JPH05126464A - Door of refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a door of a refrigerator having a door cap of which strength is improved without employing any metallic reinforcing plate. CONSTITUTION:Grooves in which an upper end and a lower end of a metallic outer plate 11 of a door are inserted are provided. Inner surfaces of an upper door cap 12 and a lower door cap 13 of resin to be fixed to an upper part and a lower part of the door outer plate is provided with a lateral rib 44 for fixing the door-inner plate to a rear edge and a reinforcing rib 47 having a truss structure in a lateral direction and continuing to the lateral rib.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator door such as a household refrigerator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 54-174 prior to the present invention
Japanese Patent Publication No. 056 discloses a structure in which vertical ribs and protruding ribs are provided on the inner surface of a decorative cover attached to the upper and lower ends of a door body to prevent deformation of the decorative cover when the foamable heat insulating material is filled. ing.

Further, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 3-91683, a door is constituted by a door frame to which packing is attached, a door outer plate, upper and lower covers, and a foam insulating material. In order to prevent the deformation, one end of a vertical rib integrally formed along the outer wall of the engagement groove of the door outer plate formed on the inner surface of the cover is locked to the door frame.

Further, the door is cooled when the refrigerator is cooled, and the inside of the door cap is dented due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the heat insulating material, the door cap and the door outer plate. Since there is a tendency for the cap to bulge toward the side and warp as a whole, a metal reinforcing plate is arranged on the inner surface of the door cap in order to suppress the warp.

[0005]

In the doors disclosed in the above publications and publications, during the cooling operation of the refrigerator, it is impossible to prevent the door cap from being warped to the outside due to the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion. There was a problem that a gap was likely to occur between

When a metal reinforcing plate is provided on the inner surface of the door cap, it is necessary to attach the reinforcing plate, the number of parts is increased, and the weight of the door is increased. There was a problem in terms of reduction.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator door in which the warp of the door cap can be suppressed without adding a reinforcing plate.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a metal door outer plate having a front wall, left and right side walls, and flanges formed by bending inward end portions of these side walls, and the door outer plate. Upper and lower door caps made of resin having a groove for inserting the upper and lower open ends of the foam, a foamed heat insulating material filled in a space formed by the door cap and a door outer plate, and a resin made to be fixed to the flange portion. In a refrigerator door having an inner door plate, an inner surface of the door cap has a lateral rib provided at a rear edge in the left-right direction to fix the inner door plate, and a reinforcing rib that has a truss structure in the left-right direction and is continuous with the lateral rib. It is equipped with and.

[0009]

[Function] Since the reinforcing ribs formed on the inner surface of the door cap form a truss structure in the left-right direction, the strength of the door cap is improved not only in the longitudinal force applied to the door cap but also in the lateral direction. To do. Further, since this reinforcing rib is continuous with the lateral rib, it also functions as a reinforcing member for the lateral rib, and it is possible to prevent deformation of the lateral rib and prevent warping of the door cap.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a household refrigerator, which comprises a heat insulating box 2 having a front opening which constitutes the main body thereof, and a door 3, which closes the opening.
4 and 4. In this embodiment, the heat insulation box 2 is
A partition wall 5 divides the upper chamber (usually a freezing chamber) and the lower chamber (usually a refrigerating chamber) 7.

The doors 3 and 4 are pivotable doors that close the front openings of the upper chamber and the lower chamber 7, and are attached to the metallic door outer plate 11 and the upper and lower open ends of the door outer plate 11, respectively. Upper and lower door caps 12, 13 made of resin and double door cap 1
It is composed of a foamed heat insulating material 14 filled in a space formed by the door outer plates 11 and 12, and a door inner plate 15 made of resin. Incidentally, 16 is a door outer plate 11 and both door caps 12, 1.
3 is a frame-shaped magnet-containing door packing held between the door 3 and the door inner plate 15, and abuts against the opening edge of the upper chamber or the lower chamber 7 to ensure the sealing property between the door and the heat insulating box. In the present embodiment, the door 4 will be described in detail because the size (vertical length) of the door outer plate is different but the components are the same.

