Refrigerator

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerator, which improves the aesthetic property of a coated resin component. A refrigerator according to an embodiment includes a housing, a door, and a coating member. The housing includes a storage chamber having an opening. The door is mounted so as to be capable of opening and closing the opening. The coating component is arranged on the shell or the door. The coating member has a main body portion and a correction member. The main body part is made of resin, and the decorative surface is coated. The correction member is provided along a rear surface of the main body section on the opposite side from the decorative surface, and corrects warpage of the main body section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] In the past, there is a refrigerator with operating devices such as buttons and switches that accept various operations in the door and the box. As the operating device provided in the refrigerator, for example, there is a door opening button that is provided on the door and accepts the door opening operation.

[0003] In the refrigerator as described above, components visible to the user, such as the door opening button, are mostly resin components with painted surfaces. In addition, such resin components are required to have less surface inconsistency with surrounding components in order to improve aesthetics. However, the painted resin components may deform when the paint is dried, which may cause surface inconsistency with surrounding components.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 2892567 Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which the appearance of a painted resin component is improved.

[0006] A refrigerator of an embodiment includes a shell, a door, and a coating component. The shell includes a storage chamber having an opening. The door is installed to be able to open and close the opening. The coating component is provided on the shell or the door. The coating component includes a main body and a correction component. The main body is formed of resin, and a decorative surface is painted. The correction component is provided along the back side of the main body opposite to the decorative surface to correct the warping of the main body.

[0007] Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the appearance of the painted resin parts can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a front view which shows the refrigerator involved in embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 Cross-sectional view along line F2-F2 in FIG.

[0011] Figure 3 It is a perspective view showing the structure of the ceiling portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view showing a door opening operation portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a perspective view showing a main body and a reinforcing plate in a door opening operation unit of the refrigerator according to the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 6 It is along Figure 5 Cross-sectional view along line F6-F6 in FIG.

[0015] Description of Reference Numerals

[0016] 1: refrigerator, 10: housing, 11: door, 11s: outer surface of the door, 11h: hole-shaped portion (opening), 27: storage chamber, 50: door opening operation portion (painted part), 51: main body, 511: button portion, 511a: decorative surface, 512: upper rear protrusion, 513: upper protrusion, 514: side rear protrusion (vertical wall portion), 51s: slit portion (cut), 51c: connecting portion, 52: reinforcing plate (correction part), V: up and down direction, UP: upper side, LO: lower side, W: width direction, LT: left side, RT: right side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions of these components may be omitted.

[0018] In the present embodiment, the vertical direction in the refrigerator 1 is defined as the "up-down direction V", the vertical upward direction is defined as the "upward UP" in the up-down direction V, and the vertical downward direction is defined as the "downward LO" in the up-down direction V. In addition, the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 as viewed from the user (user) standing in front of the refrigerator 1 is defined as the "width direction W", the left direction is defined as the "left LT" in the width direction W, and the right direction is defined as the "right RT" in the width direction W. In addition, the direction orthogonal to the up-down direction V and the width direction W is defined as the "depth direction D", the direction approaching the user standing in front of the refrigerator 1 as viewed from the refrigerator 1 is defined as the "front FR" in the depth direction D, and the direction away from the user is defined as the "rear RR" in the depth direction D.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a front view which shows the refrigerator 1 which concerns on this embodiment. Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 Cross-sectional view along line F2-F2 in FIG. Figure 3 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of the ceiling portion of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. Figures 1 to 3 The overall structure of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 1 is described. In addition, the refrigerator 1 does not need to have all of the structures described below, and some structures may be omitted as appropriate.

[0020] The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a refrigerator body 5 and a plurality of doors 11 .

[0021] The refrigerator body 5 includes a housing 10. Figure 2 As shown, the housing 10 includes, for example, an inner box 10a, an outer box 10b, and a foam insulation material 10c.

[0022] The inner box 10a is a member that forms the inner surface of the housing 10 and is made of, for example, synthetic resin.

[0023] The outer box 10b is a member that forms the outer surface of the housing 10 and is made of, for example, metal. The outer box 10b is formed slightly larger than the inner box 10a and is disposed outside the inner box 10a.

[0024] The outer box 10b is a substantially cuboid that forms the outer surface of the housing 10 except for the front FR. However, a recessed portion for forming a machine room 26 described later is formed at the rear RR of the end (lower end) of the lower side LO of the outer box 10b.

[0025] The foamed heat insulating material 10c is a heat insulating material made of a foam such as foamed polyurethane, and is filled between the inner box 10a and the outer box 10b.

[0026] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the housing 10 has an upper wall 21 , a lower wall 22 , a left side wall 23 , a right side wall 24 , and a rear wall 25 .

