Refrigerator door and refrigerator

Abstract

The refrigerator (1) has a refrigerator door. The refrigerator door has a glass plate, a back resin plate and a plurality of resin door covers. The door cover (such as a bottom cover, etc.) is arranged at the outer peripheral end of the door and supports the end of the glass plate and the back resin plate. On at least one of the door covers, on the back side of the inner side of the door, a metal reinforcement member extending along the long side direction of the door cover is provided. In addition, the setting area of ​​the reinforcement member on the inner side of the door cover is configured so that no space for foam insulation material to enter is provided between the door cover and the reinforcement member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a refrigerator door having a glass plate and a refrigerator having such a refrigerator door. Background Art

[0002] Some refrigerators have a front side of a door formed of a glass plate in order to improve the appearance.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-60190 discloses a refrigerator in which the front side of a refrigerator door 2b of a refrigerator compartment 2 is fully covered by a glass plate 7, and four door frame members 8a to 8c are mounted on the outer peripheral ends of four sides of the refrigerator door 2b. Summary of the invention

[0004] As in the refrigerator disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2010-60190, the front of the door is composed of a glass plate, and door frame components are respectively provided on the outer peripheral ends of the four sides of the glass plate. When a load is applied or the interior of the door is filled with foam insulation material, there is a possibility that the door frame components will deform.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure capable of suppressing deformation of an outer peripheral end portion of a refrigerator door having a glass plate.

[0006] The refrigerator door according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises a glass plate located on the front side of the door, a back panel located on the back side of the door, and a plurality of resin door covers arranged at the outer peripheral ends of the door and supporting the ends of the glass plate and the back panel. In at least one of the door covers, a metal reinforcing member extending along the long side direction of the door cover is provided on the back side of the inner side of the door, and the installation area of ​​the reinforcing member on the inner side of the at least one door cover is configured as a space for a foamed heat insulating material to enter without providing a space between the door cover and the reinforcing member.

[0007] The refrigerator door according to the second aspect of the present invention comprises a glass plate located on the front side of the door, a back panel located on the back side of the door, and a plurality of resin door covers arranged at the outer peripheral ends of the door and supporting the ends of the glass plate and the back panel. On at least one of the door covers, at least one rib extending along the front-to-back direction or the left-to-right direction of the door is provided on the inner side of the door, and on the back side of the inner side of the at least one door cover, a metal reinforcement component extending along the long side direction of the door cover is provided. In the area where the reinforcement component is provided on the inner side of the door cover, a space is provided between the door cover and the reinforcement component, and the at least one rib is configured so as not to hinder the infiltration of the foam insulation material into the space.

[0008] According to the structure of the first or second aspect of the present invention, deformation of the outer peripheral end portion of the refrigerator door having the glass plate can be suppressed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 Yes means Figure 1 The front view of the appearance of the refrigerator compartment door provided in the refrigerator shown.

[0011] Figure 3 It is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which components constituting the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment are exploded.

[0012] Figure 4 Yes means Figure 3 A perspective view of the bottom cover of the refrigerator door is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 Yes means Figure 3 A perspective view of the bottom cover of the refrigerator door is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 Yes means Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the AA line portion of the refrigerator door is shown.

[0015] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the bottom surface portion of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 8 Yes means Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the structure of a modified example of a refrigerator compartment door is shown.

[0017] Fig. 9 It is a perspective view showing a side cover of a refrigerator compartment door of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment.

[0018] Fig.10 It is a perspective view showing a side cover of a refrigerator compartment door of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment.

[0019] Fig.11 Yes means Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the side cover is shown.

[0020] Fig.12 It is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the AA line portion of the refrigerator compartment door according to the comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same components. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, their detailed description will not be repeated.

[0022] [First embodiment]

[0023] In this embodiment, as a refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator 1 including a refrigerator compartment door 11 that can be opened and closed from either the left or right side is described as an example. The refrigerator compartment door 11 is an example of a refrigerator door according to the present invention.

[0024] <Overall structure of refrigerator>

[0025] Figure 1 The structure of the front side of the refrigerator 1 involved in this embodiment is shown. The outer shape of the main body of the refrigerator 1 is mainly formed by a heat-insulating box body (refrigerator main body) 10. The refrigerator 1 has a first refrigerating chamber on the upper layer, a second refrigerating chamber (vegetable chamber) on the middle layer, and a first freezing chamber on the lower layer. In addition, the middle part of the refrigerator 1 is also provided with an ice making chamber and a second freezing chamber.

[0026] In addition, the structure and arrangement of each storage compartment in the refrigerator 1 are not limited to the above description. The structure and arrangement of each storage compartment can be appropriately changed according to the capacity, purpose, etc. of the refrigerator.

[0027] In addition, a refrigerator door 11 is provided on the first refrigerator compartment of the upper layer. The refrigerator door 11 is a double-opening door that can be opened and closed from either the left or right end. Therefore, handles 82 that function as handles when opening and closing the refrigerator door 11 are provided at the left and right ends of the refrigerator door 11. Specifically, the left handle 82a is provided at the left end of the refrigerator door 11. In addition, the right handle 82b is provided at the right end of the refrigerator door 11.

[0028] The second refrigerator compartment (vegetable compartment) in the middle layer is provided with a pull-out refrigerator compartment door 13. The first freezer compartment in the lower layer is provided with a pull-out freezer compartment door 14. In addition, the ice making compartment and the second freezer compartment in the middle layer are provided with a pull-out ice making compartment door 15 or a freezer compartment door 16, respectively.

