JP7571069B2 - Insulated doors and storage units - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an insulated door and a storage unit.

Patent document 1 describes a refrigerator door in which vacuum insulation material is fitted into a recess formed in a molded insulation material.

Japanese Patent No. 6942170 (see FIG. 9)

However, with the refrigerator door described in Patent Document 1, the vacuum insulation material may deteriorate if it is exposed to moisture.

The present invention comprises a front panel, a rear panel, and a frame arranged between them, and a shaped insulation material arranged in a space surrounded by the front panel, the rear panel, and the frame, wherein the shaped insulation material comprises a first shaped insulation material arranged on the front panel side, and a second shaped insulation material arranged on the rear panel side and having a lower thermal conductivity than the first shaped insulation material, the second shaped insulation material being an insulation material other than vacuum insulation material, the rear panel having an air vent formed therein that communicates with the outside of the door, the rear panel having a bank formed in the shape of a rectangular frame and a lattice-shaped uneven portion arranged in the area surrounded by the bank, and the air vent is formed in the vicinity of the bank.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the storage facility of the present embodiment. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the insulating door of the present embodiment as viewed from the front side. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the insulating door of the present embodiment as viewed from the back side. FIG. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the insulating door of the present embodiment. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 5 . FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 6 . FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 8 . FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion D in FIG. 4 . XI-XI line cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a storage unit according to the present embodiment. The storage unit 1 includes a heat-insulating box body 2 and a door 3 (heat-insulating door). The heat-insulating box body 2 includes left and right side panels 4, 4, a back panel 5, a top panel 6, and a bottom panel 7, and has a storage chamber 10 inside. The storage unit 1 is, for example, a refrigerator having a refrigeration temperature range (for example, 1°C to 6°C). The storage unit may be a freezer having a freezing temperature range (for example, about -20°C to -18°C), a storage unit without a refrigeration or freezing function, or the like. Although not shown, a refrigeration cycle for cooling the storage chamber 10 is configured on the bottom side of the storage unit 1 by a condenser, a compressor, a pressure reducer (capillary tube), a cooler, and the like, which are not shown.

The door 3 closes an opening (not shown) formed on the front of the storage chamber 10. The door 3 is rotatably fixed to the upper part of the insulated box body 2 via an upper hinge (not shown) and to the lower part via a lower hinge (not shown). Note that the storage facility 1 shown in FIG. 1 is described with a right-opening door 3 with a hinge on the right side, but it may also be a left-opening door with hinges (upper hinge and lower hinge) on the left side.

At least one of molded insulation material and vacuum insulation material (not shown) is placed on the left and right side panels 4, the back panel 5, the top panel 6, and the bottom panel 7. Here, molded insulation material does not refer to insulation material that is manufactured by injecting a concentrate of foam insulation material and foaming it on-site, but can be understood to refer to insulation material that is molded into a specified shape at a different location.

A groove 3a is formed on the upper end surface of the door 3 in the left-right direction, which is the extension direction of the door 3. The door 3 can be opened by hooking a user's finger in the groove 3a and pulling it towards the user. The height of the storage facility 1 is, for example, 150 cm or less, preferably 100 cm or less, and more preferably 75 cm or less.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the heat-insulating door of this embodiment as viewed from the front side. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the heat-insulating door of this embodiment as viewed from the back side.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the door 3 is configured to include a door panel 31 (front panel), a door liner 32 (rear panel), a door frame 33 (frame), a molded insulating material 34 , and a door packing 35 .

The door panel 31 is made of, for example, injection-molded ABS resin (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer) and is formed into a square plate shape. The front surface of the door panel 31 is formed to be a flat surface (see FIG. 2). The back surface of the door panel 31 is formed with a number of claws 31a that fit with the door frame 33 and a number of bosses 31b for screwing to the door frame 33 (see FIG. 3). The claws 31a are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the door panel 31. The bosses 31b are formed, for example, at the four corners of the door panel 31.

