Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of improving sound quality. The refrigerator of the embodiment has a wall body provided with an outer member and a rear member and enclosing a storage compartment, a heat insulating member filled in the inside of the wall body, a vibration applicator installed to the outer member and outputting vibration based on a sound signal input, and a blocking member disposed between the vibration applicator and the heat insulating member. The vibration applicator forms a space with the blocking member. In the thickness direction of the wall body, the interval of the space in the thickness direction is smaller than the first thickness of the heat insulating member filled between the blocking member and the rear member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to refrigerators. Background Technology

[0002] A refrigerator is known to have a speaker and be able to output sound. However, sometimes it is required that the refrigerator's sound quality be improved.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-58113 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can improve sound quality.

[0008] Methods used to solve problems

[0009] The refrigerator of the embodiment includes: a wall having an outer part and a rear part, and surrounding a storage compartment; a heat insulation member filled inside the wall; a vibrator mounted on the outer part, which outputs vibration based on an input sound signal; and a blocking member disposed between the vibrator and the heat insulation member.

[0010] Invention Effects

[0011] According to the present invention, a refrigerator capable of improving sound quality can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a front view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The refrigerator shown is a cross-sectional view along line F2-F2.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a front view of the left refrigerator compartment door.

[0015] Figure 4 This is an exploded 3D view of the left refrigerator compartment door.

[0016] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the left refrigerator compartment door along line F5-F5.

[0017] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the left refrigerator compartment door along line F6-F6.

[0018] Figure 7 It is Figure 6 The image shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the left refrigerator compartment door, F7.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing the upper wall of a modified refrigerator. Figure 2 The enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper wall at F8 is shown.

[0020] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the frame of the left refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a top view showing the vibrator of the left refrigerator compartment door. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, structures having the same or similar functions will be given the same reference numerals. Also, repeated descriptions of these structures will sometimes be omitted.

[0023] In the following description, left and right are defined based on the direction from which the refrigerator is viewed from the front of the user. Furthermore, the side closer to the user standing in front of the refrigerator when viewed from the refrigerator is defined as "front," and the side farther away is defined as "rear." The "width direction" mentioned in this specification refers to the left-right direction as defined above. The "depth direction" mentioned in this specification refers to the front-back direction as defined above. In the diagram, +X direction is right, -X direction is left, +Y direction is rear, -Y direction is front, +Z direction is top, and -Z direction is bottom.

[0024] (First Embodiment)

[0025] [The overall structure of the refrigerator]

[0026] Reference Figures 1 to 7 The refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. First, the overall structure of the refrigerator 1 will be described. However, the refrigerator 1 does not need to have all the structures described below, and some structures may be omitted appropriately.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a front view of refrigerator 1. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of refrigerator 1 along line F2-F2 is shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the refrigerator 1 has a wall with a cabinet 10 and doors 11. The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a cabinet 10, multiple doors 11, multiple shelves 12, multiple containers 13, a flow path forming component 14, a cooling unit 15, a control board 16, and a vibrator 30 (see reference). Figure 4 and Figure 5In this embodiment, the refrigerator body 5 is composed of the above-described structure other than the multiple doors 11.

[0028] The enclosure 10 includes, for example, an inner casing 10a, an outer casing 10b, and a foamed insulation component 10c (insulation component). The inner casing 10a is a component forming the inner surface of the enclosure 10, and is made of, for example, synthetic resin. The outer casing 10b is a component forming the outer surface of the enclosure 10, and is made of, for example, metal. The outer casing 10b is formed to be slightly larger than the inner casing 10a and is disposed outside the inner casing 10a. The foamed insulation component 10c, for example, a foamed insulation component such as polyurethane foam, is filled between the inner casing 10a and the outer casing 10b. Thus, the enclosure 10 has thermal insulation properties.

