Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator (10) includes: an insulated box (11) having a storage chamber formed therein; an insulated door that seals a front opening (30) of the storage chamber; and a refrigeration cycle (31) that cools the storage chamber. Furthermore, a refrigerant pipe (33) and a heater (34) for allowing a high-temperature refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle (31) to flow are provided inside the front surface (32) of the insulated box (11). The refrigerant pipe (33) and the heater (34) disposed inside the front surface (32) are used to raise the temperature of the insulated door via the front surface (32) of the insulated box (11), thereby suppressing condensation on the surface of the insulated door.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to a refrigerator in which front openings of storage chambers are closed by insulating doors. Background Art

[0002] Condensation has long been a problem on the handles of the insulated doors that close the front opening of the storage compartment in refrigerators. This problem is particularly pronounced on the handles of the insulated doors that close the front opening of the freezer compartment, as the temperature difference between the outside air and the freezer compartment is large.

[0003] To address this issue, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-101337 (Patent Document 1) describes a structure that heats the area near the front opening of an insulated box. Specifically, a refrigerant pipe is installed near the front opening of the insulated box, through which high-temperature refrigerant circulates. This heats the front opening of the insulated box and the insulated door, preventing condensation on the door handle.

[0004] However, the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 still has the problem of condensation occurring during operation of the refrigerator.

[0005] Specifically, routing refrigerant piping only near the front opening of the insulated cabinet does not provide sufficient warming, leading to condensation near the front opening or the insulated door. This condensation problem becomes more pronounced when the refrigerator is operated in high-temperature and high-humidity conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing condensation on an insulating door.

[0007] The refrigerator of the present invention includes: an insulated box body with a storage chamber formed therein; an insulated door closing a front opening of the storage chamber; and a refrigeration cycle for cooling the storage chamber, wherein a refrigerant piping and a heater are built into the inner side of the front surface portion of the insulated box body, and the refrigerant piping is for the flow of high-temperature refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle.

[0008] In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the heat insulation door includes: a first heat insulation door, which is rotatably installed on one side of the left-right direction of the front surface of the heat insulation box body; and a second heat insulation door, which is rotatably installed on the other side of the left-right direction of the front surface of the heat insulation box body, and the left-right inner end portions of the first heat insulation door and the left-right inner end portions of the second heat insulation door are abutted on the front surface of the heat insulation box body.

[0009] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the front surface portion of the heat-insulating box has a front plate exposed forward, and the refrigerant pipe and the heater are arranged behind the front plate.

[0010] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, a heat transfer member is disposed between the refrigerant pipe, the heater, and the front plate.

[0011] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the front portion includes a front body portion made of synthetic resin, and the front body portion includes a first concave portion for accommodating the refrigerant pipe and a second concave portion for accommodating the heater.

[0012] The refrigerator of the present invention includes: an insulated box having a storage compartment formed therein; an insulated door that closes the front opening of the storage compartment; and a refrigeration cycle for cooling the storage compartment. A refrigerant pipe and a heater are built into the interior of the front surface of the insulated box, and the refrigerant pipe allows the flow of high-temperature refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle. Thus, the refrigerator of the present invention can suppress condensation on the insulated door. Specifically, the refrigerant pipe and heater disposed within the front surface are used to raise the temperature of the insulated door via the front surface of the insulated box, thereby suppressing condensation on the surface of the insulated door.

[0013] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the heat-insulating door includes: a first heat-insulating door rotatably mounted to one side of the front surface of the heat-insulating box in the left-right direction; and a second heat-insulating door rotatably mounted to the other side of the front surface of the heat-insulating box in the left-right direction, wherein the left-right inner end of the first heat-insulating door and the left-right inner end of the second heat-insulating door abut against the front surface of the heat-insulating box. Thus, in a double-door refrigerator having the first heat-insulating door and the second heat-insulating door, condensation on the first heat-insulating door and the second heat-insulating door can be suppressed.

[0014] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the front surface portion of the heat-insulating box body includes a front plate exposed forward, and the refrigerant piping and the heater are disposed behind the front plate. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, the front plate is in close contact with the heat-insulating door, thereby enabling heat generated from the refrigerant piping and the heater to be efficiently transferred to the heat-insulating door via the front plate.