[0029] In addition, the structure of each door in the refrigerator 1 is not limited to the above structure. The door of each storage room can be appropriately opened and closed from both sides, opened from both sides, opened and closed from either end, pulled out, etc., depending on the structure, purpose, location, etc. of each storage room.

[0030] In this embodiment, the surface provided with the door is defined as the front surface (front face) of the refrigerator. Furthermore, based on the front surface, the surfaces of the refrigerator 1 and the heat-insulating box body 10 are defined as the upper surface, the side surface, the rear surface (back face), and the bottom surface according to the position of the refrigerator 1 when the refrigerator 1 is normally set. In addition, when the refrigerator 1 (or the heat-insulating box body 10, the upper mounting member 90, etc.) is viewed from the front side, the side located on the left side is referred to as the left side of the refrigerator 1, etc., and the side located on the right side is referred to as the right side of the refrigerator 1, etc.

[0031] An upper mounting member 90 is disposed on the upper surface of the heat insulating box 10. In the upper mounting member 90, a human detection sensor 91, a speaker, a hinge reinforcement portion, and the like are provided.

[0032] <Refrigerator door structure>

[0033] Next, the structure of the refrigerating chamber door 11 will be described. Figure 2 The appearance of the refrigerating chamber door 11 is shown. Figure 3 The components of the refrigerator door 11 are shown in an exploded state. Figure 3 In the figure, as a component on the heat insulating box body 10 side, a hinge holding component 18 having hinge shafts 19, 19 and locking cams 17, 17, etc. is also shown.

[0034] The refrigerator door 11 has a generally rectangular shape that is long in the longitudinal direction (up and down direction). The outer shape of the refrigerator door 11 is mainly composed of a glass plate 21, a back resin plate (back panel) 22, a frame-shaped seal 23, and a plurality of door covers (specifically, a bottom cover 31, an upper cover 32, a left side cover 33, and a right side cover 34). The refrigerator door 11 is formed in its outer shape by these components, and an insulation layer composed of a foam insulation material (such as foamed polyurethane, etc.) and a vacuum insulation material is formed inside.

[0035] The glass plate 21 is located on the front side of the refrigerator door 11. The front surface of the refrigerator door 11 is formed of the glass plate 21, so that the aesthetics of the refrigerator 1 can be improved. The glass plate 21 has a substantially rectangular shape in accordance with the shape of the refrigerator door 11. However, the portions where the handles 82a and 82b are arranged are cut out in the side ends on the left and right sides of the glass plate 21.

[0036] The back resin plate 22 is located on the back side of the refrigerator door 11. The back resin plate 22 is formed by molding a plate-like member made of resin. The back resin plate 22 is located inside the refrigerator when the refrigerator door 11 is closed, and becomes a part of the refrigerator inner wall forming the refrigerator internal space. A plurality of storage boxes (not shown) are mounted on the back resin plate 22, and the plurality of storage boxes are arranged to extend in the left-right direction on the back side of the refrigerator door 11.

[0037] The frame-shaped seal 23 is installed along the outer periphery of the back side of the back resin plate 22. The frame-shaped seal 23 has a protruding insertion portion 23a provided along the frame. The insertion portion 23a is inserted into an insertion groove 22a formed on the back side of the back resin plate 22 (see FIG. Figure 6 Since such a frame-shaped seal 23 is provided, the airtightness of the refrigerator (refrigeration chamber) can be improved when the refrigerator door 11 is closed.

[0038] The door cover is composed of a bottom cover 31, an upper cover 32, a left side cover 33, and a right side cover 34. Each door cover is provided at the outer peripheral end of the refrigerator door 11. Each door cover holds the glass plate 21 and the rear resin plate 22 and connects the glass plate 21 and the rear resin plate 22.

[0039] The bottom cover 31 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment door 11. The bottom cover 31 includes a resin cover body 41 and a metal reinforcement member 42. The bottom surface side of the bottom cover 31 is provided with hinge holding portions (hinge placement portions) 25, 25 (see Figure 5 The hinge holding portions 25, 25 are provided at positions corresponding to the hinge shafts 19, 19 on both left and right sides of the hinge holding member 18 on the heat insulating box body 10 side.

[0040] The upper cover 32 is provided on the upper part of the refrigerator compartment door 11. The upper cover 32 has a resin cover body and a metal reinforcement member. The cover body and the reinforcement member can be configured in a substantially similar manner to the cover body and the reinforcement member of the bottom cover 31.

[0041] The side covers 33 and 34 are provided on the side of the refrigerator door 11. The side cover 33 is provided on the left side of the refrigerator door 11 as viewed from the front. The side cover 34 is provided on the right side of the refrigerator door 11 as viewed from the front. The side cover 33 is provided with a handle portion 82a on the left side. The side cover 34 is provided with a handle portion 82b on the right side.

[0042] The side cover 33 has a cover body 61 made of resin and a metal reinforcement member 62. The side cover 34 has a shape symmetrical to the side cover 33. Although not shown, the side cover 34 also has a cover body 61 made of resin and a metal reinforcement member 62.

[0043] As described above, a metal reinforcement member is provided on the inner side of each door cover (the side filled with the foam insulation material) along the long side direction of the door cover. By providing such a reinforcement member, the deformation of the relatively easy-to-deform resin door cover can be suppressed. Specifically, the bending or warping of the long side direction of the door cover can be suppressed.