[0029] The housing 10 has an upper wall 21, a lower wall 22, left and right side walls 23 and 24, and a rear wall 25. The upper wall 21 and the lower wall 22 extend horizontally. The left and right side walls 23 and 24 rise upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 22 and connect to the left and right ends of the upper wall 21. The rear wall 25 rises upward from the rear end of the lower wall 22 and connects to the rear end of the upper wall 21.

[0030] Inside the housing 10, multiple storage compartments 27 are provided. These compartments 27 may include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 27A, a vegetable compartment 27B, an ice-making compartment 27C, a small freezer compartment 27D, and a main freezer compartment 27E. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 27A is located at the top, the vegetable compartment 27B is located below the refrigerator compartment 27A, the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D are located below the vegetable compartment 27B, and the main freezer compartment 27E is located below the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D. However, the arrangement of the storage compartments 27 is not limited to the above example. For instance, the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D may be located below the refrigerator compartment 27A, the main freezer compartment 27E may be located below the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D, and the vegetable compartment 27B may be located below the main freezer compartment 27E. The box 10 has openings on the front side of each storage compartment 27 for taking food out of and putting in food.

[0031] The openings of multiple storage compartments 27 are closed by multiple doors 11. The multiple doors 11 include, for example, left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa and 11Ab that close the opening of refrigerator compartment 27A, vegetable compartment door 11B that closes the opening of vegetable compartment 27B, ice maker door 11C that closes the opening of ice maker compartment 27C, small freezer compartment door 11D that closes the opening of small freezer compartment 27D, and main freezer compartment door 11E that closes the opening of main freezer compartment 27E.

[0032] The left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa and 11Ab are, for example, double doors. The left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa and 11Ab are rotatably supported on the cabinet 10 by hinges 10h. In this embodiment, the width of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab in the horizontal direction is larger than the width of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa in the horizontal direction.

[0033] On the other hand, the vegetable compartment door 11B, the ice-making compartment door 11C, the small freezer compartment door 11D, and the main freezer compartment door 11E are, for example, pull-out doors. The vegetable compartment door 11B, the ice-making compartment door 11C, the small freezer compartment door 11D, and the main freezer compartment door 11E are supported by tracks that allow them to be pulled out relative to the cabinet 10.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the cabinet 10 has first and second partitions 28 and 29. The first and second partitions 28 and 29 are, for example, partition walls along a generally horizontal direction. The first partition 28 is located between the refrigerator compartment 27A and the vegetable compartment 27B, separating them. On the other hand, the second partition 29 is located between the vegetable compartment 27B and the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D, separating them. Furthermore, no partition wall is provided between the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D and the main freezer compartment 27E.

[0035] Multiple shelves 12 are configured in the refrigerator compartment 27A.

[0036] The plurality of containers 13 include a refrigerator compartment container 13A (e.g., a chilled compartment container) disposed in the refrigerator compartment 27A, first and second vegetable compartment containers 13Ba and 13Bb disposed in the vegetable compartment 27B, an ice-making compartment container (not shown) disposed in the ice-making compartment 27C, a small freezer compartment container 13D disposed in the small freezer compartment 27D, and first and second main freezer compartment containers 13Ea and 13Eb disposed in the main freezer compartment 27E.

[0037] A flow path forming component 14 is disposed within the housing 10. The flow path forming component 14 includes, for example, a first pipe component 14A and a second pipe component 14B. The first pipe component 14A is disposed along the rear wall 25 of the housing 10 and extends vertically. The first pipe component 14A forms a flow path for cold air supplied from the cooling unit 15 to flow into the refrigerator compartment 27A and the vegetable compartment 27B, respectively. The second pipe component 14B is disposed along the rear wall 25 of the housing 10 and extends vertically. The second pipe component 14B forms a flow path for cold air supplied from the cooling unit 15 to flow into the ice-making compartment 27C, the small freezer compartment 27D, and the main freezer compartment 27E.