[0015] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, a heat transfer member is disposed between the refrigerant pipes, the heater, and the front plate. Thus, the refrigerator of the present invention can more efficiently conduct heat generated from the refrigerant pipes and the heater to the heat-insulating door via the front plate and the heat transfer member.

[0016] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the front surface portion includes a front surface main body portion formed of a synthetic resin, the front surface main body portion including a first recessed portion for accommodating the refrigerant piping and a second recessed portion for accommodating the heater. Thus, according to the refrigerator of the present invention, by arranging the heater and the refrigerant piping in separate recessed portions, the heater and the refrigerant piping can be separately arranged on the front surface portion, thereby enabling a large amount of heat to be transferred to the insulated door. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a case where each insulating door is in a closed state.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a front view showing the appearance of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where each insulating door is in an open state.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] 4(A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion and the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG4(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG5(A) is a front view showing the front surface portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG5(B) is a side cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG6 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG6 (B) is a front view showing the front surface portion of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG6(C) is a side partial cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG7 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG7(B) is a side partial cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing a specific structure of a refrigerator refrigerant pipe according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Below, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In principle, identical components are denoted by identical reference numerals in the following description, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, the terms "up, down, front, back, left, and right" are used as appropriate, but "left, right, and right" refer to left and right when viewing the refrigerator 10 from the front. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the refrigerator 10 is illustrated as having storage compartments with both a freezing temperature zone and a refrigeration temperature zone. However, the refrigerator 10 may also have only one of these storage compartments.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front left side. The refrigerator 10 includes an insulated box body 11 and a storage chamber formed inside the insulated box body 11. As storage chambers, there are a refrigerator chamber 12 and a freezer chamber 13 from top to bottom. The front opening of the refrigerator chamber 12 is closed by a rotating insulated door 18 and an insulated door 19. The front opening of the freezer chamber 13 is closed by an insulated door 20 and an insulated door 21. The insulated door 18, the insulated door 19, the insulated door 20, and the insulated door 21 are revolving doors that can rotate with the outer end portions in the left and right directions as the rotation center. Here, for example, the insulated door 20 is a first insulated door, and the insulated door 21 is a second insulated door.

[0032] Figure 2 1 is a front view of refrigerator 10 showing a state in which heat-insulating door 18 , heat-insulating door 19 , heat-insulating door 20 , and heat-insulating door 21 are opened.

[0033] The front surface portion 32 is a part of the heat-insulating box body 11, and is a component that divides the front opening of the freezer compartment 13 in the left-right direction. When the heat-insulating door 20 is in a closed state, enclosing the front opening 30, the inner end portions in the left-right direction of the heat-insulating door 20 abut against the front surface portion 32. In addition, when the heat-insulating door 21 is in a closed state, enclosing the front opening 30, the inner end portions in the left-right direction of the heat-insulating door 21 abut against the front surface portion 32. The freezer compartment 13 is a storage compartment cooled to a freezing temperature zone, and therefore condensation is likely to occur on the surfaces of the heat-insulating door 20 and the heat-insulating door 21 that enclose the freezer compartment 13. In this embodiment, as described later, a heating unit for heating the heat-insulating door 20 and the heat-insulating door 21 is built into the interior of the front surface portion 32 in order to suppress condensation on the surfaces of the heat-insulating door 20 and the heat-insulating door 21.

[0034] Reference Figure 3 , illustrating the cross-sectional structure of the refrigerator 10. Figure 3 It is a side cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10 .

[0035] The heat-insulating box body 11 is constructed to include: an outer shell 15 , which is bent into a predetermined shape and is made of a steel plate; an inner liner 16 , which is arranged on the inner side separated from the outer shell 15 and is made of a synthetic resin plate; and a heat-insulating material 17 , which is filled between the outer shell 15 and the inner liner 16 .

[0036] As described above, the storage compartment inside the heat-insulating box body 11 is divided from top to bottom into the refrigerating compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 13 .