[0044] <Bottom cover structure>

[0045] Next, a more detailed structure of the bottom cover 31 will be described. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The appearance structure of the bottom cover 31 is shown. Figure 4 , the structure of the upper side of the bottom cover 31 (the side provided with the heat insulating layer) is shown. Figure 5 , the structure of the bottom side of the bottom cover 31 (outside of the refrigerator door 11) is shown. Figure 6 The cross-sectional structure of the bottom of the refrigerator compartment door 11 is shown. Figure 6 Yes means Figure 2 The cross-sectional structure of the AA line portion is shown.

[0046] As described above, the bottom cover 31 includes the cover body 41 made of resin and the reinforcement member 42 made of metal.

[0047] The cover body 41 constitutes the main body of the bottom cover 31. Figure 5 As shown, hinge holding parts 25, 25, slide cams 26, 26, guide rollers 27, 27, etc. are provided on the bottom surface side of the cover body 41 as structures related to the opening and closing operation of the refrigerator door 11. These components are provided in a bilaterally symmetrical manner.

[0048] The hinge holding parts 25 are respectively provided near the ends of the left and right sides of the cover body 41. The hinge holding parts 25 relatively slideably guide the hinge shaft 19 provided on the hinge holding member 18 of the heat-insulating box body 10. In addition, the hinge holding parts 25 on one side of the left and right sides rotatably hold the corresponding hinge shaft 19, and function as hinges of the refrigerator door 11.

[0049] The slide cam 26 is arranged slightly inside the hinge holding portion 25. The slide cam 26 is arranged at a position corresponding to the lock cam 17 provided on the hinge holding member 18 of the heat insulating box 10, and restricts the movement of the refrigerator door 11 during the door opening and closing operation.

[0050] The guide roller 27 is a member for assisting the opening and closing operation of the refrigerator compartment door 11. The guide roller 27 is arranged slightly inside the slide cam 26.

[0051] The guide roller 27 is located on the hinge holding member 18, which is arranged at the front end of the partition wall separating the upper refrigerator compartment and the second refrigerator compartment (vegetable compartment) in the middle, and supports the refrigerator compartment door 11 in the closed state. In addition, an inclined surface inclined downwardly toward the rear is provided across the left and right sides of the hinge holding member 18, and the guide roller 27 forms an automatic closing mechanism (automatic closing mechanism using gravity) that applies force to the refrigerator compartment door 11 in the closing direction by descending along the inclined surface.

[0052] The cover body 41 has a front bottom surface portion 41 a , a rear bottom surface portion 41 b , a front wall portion 41 c , a central wall portion 41 d , a rear wall portion 41 e , longitudinal ribs 46 , transverse ribs 45 , and the like.

[0053] The front bottom surface 41a and the rear bottom surface 41b respectively form the bottom surface of the refrigerator door 11. The front bottom surface 41a is located on the front side of the refrigerator door 11 and extends in the long side direction (left-right direction). The rear bottom surface 41b is located on the rear side of the refrigerator door 11 and extends in the long side direction (left-right direction). Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , the rear bottom surface 41b is arranged at a position one step higher than the front bottom surface 41a. In addition, near the left and right ends of the cover body 41 where the hinge holding portion 25 or the slide cam 26 is mounted, the width of the rear bottom surface 41b in the front-to-back direction is larger than that of other portions (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 5 wait).

[0054] The front wall 41c is a side wall extending along the front surface of the refrigerator door 11. The lower end of the glass plate 21 is fixed to the front side of the front wall 41c. The central wall 41d is located on the rear side of the front wall 41c and extends approximately parallel to the front wall 41c. The rear wall 41e is located on the rear side of the central wall 41d and extends approximately parallel to the front wall 41c and the central wall 41d. The lower end of the back resin plate 22 is fixed to the rear wall 41e.

[0055] The longitudinal ribs 46 extend along the short side direction of the cover body 41 (i.e., the front-rear direction of the refrigerator door 11). In this embodiment, a plurality of longitudinal ribs 46 are arranged substantially parallel to each other. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a portion of the longitudinal rib 46 is located on the outer side of the refrigerator door 11, and the remaining portion of the longitudinal rib 46 is located on the inner side of the refrigerator door 11 (the side where the heat insulation layer is provided).

[0056] The transverse ribs 45 extend along the long side direction of the cover body 41 (ie, the left-right direction of the refrigerator door 11). Figure 5 As shown, the transverse ribs 45 extend crosswise with the longitudinal ribs 46. In the present embodiment, the transverse ribs 45 are provided on the outer side of the refrigerator door 11.

[0057] The reinforcing member 42 is formed by bending a metal plate. Figure 6 As shown in the figures, the reinforcing member 42 is disposed on the inner side of the refrigerator door 11 (i.e., the side provided with the heat insulating layer) and the back side of the refrigerator door 11 (i.e., the side close to the back resin plate 22). The reinforcing member 42 extends along the long side direction (left-right direction) of the bottom cover 31. The reinforcing member 42 has a horizontal surface portion 42a and a vertical wall portion 42b.

[0058] The horizontal surface portion 42a extends along the long side direction of the cover body 41 substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion of the cover body 41. More specifically, the horizontal surface portion 42a is arranged in a state of surface contact with the rear bottom surface portion 41b of the cover body 41 (see Figure 6 ).

