Refrigerator

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerator having a high-strength handle and excellent heat insulation characteristics. The refrigerator includes: a housing having a cooling chamber; a plate which faces the back surface of the housing and exposes at least a portion of the upper end portion of the back surface of the housing; a handle having a facing portion facing an upper end portion of a back surface of the housing exposed from the plate; and a foamed resin body filled between the housing and each of the plate and the handle. The foamed resin body adheres the housing, the plate, and the handle to each other. In the refrigerator, the opposite part of the handle is provided with an inclined part which faces upwards and inclines towards the side of the shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent No. 4357428 describes a refrigerator in which a handle is provided on the upper portion of a housing (see Japanese Patent No. 4357428). Summary of the invention

[0003] The handle of the refrigerator described in Japanese Patent No. 4357428 can be used as a handle when carrying the refrigerator, for example. Therefore, it is desired to improve the strength of the handle.

[0004] In addition, there is also a demand to suppress a decrease in the heat insulating property of the housing of the refrigerator by providing a handle, for example.

[0005] One of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator having, for example, a high-strength handle and excellent heat-insulating properties.

[0006] A refrigerator according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a housing having a cooling chamber; a plate facing the back of the housing so that at least a portion of the upper end of the back of the housing is exposed; a handle having a facing portion facing the upper end of the back of the housing exposed from the plate; and a foamed resin body filled between the housing and the plate and the handle to bond the housing to the plate and the handle. In the refrigerator, the facing portion of the handle has an inclined portion that faces upward and is inclined toward the housing.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a high-strength handle and excellent in heat insulation properties. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the external appearance structure of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 Yes means Figure 1 A top view showing the structure of the back side of the heat-insulating box body of the refrigerator shown. Figure 3 Yes means Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the structure of the III-III line portion of the heat-insulating box body shown. Figure 4 It means setting Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the handle component of the refrigerator shown. Figure 5 Viewed from the back of the refrigerator Figure 4 The handle assembly is shown in a top view. Figure 6 Viewed from the front of the refrigerator Figure 4 The handle assembly is shown in a top view. Figure 7 Viewed from the left side of the refrigerator Figure 4 The handle assembly is shown in a top view. Figure 8 Viewed from the bottom back of the refrigerator Figure 4 A perspective view of the handle assembly shown. Fig. 9 Viewed from the bottom front of the refrigerator Figure 4 A perspective view of the handle assembly shown. Fig.10 It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the positional relationship between the upper end portion of the frame and the inclined portion of the handle of the handle member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated. In the following description, directions such as front, back, left, and right refer to directions in which the refrigerator is viewed from the back side. That is, the back side of the refrigerator is the front side, and the front side is the back side.

[0010] (Overall structure of refrigerator) First, the overall structure of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 1 , the appearance of the refrigerator 1 as viewed from the oblique rear side is shown. Figure 2 The structure of the back surface portion of the heat insulating box 50 is shown.

[0011] The refrigerator 1 has an insulating box 50. The so-called "insulating box" refers to a box having a wall portion containing an insulating material. The insulating material includes, for example, a foaming material (foamed resin body) having a plurality of pores, a component having an internal space with reduced pressure (vacuum insulating material), etc. As the foamed resin body, for example, rigid foamed polyurethane (also called rigid polyurethane foam) and the like can be cited. Rigid foamed polyurethane is a uniform foamed resin body obtained by mixing a catalyst, a foaming agent, a foaming agent, etc. in two main raw materials, and causing a foaming reaction and a resinification reaction at the same time.

[0012] The heat-insulating box 50 includes an outer box 51, a shell 52, and a heat-insulating material 53. The outer box 51 forms the outer peripheral surface of the heat-insulating box 50. The outer box 51 includes an upper panel (upper plate) 51a, a side panel 51b, and a back panel (plate) 51c. The upper panel 51a forms the upper portion of the heat-insulating box 50. The side panels 51b respectively form the side portions on the left and right sides of the heat-insulating box 50. The back panel 51c forms the back portion of the heat-insulating box 50.

