole 62 provided on the component mounting surface 61b, enters the insulation space 5 of the refrigerator body 2 from the board storage section 60, passes through one of the left and right sides (e.g. the left side) of the rear of the insulation space 5, and is pulled out to the housing case 38, where it is connected to the device lead wires 75a, 75b, 75c, and 75d via connectors inside the housing case 38.

The second board lead wire 74b passes through the second insertion hole 63 provided in the component mounting surface 61b, enters the insulated space 5 of the refrigerator body 2 from the board storage section 60, passes through the insulated space 5, and is pulled out to the machine room 28 and connected to the compressor 29. After entering the insulated space 5 through the second insertion hole 63, the second board lead wire 74b is preferably wired to the machine room 28 through the other left or right side of the rear of the insulated space 5, avoiding one of the left or right sides of the rear of the insulated space 5 where the first board lead wire 74a is wired.

(5) Rear wall member 40
As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the rear wall member 40 provided at the rear part of the refrigeration chamber 6 includes a rear wall panel 41 constituting its front portion, a flow path forming member 42 attached to the back surface of the rear wall panel 41, and protrusions 52a, 52b protruding rearward from the back surface of the rear wall panel 41.

The rear wall panel 41 is a plate-like body that defines the rear surface of the upper storage chamber 6c, and its front surface is configured with a surface that is increasingly inclined in the vertical direction the further upward it goes.

Specifically, the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 has a vertical surface 41a that extends vertically in parallel from the bottom end of the refrigerator compartment 6, an inclined surface 41b that is provided above the vertical surface 41a and inclines forward as it goes upward, and a connecting surface 41c that smoothly connects the vertical surface 41a and the inclined surface 41b.

In other words, the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 is composed of vertical surfaces 41a and inclined surfaces 41b, which have different inclinations relative to the vertical direction, arranged vertically so that the inclination relative to the vertical direction increases the higher they go, and are connected via connecting surfaces 41c.

Note that the surface with a greater inclination in the vertical direction the higher it goes is not limited to a surface connecting a vertical surface and one inclined surface as described above, but may be, for example, a surface in which a vertical surface and multiple inclined surfaces with different inclinations in the vertical direction are lined up and connected so that the inclination in the vertical direction increases the higher it goes, a surface in which multiple inclined surfaces with different inclinations in the vertical direction are lined up and connected so that the inclination in the vertical direction increases the higher it goes without a vertical surface, or a surface that gradually curves so that the inclination in the vertical direction increases the higher it goes. In addition, in the above embodiment, the vertical surface and the inclined surface are smoothly connected via a connecting surface, but the vertical surface and the inclined surface may be directly connected, or inclined surfaces with different inclinations in the vertical direction may be directly connected without a connecting surface.

In addition, it is preferable that the vertical surface 41a, the inclined surface 41b, and the connecting surface 41c constituting the rear wall panel 41 are arranged parallel to the inner box vertical surface 4e1, the inner box inclined surface 4e2, and the inner box connecting surface 4e3 provided on the inner box back surface 4e, so as to maintain a certain distance in the front-to-rear direction.

The vertical surface 41a and the inclined surface 41b are flat surfaces with no unevenness in the width direction, and the connecting surface 41c is a curved surface with no unevenness in the width direction. Here, a flat surface with no unevenness in the width direction and a curved surface with no unevenness in the width direction refer to a surface in which the front and back surfaces of the rear wall panel 41 do not protrude or recess in the front-to-rear direction without changing the actual thickness of the rear wall panel 41, and also includes a surface in which the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 is uneven so that the thickness of the rear wall panel 41 changes, and a mark or pattern is provided on the front surface of the rear wall panel 41.

Of the planes that define the rear surface of the upper storage chamber 6c on the rear wall panel 41, the uppermost plane is longer in the vertical direction than the other planes. In this embodiment, the portion of the vertical surface 41a that is located above the lowest shelf panel 12a (hereinafter, this portion may be referred to as the "upper vertical surface") 41a1 and the inclined surface 41b define the rear surface of the upper storage chamber 6c, and the vertical height h1 of the uppermost inclined surface 41b is longer than the vertical height h2 of the upper vertical surface 41a1.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the front corner 41d of the periphery of the rear wall panel 41 is chamfered to a greater extent by a curved or flat surface compared to the rear corner 41e.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the lower end of the rear wall panel 41 that defines the rear surface of the lower storage chamber 6b has cutouts 45a, 45b on both the left and right sides, leaving only a portion that covers the front surface of the flow path forming member 42. The water supply device 31 and the housing case 38 are disposed in the cutout 45a on one side, and a communication hole 17 that connects the refrigerator chamber 6 and the vegetable chamber 7 is provided below the other cutout 45b.