[0059] The vertical wall portion 42b is formed by bending the front side of the horizontal surface portion 42a at a substantially right angle. Most of the vertical wall portion 42b extends in the left-right direction of the bottom cover 31 substantially parallel to the front wall portion 41c and the rear wall portion 41e.

[0060] By providing such a metal reinforcement member 42, the strength of the bottom cover 31 can be improved. In particular, the hinge holding parts 25, 25 supporting the hinge shafts 19, 19 are provided at the left and right ends of the bottom cover 31, and higher rigidity is required than other door covers. Therefore, near the left and right ends of the bottom cover 31 where the hinge holding parts 25 and the sliding cam 26 are arranged, the width of the horizontal surface 42a in the front-to-back direction is the same as the width of the rear bottom surface 41b in the front-to-back direction, and is larger than other parts (refer to Figure 4 Since the reinforcing member 42 has such a shape, the hinge holding portion 25 and most of the upper portion of the sliding cam 26 can be supported in a surface contact manner by the horizontal surface 42a of the reinforcing member 42 via the rear bottom surface 41b, thereby improving the strength of the hinge portion of the refrigerator door 11.

[0061] In this embodiment, the horizontal surface 42a of the reinforcing member 42 is also arranged on the rear bottom surface 41b of the cover body 41 in the middle portion of the bottom cover 31 in the left-right direction. That is, the central wall 41d of the cover body 41 is located further forward than the vertical wall 42b of the reinforcing member 42.

[0062] As a result, the area where the reinforcing member 42 is provided on the inner side (insulating layer side) of the bottom cover 31 is in surface contact with the rear bottom surface portion 41b of the cover body 41. Therefore, when the insulating layer is formed (when the foamed insulating material is injected), there is no room for the foamed insulating material to enter between the bottom cover 31 and the reinforcing member 42. In other words, the area where the reinforcing member 42 is provided on the inner side of the bottom cover 31 is configured so that there is no space between the bottom cover 31 and the reinforcing member 42 for the foamed insulating material to enter.

[0063] In this regard, for comparison, description will be made with reference to a structure in which there is a space between the bottom cover 31 and the reinforcing member 42 where the foamed heat insulating material enters. Fig.12 The bottom cover 931 having a cover body 941 having a structure different from that of the present embodiment is shown. The structure of the bottom cover 931 other than the cover body 941 is the same as that of the bottom cover 31 of the present embodiment.

[0064] The cover body 941 of the bottom cover 931 has a front bottom surface portion 941a, a rear bottom surface portion 941b, a front wall portion 941c, a central wall portion 941d, a rear wall portion 941e, longitudinal ribs (not shown), transverse ribs 945, and the like.

[0065] exist Fig.12 In the structure shown, the transverse ribs 945 are provided on the inner side (insulation layer side) of the refrigerator door 11. In addition, a plurality of longitudinal ribs are provided on the inner side of the refrigerator door 11 in a manner intersecting the transverse ribs 945. Thus, on the inner side of the refrigerator door 11, a space that is divided into small spaces by the longitudinal ribs of the cover body 941 and the transverse ribs 945 is formed. Furthermore, the central wall portion 941d of the cover body 941 is located further to the rear side than the longitudinal wall portion 42b of the reinforcing member 42.

[0066] With such a configuration, a portion of the space that is partitioned into small portions by the longitudinal ribs and the transverse ribs 945 of the cover body 941 is partially covered by the horizontal surface portion 42a of the reinforcing member 42. Fig.12 As shown, a space S with a small opening is formed on the inner side of the bottom cover 931.

[0067] In such a space S, when the foamed heat insulating material is injected to form a heat insulating layer, the material is difficult to enter. Therefore, as a result, a cavity where no foamed heat insulating material is present is easily formed in such a space S. If such a cavity is formed inside the refrigerator door 11, the rigidity of this portion is lower than that of other portions. At this time, due to changes in the ambient temperature, when the foamed heat insulating material formed on the inner side of the refrigerator door 11 expands or contracts, deformation of the foamed heat insulating material during expansion or contraction occurs concentratedly in the cavity.

[0068] For example, if the foamed heat insulating material shrinks, a stress pulling the cover body 941 inward is applied. At this time, the front side of the cover body is supported by the glass plate 21. Since the glass plate is hardly deformed by heat, the front side of the cover body 941 is suppressed from deformation by the glass plate. On the other hand, since a back resin plate 22 formed of a plate-like member made of resin is provided on the back side of the cover body, the back resin plate 22 also moves inward ( Fig.12 As a result, the deformation amounts of the components constituting the refrigerator compartment door 11 are different on the front side and the back side of the refrigerator compartment door 11.

[0069] In such a state, if the above-mentioned cavity exists in the middle part of the front-to-back direction of the cover body 941, the deformation of the cavity will have the effect of absorbing the deformation of the refrigerator door 11 in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, as a result, the upper part of the cavity is squeezed in the front-to-back direction, and the rear bottom surface 941b and the rear wall 941e of the cover body 941 are lifted up. In this way, when the back side of the refrigerator door 11 is deformed, the frame-shaped seal 23 is tilted, and the airtightness of the refrigerator (inside the refrigerator) when the refrigerator door 11 is in the closed state is reduced. In addition, as in the present embodiment, when an automatic closing mechanism such as a guide roller 27 is provided in the bottom cover 31, the rear bottom surface 941b of the cover body 941 is lifted up, thereby also lifting the guide roller 27, which may also cause the function of the automatic closing mechanism to be reduced.