[0013] An injection port (not shown) for injecting a foamed insulation material for forming the insulation material 53 is provided on the back panel 51c. A plurality of injection ports are provided, for example, at the side ends on the left and right sides. The foamed insulation material injected into the interior of the insulation box 50 from the injection port foams and increases in volume while flowing from the space on the back side to the space on the front side, and is filled into the insulation box 50. The foamed insulation material (foamed resin body) is then solidified. Thus, the various components constituting the outer body of the insulation box 50 (for example, the shell 52, the upper panel 51a, the side panel 51b, the back panel 51c, and the handle component 30, etc.) are bonded to each other.

[0014] The shell 52 forms the inner peripheral surface of the heat-insulating box body 50. The shell 52 has a cooling chamber 20. The cooling chamber 20 is a chamber for cooling items. The cooling chamber 20 is open to the front. In this embodiment, the shell 52 has a plurality of cooling chambers 20 (for example, a refrigerating chamber, a vegetable chamber, and a freezing chamber, etc.).

[0015] The cooling chamber 20 is provided with doors (for example, a refrigerating chamber door 11 , a vegetable chamber door 12 , and a freezing chamber door 13 ) at a front opening portion.

[0016] A handle member 30 is provided on the upper back side of the heat-insulating box body 50. The handle member 30 extends in the left-right direction along the upper end of the back panel 51c of the heat-insulating box body 50. When the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the back side, a handle 31a is provided on the left side of the handle member 30. When the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the back side, a handle 31b is provided on the right side of the handle member 30. When the refrigerator 1 is transported, the operator hangs his hands on each handle 31a and 31b to transport the refrigerator 1.

[0017] (Composition of handle parts) Hereinafter, a more specific structure of the handle member 30 will be described.

[0018] Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of the upper rear surface side of the heat insulating box body 50 is shown. Figure 3 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the heat insulating box body 50. Specifically, Figure 3 The portion where the handle 31a of the handle member 30 is provided ( Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the portion along line III-III).

[0019] Figures 4 to 9 The outer appearance of the handle member 30 is shown. Figures 4 to 9 These are perspective views of the handle member 30 as viewed from various directions.

[0020] The handle member 30 is formed of a resin material such as a resin composition containing polypropylene. Figure 5As shown, the handle member 30 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above. The handle member 30 is configured such that, when mounted on the heat-insulating box 50, the length direction of the substantially rectangular shape of the handle member 30 is arranged along the left-right direction of the heat-insulating box 50 (see Figure 2 wait).

[0021] The handle member 30 includes a central portion 32, a handle 31a located on the left side of the central portion 32 when viewed from the back side, and a handle 31b located on the right side of the central portion 32 when viewed from the back side. The central portion 32 forms the central portion of the handle member 30 in the longitudinal direction. The central portion 32 includes a rear face 33. The rear face 33 of the handle member 30 forms a portion of the rear face of the heat insulating box body 50 (specifically, the upper end portion of the rear face of the heat insulating box body 50). In addition, in the handle member 30, a front face 34 is provided on the opposite side of the rear face 33 (see Figure 6 The front surface 34 forms a wall surface of the interior of the heat insulating box 50 (a portion filled with the heat insulating material 53 ).

[0022] The handles 31a and 31b disposed on the left and right end sides of the central portion 32 respectively have gripping portions 47 and 47 that serve as handles for an operator when carrying the refrigerator 1. Figure 3 As shown in the figures, the gripping portion 47 is located at a position spaced apart from the main body of the handle member 30 (i.e., at least one of the connecting portion 42 and the opposing portion 41). An insertion hole 48 is formed between the gripping portion 47 and the main body of the handle member 30 (i.e., at least one of the connecting portion 42 and the opposing portion 41). When the refrigerator 1 is carried, the operator's hand is inserted into the insertion hole 48.

[0023] like Figure 3 As shown, a gap is provided between the rear end of the upper panel 51a forming the upper surface of the outer box 51 and the upper end of the back panel 51c forming the back surface of the outer box 51. The handle member 30 is attached to the outer box 51 so as to cover the gap.

[0024] The back panel 51c is opposite to the back surface 52b of the housing 52, and at least a part of the upper end 52c of the back surface 52b of the housing 52 is exposed. The handle member 30 has a facing portion 41 facing the upper end 52c of the back surface 52b of the housing 52 exposed from the back panel 51c. A lower insertion groove 46 opening downward is provided at the lower end of the facing portion 41 of the handle member 30. The upper end of the back panel 51c is inserted into the lower insertion groove 46 of the handle member 30.