When such a rear wall panel 41 is attached to the rear of the refrigerator compartment 6 as shown in FIG. 2, it covers from the front the entire inner box back surface 4e and the recessed portion 4h provided on its outside in the upper storage compartment 6c, as well as a part of the step portion 4g provided on the outside of the recessed portion 4h.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 2, 3, 6, 10 and 11, the rear wall plate 41 is disposed at the back of the upper storage chamber 6c so that the left and right side edges of the rear wall plate 41 overlap the plane 4g2 of the step 4g in the left-right and front-to-rear directions, and the upper edge of the rear wall plate 41 overlaps the plane 4g2 of the step 4g in the up-down and front-to-rear directions. In other words, the rear wall plate 41 continues to the left and right sides and upward of the inner box back surface 4e, covering the recessed portion 4h side (rear side) of the step 4g of the inner box 4 from the front.

A flow path forming member 42, narrower than the rear wall plate 41, is attached to the back surface of the rear wall plate 41. The flow path forming member 42 is made of a heat insulating molded body formed by molding a heat insulating material such as foamed heat insulating material into a horizontal cross section that opens rearward into a roughly U-shape. The rear end surface 42a of the flow path forming member 42 abuts against the inner box back surface 4e via a sealing member such as soft tape (see Figure 3). As a result, the flow path forming member 42 forms the first flow path section 24b and the second flow path section 24c between the inner box back surface 4e and the flow path forming member 42.

The front surface of the first flow passage section 24b is provided with an outlet 18b that penetrates the front surface of the flow passage forming member 42 and the rear wall plate 41 and opens into the lower storage chamber 6b, and the front surface of the second flow passage section 24c is provided with an outlet 18c that penetrates the front surface of the flow passage forming member 42 and the rear wall plate 41 and opens into the upper storage chamber 6c. In this embodiment, the widthwise center portions of the outlets 18b and 18c are provided so as to be located at the widthwise center portion of the rear wall plate 41, and are provided at the widthwise center portions of the lower storage chamber 6b and the upper storage chamber 6c.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the rear wall panel 41 has an outer protrusion 51a, an inner protrusion 51b, a first protrusion 52a, and a second protrusion 52b on its rear surface.

The outer protrusion 51a protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the rear wall panel 41 on the outer side in the width direction of the flow path forming member 42, and engages with a retainer 51c (see FIG. 6) protruding forward from the inner box rear surface 4e, thereby fixing the rear wall panel 41 to the inner box rear surface 4e. The inner protrusion 51b protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the rear wall panel 41, penetrating the flow path forming member 42, and engages with a protrusion (not shown) protruding forward from the inner box rear surface 4e, thereby fixing the rear wall panel 41 to the inner box rear surface 4e with the flow path forming member 42 sandwiched between the inner box rear surface 4e and the inner box rear surface 4e.

When the rear wall member 40 is fixed to the inner box back surface 4e by the outer protrusions 51a and the inner protrusions 51b, the rear wall member 40 is disposed in the back of the refrigeration chamber 6 so that the peripheral portion of the rear wall plate 41 overlaps with the step portion 4g of the inner box 4 in the direction parallel to the front surface of the rear wall plate 41 and away from the peripheral portion of the rear wall plate 41 (hereinafter, this direction may be referred to as the "out-of-plane direction of the rear wall plate 41"). In this embodiment, the rear wall plate 41 is disposed in the back of the refrigeration chamber 6 so that the front left and right side edges of the rear wall plate 41 overlap with the step portion 4g of the inner box 4 in the width direction of the upper storage chamber 6c, and the front upper edge of the rear wall plate 41 overlaps with the step portion 4g of the inner box 4 in the vertical direction.