[0070] When the foam insulation material expands, on the contrary, the upper part of the cavity expands in the front-rear direction, and the rear bottom surface 941b or the rear wall 941e of the cover body 941 is pushed down. At this time, the airtightness of the refrigerator (refrigerator) when the refrigerator door 11 is in the closed state will also be reduced. In addition, since the automatic closing mechanism is pushed down, the automatic closing mechanism and the hinge holding member 18 may interfere with each other, and the opening and closing of the refrigerator door 11 may become heavier.

[0071] On the other hand, in the structure involved in this embodiment, as described above, the installation area of ​​the reinforcement member 42 on the inner side of the bottom cover 31 of the refrigerator compartment door 11 is configured so that no space for the foam insulation material to enter is provided between the bottom cover 31 and the reinforcement member 42.

[0072] Thus, the space where the foam insulation material cannot enter disappears at the bottom of the refrigerator door 11, and a cavity not filled with the insulation layer is difficult to form. Therefore, the bottom of the refrigerator door 11, especially the back side, can be suppressed from deforming.

[0073] (Summary of the First Embodiment)

[0074] As described above, the refrigerator 1 involved in the present embodiment includes a refrigerator door 11. The refrigerator door 11 includes a glass plate 21, a back resin plate 22, and a plurality of resin door covers (a bottom cover 31, an upper cover 32, a left side cover 33, and a right side cover 34). Each door cover is arranged at the outer peripheral end of the door, and supports the outer peripheral ends of the glass plate 21 and the back resin plate 22. On at least one of the door covers (for example, the bottom cover 31), a metal reinforcement component 42 extends along the long side direction of the door cover on the back side of the inner side (insulation layer side) of the door. In addition, the setting area of ​​the reinforcement component 42 on the inner side of the door cover is configured so that no space for the foam insulation material to enter is provided between the door cover (bottom cover 31) and the reinforcement component 42.

[0075] According to this structure, the space that the foam insulation material cannot enter disappears in the outer peripheral end of the refrigerator door 11, and a cavity that is not filled with an insulation layer is difficult to form. Therefore, the deformation or reduction in strength of the outer peripheral end of the refrigerator door 11 can be suppressed relative to the expansion and contraction of the foam insulation material.

[0076] In addition, hinge holding parts 25, 25 supporting hinge shafts 19, 19 are provided at the left and right ends of the bottom cover 31, and higher rigidity is required than other door covers. Therefore, in the bottom cover 31, since a space for the foamed heat insulating material to enter is not provided between the bottom cover 31 and the reinforcing member 42, a structure can be formed in which a cavity not filled with a heat insulating layer is difficult to be formed. Therefore, deformation of the bottom of the refrigerator door 11 or reduction in strength can be suppressed.

[0077] In addition, in the present embodiment, the refrigerator door 11 has a long generally rectangular shape in the longitudinal direction (up and down direction), but the shape of the refrigerator door involved in the present invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the refrigerator door may also have a long generally rectangular shape in the transverse direction (left and right direction). In addition, the refrigerator door is not limited to the door provided in the refrigerator, and may also be the door of the vegetable room, the freezer room, the ice making room, etc.

[0078] [Second Embodiment]

[0079] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the structure of the bottom cover of the refrigerator door is different from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the structure of the bottom cover 131 of the refrigerator door 11 of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0080] Figure 7 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of the bottom portion of the refrigerator compartment door 11 of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment. Figure 7 The figure shows the cross-sectional structure of the part corresponding to the AA line part of the refrigerator compartment door 11 in the refrigerator 1 which concerns on this Embodiment.

[0081] As in the first embodiment, the outer shape of the refrigerator door 11 is mainly composed of a glass plate 21, a back resin plate (back panel) 22, a frame-shaped seal 23, and a plurality of door covers. The door cover is composed of a bottom cover 131, an upper cover 32, a left side cover 33, and a right side cover 34. For the upper cover 32, the left side cover 33, and the right side cover 34, the same structure as in the first embodiment can be adopted.

[0082] The bottom cover 131 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment door 11. The bottom cover 131 includes a cover body 141 made of resin and a metal reinforcement member 42. The reinforcement member 42 may have the same structure as that of the first embodiment.

[0083] The cover body 141 constitutes the main body of the bottom cover 131. Figure 7 Although not shown, similar to the first embodiment, on the bottom side of the cover body 141, as structures related to the opening and closing action of the refrigerator door 11, hinge retaining parts 25, 25, sliding cams 26, 26 and guide rollers 27, 27 are provided.

[0084] The cover body 141 has a front bottom surface 41a, a rear bottom surface 41b, a front wall 41c, a central wall 41d, a rear wall 41e, and longitudinal ribs 46 (in Figure 7 (not shown in the figure) etc.

[0085] The front bottom surface 41a and the rear bottom surface 41b respectively form the bottom surface of the refrigerator door 11. The front bottom surface 41a is located on the front side of the refrigerator door 11 and extends in the long side direction (left-right direction). The rear bottom surface 41b is located on the front side of the refrigerator door 11 and extends in the long side direction (left-right direction). Figure 7 As shown, the rear bottom surface portion 41b is provided at a position one step higher than the front bottom surface portion 41a.