The door liner 32 is made of, for example, injection-molded PP (polypropylene) resin and is formed into a square plate shape. In addition, a plurality of claws 32a that fit with the door frame 33 are formed on the back surface of the door liner 32. The claws 32a are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of the door liner 32. In addition, the door liner 32 is formed with uneven portions 32b formed in a lattice shape. The uneven portions 32b are formed on almost the entire surface except for the outer periphery. By forming the uneven portions 32b in this way, the door liner 32 can be reinforced when manufactured from a single plate, and warping of the plate can be suppressed.

The door frame 33 is made of, for example, injection-molded ABS resin and is disposed between the door panel 31 and the door liner 32. The door frame 33 is a rectangular frame-shaped member disposed along the outer periphery of the four sides (top, bottom, left, and right) of the door panel 31 and the door liner 32.

However, since gaps are created between the urethane (formed insulation material 34), which is not filled and foamed with urethane, and the door components (door panel 31, door liner 32, door frame 33), the formed insulation material 34 comes into contact with air, and condensation occurs through the gaps. For this reason, if vacuum insulation material is used as insulation, there is a risk that the vacuum insulation material will deteriorate if it comes into contact with water or the like. Also, in the case of vacuum insulation material for reduced pressure systems, if it deteriorates and air leaks, the insulation performance will decrease rapidly. Therefore, formed insulation material 34 was used as the insulation material to be housed in the door 3, rather than vacuum insulation.

The molded insulation material 34 is arranged in the space S (see FIG. 5) surrounded by the door panel 31, the door liner 32, and the door frame 33, and is composed of a first molded insulation material 34A and a second molded insulation material 34B. Note that the first molded insulation material 34A and the second molded insulation material 34B do not refer to insulation materials manufactured by injecting a foam insulation liquid into the space S and foaming it, but rather refer to insulation materials molded into a predetermined shape. The first molded insulation material 34A and the second molded insulation material 34B are insulation materials other than vacuum insulation materials. Note that vacuum insulation materials are formed by, for example, wrapping a core material such as glass wool or urethane in an outer packaging material having gas barrier properties and reducing the pressure.

The second molded insulating material 34B has a lower thermal conductivity than the first molded insulating material 34A. In other words, the second molded insulating material 34B has higher thermal insulation properties than the first molded insulating material 34A. The first molded insulating material 34A as an insulating material other than the vacuum insulating material is made of, for example, a styrene-based resin foam, a hard polyethylene resin foam, etc. The first molded insulating material 34A is formed by cutting out the shape of a protrusion formed on the door frame 33 to avoid it. The second molded insulating material 34B as an insulating material other than the vacuum insulating material is made of, for example, a hard urethane-based resin foam. The styrene-based resin foam as the first molded insulating material 34A has better moldability than the urethane-based insulating material applied as the second molded insulating material 34B, and is easy to manufacture according to the shape of the door frame 33, etc.

The door packing 35 is formed in a rectangular frame shape and serves to seal the gap between the insulating box body 2 (see FIG. 1) and the door 3 when the door 3 is closed. The door packing 35 is attached to a groove 32c (see FIG. 5) formed in a rectangular frame shape in the door liner 32.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the heat-insulating door of this embodiment, which shows the door 3 after the members shown in Figs. 2 and 3 are assembled.
4, a door packing 35 formed in a rectangular frame shape is attached to the outer periphery of the door liner 32. In addition, on the inner periphery side of the door packing 35 of the door liner 32, a lattice-shaped uneven portion 32b is formed over almost the entire inner periphery side of the door packing 35.