The first ridge 52a is provided along the rear peripheral edge of the rear wall panel 41 so as to face the recessed portion 4h of the inner box 4 at a predetermined distance when the rear wall member 40 is attached to the refrigerator compartment 6. The first ridge 52a is provided with a locking piece 50 at a position facing the inner box engaging portion 4i provided in the recessed portion 4h. When the locking piece 50 engages with the opposing inner box engaging portion 4i, the rear wall panel 41 is fixed to the inner box 4 so that the peripheral edge of the rear wall panel 41 overlaps with the flat surface 4g2 of the step portion 4g of the inner box 4 in the outward direction of the rear wall panel 41.

The second ridges 52b are provided along both sides of the width of the flow path forming member 42, and the upper ends of the second ridges 52b are connected to the first ridges 52a that extend in the width direction of the refrigerator along the upper edge of the rear wall panel 41. The second ridges 52b hold the flow path forming member 42 by engaging the protrusions 52b1 that protrude toward the flow path forming member 42 with the flow path forming member 42.

The plate thickness of the first protrusion 52a and the second protrusion 52b is set to be thinner than the plate thickness of the rear wall plate 41.

In addition to the protrusions 51a, 51b and ridges 52a, 52b, the rear surface of the rear wall panel 41 is provided with a claw portion 53 that holds the device lead wire 75a connected to the operation panel 39, a lead wire guide portion 54, and a sensor mounting portion 55 that fixes the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36 to the rear surface of the rear wall panel 41.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear wall panel 41 is provided with a rectangular through-hole 56 that is long in the left-right direction and that houses the operation panel 39, and a cold air intake window 57. The through-hole 56 is provided so as to penetrate the upper vertical surface 41a1 on the other widthwise side (the left side in this embodiment) of the first flow path section 24b, which is disposed on one side in the widthwise direction from the widthwise center of the refrigerator compartment 6.

(6) Operation panel 39 and refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36
4 and 5, a frame 58 protruding rearward is provided around the periphery of the through hole 56, and the operation panel 39 inserted into the through hole 56 is engaged with the frame 58. A hole 58a is provided on the lower side of the frame 58 for drawing out the device lead wires 75a connected to the operation panel 39 to the outside of the frame 58 on the back surface of the rear wall plate 41. The operation panel 39 is fixed in a state in which it is housed between the through hole 56 and the back surface 4e of the inner box located behind it, with the operation buttons and display unit facing forward. The operation panel 39 is disposed above the housing case 38 provided in the cutout portion 45a of the rear wall plate 41.

The device lead wire 75a connected to the operation panel 39 is pulled out below the operation panel 39 through the hole 58a in the frame 58 and wired along the back surface of the rear wall panel 41 to the housing case 38.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 9, the device lead wire 75a drawn downward from the hole 58a of the frame 58 is bent toward the center in the width direction (toward the first flow path 24b) at the claw portion 53 provided below the operation panel 39, and is wired along the lead wire guide portion 54. The lead wire guide portion 54 guides the device lead wire 75a to the insertion hole 52b2 provided in the second protrusion 52b while tilting it so that the device lead wire 75a is positioned higher the further it is from the operation panel 39 (the closer it is to the first flow path 24b in this embodiment).

The device lead wire 75a passes through the insertion hole 52b2 and enters the inside of the second ridge 52b (the flow path forming member 42 side), passes through the lead wire storage section 59 formed between the second ridge 52b and the flow path forming member 42, and is wired along the edge of the first flow path section 24b to the lower end of the lower storage chamber 6b. The device lead wire 75a is then drawn out below the housing case 38 through the lead-out hole 52b3 provided at the lower end of the second ridge 52b.

Above the through hole 56, a sensor mounting portion 55 is provided on the back surface of the rear wall panel 41, and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36 is fixed to the sensor mounting portion 55. In front of the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36, a cold air introduction window 57 is provided that penetrates the rear wall panel 41, allowing air in the upper storage chamber 6c to come into contact with the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36 through the cold air introduction window 47.

The device lead wire 75b connected to the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36, like the device lead wire 75a of the operation panel 39, passes through the insertion hole 52b4 provided in the second protrusion 52b, enters the inside of the second protrusion 52b, passes through the lead wire storage section 59, and is routed to the lower end of the lower storage chamber 6b, and is pulled out below the housing case 38 through the lead hole 52b3 together with the device lead wire 75a of the operation panel 39.