[0027] The upper wall 21 and the lower wall 22 extend substantially horizontally. The left side wall 23 and the right side wall 24 rise upward UP from the left and right ends (the left side LT and the right side RT) of the lower wall 22 and are connected to the left and right ends of the upper wall 21. Figure 2 As shown, the rear wall 25 stands upward UP from the end (rear end) of the rear RR of the lower wall 22 and is connected to the rear end of the upper wall 21.

[0028] like Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of storage chambers 27 are formed inside the housing 10. The plurality of storage chambers 27 include, for example, a refrigerating chamber 27A, a vegetable chamber 27B, an ice making chamber 27C, a small freezing chamber 27D, and a main freezing chamber 27E.

[0029] In the present embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 27A is arranged at the top UP (uppermost part) among the plurality of storage compartments 27. The vegetable compartment 27B is arranged at the lower LO of the refrigerator compartment 27A. The ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D are arranged at the lower LO of the vegetable compartment 27B. The main freezer compartment 27E is arranged at the lower LO of the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D. In addition, the small freezer compartment 27D is arranged at the right RT of the ice-making compartment 27C.

[0030] The housing 10 has an opening at the front FR of each storage chamber 27 , through which food and the like can be taken in and out of each storage chamber 27 .

[0031] The housing 10 has a first partition 28 and a second partition 29. The first partition 28 and the second partition 29 are, for example, partition walls respectively extending in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0032] First partition 28 is located between refrigerating chamber 27A and vegetable chamber 27B, and partitions refrigerating chamber 27A and vegetable chamber 27B.

[0033] The second partition 29 is located between the vegetable compartment 27B, the ice-making compartment 27C, and the small freezer compartment 27D, and partitions the vegetable compartment 27B from the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D.

[0034] The temperature in the vegetable compartment 27B is maintained higher than that in the refrigerating compartment 27A. A vegetable compartment container for storing stored items such as vegetables and a guide rail for moving the vegetable compartment container in the depth direction D are provided inside the vegetable compartment 27B.

[0035] The temperature in the ice making room 27C, the small freezer room 27D and the main freezer room 27E is maintained at a temperature capable of freezing the stored items. For example, storage containers for storing frozen stored items and guide rails for moving the storage containers in the depth direction D are provided inside the ice making room 27C, the small freezer room 27D and the main freezer room 27E.

[0036] The openings of the plurality of storage chambers 27 are covered by the plurality of doors 11 so as to be openable and closable. Figure 1 As shown, the plurality of doors 11 include, for example, a left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa, a right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab, a vegetable chamber door 11B, an ice-making chamber door 11C, a small freezing chamber door 11D, and a main freezing chamber door 11E.

[0037] The left refrigerator door 11Aa and the right refrigerator door 11Ab are installed so as to be able to open and close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 27A. The vegetable compartment door 11B is installed so as to be able to open and close the opening of the vegetable compartment 27B. The ice-making compartment door 11C is installed so as to be able to open and close the opening of the ice-making compartment 27C. The small freezer compartment door 11D is installed so as to be able to open and close the opening of the small freezer compartment 27D. The main freezer compartment door 11E is installed so as to be able to open and close the opening of the main freezer compartment 27E.

[0038] like Figure 3As shown, the left refrigerator door 11Aa and the right refrigerator door 11Ab are supported relative to the housing 10 via the hinge 6 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis O as the rotation center. The left refrigerator door 11Aa is supported via the left hinge 6A provided at the left side LT of the housing 10 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis Oa as the rotation center. The right refrigerator door 11Ab is supported via the right hinge 6B provided at the right side RT of the housing 10 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis Ob as the rotation center.

[0039] The swing doors that open to the left and right, such as the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, are sometimes called bi-fold doors, French doors, and the like.

[0040] The dimensions of the left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa and the right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab in the width direction W may be equal to or different from each other. Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 In the illustrated example, the sizes in the width direction W are different from each other, and the size of the left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa is smaller than the size of the right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab.

[0041] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, door containers 18A and 18B are detachably mounted to the rear RR of the right refrigerator door 11Ab so as to be movable in the vertical direction V, and a door container 19 is mounted at the lower LO. A plurality of door containers may also be mounted to the rear RR of the left refrigerator door 11Aa.

[0042] Vegetable compartment door 11B, ice compartment door 11C, small freezer compartment door 11D, and main freezer compartment door 11E are, for example, drawer-type doors.

[0043] A vegetable compartment container is connected to the rear surface RR of the vegetable compartment door 11B. Respective storage containers are connected to the rear surfaces RR of the ice compartment door 11C, the small freezer compartment door 11D, and the main freezer compartment door 11E.