In the door 4, the door outer plate 11 has a front wall 21,
It is composed of left and right side walls 22 and 23, and flange portions 24 and 25 that are formed by bending the ends of these side walls inward and facing the front wall.

The upper door cap 12 is shown in a bottom view in FIG.
Fig. 31 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the vertical direction at the approximate center.
Is a base that is the upper surface, 32 is a front wall that hangs from the front end of the inner surface of the base 31, and further curves and rises upward and hangs again, 33 is a left and right side wall that hangs from the left and right ends of the inner surface of the base 31, 34 is a rear edge of the inner surface of the base Is a lateral rib that is provided so as to extend over substantially the entire width in the left-right direction.

The horizontal rib 34 is formed with a slight step at both left and right ends thereof, and the flange portions 24 and 25 of the door outer plate 11 are superposed on this step so that the flange portion and the horizontal rib are flush with each other. Become. In consideration of the heat shrinkage associated with the cooling operation, the lateral ribs 34 are arranged so that the left and right ends are slightly closer to the front wall side than the central part so as to be in the direction opposite to the direction of the warp that tends to occur. A warp should be formed. Even if the warp occurs in the opposite direction due to the heat shrinkage due to the warp formation, the lateral ribs are merely in a substantially flat state, and the gap between the door packing and the opening edge, which is apt to occur conventionally, does not occur.

Reference numeral 35 designates a plurality of groove ribs which are formed with a gap corresponding to the thickness of the front wall 32, the left and right side walls 33 and the door outer plate, and form a groove 36 for inserting the upper end of the door outer plate 11. .. Further, the curved portion of the front wall 32 and the rising portion of the front wall 32 are used as a handle 32B for opening and closing the door 4.

Further, 37 is a reinforcing rib formed on the inner surface of the base portion 31. The reinforcing rib is a triangular rib 38 formed in a shape like a triangular wave in the left-right direction, and the triangular rib 3
8 is a first vertical rib 39A formed continuously from the apex portion near the front wall to the inner surface of the front wall, and a second vertical rib 39B is formed continuously from the apex portion near the horizontal rib of the triangular rib 38 to the horizontal rib. Consists of. It is desirable that the first and second vertical ribs be located on the extension line. Since the reinforcing rib 37 forms a triangular rib 38 formed by combining a part of triangles, it will be referred to as a truss structure. Reference numeral 40 is a fixing portion for fixing the hinge.

The lower door cap 13 is shown in a bottom view in FIG.
0 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the vertical direction at the approximate center.
Reference numeral 1 is a base portion which is a lower surface, 42 is a front wall standing up from the inner surface front end of the base portion 41, 43 is a left and right wall standing up from the inner surface left and right edges of the base portion, 44 is a lateral rib standing up from the inner surface rear edge of the base portion over substantially the entire width in the horizontal direction. Is.

Similar to the above-mentioned horizontal rib 34, the horizontal rib 44 has a step for flattening the flange portion. Further, it is preferable that the lateral rib 44 has a warp in which the left and right ends are slightly closer to the front wall 42 side than the central part.

Reference numeral 45 denotes the front wall 42, the left and right walls 43 and the door outer plate 1.
A plurality of groove ribs which are formed at intervals of one thickness and form a groove 46 for inserting the lower end of the door outer plate. Reference numeral 47 is a reinforcing rib formed on the inner surface of the base portion 41.

The reinforcing rib 47 is a diamond-shaped rib 48 having a substantially rhombic shape that is continuous over the entire width in the left-right direction, and a third rib formed from the apex portion near the front wall of the diamond-shaped rib 48 toward the front wall. A vertical rib 49A and a fourth rib formed so as to be continuous from the apex portion of the diamond-shaped rib 48 close to the horizontal rib to the horizontal rib.
Vertical ribs 49B. It is desirable that the third vertical rib and the fourth vertical rib are located on the extension lines of each other. Further, if the diamond ribs 48 are formed so as to be sequentially higher from the front wall 42 side to the lateral rib side, it is easy to regulate the deformation of the lateral ribs 44. Further, if the diamond ribs 48 are formed so as to be successively higher from the diamond-shaped connection portion to the apex portion close to the lateral ribs, it is possible to eliminate the difficulty around the heat insulating material and improve the strength of the lateral ribs.