(7) Housing case 38
As shown in Figure 9, the housing case 38 consists of a box body having a case main body 38a with an opening on the front and a lid body 38b that closes the opening, and the device lead wires 75a, 75b enter the inside of the housing case 38 through a bottom hole 38a1 provided on the bottom surface of the case main body 38a.

In addition to the device leads 75a and 75b connected to the operation panel 39 and the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36, the device lead 75c connected to the freezer compartment temperature sensor 37, the cooler fan 22, the refrigerator damper 25, and the freezer damper 27, and the device lead 75d connected to the lighting device 80 enter the housing case 38 from the bottom hole 38a1.

A shielding plate 38b1 is provided in front of the bottom hole 38a1, protruding downward from the lower end of the lid 38b and toward the first flow path 24b. The shielding plate 38b1 covers from the front the device lead wires 75a, 75b, 75c, and 75d that enter the bottom hole 38a1 from below the housing case 38.

The rear surface of the case body 38a is provided with a rear hole 38a2 that communicates with a hole provided in the rear surface 4e of the inner box and opens into the insulating space 5, and the first board lead wire 74a extending from the control board 70 passes through the rear hole 38a2 and enters the inside of the housing case 38.

The first board lead wire 74a, which enters the housing case 38 from the rear hole 38a2, is connected to the device lead wires 75a, 75b, 75c, and 75d, which enter the housing case 38 from the bottom hole 38a1, via connectors inside the housing case 38.

(8) Effect In the present embodiment as described above, the rear wall panel 41 is composed of a surface that has a greater inclination in the vertical direction the further upward it goes, so that no uneven shape is formed in the vertical direction on the back surface of the upper storage chamber 6c that is visible from the front, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the upper storage chamber 6c.

In particular, when the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 is a surface that slopes forward as it goes upward, the rear wall panel 41 can partition the upper inner part of the upper storage chamber 6c, which is difficult to effectively utilize, into front and rear parts while minimizing the visual discomfort, and a space can be formed behind it for arranging refrigerator components such as the control board 70. In other words, it is possible to ensure space for arranging refrigerator components without compromising the actual storage volume, insulation performance, or aesthetic appearance of the interior of the upper storage chamber 6c.

In this embodiment, when the rear wall panel 41 overlaps with the step 4g in the outward direction of the plane of the rear wall panel 41 and is disposed in front of the inner box back surface 4e so as to cover a portion of the step 4g from the front, the periphery of the rear wall panel 41 can be brought close to the step 4g of the inner box 4 in the left-right and front-rear directions. This makes it appear as if the rear wall panel 41 is continuously connected to the front extension surfaces 4a, 4b, and 4c via the step 4g without appearing to protrude unnaturally from the inner box 4, improving the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the upper storage chamber 6c.

In this embodiment, if the front corner 41d of the periphery of the rear wall panel 41 is chamfered more by a curved or flat surface than the rear corner 41e, the periphery of the rear wall panel 41 becomes even less noticeable, improving the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the upper storage chamber 6c.

In this embodiment, if the uppermost inclined surface 41b of the flat surfaces 41a1 and 41b that form the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 is made long in the vertical direction, the visual discomfort caused by the inclined surface 41b can be minimized.

In this embodiment, when the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 is flat in the width direction of the upper storage chamber 6c, no uneven shape is formed on the entire back surface of the upper storage chamber 6c, which further improves the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the upper storage chamber 6c.

In this embodiment, when the operation panel 39 is stored between the through hole 56 provided in the rear wall panel 41 and the rear surface 4e of the inner box, the operation panel 39 can be positioned so that the front edge of the operation panel 39 protrudes slightly forward from the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 to emphasize the operation panel 39 in an attractive way without sacrificing the thickness of the insulating space in the refrigerator body 2, or the front surface of the operation panel 39 is positioned so that it forms the same surface as the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 without any step, thereby increasing the freedom of positioning of the operation panel 39.