[0044] The plurality of doors 11 include appropriate heat insulating materials in their respective interiors. The appropriate heat insulating materials may include foam heat insulating materials similar to the foam heat insulating materials 10c, sheet heat insulating materials, vacuum heat insulating materials, and the like.

[0045] Various components that form the refrigerator body 5 together with the housing 10 are arranged at the rear RR of the housing 10. As components that form the refrigerator body 5, for example, there can be cited a pipe (not shown) for circulating a refrigerant, cooling units 15A, 15B, flow path forming components 14A, 14B, cooling fans 16A, 16B, etc.

[0046] A machine room 26 in which, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporating dish, etc. are arranged is provided at the rear RR and the lower side LO of the casing 10 .

[0047] Refrigeration unit 15A is disposed at rear RR of refrigeration compartment 27A, and cools refrigeration compartment 27A and vegetable compartment 27B.

[0048] The cooling unit 15B is disposed at the rear RR of the ice-making compartment 27C or the small freezing compartment 27D, and cools the ice-making compartment 27C, the small freezing compartment 27D, and the main freezing compartment 27E.

[0049] Flow path forming member 14A forms a flow path for allowing cold air supplied from cooling unit 15A to flow toward refrigerating compartment 27A and vegetable compartment 27B.

[0050] The flow path forming member 14B forms a flow path for allowing the cold air supplied from the cooling unit 15B to flow toward the ice making compartment 27C, the small freezing compartment 27D, and the main freezing compartment 27E.

[0051] Cooling fan 16A blows the cold air formed in cooling unit 15A to the flow path surrounded by flow path forming member 14A, thereby forming a cold air flow that circulates inside refrigerating compartment 27A and vegetable compartment 27B.

[0052] Cooling fan 16B blows cold air formed in cooling unit 15B to the flow path surrounded by flow path forming member 14B, forming a cold air flow that circulates inside ice making compartment 27C, small freezing compartment 27D, and main freezing compartment 27E.

[0053] like Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the first power board 70 and the second power board 80 are provided in the power board storage section 2 in the ceiling portion at the upper UP of the housing 10 . Here, the ceiling portion refers to the upper UP surface of the upper wall 21 .

[0054] The power board storage section 2 has a rectangular container shape with an open upper side UP, and is covered from the upper side UP by a power board storage section cover 2A. The power board storage section cover 2A is detachably mounted on the power board storage section 2.

[0055] The first power board 70 is supplied with power from an external commercial power source PS via a power line 7, and supplies power required for cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 to various locations. The first power board 70 supplies power to, for example, the cooling units 15A and 15B and the door opening device 41 described later.

[0056] The first power board 70 includes a control unit 70 a formed of a computer such as a microcomputer. The control unit 70 a of the first power board 70 controls the entire refrigerator 1 .

[0057] The second power board 80 is connected to the first power board 70 via the power supply line 8, and is supplied with power from an external commercial power source PS via the first power board 70. The second power board 80 supplies power to, for example, the door opening operation unit 50 described later.

[0058] Alternatively, the second power board 80 may include a control unit such as a microcomputer to control a part or the entire refrigerator 1. In addition, the control unit 70a for controlling the refrigerator 1 may be provided on a control board other than the first power board 70 or the second power board 80.

[0059] In the space between the inner box 10 a and the outer box 10 b of the housing 10 , a wiring bundle 12 led out from the first power source substrate 70 and a wiring bundle 13 led out from the second power source substrate 80 are arranged.

[0060] The wiring harness 12 includes control lines connected to the first power substrate 70 , the cooling units 15A and 15B, and the door opening device 41 , and transmits control signals from the first power substrate 70 to the cooling units 15A and 15B and the door opening device 41 .

[0061] The wiring harness 13 is a power supply line that supplies power to the door opening operation unit 50 and the like. In addition, the wiring harness 12 may include a power supply line that supplies power from the first power source substrate 70 to the door opening operation unit 50 and the like.

[0062] The first power substrate 70 and the second power substrate 80 may not be two independent power substrates but one power substrate. In addition, the first power substrate 70 and the second power substrate 80 may also be disposed on the rear wall 25 of the housing 10 .

[0063] A door opening device 41 is provided on the ceiling of the housing 10. The door opening device 41 is covered from above UP by a cover member 3 detachably mounted on the upper wall 21 of the housing 10. The door opening device 41 is a device that automatically opens the left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa and the right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab. For example, the door opening device 41 includes a left door opening device 41A and a right door opening device 41B.