[0038] The cooling unit 15 includes a first cooling unit 15A, a second cooling unit 15B, and a compressor 45. The first cooling unit 15A includes, for example, a first cooler 41 and a first fan 42 disposed in the flow path formed by the first pipe member 14A. The second cooling unit 15B includes, for example, a second cooler 43 and a second fan 44 disposed in the flow path formed by the second pipe member 14B.

[0039] The compressor 45 is located, for example, in the machine compartment 26 at the bottom of the refrigerator 1. The compressor 45 compresses the refrigerant gas used for cooling the storage compartment 27. The refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor 45 is then transported to the first cooler 41 and the second cooler 43 via a suction pipe or the like.

[0040] The control board 16 provides overall control of the refrigerator 1. For example, the control board 16 controls the operation of the first fan 42, the second fan 44, and the compressor 45 based on temperature sensor readings from temperature sensors located in the refrigerator compartment 27A and the main freezer compartment 27E. Figure 2 As shown, it is installed on the upper wall 21 of the housing 10 together with box 17.

[0041] [Structure of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa]

[0042] Figure 3 This is a front view of the internal structure of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. Although in Figure 4 The illustration is omitted, but as shown Figure 2 As shown, on the rear side of the left refrigerator door 11Aa, door containers 18A and 18B with adjustable height positions and door container 19 fixed at the bottom are detachably installed. Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of line F5-F5 shown.

[0043] The left refrigerator door 11Aa includes, for example, an outer contour member 50 and a gasket 55. The outer contour member 50 is box-shaped. The term "box-shaped" as used in this specification also includes a flat box shape. The outer contour member 50 includes, for example, a frame 51, a front panel 52 (outer part), and a rear part 53.

[0044] The frame 51 is formed into a rectangular frame shape. The frame 51 includes an upper component 51a, a lower component 51b, a left component 51c, and a right component 51d. The upper component 51a is a plate-shaped part along both the width and depth directions, forming the upper surface of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. The lower component 51b is a plate-shaped part along both the width and depth directions, forming the lower surface of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. The left component 51c is a plate-shaped part along both the vertical and depth directions, forming the left side of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. The right component 51d is a plate-shaped part along both the vertical and depth directions, forming the right side of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. The frame 51 is formed by combining these upper component 51a, lower component 51b, left component 51c, and right component 51d. The frame 51 is, for example, made of synthetic resin.

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, reinforcing members 71 are disposed on the frame 51, extending vertically along the left member 51c and the right member 51d on both sides in the horizontal direction. Each reinforcing member 71 is a member that strengthens the frame 51.

[0046] The reinforcing member 71 is, for example, a long strip with a roughly U-shaped horizontal cross-section. The reinforcing member 71 is separate from the left component 51c and the right component 51d. The reinforcing member 71 is, for example, made of metal or reinforced plastic. The reinforcing member 71 is installed on the inner surface of both the left component 51c and the right component 51d. By providing the reinforcing member 71, which extends vertically, on the frame 51, the strength of the frame 51 can be increased without increasing the weight of the left refrigerator door 11Aa.

[0047] The front panel 52 (outer part) is mounted on the frame 51 and located at the front end of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. The front panel 52 is a plate component that runs along both the vertical and horizontal directions, forming the front surface of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. The front panel 52 is, for example, a glass plate. However, the front panel 52 is not limited to a glass plate and may also be formed of iron plate, synthetic resin, or other materials.

[0048] The rear component 53 is mounted on the frame 51 from the side opposite to the front panel 52, located at the rear end of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. The rear component 53 forms the rear surface of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. The rear component 53 is, for example, made of synthetic resin.

[0049] The rear component 53 has a rearwardly projecting rib 61. The rib 61 protrudes from the rear component 53 toward the refrigerator compartment 27A (storage compartment) when the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa is closed relative to the cabinet 10. In addition, the term "rib" used in this specification is a name for ease of explanation and refers to the portion that protrudes rearward from the rear component 53 in general, and is not limited to a specific shape and function.