In this embodiment, when the first flow path section 24b formed between the rear wall panel 41 and the inner box back surface 4e is positioned closer to one side in the width direction than the center of the width direction of the upper storage chamber 6c, and a through hole 56 for accommodating the operation panel 39 is positioned on the other side in the width direction, it becomes easier to provide the through hole 56 in the rear wall panel 41, and there is greater freedom in the size and positioning of the operation panel 39.

In this embodiment, when the through hole 56 for accommodating the operation panel 39 is provided on the vertical surface 41a of the rear wall panel 41, the operation panel 39 can be attached to the vertical surface 41a facing the front of the refrigerator 1, and the operation panel 39 can be positioned for easy operation.

In this embodiment, when the connecting portion 4f connecting the inner box back surface 4e and the front extension surfaces 4a, 4b, and 4c includes a curved surface 4g1 that bulges rearward toward the inside of the upper storage chamber 6c as it goes rearward, and a recessed portion 4h that forms a recess that sinks rearward between the inner box back surface 4e, deformation that occurs in the connecting portion 4f of the inner box 4 when the insulating material is foam-filled into the insulating space 5 can be suppressed.

In other words, to foam-fill the insulation space 5 with the insulation material, the insulation material is filled while supporting the outside of the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 with jigs of corresponding shapes. In this case, if a curved surface 4g1 is formed on the connecting portion 4f, the shape of the inner box 4 is difficult to match with the jig that supports the inner box 4 due to errors that occur when the inner box 4 is molded, and the curved surface 4g1 is easily deformed during foam-filling. As described above, if the inner box 4 has a recessed portion 4h behind the curved surface 4g1, the shape of the inner box 4 is easily matched with the jig that supports the inner box 4, and the curved surface 4g1 can be molded into a neat curved shape.

In this embodiment, when the refrigeration side flow path 24 formed between the rear wall panel 41 and the inner box back surface 4e includes a first flow path section 24b arranged closer to one side in the width direction than the center of the width direction of the upper storage chamber 6c, and a second flow path section 24c arranged closer to the center of the width direction of the upper storage chamber 6c than the first flow path section 24b, it is possible to supply cold air uniformly in the width direction of the upper storage chamber 6c to cool it while ensuring space to place the operation panel 39 to the side of the first flow path section 24b.

In this embodiment, the connector of the equipment lead wire 75a connected to the operation panel 39 and the connectors of the equipment lead wires 75b, 75c, and 75d connected to the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 36, the freezer compartment temperature sensor 37, the cooler fan 22, the refrigerator damper 25, the freezer damper 27, the operation panel 39, and the lighting device 80 are provided in the housing case 38 located below the operation panel 39, and when they are connected to the first board lead wire 74a connected to the control board 70 inside the housing case 38, the length of each lead wire can be shortened and each connector can be connected from the front of the refrigerator, improving workability.

In this embodiment, when the device lead wire 75a is connected to the underside of the operation panel 39, water condensed on the device lead wire 75a will not enter the operation panel 39 along the device lead wire 75a. In addition, when the rear wall panel 41 is provided with a lead wire guide portion 54 that guides the device lead wire 75a in an inclined state so that the further away from the operation panel 39 it is positioned, the higher it is, the less water condensed on the device lead wire 75a will enter the operation panel 39 along the device lead wire 75a.

In this embodiment, a retractable water tank 30 and storage container 14 are provided in front of the housing case 38, so that the housing case 38 is not noticeable when the refrigerator is in use and does not spoil the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the refrigerator compartment 6.

In this embodiment, when the device lead wire 75a connected to the operation panel 39 is wired to the housing case 38 along the edge of the first flow path section 24b provided on the side of the housing case 38, the length of the device lead wire 75a can be shortened and the device lead wire 75a can be held in the rear wall member 40 that defines the first flow path section 24b, resulting in excellent assembly workability.

In this embodiment, the locking piece 50 provided on the rear peripheral portion of the rear wall panel 41 engages with the inner box engagement portion 4i provided on the connecting portion 4f of the inner box 4, so that the peripheral portion of the rear wall panel 41 can be positioned at a desired position on the inner box 4, improving the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the upper storage chamber 6c.