[0037] A cooling chamber 24 is formed inside the freezer compartment 13, thereby dividing the freezer compartment 13 and the cooling chamber 24. An evaporator 25 serving as a cooler is arranged inside the cooling chamber 24. In addition, a machine chamber 14 is formed behind the lower end of the refrigerator 10, and a compressor 22 is arranged in the machine chamber 14. The evaporator 25 and the compressor 22, together with the condenser and the expansion unit (not shown here), form a refrigeration cycle 31 which is a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. By operating the refrigeration cycle 31, the air inside the cooling chamber 24 is cooled by the evaporator 25, and the cold air is blown to each storage room, thereby setting the indoor temperature of each storage room to a predetermined cooling temperature zone. That is, the refrigerator compartment 12 is set to the refrigeration temperature zone, and the freezer compartment 13 is set to the freezing temperature zone. In addition, the components of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle are connected to each other via refrigerant piping (not shown here).

[0038] Inside cooling chamber 24, blower 29 is arranged above evaporator 25. Blower 29 is an axial flow blower or a centrifugal blower, and blows the air inside evaporator 25 cooled by evaporator 25 toward refrigerating chamber 12 and freezing chamber 13.

[0039] A defrost heater 26 is located inside and below the evaporator 25. As the refrigeration cycle 31 operates, thick frost forms on the surface of the evaporator 25. When this occurs, a control unit (not shown) stops the compressor 22, seals the cooling chamber 24, and energizes the defrost heater 26 to heat it, thereby performing a defrost operation to melt and remove the frost. Although not shown, a shielding device is located near the blower 29 to appropriately seal the air passage.

[0040] An air supply path 28 is formed upward from the cooling chamber 24. A portion of the air blown by the blower 29 is blown into the refrigerating chamber 12 via the air supply path 28 and the air outlet 23. Furthermore, a portion of the air blown by the blower 29 is blown into the freezing chamber 13. Furthermore, the air that has cooled the refrigerating chamber 12 and the freezing chamber 13 returns to the cooling chamber 24 via a return air path (not shown).

[0041] FIG4(A) is a partial cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion 32 and the heat-insulating door 20 and the heat-insulating door 21, and FIG4(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion 32. Figure 2 Cross-sectional view at cutting line AA.

[0042] Referring to Figure 4(A), the right end of the insulated door 20 and the left end of the insulated door 21 abut against the front surface of the front surface portion 32. Specifically, a door seal 40, mounted in a frame-like manner on the rear surface of the insulated door 20, abuts against the front surface of the front surface portion 32. Similarly, a door seal 41, mounted in a frame-like manner on the rear surface of the insulated door 21, abuts against the front surface of the front surface portion 32. A heating mechanism is built into the front surface of the front surface portion 32 to prevent condensation on the insulated doors 20 and 21 during operation of the refrigerator 10.

[0043] Referring to FIG4(B), the heating mechanism built into the vicinity of the front surface of the front surface portion 32 will be described. The front surface main body portion 37 is formed of a synthetic resin plate molded into a predetermined shape and forms the main portion of the front surface portion 32. A recess 42 is formed by recessing the substantially central portion of the front surface of the front surface main body portion 37 toward the rear.

[0044] The front plate 35 , the heat transfer member 36 , the refrigerant pipe 33 , the heater 34 , the heat insulating member 43 , and the heat transfer belt 44 are accommodated in the recessed portion 42 .

[0045] The front plate 35 closes the recess 42 from the front surface and is a plate-shaped component made of a material with a high thermal conductivity. As the recess 42, for example, a metal plate with a rust-proof surface can be used. The front surface of the heat transfer component 36 and the front surface of the front surface portion 32 are arranged on approximately the same plane. Here, in order to improve the thermal conductivity of the recess 42, the portion of the front plate 35 where the heat transfer component 36 is arranged can be formed to be thinner than the other portions. In addition, the door seal 40 of the heat insulation door 20 and the door seal 41 of the heat insulation door 21 shown in Figure 4 (A) are in contact with the front plate 35.

[0046] Heat transfer member 36 is a plate-shaped member made of a material with high thermal conductivity and is disposed substantially in the center of front plate 35. Heat transfer member 36 has the function of effectively transferring heat transferred from refrigerant pipe 33 to heat insulating doors 20 and 21.