[0050] Rib 61 is formed, for example, in a ring shape that is slightly smaller than the outer shape of frame 51. The term "ring shape" as used in this specification is not limited to a completely continuous circumference, but also includes cases where a portion is interrupted due to notches or other features.

[0051] The gasket 55 is mounted on the rear component 53. Specifically, the rear component 53 has a recessed slot 63 facing inwards toward the left refrigerator door 11Aa (see reference). Figure 5 and Figure 7 For example, slot 63 is formed as an annulus surrounding the outer periphery of rib 61. Gasket 55 is installed in slot 63 by inserting it into the interior of slot 63 provided on the rear part 53 of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. Thus, gasket 55 is fixed to the rear part 53.

[0052] Here, the structure of the right refrigerator door 11Ab, vegetable compartment door 11B, ice maker door 11C, small freezer door 11D, and main freezer door 11E is the same as the structure of the left refrigerator door 11Aa described above. That is, the structure of the right refrigerator door 11Ab, vegetable compartment door 11B, ice maker door 11C, small freezer door 11D, and main freezer door 11E can be changed by referring to "left refrigerator door 11Aa" as "right refrigerator door 11Ab", "vegetable compartment door 11B", "ice maker door 11C", "small freezer door 11D", or "main freezer door 11E" in the above description of the left refrigerator door 11Aa.

[0053] Figure 6 It is along Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of line F6-F6 shown.

[0054] Next, the internal structure of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa will be described. Inside the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, a vibration damper 30 and a foam insulation component 80 are installed.

[0055] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 An enlarged view of the range of F7 shown.

[0056] Vibration actuator 30 is mounted on the front panel 52 inside the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. Vibration actuator 30 outputs vibration based on a supplied acoustic signal (including a sound signal). Vibration actuator 30 applies vibration to the front panel 52. For vibration actuator 30, via... Figure 2 The control board 16 shown is connected to an electrical signal line (not shown) that supplies an audio signal. The oscillator 30 has an oscillating plate 31 and an oscillating component 32.

[0057] The vibration plate 31, formed in a rectangular plate shape, is a component that applies vibration to the object being vibrated. The vibration plate 31 is as follows... Figure 5As shown, it is provided to abut against approximately the center of the rear surface 52a (rear side surface) of the front panel 52. The vibration plate 31 is mounted to the front panel 52 by screws or adhesive tape, etc.

[0058] The vibration-inducing component 32 generates a drive signal based on the supplied acoustic signal, causing the vibration-inducing plate 31 to vibrate. The vibration-inducing component 32 generates vibration using an acoustic vibration-inducing component, such as a voice coil or a piezoelectric element. The generated vibration is transmitted to the rear surface 52a of the front panel 52 via the vibration-inducing plate 31.

[0059] The vibrator 30 vibrates the front panel 52 as a whole by applying vibration to the rear surface 52a of the front panel 52. As a result, sound is emitted by using the surface of the front panel 52 as a sound-emitting surface. In addition, the vibrator 30 is not limited to the structure described above, and components appropriately selected from known vibrators can also be used.

[0060] The vibrator 30 is mounted on the left end (-X direction), on the hinge 10h side (see reference). Figure 1 Since the vibrator 30 is positioned close to the hinge 10h that supports the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, it is easy to suppress unwanted vibrations of the front panel 52 when the vibrator 30 causes the front panel 52 to vibrate.

[0061] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the vibrator 30 is disposed inside a box-shaped housing 33 (shut-off component) located on the rear surface 52a of the front panel 52.

[0062] The box 33 is cylindrical with a top, and roughly rectangular when viewed from above. It has a top wall 34, side walls 35, and a flange 36. The flange 36 extends from the opening end of the side wall 35 in the vertical and horizontal directions. The box 33 is mounted to the front panel 52 via the flange 36 using screws or adhesive tape.