The uneven portion 32b is formed with a concave streak portion (groove) 32b1 that extends linearly in the lateral direction (horizontal direction, left-right direction). A plurality of these concave streak portions 32b1 (five in this embodiment) are formed at intervals in the vertical direction. The uneven portion 32b is also formed with a concave streak portion (groove) 32b2 that extends linearly in the vertical direction (up-down direction). A plurality of these concave streak portions 32b2 (20 in this embodiment) are formed at intervals in the horizontal direction. In other words, a rectangular convex surface portion 32b3 defined by the concave streak portions 32b1 and 32b2 is formed so as to protrude vertically toward the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 4.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.
As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the first molded insulating material 34A is formed with a recess 40 so that the concave surface faces the side facing the inside of the storage compartment when the door 3 is closed. The recess 40 has a bottom wall 40a parallel to the door panel 31 and a side wall 40b rising from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 40a toward the door liner 32 side. The side wall 40b is formed with a tapered surface 40b1 that is inclined so as to expand from the bottom wall 40a toward the opening side (door liner 32 side). The tapered surface 40b1 formed on the side wall 40b in this manner makes it easier to insert the second molded insulating material 34B into the recess 40 of the first molded insulating material 34A. In this embodiment, no sealant is provided in the gap between the recess 40 and the second molded insulating material 34B, but the molded insulating material 34 may be configured by providing a sealant in the gap.

The second molded insulation material 34B is formed in a square plate shape and is fitted into the recess 40 of the first molded insulation material 34A. In this way, the second molded insulation material 34B, which has higher insulation performance than the first molded insulation material 34A, is placed inside the first molded insulation material 34A (closer to the insulated box body 2). This makes it possible to reduce heat escaping from the edge of the door 3 and improve the insulation performance of the door 3.

The thickness of the second molded insulation material 34B is formed to be approximately the same as the depth of the recess 40. In this case, when the second molded insulation material 34B is placed in the recess 40, the surface of the second molded insulation material 34B facing the door liner 32 and the surface of the first molded insulation material 34A facing the door liner 32 are approximately flush with each other.

A groove 32c is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the door liner 32, into which the door gasket 35 is attached. This groove 32c is located closer to the door panel 31 in the front-rear direction than the surface of the uneven portion 32b of the door liner 32.

In addition, a bank portion 32d is formed between the uneven portion 32b and the groove 32c in the door liner 32, protruding toward the insulating box body 2 (see FIG. 1). This bank portion 32d is formed in a rectangular frame shape so as to surround the periphery of the uneven portion 32b. Furthermore, the second molded insulating material 34B is located inside (on the inner periphery side) of the bank portion 32d. In other words, only the first molded insulating material 34A is contained outside the bank portion 32d.

The thickness dimension T1 of the second molded insulating material 34B is formed to be thicker than the thickness dimension T2 between the recess 40 of the first molded insulating material 34A and the door panel 31. By forming the thickness dimension T1 to be thicker than the thickness dimension T2 in this way, it is possible to suppress the heat escaping from the front of the door panel 31 while suppressing the overall thickness of the door 3, thereby improving the insulating performance of the door 3.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG.
7, a groove 32c is formed in the door liner 32 as a door packing groove (mounting groove) in which the door packing 35 (see FIG. 4) is attached. The groove 32c is formed in a concave shape with the concave surface facing rearward (toward the heat-insulating box 2).

The door liner 32 has a thickness dimension outside the groove 32c of T10, a thickness dimension inside the groove 32c (towards the uneven portion 32b) of T20, and a thickness dimension of the groove 32c of T30. In this case, the door liner 32 is not uniform in thickness, but is configured so that T10>T20>T30. For example, T10 can be 2 mm, T20 can be 1.5 mm, and T30 can be 1 mm.