Since the reinforcing rib 47 forms a diamond-shaped rib 48 formed by combining a part of triangles, it will be referred to as a truss structure in the present embodiment (particularly a diamond truss). Reference numeral 50 is a fixing portion for fixing the hinge. Reference numeral 51 is a defining portion for defining the rotatable range of the door 4.

The manufacture of the door 4 will be described based on the configuration described in detail above. The upper end of the door outer plate 11 is inserted into the groove 36 of the upper door cap 12 to attach the upper door cap 12 to the door outer plate. The lower end of the door outer plate 11 is inserted into the groove 46 of the lower door cap 13 to attach the lower door cap 13 to the door outer plate. Fix the door body in this state to the foaming jig,
Foam insulation 1 in the space formed by the door skin and both door caps
Fill 4. Then, the door inner plate to which a molded product such as polystyrene foam is fixed is provided with the flange portions 24 and 25 of the door outer plate 11, the lateral ribs 34 of the upper door cap 12, and the lower door cap 13.
Each of the horizontal ribs 44 is fixed with a screw. At this time, the packing is fixed so that a part of the door packing 16 is sandwiched between the flange and the lateral ribs and the door inner plate. The door 4 is completed by the above.

Upper and lower door caps 12 and 1 of the doors 3 and 4
Since the truss-shaped reinforcing ribs 37 and 47 are formed in 3, the strength of the door cap is improved as compared with the conventional one. This is caused by forming the reinforcing ribs in the shape of a truss. Explaining the case where a force is applied to the door cap in the direction of deformation to the front (that is, the case where the above-mentioned warpage occurs) as an example, the door cap will be described. Since the lateral ribs 34 and 44 are applied with a contracting force toward the center and the front walls 32 and 42 are applied with a tensile force toward the left and right ends, the lateral ribs and the front wall are connected by the left and right walls. As a result, forward stress is generated in the door cap. At this time, a tensile force is applied to the two sides of the diamond-shaped rib 48 located on the lateral rib side of the reinforcing rib 47 in the direction of the vertical rib in which both sides are continuous, so that a synthetic stress is generated on both sides toward the lateral rib side. Since this synthetic stress is in the opposite direction to the force in the direction of deforming the door cap described above, the forces acting in the opposite directions relax or cancel each other to reduce or eliminate the deforming force of the door cap. In addition to improving the strength of the door cap itself, deformation of the door cap is prevented.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the truss structure is formed in the left-right direction on the inner surface of the door cap, and the reinforcing rib continuous with the lateral rib is formed. The force can be relieved by this reinforcing rib, and the strength of the door cap itself can be improved. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the door cap from warping during the cooling operation of the refrigerator and the foaming work on the door without using a metal reinforcing plate as in the related art.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a door of a refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the refrigerator.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a partial cross section of the refrigerator.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a door.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an upper door cap.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the upper door cap.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a lower door cap.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the lower door cap.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a central portion of the upper door cap.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the central portion of the lower door cap.

11 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Refrigerator 4 Door 11 Door outer plate 12 Upper door cap 13 Lower door cap 14 Foam insulation 15 Door inner plate 34,44 Horizontal rib 35,45 Groove rib 36,46 Groove 37,47 Reinforcing rib

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Seiji Kimura 2-18 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Nobuhiko Sugihara 2-18-18 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A metal door outer plate comprising a front wall, left and right side walls, and flanges formed by bending inward end portions of these side walls, and a groove into which upper and lower open ends of the door outer plate are inserted. A door of a refrigerator provided with a resin upper and lower door cap having, a foam heat insulating material filled in a space formed by the door cap and a door outer plate, and a door inner plate fixed to the flange portion. A refrigerator characterized in that an inner surface of the door cap is provided with a lateral rib which is provided at a rear edge in the left-right direction to fix the door inner plate, and a reinforcing rib which has a truss structure in the left-right direction and is continuous with the lateral rib. Door.