[0063] The internal space S1, surrounded by the frame 51, the front panel 52, and the rear component 53, is filled with a foamed thermal insulation element 80. The foamed thermal insulation element 80 is, for example, a thermal insulation element made of a foam such as polyurethane foam. The foamed thermal insulation element 80 may also use the same material as the foamed thermal insulation element 10c provided inside the housing 10.

[0064] The vibration emitter 30 is configured to be surrounded by the foam insulation 80. Specifically, the vibration emitter 30 is embedded in the foam insulation 80. The space around the vibration emitter 30 is designed to accommodate the vibration of the vibration emitter 30 and ensures that no space is filled in the foam insulation 80.

[0065] The entire box 33 is embedded in the foam insulation 80. That is, the box 33 is disposed between the vibrator 30 and the foam insulation 80. The vibrator 30 is disposed away from the box 33. That is, a gap S2 is formed between the upper surface 30a of the vibrator 30 and the top wall 34 of the box 33.

[0066] The gap D0 in the thickness direction of the gap S2 is set to be smaller than the thickness D1 (first thickness) of the foam insulation 80 filled between the box 33 and the rear part 53 in the thickness direction of the front panel 52.

[0067] like Figure 6 As shown, inside the left refrigerator door 11Aa, there is a panel unit 73 that houses the touch panel and is embedded in the foam insulation 80. The aforementioned thickness D1 is set to be smaller in the thickness direction of the door 11 than the thickness D2 (second thickness) of the foam insulation 80 that fills the space between the panel unit 73 and the rear component 53.

[0068] Next, the operation and function of refrigerator 1 will be explained.

[0069] By detecting user touch operations on the control panel (not shown), the control board 16 changes, for example, the temperature and operating mode of the storage compartment 27. The control board 16 vibrates the front panel 52 via the vibrator 30, causing the front panel 52 to act as a sound-emitting surface and produce a guiding sound that matches the user's touch operation on the control panel (not shown). Since the guiding sound is emitted from the front panel 52 of the left refrigerator door 11Aa, it is easily heard by a user positioned directly in front of the left refrigerator door 11Aa.

[0070] The sound generated by using the front panel 52 as the sound-emitting surface is not limited to directional sounds. If the refrigerator 1 has an Internet connection function, the control board 16 can also generate sound such as video or music by using the front panel 52 as the sound-emitting surface.

[0071] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, a box 33 is disposed between the vibrator 30 and the foam insulation 80. Therefore, by installing the vibrator 30 on the front panel 52 of the left refrigerator door 11Aa, the left refrigerator door 11Aa as a whole becomes a speaker, and sound can be emitted from the left refrigerator door 11Aa.

[0072] Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, since the vibrator 30 is covered by the casing 33, the vibrator 30 is not buried by the foam insulation 80, and the vibration of the vibrator 30 can fully perform its function as a speaker without obstruction. That is, the vibration is not suppressed because the vibrator 30 is buried by the foam insulation 80, so the sound quality as a speaker can be improved.

[0073] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, a gap S2 is formed between the vibrator 30 and the box 33. This prevents the vibration of the vibrator 30 from being suppressed due to contact between the vibrator 30 and the box 33 during vibration. Furthermore, by providing the gap S2 between the vibrator 30 and the box 33, abnormal noise caused by micro-contact between the vibrator 30 and the box 33 during vibration can be prevented.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, since the gap S2 is formed, the heating of the oscillator 30 can be suppressed. Also, since the heat from the oscillator 30 is not directly transferred to the box 33, the insulation effect of the refrigerator can be improved.

[0075] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, reinforcing members 71 extending vertically are provided on both sides of the door 11 in the horizontal width direction. As a result, the vibrator 30 may detach from the mounting part (front panel 52) due to warping or deformation on the front panel 52, or abnormal noise may occur due to micro-contact. Therefore, by providing reinforcing members 71 on the door 11, deformation of the front panel 52 can be prevented.