[0086] The front wall 41c is a side wall extending along the front surface of the refrigerator door 11. The lower end of the glass plate 21 is fixed to the front side of the front wall 41c. The central wall 41d is located on the rear side of the front wall 41c and extends approximately parallel to the front wall 41c. The rear wall 41e is located on the rear side of the central wall 41d and extends approximately parallel to the front wall 41c and the central wall 41d. Figure 7 Although not shown in the figure, the lower end portion of the back resin plate 22 is fixed to the rear wall portion 41e.

[0087] The longitudinal ribs 46 extend along the short-side direction of the cover body 141 (that is, the front-rear direction of the refrigerator door 11). Similar to the first embodiment, the plurality of longitudinal ribs 46 are provided substantially parallel to each other.

[0088] In the structure according to the first embodiment, the transverse ribs 45 extending and crossing the longitudinal ribs 46 are provided inside the bottom cover 31. In contrast, in the structure according to the present embodiment, no transverse ribs are formed inside the cover body 141.

[0089] In addition, in this embodiment, a part of the horizontal surface 42a of the reinforcing member 42 protrudes to the other side further than the rear bottom surface 41b of the cover body 141. Fig.12 Similarly, the central wall portion 41 d of the cover body 141 is located further rearward than the vertical wall portion 42 b of the reinforcing member 42 .

[0090] Thus, in the area where the reinforcing member 42 is provided on the inner side (insulating layer side) of the bottom cover 131, a space is formed between the cover body 141 and the reinforcing member 42. In addition, since only the longitudinal ribs 46 are provided on the inner side of the cover body 141 and no transverse ribs are provided, the foamed heat insulating material can easily enter the space between the cover body 141 and the reinforcing member 42. That is, in this embodiment, the configuration is such that no transverse ribs are provided on the inner side of the bottom cover 131 so as not to hinder the foamed heat insulating material from entering the space between the cover body 141 and the reinforcing member 42.

[0091] As a result, the space that the foamed heat insulating material cannot enter disappears at the bottom of the refrigerator door 11, and a cavity that is not filled with a heat insulating layer is difficult to form. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deformation or reduction in strength of the bottom of the refrigerator door 11. In addition, in this embodiment, since the foamed heat insulating material is also filled between the reinforcing member 42 and the cover body 141, the heat insulation of the refrigerator door 11 can be improved, for example, condensation on the bottom cover 131 can be suppressed.

[0092] Next, a modification of the second embodiment will be described. Figure 8 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of the bottom cover 131 of the refrigerator compartment door 11 according to a modified example. In the modified example, a structure in which the transverse ribs 145 are formed so as not to prevent the foam insulation material from penetrating into the space between the cover body 141 and the reinforcing member 42 will be described.

[0093] The bottom cover 131 of the refrigerator door 11 according to the modified example is provided with a transverse rib 145 extending along the long side direction of the cover body 141 (ie, the left-right direction of the refrigerator door 11) on the front bottom surface 41a. Figure 8 As shown, the height H1 of the transverse rib 145 is smaller than the height H2 of the central wall portion 41 d. In addition, the height H1 of the transverse rib 145 is also smaller than the height of the longitudinal rib 46.

[0094] For example, if the distance from the curved portion O of the reinforcing member 42 (the boundary portion between the horizontal surface portion 42a and the vertical wall portion 42b) to the vertex of the transverse rib 145 is set to R, and the height of the space between the cover body 141 and the reinforcing member 42 is set to H2, the relationship R≧H2 is preferably satisfied. Preferably, the height H1 of the transverse rib 145 is set to a size that satisfies this condition.

[0095] Such a transverse rib 145 is a structure that does not hinder the foam insulation material from penetrating into the space between the cover body 141 and the reinforcing member 42. Therefore, according to this structure, at the bottom of the refrigerator door 11, the space that the foam insulation material cannot enter disappears, and a cavity that is not filled with an insulation layer is difficult to form. Therefore, the deformation or reduction in strength of the bottom of the refrigerator door 11 can be suppressed. In addition, the transverse rib 145 can suppress the deformation of the bottom cover 131 in the left and right directions.

[0096] [Third Embodiment]

[0097] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, the structure of the side cover of the refrigerator door is different from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the structure of the side cover 234 of the refrigerator door 11 of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0098] As in the first embodiment, the outer shape of the refrigerator door 11 involved in this embodiment is mainly composed of a glass plate 21, a back resin plate (back panel) 22, a frame-shaped seal 23, and a plurality of door covers. The door cover is composed of a bottom cover 31, an upper cover 32, a left side cover 233, and a right side cover 234. The bottom cover 31 and the upper cover 32 can adopt the same structure as in the first or second embodiment.

[0099] The side covers 233 and 234 are provided on the side of the refrigerator door 11. The side cover 233 is provided on the left side of the refrigerator door 11 as viewed from the front. The side cover 234 is provided on the right side of the refrigerator door 11 as viewed from the front. The side cover 233 is provided with a handle portion 82a on the left side. The side cover 234 is provided with a grip portion handle portion 82b on the right side.

[0100] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The structure of the right side cover 234 constituting the refrigerator compartment door 11 of this embodiment is shown. The left side cover 233 has a structure symmetrical with the side cover 234. Therefore, the structure of the right side cover 234 is described below as an example, and the description of the left side cover 233 is omitted.

[0101] Fig. 9 The structure of the outer side of the side cover 234 is shown. Fig.10 The structure of the inner side (heat insulating layer side) of the side cover 234 is shown. The side cover 234 has a cover body 261 made of resin and a reinforcement member 262 made of metal.