In this way, by making the outer circumference of the door liner 32 thicker than the groove 32c of the door liner 32, T30, strength can be ensured when manufacturing the door liner 32 using a mold. Also, by making the thickness of the door liner 32 on the surface facing the interior (center side) T20, the internal volume can be ensured and loss of formability can be prevented. Also, by making the groove 32c T30 (forming it thin), it can be made easier to remove from the mold.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG.
As shown in Fig. 8, aluminum sheets 51, 52 (waterproof sheets) are provided on the front and rear surfaces of the second molded insulation material 34B. The sheet 51 is laminated on the surface facing the bottom wall 40a of the recess 40. The sheet 52 is laminated on the surface facing the door liner 32. By providing the waterproof sheets 51, 52 on the second molded insulation material 34B in this manner, even if condensation occurs, the infiltration of the condensed water into the second molded insulation material 34B made of a hard urethane foam or the like is suppressed, and deterioration of the second molded insulation material 34B can be suppressed.

The surface of the second molded insulation material 34B facing the side wall 40b of the recess 40 does not have a waterproof sheet, and the hard urethane foam of the second molded insulation material 34B is exposed. However, this surface is not easily affected by the low temperature air inside the storage unit, and condensation is unlikely to occur there, so there is little need for a waterproof sheet. Also, in this embodiment, the case where waterproof sheets 51, 52 are provided has been described as an example, but the sheets 51, 52 may not be provided and the material may consist only of hard urethane foam. Also, instead of the metal sheets 51, 52, resin sheets may be used.

The first molded insulating material 34A is formed with an insertion recess 34s that is cut out so that the groove 32c (convex portion) into which the door packing 35 is inserted can be inserted. A sealant 36 is provided in this insertion recess 34s (on the first molded insulating material 34A side of the groove 32c), and the groove 32c of the door liner 32 is inserted after the sealant 36 is inserted. This sealant 36 is, for example, a soft urethane resin, and the sealant 36 is crushed by inserting the groove 32c into the insertion recess 34s, ensuring a seal between the groove 32c and the insertion recess 34s at the position of the door packing 35. As a result, even if humid air infiltrates from a gap formed outside the groove 32c to which the door packing 35 is attached, the humid air can be prevented from flowing into the center (the second molded insulating material 34B side) at the position of the groove 32c, and condensation can be prevented from occurring in the second molded insulating material 34B.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, the door liner 32 has an uneven portion 32b formed therein, so that a gap S1 is formed between the convex portion 32b3 and the second molded heat insulating material 34B. The concave portion 32b1 of the uneven portion 32b has an air hole 32s formed therein, which communicates the gap S1 with the outside of the door 3 (outside the door). The air hole 32s is located at the lower end of the convex portion 32b3 and opens downward in the up-down direction (vertical direction). The air hole 32s is also formed at the lower end of all the convex portions 32b3. By forming the air hole 32s in this way, even if condensed water W occurs in the gap S1, the condensed water W can be discharged from the air hole 32s to the outside of the door. Furthermore, by forming the air hole 32s downward at the lower end, the air hole 32s can be made inconspicuous to the user. Although not shown, an air hole may be formed at the upper end of the convex portion 32b3.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion D in FIG.
As shown in Fig. 10, the ventilation hole 32t is formed at the end of the groove 32b2 in the extending direction. Although Fig. 10 shows an example in which the ventilation hole is formed at the upper end of the recess 32b2, the ventilation hole may be formed at the lower end of the recess 32b2 in the extending direction, or at the ends (left end and right end) of the recess 32b1 in the extending direction. In this case, the banks 32d are located near the grooves 32b1 and 32b2, so that the ventilation hole 32t can be made less noticeable.

Note that, like the door 3, the insulated box 2 may be provided with vents. Specifically, an inner box forming the wall surface on the inside of the cabinet and an outer box forming the wall surface on the outside of the cabinet are used as the insulated box 2. Formed insulation material is used as the insulation material provided inside these. Since the vacuum insulation material or formed insulation material facing the inner box forms a gap between it and the inner box, ventilation holes can be provided in the inner box from the perspective of preventing condensation. Furthermore, vacuum insulation material may be used for both the door 3 and the insulated box 2 as long as some measure can be taken to prevent deterioration due to condensation.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG.
11, a claw 32a formed on the outer periphery of the door liner 32 fits into the door frame 33. A tool (not shown) is required to release the fitted state (engagement state) of the claw 32a, so a gap S10 is formed for inserting the tool to release the fitted state. This gap S10 functions as a drainage hole, making it possible to drain condensed water.