[0076] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, in the thickness direction of the door 11, the gap D0 in the thickness direction of the gap S2 is smaller than the thickness D1 of the foam insulation 80 filling the space between the box 33 and the rear component 53. Therefore, except for preventing contact between the vibrator 30 and the box 33 as described above, the thickness D1 of the foam insulation 80 does not decrease in the portion where the box 33 is located, thus preventing a decrease in the refrigerator's insulation effect.

[0077] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, when a panel unit 73 containing a touch panel (not shown) is provided inside the door 11 and embedded in the foam insulation 80, the first thickness D1 in the thickness direction of the door 11 is smaller than the second thickness of the foam insulation 80 filling the space between the panel unit and the rear component 53. Therefore, even when the vibrator 30 is disposed inside the compartment 33, the foam insulation 80 can be secured between the compartment 33 and the rear component 53 with a predetermined thickness, and this can be achieved without increasing the overall thickness of the wall (the entire left refrigerator door 11Aa).

[0078] (Modified example)

[0079] In the above embodiment, the vibrator 30 is installed on the front panel 52 of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. However, the installation configuration of the vibrator 30 is not limited to this. The vibrator 30 can also be installed on the front panels of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, the vegetable compartment door 11B, the ice maker door 11C, the small freezer compartment door 11D, and the main freezer compartment door 11E. From the viewpoint of producing a louder sound, it is preferable to install the vibrator 30 on a larger front panel.

[0080] Figure 8 Is Figure 2 The enlarged view of F8 shown includes a cross-sectional view of the vibrator 30.

[0081] like Figure 8 As shown, in the modified refrigerator 1A, the vibrator 30 is installed inside the upper wall 21 (wall) between the inner box 10a and the outer box 10b of the cabinet 10. In the modified example, the structure is the same as that of the refrigerator 1 of the first embodiment, except that the installation position of the vibrator 30 is set inside the upper wall 21 of the cabinet 10 instead of the left refrigerator door 11Aa.

[0082] The vibrator 30 is mounted approximately at the center of the upper part 21a (outer part) inside the upper wall 21 of the housing 10. The vibrator 30 applies vibration to the upper wall 21. The vibrator 30 is positioned within the upper wall 21 at a location away from the passage of pipe components such as the heat dissipation pipe 46 and the anti-condensation pipe 47 disposed inside the housing 10. Specifically, the vibrator 30 is positioned so as not to overlap with the pipe components when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the upper wall 21. This effectively prevents the pipe components from vibrating when the vibrator 30 vibrates the upper wall 21.

[0083] Thus, according to this modified refrigerator 1A, the entire upper wall 21 serves as a sound-emitting surface to emit sound. Even without a separate speaker, the refrigerator 1 can emit sounds such as guidance sounds.

[0084] The vibrator 30 is disposed inside a box-shaped housing 33 (shut-off member) provided on the rear surface of the upper member 21a. The housing 33 has the same structure as the housing 33 in the first embodiment described above. The housing 33 is mounted to the upper member 21a via a flange 36 by screws or adhesive tape, etc.

[0085] The internal space S3, surrounded by the upper wall 21, is filled with a foamed insulation component 10c. The foamed insulation component 10c, as described above, is an insulation component made of a foam, such as polyurethane foam.

[0086] The vibrator 30 is configured to be surrounded by the foam insulation 10c. Specifically, the box 33 housing the vibrator 30 is provided to be buried within the foam insulation 10c. The space around the vibrator 30 is ensured to be free of the space filled with the foam insulation 10c, taking into account the vibration of the vibrator 30.

[0087] The entire box 33 is embedded in the foamed insulation 10c. That is, the box 33 is positioned between the vibrator 30 and the foamed insulation 10c. The vibrator 30 is positioned away from the box 33. That is, a gap S2 is formed between the upper surface 30a of the vibrator 30 and the top wall 34 of the box 33.