[0102] The cover body 261 constitutes the main body of the side cover 234. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, the cover body 261 is provided with a handle portion installation portion 84 for installing the handle portion 82 .

[0103] The reinforcing member 262 is formed by bending a metal plate. Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , the reinforcing member 262 is disposed on the inner side of the refrigerator door 11 (i.e., the side provided with the heat insulating layer) and the back side of the refrigerator door 11 (i.e., the side closer to the back resin plate 22). The reinforcing member 262 extends along the long side direction (up and down direction) of the side cover 234. Fig. 9 In the example shown, the reinforcing member 262 is not provided in the region where the handle portion providing portion 84 is formed. However, in other embodiments, the reinforcing member 262 may extend to the region where the handle portion providing portion 84 is formed.

[0104] Fig.11 The cross-sectional structure of a portion of the side cover 234 where the reinforcing member 262 is disposed is shown.

[0105] The cover body 261 has a front side surface portion 261 a , a rear side surface portion 261 b , a front wall portion 261 c , a central wall portion 261 d , a rear wall portion 261 e , ribs 266 , and the like.

[0106] The front side portion 261a and the rear side portion 261b respectively form the side of the refrigerator door 11. The front side portion 261a is located on the front side of the refrigerator door 11 and extends in the long side direction (up and down direction). The rear side portion 261b is located on the rear side of the refrigerator door 11 and extends in the long side direction (up and down direction). Fig.11 As shown, the rear side surface portion 261b is provided at a layer further inside than the front side surface portion 261a.

[0107] The front wall portion 261c is a side wall extending along the front surface of the refrigerator door 11. An insertion groove 21a for inserting the side end of the glass plate 21 is formed on the front side of the front wall portion 41c. The central wall portion 261d is located on the rear side of the front wall portion 261c and extends approximately parallel to the front wall portion 261c. The rear wall portion 261e is located on the rear side of the central wall portion 261d and extends approximately parallel to the front wall portion 261c and the central wall portion 261d. The side end of the back resin plate 22 is fixed to the rear wall portion 261e.

[0108] The ribs 266 extend along the short side direction of the cover body 261 (ie, the front-rear direction of the refrigerator door 11). In the present embodiment, the plurality of ribs 266 are provided substantially parallel to each other. In the present embodiment, the ribs 266 are provided outside the refrigerator door 11.

[0109] The reinforcing member 262 has a horizontal surface portion 262a and a vertical wall portion 262b.

[0110] The horizontal surface portion 262a extends along the long side direction of the cover body 261 substantially in parallel with the side portion of the cover body 261. More specifically, the horizontal surface portion 262a is arranged in a state of surface contact with the rear side portion 261b of the cover body 261 (see Fig.11 ).

[0111] The vertical wall portion 262b is formed by bending the front side of the horizontal surface portion 262a at a substantially right angle. Most of the vertical wall portion 262b extends in the vertical direction of the side cover 234 substantially parallel to the front wall portion 261c and the rear wall portion 261e.

[0112] By providing such a metal reinforcing member 262 , the strength of the side cover 234 can be improved.

[0113] In this embodiment, the entire horizontal surface 262a of the reinforcing member 262 is disposed on the rear side surface 261b of the cover body 261. That is, the central wall 261d of the cover body 261 is located substantially at the same position as the vertical wall 262b of the reinforcing member 262 or slightly in front of it.

[0114] As a result, the area where the reinforcing member 262 is provided on the inner side (insulating layer side) of the side cover 234 is in surface contact with the rear side surface portion 261b of the cover body 261. Therefore, the area between the side cover 234 and the reinforcing member 262 is configured so that there is no room for the foamed heat insulating material to enter when the heat insulating layer is formed (when the foamed heat insulating material is injected). That is, the area where the reinforcing member 262 is provided on the inner side of the side cover 234 is configured so that the foamed heat insulating material is not provided between the side cover 234 and the reinforcing member 262.

[0115] Thus, the space where the foam insulation material cannot enter disappears in the side portion of the refrigerator door 11, and a cavity not filled with the insulation layer is difficult to form. Therefore, the deformation or reduction of the strength of the side portion of the refrigerator door 11 can be suppressed.

[0116] In addition, the refrigerator door 11 has a rectangular shape in the vertical direction. That is, the side cover 234 is arranged at the outer peripheral end of the long side direction of the refrigerator door 11. The outer peripheral end of the long side direction of the refrigerator door 11 is more easily deformed than the outer peripheral end of the short side direction. Therefore, by setting the side cover of the refrigerator door 11 having a rectangular shape in the vertical direction to the above-mentioned structure, the deformation of the door cover on the long side direction can be suppressed.

[0117] 〔Summarize〕

[0118] A refrigerator door (e.g., a refrigerator door 11) according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a glass plate (e.g., a glass plate 21) located on the front side of the door, a back panel (e.g., a back resin panel 22) located on the back side of the door, and a plurality of resin door covers (e.g., a bottom cover 31 or 131, an upper cover 32, and side covers 33, 34 or 233, 234) arranged at the outer peripheral end of the door and supporting the ends of the glass plate and the back panel. On at least one of the door covers (e.g., the bottom cover 31 or the side covers 233, 234), a metal reinforcing member (e.g., a reinforcing member 42, 262) extending along the long side direction of the door cover is provided on the back side (i.e., the side where the back resin panel 22 is located) of the inner side of the door (i.e., the side filled with the foam insulation material), and the setting area of ​​the reinforcing member on the inner side of the at least one door cover is configured so that no space for the foam insulation material to enter is provided between the door cover and the reinforcing member.