[0047] The heat transfer component 36 can be formed, for example, by a laminate comprising a metal layer 362 disposed on the rear side and a resin layer 361 disposed on the front side. Metal layer 362 can be made of a metal such as aluminum. Resin layer 361 can be made of a soft resin such as rubber. The use of metal layer 362 improves the thermal conductivity of the heat transfer component 36. The use of resin layer 361 allows it to deform during manufacturing, accommodating variations in component shape and assembly accuracy.

[0048] The refrigerant pipe 33 flows with a high-temperature refrigerant compressed by the compressor 22 of the refrigeration cycle 31. The heat generated by the high-temperature refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 33 is transferred to the heat-insulating doors 20 and 21 via the heat transfer member 36 and the front plate 35.

[0049] The heat insulating portion 43 is a plate-shaped member disposed between the front surface of the front main body portion 37 and the refrigerant pipe 33. The heat insulating portion 43 may be made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the front main body portion 37, the front plate 35, and the heat transfer member 36, such as a foamed resin.

[0050] The heater 34 is, for example, an electric heater that generates heat when powered, and is disposed between the front plate 35 and the front main body 37. Two heaters 34 are disposed on the left and right sides of the heat transfer member 36. When the refrigerator 10 is operating, the heaters 34 are powered and generate heat. By heating the heaters 34 to a temperature higher than that of the refrigerant piping 33, the insulated doors 20 and 21 can be further heated, significantly reducing condensation.

[0051] The heat transfer tape 44 is an adhesive tape made of, for example, aluminum foil, and covers the heater 34 from behind, and the heater 34 is attached to the rear surface of the front plate 35. This allows the heat generated by the heat transfer tape 44 to be efficiently transferred to the front plate 35.

[0052] Furthermore, the rear surface of the front plate 35 is formed into a wall-like projection to the rear, thereby forming two wall-like portions 50. The refrigerant pipe 33 and the heat transfer member 36 are arranged in the left-right direction in an area separated by the wall-like portions 50. Furthermore, the heater 34 is arranged outside the wall-like portions 50 in the left-right direction.

[0053] When refrigerator 10 is operating, if high-temperature refrigerant flows through refrigerant piping 33, the heat generated by this high-temperature refrigerant diffuses horizontally within heat transfer member 36 and is effectively conducted forward. The heat then passes through front panel 35 and is conducted to insulated doors 20 and 21 via door seals 40 and 41, as shown in FIG4(A) . Furthermore, in this embodiment, heat generated by heater 34, while powered, is also conducted to insulated doors 20 and 21 via front panel 35, door seals 40 and 41.

[0054] In this manner, the heat generated from the refrigerant piping 33 and heater 34 effectively raises the surface temperature of the insulated doors 20 and 21, thereby suppressing the occurrence of condensation. Furthermore, the placement of the heat insulating portion 43 behind the refrigerant piping 33 prevents the heat generated from the refrigerant piping 33 and heater 34 from being conducted rearward, allowing more heat to be conducted forward, thereby more effectively raising the temperature of the insulated doors 20 and 21.

[0055] FIG5(A) is a front view showing the front surface portion 32, and FIG5(B) is a side cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion 32. FIG5(A) is a front view showing the front surface portion 32. FIG5(B) is a side cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion 32.

[0056] 5(A) , a heater 34 and a heat transfer member 36 are disposed on the front surface of the front main body 37. The heater 34 is configured to reciprocate in the vertical direction, and its upper end is connected to a wiring harness disposed inside the refrigerator 10 via a connector 45 disposed near the upper end of the front main body 37.

[0057] Furthermore, the lower portion of the heat transfer member 36 is partitioned to form a discontinuous portion 363. The heater 34 is routed in the left-right direction around the discontinuous portion 363. This prevents the heat transfer member 36 from colliding with the heater 34 and improves assembly efficiency during manufacturing.

[0058] 5(B), connector 45 is housed in a recessed portion 48 recessed rearward near the upper end of front surface portion 32, which is a portion of heat-insulating housing 11. This eliminates the need to route heater 34 and its wiring to movable parts such as the hinge of heat-insulating door 21, thereby preventing disconnection of the wiring connected to heater 34 while refrigerator 10 is in use.