[0088] The gap D0 in the thickness direction of the gap S2 is set to be smaller than the thickness D1 (first thickness) of the foam insulation 10c filled between the box 33 and the rear component 53 in the thickness direction of the front panel 52.

[0089] According to the modified refrigerator 1A, by installing the vibrator 30 inside the upper wall 21, the upper wall 21 as a whole becomes a speaker, and sound can be emitted from the left refrigerator door 11Aa.

[0090] Furthermore, since the vibrator 30 is covered by the housing 33, it is not buried by the foam insulation 10c, thus fully realizing its function as a loudspeaker. That is, there is no situation where the vibration of the vibrator 30 is suppressed due to being buried by the foam insulation 10c, thereby improving the sound quality as a loudspeaker.

[0091] (Second Implementation)

[0092] Next, refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 The refrigerator 1B according to the second embodiment will be described. The refrigerator 1B of the second embodiment is structurally identical to the refrigerator 1 of the first embodiment, except that instead of directly mounting the vibrator 30 to the front panel 52, it is mounted to the reinforcing rib 74 provided on the frame 51. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for structures common to those already described, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0093] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the frame 51 of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa of the refrigerator 1B in the second embodiment, viewed from the oblique rear. Figure 10 This is a top view of the installation state of the vibrator 30 and the box 33 in the second embodiment, viewed from the rear.

[0094] like Figure 9 As shown, a thin, plate-like reinforcing rib 74 is provided on the frame 51 of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, extending in the horizontal direction and connecting a pair of left-side components 51c and right-side components 51d to each other. The reinforcing rib 74 is positioned slightly above the center of the left-side components 51c and right-side components 51d in the longitudinal direction. The front surface 74a of the reinforcing rib 74 is flush with the front surface 51e of the frame 51. Furthermore, the front surface 74a of the reinforcing rib 74 is not fixed relative to the front panel 52 and is disposed in contact with it. The reinforcing rib 74 is, for example, made of the same synthetic resin as the frame 51. The reinforcing rib 74 is embedded in the foam insulation 80.

[0095] The vibrator 30 is installed approximately at the center of the reinforcing rib 74 along its length. The vibrator 30 is mounted on the rear surface 74b of the reinforcing rib 74 via a vibrating plate 31 for mounting to the reinforcing rib 74 using screws or adhesive tape. The vibrator 30 of the second embodiment has the same structure as that of the first embodiment. The vibrator 30 applies vibration to the reinforcing rib 74, and this vibration is transmitted from the reinforcing rib 74 to the frame 51, and then from the frame 51 to the front panel 52, causing the front panel 52 to vibrate as a whole. As a result, sound is emitted from the surface of the front panel 52, etc., which serves as a sound-emitting surface.

[0096] The vibrator 30 is disposed inside a box-shaped housing 33 (shut-off component) located on the rear surface of the front panel 52.

[0097] Box 33 has the same structure as in the first embodiment. Box 33 is positioned across the rear surface 74b side of the reinforcing rib 74 in the vertical direction and is mounted to the front panel 52 via a pair of flanges 36 using screws or adhesive tape. Box 33 is configured to be surrounded by a foamed thermal insulation 80 that fills the internal space S1, which is surrounded by the frame 51, the front panel 52, and the rear component 53. Specifically, box 33, in which the vibrator 30 is disposed, is configured to be buried within the foamed thermal insulation 80. The area around the vibrator 30 is designed to accommodate vibrations of the vibrator 30, ensuring that there is no space filled with the foamed thermal insulation 80.

[0098] A gap S2 is formed between the upper surface 30a of the vibrator 30 and the top wall 34 of the box 33. The spacing of the gap S2 in the thickness direction is set such that it is smaller than the thickness of the foam insulation 80 filling the space between the box 33 and the rear component 53 in the thickness direction of the front panel 52.