As described above, the door 3 of this embodiment includes a door panel 31, a door liner 32, a door frame 33 arranged between them, and a molded insulating material 34 arranged in a space S surrounded by the door panel 31, the door liner 32, and the door frame 33. The molded insulating material 34 includes a first molded insulating material 34A arranged on the door panel 31 side, and a second molded insulating material 34B arranged on the door liner 32 side and having a lower thermal conductivity than the first molded insulating material 34A, and the second molded insulating material 34B is an insulating material other than a vacuum insulating material. As a result, by not arranging a vacuum insulating material, even if condensation occurs inside the door 3, it is possible to prevent the molded insulating materials (the first molded insulating material 34A and the second molded insulating material 34B) from deteriorating.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first molded insulation material 34A has a recess 40 that opens toward the door liner 32 side, and the second molded insulation material 34B is housed in the recess 40. This allows the insulation performance to be improved by placing the second molded insulation material 34B on the inside (door liner 32 side).

In addition, in this embodiment, the door liner 32 has a lattice-shaped uneven portion 32b. This allows the door liner 32 to be reinforced and prevents the door liner 32 from warping.

In addition, in this embodiment, the door liner 32 is formed with an air vent 32s that communicates with the outside of the door. This makes it possible to prevent condensation on the surface of the door liner 32.

In addition, in this embodiment, the door liner 32 has a bank 32d formed in a rectangular frame shape and a lattice-shaped uneven portion 32b arranged in the area surrounded by the bank 32d, and the air vent 32t is formed near the bank 32d. This makes it possible to make the air vent 32t less noticeable.

In this embodiment, the door liner 32 has a lattice-shaped uneven portion 32b. The ventilation holes 32s are formed at the lower end of each convex portion 32b3 of the uneven portion 32b. This makes the ventilation holes 32s less noticeable to the user.

In addition, in this embodiment, waterproof sheets 51, 52 are laminated on the surface of the second molded insulation material 34B facing the door panel 31 and the surface facing the door liner 32. This prevents condensation water from penetrating into the second molded insulation material 34B.

In addition, in this embodiment, the side wall 40b of the recess 40 has a tapered surface 40b1 that is inclined so as to expand toward the door frame 33. This makes it easier to insert the second molded insulation material 34B into the recess 40 of the first molded insulation material 34A, making it easier to manufacture.

In this embodiment, the door liner 32 is formed with a groove 32c in which a door gasket 35 that seals the gap with the insulating box body 2 is attached. The first molded insulating material 34A is formed with an insertion recess 34s into which the groove 32c is inserted. A seal material 36 is provided between the insertion recess 34s and the groove 32c. This blocks humid air from entering the gap between the door liner 32 and the first molded insulating material 34A inside the door 3 from the outside at the position of the groove 32c. As a result, it is possible to prevent humid air from flowing into the second molded insulating material 34B side, and it is possible to suppress deterioration of the second molded insulating material 34B.

The storage facility 1 of this embodiment also includes a door 3 and an insulated box 2 that is closed by the door 3, and the insulated box 2 is a storage chamber in the refrigerated temperature range. This prevents condensed water from freezing, and reduces the effects of deterioration caused by the repeated transformation of condensed water into water and ice.

The storage facility 1 of this embodiment also includes a door 3 and an insulated box body 2 that is closed by the door 3. The insulated box body 2 includes an inner box, an outer box, insulation material disposed between the two, and a gap formed between the inner box and the insulation material, and the inner box has an air vent.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may include various modified examples. For example, the door panel 31 and the door frame 33 may be integrally formed by resin molding, or the door liner 32 and the door frame 33 may be integrally formed by resin molding. This simplifies the assembly of the door 3.