In this embodiment, when the protrusions 52a, 52b, which are thinner than the thickness of the rear wall panel 41, protrude rearward from the back surface of the rear wall panel 41, deformation of the rear wall panel 41, such as warping or twisting, can be suppressed, and the occurrence of sink marks (dents) on the front surface of the rear wall panel 41 due to the protrusions 52a, 52b can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the storage section bottom surface 61 of the board storage section 60, on which the control board 70 and electrical components 71 are attached, is arranged to face the inner box inclined surface 4e2, which inclines more forward as it goes upward, in the front-to-rear direction. As a result, in this embodiment, the upper back part of the upper storage chamber 6c, which is difficult to effectively utilize, can be divided into front and rear parts by the inner box back surface 4e, and the control board 70 and electrical components 71 can be stored behind it, without creating an uneven shape on the back surface of the upper storage chamber 6c. Therefore, it is possible to secure space for arranging refrigerator components without compromising the actual storage volume, insulation performance, or interior aesthetics of the upper storage chamber 6c.

In this embodiment, when the storage section bottom surface 61 of the board storage section 60 has a component mounting surface 61b for mounting electrical components 71 above the board mounting surface 61a for mounting the control board 70, electrical components 71 that are tall and tend to protrude when mounted, such as reactors, can be positioned at the top where space is more likely to be formed due to the inclination of the inner box inclined surface 4e2, and the control board 70 and electrical components 71 can be efficiently installed in the refrigerator body 2.

In this embodiment, when the storage section bottom surface 61 of the circuit board storage section 60, which is arranged to face the inner box inclined surface 4e2 in the front-rear direction, is provided with a circuit board mounting surface 61a that inclines forward as it goes upward, the volume of the circuit board storage section 60 can be expanded while maintaining the storage volume and insulation performance of the upper storage chamber 6c, and the control board 70 and electrical components 71 can be installed in the refrigerator main body 2 more efficiently.

In this embodiment, if the control board 70 is attached to the board mounting surface 61a so that it is inclined forward as it goes upward along the board mounting surface 61a, the control board 70 can be mounted in the refrigerator body 2 more efficiently.

In this embodiment, when the control board 70 is attached to the board mounting surface 61a so that the tall component 72a is located above the vertical center of the control board 70, the tall component 72a can be positioned toward the front of the board mounting surface 61a, and the control board 70 can be efficiently mounted in the refrigerator body 2.

In this embodiment, when the component mounting surface 61b is a flat surface extending parallel to the vertical direction, the electrical component 71 to be mounted on the component mounting surface 61b can be stably fixed even if it is a large electrical component such as a reactor.

In this embodiment, insertion holes 62, 63 are provided on the sides of the electrical components for inserting the first board lead wire 74a and the second board lead wire 74b connected to the control board 70 into the thermal insulation space, so that the lengths of the first board lead wire 74a and the second board lead wire 74b can be shortened. Furthermore, when the first insertion hole 62 is provided on one widthwise side of the electrical component 71 and the second insertion hole 63 is provided on the other widthwise side of the electrical component 71, the first board lead wire 74a and the second board lead wire 74b are less susceptible to the effects of noise generated from one of them, and malfunctions can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, when the substrate storage section 60 is provided on the outer box back surface 3e so that the lower end of the storage section bottom surface 61 of the substrate storage section 60 is located above the lower end of the inner box inclined surface 4e2, the necessary space in the front-to-rear direction for the substrate storage section 60 can be secured even if the inclination angle of the inner box inclined surface 4e2 with respect to the vertical direction is set small. Therefore, the back surface of the upper storage chamber 6c can be gently inclined to reduce visual discomfort and improve the aesthetic appearance of the interior of the upper storage chamber 6c.

In this embodiment, when the angle θ1 of the board mounting surface 61a in the vertical direction is smaller than the angle θ2 of the inner box inclined surface 4e2 in the vertical direction, the angle of the control board 70 in the vertical direction can be reduced. In addition, the distance from the inner box back surface 4e to the storage section bottom surface 61 on the upper side of the board storage section 60 can be increased, and the insulating space 5 can be made thicker around electrical components 71 such as reactors that tend to generate heat.

In this embodiment, when the component mounting surface 61b extending upward from the board mounting surface 61a is located between a pair of handles 35 spaced apart in the width direction at the upper end of the rear surface of the refrigerator body, the space between the handles 35 at the upper end of the rear surface of the refrigerator body 2 can be effectively utilized.