[0025] The upper panel 51a covers at least a portion of the upper surface 52a of the housing 52. The handle member 30 has a connecting portion 42 and an upper surface portion 43 above the opposing portion 41. The upper surface portion 43 is located on the upper side of the upper panel 51a. The connecting portion 42 connects the opposing portion 41 and the upper surface portion 43. An upper insertion groove 45 opening forward is provided on the upper surface portion 43 of the handle member 30. The rear end of the upper panel 51a is inserted into the upper insertion groove 45 of the handle member 30.

[0026] A heat insulating material 53 is provided between the housing 52 and each of the upper panel 51a, the back panel 51c, and the handle member 30. The heat insulating material 53 includes a foamed resin body such as foamed polyurethane. The foamed resin body is filled into the heat insulating box 50, and the housing 52 is bonded to the upper panel 51a, the back panel 51c, and the handle member 30, respectively.

[0027] The handles 31a and 31b of the handle member 30 have mutually symmetrical structures. Therefore, below, the more specific structure of the handle 31a will be described as a representative of each of the handles 31a and 31b.

[0028] The handle 31 a includes a facing portion 41 , a connecting portion 42 , an upper surface portion 43 , a protruding portion 44 , a gripping portion 47 , and the like.

[0029] The facing portion 41 of the handle 31a faces the upper end portion 52c of the back surface 52b of the housing 52 (see Figure 3 The facing portion 41 has an inclined portion 41 a inclined upward toward the housing 52 side.

[0030] By providing such an inclined portion 41a, it is possible to reduce the decrease in fluidity of the foam insulation material injected into the insulation box 50 around the handle part 30. Therefore, the insulation material can be reliably filled between the handle 31a and the shell 52. In other words, the insulation material can be filled between the handle 31a and the shell 52 at a high filling rate. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the insulation performance of the insulation box 50. In addition, the shell 52 and the handle 31a can be firmly fixed, so the strength of the handle 31a and the mounting strength of the handle part 30 relative to the insulation box 50 can also be improved.

[0031] The upper end portion 52c of the housing 52 extends in the width direction (left-right direction) and has a circular shape in a cross section along the up-down direction and the front-back direction. Fig.10As shown, at least a portion of the upper end portion 52c of the shell 52 is located in the region between the normal line A of the front end portion and the normal line B of the rear end portion of the inclined portion 41a of the handle 31a in the cross section along the up-down direction and the front-back direction of the heat insulating box 50. Thus, the inclined portion 41a of the handle 31a exists at a position opposite to the upper end portion 52c of the shell 52 having a circular shape, so that the foamed heat insulating material can flow more smoothly from the back portion to the upper portion of the heat insulating box 50.

[0032] The protrusion 44 of the handle 31a protrudes toward the front side from the connection portion 42. The protrusion 44 and the upper surface portion 43 together constitute the upper insertion groove 45 into which the upper surface plate 51a is inserted. The front end of the protrusion 44 is coplanar with the upper end 41b of the inclined portion 41a in the front-to-back direction (at the same position in the front-to-back direction), or is located at a position behind the upper end 41b of the inclined portion 41a.

[0033] This can further reduce the possibility that the fluidity of the foam heat insulating material injected into the portion of the heat insulating box 50 where the protrusion 44 is provided will decrease.

[0034] The connection portion 42 of the handle 31 a includes a second inclined portion 42 a that is inclined upward toward the rear side from a portion connected to the inclined portion 41 a .

[0035] The grip portion 47 of the handle 31a is located rearwardly with a gap with respect to at least one of the connection portion 42 and the facing portion 41. An insertion hole 48 is formed between the grip portion 47 and at least one of the connection portion 42 and the facing portion 41.

[0036] At least a portion of the second inclined portion 42a is located below the grip portion 47 (see Figure 3 ).

[0037] According to the above configuration, in a cross-sectional view along the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the heat insulating box body 50, the inclined portion 41a and the second inclined portion 42a form an insertion hole 48 having a shape of the Japanese Hiragana character "く" (see FIG. Fig.10 Thus, the insertion hole 48 has a shape along the joints of the operator's fingers, and can reduce the discomfort caused to the operator when the operator grasps the handle 31a.