1 Storage 2 Insulated box 3 Door (insulated door)
10 Storage compartment 31 Door panel (front panel)
32 Door liner (rear panel)
32b: uneven portion; 32b1, 32b2: groove portion; 32b3: convex portion; 32c: groove; 32d: bank; 32s, 32t: vent hole; 33: door frame (frame);
34 Molded insulation material 34A First molded insulation material 34B Second molded insulation material 34s Insertion recess 35 Door packing 36 Sealing material 40 Recess 40a Bottom wall 40b Side wall 40b1 Tapered surface 51, 52 Sheet (waterproof sheet)
S Space

Claims (8)

A front panel, a rear panel, and a frame disposed therebetween;
A molded insulation material is disposed in a space surrounded by the front plate, the rear plate, and the frame,
The shaped insulation material includes a first shaped insulation material arranged on the front panel side, and a second shaped insulation material arranged on the rear panel side and having a lower thermal conductivity than the first shaped insulation material,
The second molded insulation material is an insulation material other than a vacuum insulation material,
The rear panel is provided with an air vent that communicates with the outside of the door.
The rear plate includes a bank formed in a rectangular frame shape and a lattice-shaped uneven portion disposed in an area surrounded by the bank,
The ventilation hole is an insulating door formed near the bank . A front panel, a rear panel, and a frame disposed therebetween;
A molded insulation material is disposed in a space surrounded by the front plate, the rear plate, and the frame,
The shaped insulation material includes a first shaped insulation material arranged on the front panel side, and a second shaped insulation material arranged on the rear panel side and having a lower thermal conductivity than the first shaped insulation material,
The second molded insulation material is an insulation material other than a vacuum insulation material,
The rear panel is provided with an air vent that communicates with the outside of the door.
The rear plate has a lattice-shaped uneven portion,
The ventilation holes are formed at the lower ends of the convex portions of the uneven portions of the insulating door. A front panel, a rear panel, and a frame disposed therebetween;
A molded insulation material is disposed in a space surrounded by the front plate, the rear plate, and the frame,
The shaped insulation material includes a first shaped insulation material arranged on the front panel side, and a second shaped insulation material arranged on the rear panel side and having a lower thermal conductivity than the first shaped insulation material,
The second molded insulation material is an insulation material other than a vacuum insulation material,
The second molded insulation material is an insulated door having a waterproof sheet laminated on the front panel side and the rear panel side . A front panel, a rear panel, and a frame disposed therebetween;
A molded insulation material is disposed in a space surrounded by the front plate, the rear plate, and the frame,
The shaped insulation material includes a first shaped insulation material arranged on the front panel side, and a second shaped insulation material arranged on the rear panel side and having a lower thermal conductivity than the first shaped insulation material,
The second molded insulation material is an insulation material other than a vacuum insulation material,
The rear plate is provided with a groove in which a door packing that seals the gap with the insulating box body is attached.
The first molded insulating material has an insertion recess into which the groove is inserted,
A sealant is provided between the insertion recess and the groove . The first molded insulating material has a recess that opens toward the rear plate side,
The insulated door according to claim 1 , wherein the second molded insulating material is accommodated in the recess. The insulated door according to claim 5 , wherein a side wall of the recess is formed with a tapered surface that is inclined so as to expand toward the frame side. A heat-insulating door according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ;
and a heat-insulating box body closed by the heat-insulating door,
The insulated box is a storage facility that is a storage room in the refrigerated temperature range. A heat-insulating door according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ;
and a heat-insulating box body closed by the heat-insulating door,
The insulating box body includes an inner box, an outer box, an insulating material disposed between the inner box and the outer box, and a gap formed between the inner box and the insulating material,
The inner box is a storage container having ventilation holes.