[0099] According to the refrigerator 1A of the second embodiment described above, the vibrator 30 is mounted on the reinforcing rib 74. Therefore, even if the front panel 52 is deformed such as warping, the vibrator 30 can vibrate and transmit the vibration to the front panel 52 via the frame 51, regardless of the deformation of the front panel 52.

[0100] According to at least one embodiment described above, a refrigerator capable of improving sound quality can be provided by having a left refrigerator door 11Aa (upper wall 21) having a front panel 52 (upper part 21a) and a rear part 53 and surrounding the storage compartment, a foam insulation 80 (foam insulation 10c) filled inside the left refrigerator door 11Aa (upper wall 21), a vibrator 30 mounted on the left refrigerator door 11Aa (upper wall 21) and outputting vibration based on the input sound signal, and a box 33 disposed between the vibrator 30 and the foam insulation 80 (foam insulation 10c).

[0101] Although several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in a wide variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included within the scope or spirit of the invention, and are also included within the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0102] The vibration damper 30 is installed on the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the upper wall 21. However, the installation configuration of the vibration damper 30 is not limited to this. For example, the vibration damper 30 can also be installed on the left side wall 23 between the inner compartment 10a and the outer compartment 10b of the cabinet 10. In addition, the vibration damper 30 can also be installed on the right side wall 24, the lower wall 22, or the rear wall 25 between the inner compartment 10a and the outer compartment 10b of the cabinet 10.

[0103] Label Explanation

[0104] 1, 1A, 1B…Refrigerator; 5…Refrigerator body; 10…Cabinet; 10c…Foamed insulation; 11…Door; 11Aa…Left refrigerator door (wall); 11Ab…Right refrigerator door; 21…Upper wall (wall); 21a…Upper part (outer part); 22…Lower wall; 23…Left side wall; 24…Right side wall; 25…Rear wall; 30…Vibrator; 33…Box (blocking component); 52…Front panel (outer part); 80…Foamed insulation; S1…Box interior space; S2…Gap.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that, have: The wall has an outer part and a rear part, and surrounds the storage room; Thermal insulation is filled inside the aforementioned wall structure; The vibrator, mounted on the aforementioned external component, outputs vibration based on the input acoustic signal; as well as A blocking component is disposed between the aforementioned vibrator and the aforementioned heat insulation component. The aforementioned wall has a front panel located on the front surface of the door that can be opened and closed to seal the aforementioned storage room, and a frame supporting the aforementioned front panel. The above box has a pair of vertical frames. The frame is provided with reinforcing ribs that extend in the horizontal direction, connect the pair of longitudinal frames to each other, and are embedded in the insulation member. The aforementioned vibration actuator is installed on the aforementioned reinforcing rib, causing the aforementioned front panel to vibrate from the aforementioned reinforcing rib through the aforementioned frame.

2. The refrigerator as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The aforementioned vibration actuator forms a space with the aforementioned blocking component.

3. The refrigerator as described in claim 2, characterized in that, In the thickness direction of the aforementioned wall, the spacing of the aforementioned space in the thickness direction is smaller than the first thickness of the aforementioned heat insulation member filling the space between the aforementioned blocking member and the aforementioned rear member.

4. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The aforementioned blocking component is a box in which the aforementioned vibration actuator is disposed. The aforementioned box is embedded in the aforementioned insulation component.

5. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The front surface of the aforementioned reinforcing rib is not fixed relative to the aforementioned front panel and is disposed in contact with it.

6. The refrigerator as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, On both sides of the aforementioned door in the horizontal direction, there are reinforcing members extending in the vertical direction.

7. The refrigerator as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Inside the aforementioned wall, there is a panel unit embedded in the aforementioned heat insulation component that houses the touch panel. The first thickness in the thickness direction of the wall is smaller than the second thickness of the heat insulation member filling the space between the panel unit and the rear component.

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