(9) Modifications Modifications of the above embodiment will now be described.

In the above embodiment, the case where the air outlet 18b and the air outlet 18c are provided in the widthwise center of the rear wall panel 41 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the widthwise center of the air outlet 18b and the air outlet 18c may be provided in a position shifted from the widthwise center of the rear wall panel 41.

In the above embodiment, the step 4g constituting the connecting portion 4f has a curved surface 4g1 connected to the rear ends of the front extension surfaces 4a, 4b, and 4c, and a flat surface 4g2 extending rearward from the rear end of the curved surface 4g1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The step 4g may have only the curved surface 4g1, and the recessed portion 4h may be connected to the rear end of the curved surface 4g1.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the peripheral portion of the rear wall panel 41 overlaps with the step portion 4g of the inner box 4 in the out-of-plane direction of the rear wall panel 41, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the rear wall panel 41 may be arranged so that the curved surface 4g1 overlaps with the out-of-plane direction of the rear wall panel 41.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the rear wall panel 41 is inclined so that it slopes more forward as it goes upward, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the rear wall panel 41 may be inclined so that it slopes more rearward as it goes upward.

1...refrigerator, 2...refrigerator body, 3...outer box, 4...inner box, 4a...left side of inner box, 4b...right side of inner box, 4c...top of inner box, 4d...bottom of inner box, 4e...back of inner box, 4e1...vertical surface of inner box, 4e2...inclined surface of inner box, 4e3...connecting surface, 4f...connecting portion, 4g...step portion, 4g1...curved surface, 4g2...flat, 4h...recessed portion, 4h1...rear extension portion, 4h2...inclined portion, 4i...inner box engagement portion, 6...refrigerator compartment, 6b...lower refrigerator compartment, 6c...upper refrigerator compartment, 21...cooler, 24...refrigerator side flow path, 24b...first flow path portion, 24c...second flow path portion, 35...handle portion, 36...refrigerator compartment temperature sensor, 38...housing case, 39...operation panel, 40...rear wall member, 41...rear Wall plate, 41a...vertical surface, 41a1...upper part of vertical surface, 41b...inclined surface, 41c...connecting surface, 41d...narrow width portion, 42...flow path forming member, 42a...rear end surface, 50...locking piece, 52a...first ridge, 52b...second ridge, 56...through hole, 60...board storage section, 61...bottom surface of storage section, 61a...board mounting surface, 61b...component mounting surface, 62...first insertion hole, 63...second insertion hole, 64...lid, 65...fixing device, 70...control board, 71...electrical component, 72...mounted component, 72a...tall component, 74a...first board lead wire, 74b...second board lead wire, 75a...equipment lead wire, 75b...equipment lead wire, 75c...equipment lead wire, 75d...equipment lead wire

Claims (5)

A refrigerator body including an inner box having a storage chamber therein that opens forward, an outer box disposed outside the inner box, and a heat insulating material stored in a heat insulating space provided between the inner box and the outer box;
A substrate storage section provided in a concave shape recessed forward from the upper end of the rear surface of the refrigerator body;
A control board for a refrigerator provided inside the board storage unit,
The back surface of the inner box includes an inner box inclined surface that is inclined forward as it goes upward at an upper end portion,
The substrate storage section includes a storage section bottom surface facing the inner box inclined surface in the front-rear direction,
the bottom surface of the storage section includes a board mounting surface that is inclined forward as it goes upward, and a component mounting surface that is provided above the board mounting surface and along the up-down direction,
The control board is attached to the board mounting surface, and electrical components connected to the control board are attached to the component mounting surface, and the board mounting surface is longer in the up-down direction than the component mounting surface. a cover for covering a rear opening of the substrate storage section,
2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the lid is provided parallel to the component mounting surface and a rear surface of the outer box. A pair of handles are provided at an upper end of a rear surface of the refrigerator body at a distance in a width direction,
The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the component mounting surface is provided between the pair of handle portions so as to overlap the pair of handle portions in a width direction. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the component mounting surface is shaped so that it becomes narrower as it goes upward. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the component mounting surface is a plane extending parallel to the up-down direction.

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