[0038] (Summarize) As described above, the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment includes: a housing 52 having a cooling chamber; a back panel 51c, which is opposite to the back side 52b of the housing 52 and exposes at least a portion of the upper end 52c of the back side 52b of the housing 52; a handle 31a, which has a relative portion 41 opposite to the upper end 52c of the back side 52b of the housing 52 exposed from the back panel 51c; and a heat insulating material 53, which includes a foamed resin body filled between the housing 52 and the back panel 51c and the handle 31a. The foamed resin body bonds the housing 52 to the back panel 51c and the handle 31a, respectively. In the refrigerator 1, the relative portion 41 of the handle 31a has an inclined portion 41a inclined upward toward the housing 52 side.

[0039] For example, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-060131, in a refrigerator, it is also possible to form a handle for carrying by recessing the upper end portion of the back of the refrigerator toward the front side. In this case, the space inside the heat-insulating box becomes narrower in the portion where the handle is formed. As a result, in the portion where the handle is formed, the fluidity of the foamed heat-insulating material becomes lower in the narrow space inside the heat-insulating box, and as a result, it is sometimes difficult to inject the heat-insulating material with high injection efficiency.

[0040] Therefore, the thickness of the heat insulating material in the portion where the handle is formed may be thinner than in other portions. In addition, the foam heat insulating material may not be sufficiently distributed around the handle, and a portion near the handle that is not filled with the heat insulating material may be formed. As a result, the heat insulating properties or strength around the handle in the heat insulating box may be reduced. In addition, if there is a portion in the heat insulating box where the thickness of the heat insulating material changes sharply, a difference in thermal shrinkage may occur, which may cause cracks in the heat insulating material.

[0041] As described above, the handle 31a of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment has an inclined portion 41a inclined upward toward the housing 52. By providing such an inclined portion 41a, the possibility of the fluidity of the foam insulation material injected into the insulation box 50 decreasing around the handle portion can be reduced.

[0042] For example, when an injection port is provided on the back panel 51c of the heat-insulating box body 50, Fig.10 As shown by the arrow, the foam insulation material flowing in from the injection port flows from the back side to the upper side of the insulation box 50. By providing the inclined portion 41a on the opposing portion 41 of the handle member 30 that is opposite to the upper end portion 52c of the back side 52b of the shell 52, the width of the upper end portion 52c of the shell 52 and the opposing portion 41 is expanded, thereby improving the fluidity of the foam insulation material.

[0043] Therefore, the heat insulating material can be tightly filled between the handle 31a and the housing 52. This can suppress the reduction in the heat insulating performance of the heat insulating box 50. In addition, the housing 52 and the handle 31a can be firmly fixed, so the strength of the handle 31a can also be improved.

[0044] The other handle 31b of the handle member 30 also has the same structure as the handle 31a. Therefore, according to the structure of this embodiment, it is possible to provide the refrigerator 1 having the handles 31a and 31b with high strength and excellent heat insulation properties.

[0045] The embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not indicated 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 configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described in this specification are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: a housing having a cooling chamber; a plate, opposite to the back surface of the housing, so that at least a portion of an upper end portion of the back surface of the housing is exposed; a handle having an opposing portion opposed to an upper end portion of the back surface of the housing exposed from the plate; as well as A foamed resin body is filled between the shell and the plate and the handle to bond the shell to the plate and the handle. The facing portion of the handle has an inclined portion that is oriented upward and inclined toward the housing.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigerator further comprises an upper plate covering at least a portion of an upper surface of the housing. The handle has: An upper portion, which is located above the upper plate; a connecting portion connecting the opposing portion and the upper portion; a protrusion that protrudes from the connecting portion toward the front side and, together with the upper portion, forms a groove into which the upper plate is inserted, The front end of the protruding portion is coplanar with the upper end of the inclined portion in the front-rear direction, or is located at a rear side of the upper end of the inclined portion.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The housing extends in the width direction and has a circular shape in cross section along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. In a cross section of the handle along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, at least a portion of the upper end portion is located in a region between a normal line of a front end portion of the inclined portion and a normal line of a rear end portion of the inclined portion.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting portion includes a second inclined portion that is inclined upward toward the rear side from a portion connected to the inclined portion.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The handle further comprises a gripping portion, the gripping portion is spaced apart from and located behind at least one of the connecting portion and the opposing portion, and forms an insertion hole with at least one of the connecting portion and the opposing portion. At least a portion of the second inclined portion is located below the grip portion.

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