[0059] 6(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion 32 , FIG. 6(B) is a front view showing the front surface portion 32 , and FIG. 6(C) is a side cross-sectional view partially showing the front surface portion 32 .

[0060] 6(A), the basic structure of the front surface portion 32 shown in the figure is the same as the structure shown in FIG. 4(B), but the structure for accommodating the heater 34 is different.

[0061] Specifically, the center of the front surface of the front main body 37 in the left-right direction is recessed toward the rear to form a first recessed portion 38. Furthermore, two second recessed portions 39 are formed by recessing the front surface near both ends of the front surface of the front main body 37 in the left-right direction toward the rear.

[0062] The first recessed portion 38 accommodates the heat insulating portion 43, the refrigerant piping 33, and the heat transfer component 36 from the rear side. Furthermore, the heaters 34 are each accommodated in the second recessed portion 39. By accommodating the heaters 34 in the second recessed portion 39, the position of the heaters 34 can be accurately defined on the front surface of the front surface portion 32. Furthermore, the heaters 34 are positioned on the rear side of the front plate 35. In this manner, the heat generated from the refrigerant piping 33 and the heaters 34 is conducted forward via the front plate 35, effectively raising the temperature of the surfaces of the heat insulating door 20 and the heat insulating door 21 shown in FIG. 4(A) .

[0063] 6B , the second concave portion 39 is formed as a vertically elongated, substantially rectangular groove on the front surface of the front surface portion 32. The heater 34 is wound along the second concave portion 39 into a substantially rectangular shape.

[0064] Referring to FIG6(C), the upper surface of the front main body portion 37 is recessed downward into a generally rectangular shape to form a recessed portion 48. The heater 34 and the connector 45 connected to the wiring harness are housed in recessed portion 48. Here, connector 45 is omitted, and the heater 34 may be directly connected to the main circuit board (not shown) via a wiring harness (not shown).

[0065] FIG7(A) is a cross-sectional view showing the front surface portion 32 , and FIG7(B) is a side cross-sectional view partially showing the front surface portion 32 .

[0066] Referring to Figure 7(A), a grip portion 46 is formed on the left side of the insulating door 21. This grip portion 46 is made of a synthetic resin plate bent into a predetermined shape and forms the left side of the insulating door 21. Furthermore, the grip portion 46 has a concave and convex shape that is easy to grip, making it easier for the user to open and close the insulating door 21.

[0067] Referring to Figure 7(B), the heat transfer tape 47 covers the outer surface of the grip 46. The heat transfer tape 47 is indicated by a thick line. The rear end of the grip 46 faces the front surface of the front surface portion 32. The rear portion of the heat transfer tape 47 covers the opposing surface 49 from the rear. This effectively conducts heat generated by the refrigerant pipe 33 and heater 34 (see Figure 6(A)) located in front of the front surface portion 32 through the portion of the heat transfer tape 47 covering the opposing surface 49. Consequently, the surface of the grip 46 is effectively heated, suppressing condensation on the grip 46 surface.

[0068] Figure 8 3 is a perspective view showing the specific structure of the refrigerant piping 33. As described above, the refrigerant piping 33 is built into the front surface portion 32. In addition, the refrigerant piping 51 extending in the left-right direction is arranged in Figure 3 The inner side of the insulating wall 27 shown in FIG6(C) is located near the front surface. Here, the connector 45 shown in FIG6(C) is arranged between the upper end of the refrigerant pipe 33 and the refrigerant pipe 51. This prevents the connector 45 from interfering with the refrigerant pipe 51. Furthermore, even if the insulation thickness of the insulating member toward the indoor side is reduced to accommodate the heater connector or wiring by utilizing the refrigerant pipe 33 and the refrigerant pipe 51, condensation can be prevented in the portion surrounding the front plate 35 (accommodation portion).

[0069] According to this embodiment, the following main effects can be achieved.