[0119] In addition, the refrigerator door (e.g., refrigerator door 11) according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a glass plate (e.g., glass plate 21) located on the front side of the door, a back panel (e.g., back resin panel 22) located on the back side of the door, and a plurality of resin door covers (e.g., bottom cover 31 or 131, top cover 32, and side covers 33, 34 or 233, 234) arranged at the outer peripheral end of the door and supporting the ends of the glass plate and the back panel. On at least one of the door covers (e.g., bottom cover 131), at least one rib (e.g., longitudinal rib 46, transverse rib 145) extending in the front-to-back direction or left-to-right direction of the door is provided on the inner side of the door (i.e., the side filled with foam insulation material). On the back side of the inner side of the at least one door cover (i.e., the side where the back resin panel 22 is located), a metal reinforcement member (e.g., reinforcement member 42) extending in the long side direction of the door cover is provided. In the area where the reinforcing component is disposed on the inner side of the door cover, a space is disposed between the door cover and the reinforcing component, and the at least one rib (eg, transverse rib 145) is configured not to hinder the foamed heat insulating material from penetrating into the space.

[0120] In the refrigerator door (e.g., the refrigerator compartment door 11) involved in one aspect of the present invention, the at least one door cover (e.g., the bottom cover 31 or 131) may also have a hinge configuration portion (e.g., a hinge retaining portion 25) that supports the hinge axis (e.g., the hinge axis 19) of the door.

[0121] In the refrigerator door (e.g., the refrigerator compartment door 11) involved in one aspect of the present invention, at least one door cover (e.g., the bottom cover 31 or 131) may also be provided with an automatic closing mechanism (e.g., a guide roller 27) to assist the automatic closing of the door.

[0122] In the refrigerator door (e.g., refrigerator door 11) involved in one aspect of the present invention, the door has a rectangular shape, and the at least one door cover may also be arranged at the outer peripheral end of the long side direction of the door. For example, in the case where the door has a rectangular shape in the up-down direction, the side cover is equivalent to the door cover arranged at the outer peripheral end of the long side direction of the door. In addition, in the case where the door has a rectangular shape in the left-right direction, the upper cover and the bottom cover are equivalent to the door covers arranged at the outer peripheral end of the long side direction of the door.

[0123] Another aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1) including a refrigerator compartment door (for example, refrigerator compartment door 11) according to any one aspect of the present invention.

[0124] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all aspects. The scope of the present invention is not represented by the above description but by the claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In addition, the structure obtained by combining the structures of the different embodiments described in this specification is also included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator door, characterized in that: have: A glass panel located on the front side of the door; a back panel located on the back side of the door; and a plurality of resin door covers disposed at the outer peripheral end of the door and supporting the end portions of the glass plate and the back plate; The door cover includes a bottom cover, on which a metal reinforcement member extending in a long side direction of the bottom cover is provided on the back side of the inner side of the door. The bottom cover comprises: a front bottom surface portion; a rear bottom surface portion, which is located on the rear side of the front bottom surface portion and is arranged at a position one step higher than the front bottom surface portion; and a central wall portion, which is arranged between the front bottom surface portion and the rear bottom surface portion. The reinforcing member has a horizontal surface portion that is in surface contact with the rear bottom surface portion. By positioning the central wall portion of the bottom cover further forward than the front end of the horizontal surface portion of the reinforcing component, the installation area of ​​the reinforcing component on the inner side of the bottom cover is configured so that no space is provided between the bottom cover and the reinforcing component for the entry of foamed insulation material.

2. A refrigerator door, characterized in that: have: A glass panel located on the front side of the door; a back panel located on the back side of the door; and a plurality of resin door covers disposed at the outer peripheral ends of the door and supporting the ends of the glass plate and the back plate; The door cover comprises a bottom cover, on which at least one longitudinal rib extending in the front-rear direction of the door is arranged on the inner side of the door, A metal reinforcement member extending along the long side direction of the bottom cover is provided on the back side of the inner side of the bottom cover, The bottom cover comprises: a front bottom surface portion; a rear bottom surface portion, which is located on the rear side of the front bottom surface portion and is arranged at a position one step higher than the front bottom surface portion; and a central wall portion, which is arranged between the front bottom surface portion and the rear bottom surface portion. The reinforcing member has a horizontal surface portion that is in surface contact with the rear bottom surface portion. By positioning the central wall portion of the bottom cover at a position further rearward than the front end of the horizontal surface portion of the reinforcing member, a space is provided between the front bottom surface portion of the bottom cover and the reinforcing member at the front end side of the reinforcing member on the inner side of the bottom cover. The longitudinal ribs are provided in the space, but no transverse ribs extending in the left-right direction of the door are provided on the inner side of the door, thereby not preventing the foam insulation material from penetrating into the space.

3. The refrigerator door according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: At least one door cover has a hinge arrangement which supports a hinge axis of the door.

4. The refrigerator door according to claim 3, characterized in that: The at least one door cover is provided with an automatic closing mechanism for assisting the automatic closing of the door.

5. The refrigerator door according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The door has a rectangular shape, At least one door cover is disposed at an outer peripheral end portion in a longitudinal direction of the door.

6. A refrigerator, characterized in that: A refrigerator door according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images