[0070] 4(B), the refrigerator 10 according to the present invention can suppress condensation on the heat-insulating door 20. Specifically, the heat-insulating door 20 is heated via the front surface 32 of the heat-insulating box 11 by utilizing the refrigerant piping 33 and the heater 34 disposed inside the front surface 32, thereby suppressing condensation on the surface of the heat-insulating door 20. In particular, the handle portion of the heat-insulating door 20 is relatively thin compared to other portions of the heat-insulating door 20, which is a condition where condensation is likely to occur under the operating conditions of the refrigerator 10. In this embodiment, the heat generated from the refrigerant piping 33 and the heater 34 is well conducted to the heat-insulating door 20 via the heat transfer component 36 and the front plate 35, thereby preventing condensation from occurring on the handle portion of the heat-insulating door 20. The same is true for the heat-insulating door 21.

[0071] Furthermore, refer to Figure 2 (B) In the double-door refrigerator 10 including the heat-insulating door 20 and the heat-insulating door 21 , condensation on the heat-insulating door 20 and the heat-insulating door 21 can be suppressed.

[0072] 4(A) and 4(B) , by closely contacting the front plate 35 with the heat insulating doors 20 , 21 , heat generated from the refrigerant pipe 33 and the heater 34 can be efficiently conducted to the heat insulating doors 20 , 21 via the front plate 35 .

[0073] 4(B) , the heat generated from the refrigerant pipe 33 and the heater 34 can be more efficiently conducted to the heat insulating doors 20 and 21 via the front plate 35 and the heat transfer member 36 .

[0074] 6(A) , by arranging the heater 34 and the refrigerant pipe 33 in separate recessed portions, the heater 34 and the refrigerant pipe 33 can be separately arranged on the front surface portion 32 , thereby conducting a large amount of heat to the insulating doors 20 , 21 .

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be implemented without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described various aspects can be combined with each other.

[0076] For example, referring to FIG4(B), the energization rate of heater 34 can be varied according to environmental conditions such as external humidity or external temperature. For example, in environmental conditions where condensation is less likely to occur on insulated door 21 or insulated door 20, specifically when the external humidity is low or the external temperature is high, the energization rate of heater 34 can be reduced or eliminated. This can suppress condensation on insulated door 21 or insulated door 20 solely through the heat generated by refrigerant piping 33, thereby reducing energy consumption by heater 34.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: a heat-insulating box body having a storage compartment formed therein; an insulated door closing a front opening of the storage compartment; and a refrigeration cycle for cooling the storage chamber, A refrigerant pipe and a heater are provided on the inner side of the front surface portion of the heat-insulating box body, wherein the refrigerant pipe is for flowing a high-temperature refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle; The front surface portion of the heat-insulating box body has a front plate exposed forward. The refrigerant pipe and the heater are arranged behind the front plate.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The heat-insulating door comprises: a first heat-insulating door rotatably mounted on one end side in the left-right direction of the front surface of the heat-insulating box body; and The second heat-insulating door is rotatably mounted on the front surface of the heat-insulating box body at the other end in the left-right direction. The left-right inner end portion of the first heat insulating door and the left-right inner end portion of the second heat insulating door abut against the front surface portion of the heat insulating box.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: A heat transfer member is disposed between the refrigerant pipe, the heater, and the front plate.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The front surface portion has a front surface main body portion made of synthetic resin, The front main body portion includes a first concave portion for accommodating the refrigerant pipe and a second concave portion for accommodating the heater.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that The heat transfer member is configured as a laminate including a metal layer disposed on the rear side and a resin layer disposed on the front side.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that It also includes a heat transfer belt covering the heater from the rear, the heater is attached to the rear surface of the front plate, one end of the heat transfer belt contacts the heat transfer component, and the other end contacts the front plate.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that The rear surface of the front plate protrudes rearward in a wall-like manner to form two wall-like parts. The refrigerant pipes and heat transfer components are arranged in areas separated by the wall-like parts in the left-right direction. The heater is arranged at a position outside the wall-like parts in the left-right direction.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that A gripping portion is formed on a side surface of the heat-insulating door, and the heat transfer belt covers an outer side surface of the gripping portion.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein The heater is configured to reciprocate in the up and down directions, and its upper end is connected to the wiring harness configured inside the refrigerator through a connector configured at the upper end of the front surface main body. The connector is accommodated in a recessed portion that makes the upper end of the front surface portion, which is part of the insulating box body, recessed toward the rear.

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