[0064] The left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B include, for example, a driving device for opening the left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa and the right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab, and other components such as a storage component for storing the driving device.

[0065] In this embodiment, as the above-mentioned driving device, for example, a device using the following solenoid structure or solenoid method is used: it has a movable iron core that is pushed forward FR by being excited by an electromagnet, and a cylindrical coil (not shown) arranged around the movable iron core, and the movable iron core arranged inside the cylindrical coil is movable by utilizing the electromagnetic force obtained by flowing current through the cylindrical coil.

[0066] The left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B are the above-mentioned driving devices using the above-mentioned solenoid structure or solenoid method, and use the electromagnetic force generated when current flows through the cylindrical coil to make the movable iron core move straight, thereby being able to open the left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa and the right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab. The driving device using the solenoid structure or solenoid method is sometimes called a solenoid actuator.

[0067] By using this driving device, the movable iron core inside the cylindrical coil is strongly advanced by electromagnetic force, thereby the left refrigerator door 11Aa or the right refrigerator door 11Ab can be strongly pushed in the direction of opening. In addition, while the movable iron core is in contact with the left refrigerator door 11Aa or the right refrigerator door 11Ab, the power generated by the movable iron core is transmitted to the left refrigerator door 11Aa or the right refrigerator door 11Ab.

[0068] The left refrigerator door 11Aa and the right refrigerator door 11Ab are opened by the pressing force generated by the movable iron core, and then rotated to open to a predetermined angle by the inertia of the force pushed out. When the effect of inertia weakens, the opening speed of the left refrigerator door 11Aa and the right refrigerator door 11Ab slows down. In this way, the left refrigerator door 11Aa and the right refrigerator door 11Ab are opened to a certain extent.

[0069] The left door opening device 41A is disposed at the rear RR of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and includes a plunger 41P as the movable iron core pushed forward FR by the excitation of an electromagnet and the cylindrical coil (not shown) provided around the plunger 41P.

[0070] The right door opening device 41B is disposed at the rear RR of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. The right door opening device 41B includes a plunger 41P as the movable iron core pushed forward FR by the excitation of an electromagnet, and the cylindrical coil (not shown) provided around the plunger 41P.

[0071] The cylindrical coil is formed by, for example, tightly winding a copper wire into a spiral shape. The plunger 41P is a movable iron core disposed inside the cylindrical coil and moves linearly by utilizing the electromagnetic force generated when current flows through the cylindrical coil. The direction of the linear movement of the plunger 41P coincides with the depth direction D.

[0072] The door opening device 41 is controlled by the control unit 70a of the first power source board 70, and forcibly opens the left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa and the right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab by pushing the plunger 41P forward FR.

[0073] like Figure 1 As shown, the left refrigerator door 11Aa and the right refrigerator door 11Ab have a door opening operation unit 50 (operation unit) capable of detecting an input operation from a user on the surface of the front FR. When the door opening operation unit 50 receives an operation from a user, the control unit 70a activates the door opening device 41. The structure of the door opening operation unit 50 will be described later.

[0074] The door opening operation unit 50 includes a left door opening operation unit 50a provided at the left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa, and a right door opening operation unit 50b provided at the right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab. The control unit 70a operates the left door opening device 41A when receiving an operation on the left door opening operation unit 50a, and operates the right door opening device 41B when receiving an operation on the right door opening operation unit 50b.

[0075] Next, the configuration of the door opening operation unit 50 will be described.

[0076] Figure 4 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the door opening operation unit 50 in the refrigerator 1 . Figure 5 It is a perspective view showing the main body portion 51 and the reinforcing plate 52 in the door opening operation portion 50 . Figure 6 It is along Figure 5 Cross-sectional view along line F6-F6 in FIG. Figure 4 The door 11 shown indicates a left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa or a right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab.

[0077] in addition, Figure 4 Here, in the closed left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa and 11Ab, the depth direction D is also referred to as the "thickness direction", the front FR is referred to as the "outside", and the rear RR is referred to as the "inside".

[0078] The door opening operation unit 50 includes a main body 51 , a reinforcing plate (correction member) 52 , and an outer shell 53 .

[0079] The door opening operation unit 50 is a push button capable of detecting an operation by a user to press the main body 51 toward the rear RR. The door opening operation unit 50 includes a sensor (detection unit) (not shown) capable of detecting that the main body 51 is pressed toward the rear RR. The sensor of the door opening operation unit 50 is connected to the first power supply substrate 70 or the second power supply substrate 80 via wiring. The control unit 70a controls the door opening device 41 based on the operation detected by the door opening operation unit 50 to open the left refrigerating chamber door 11Aa or the right refrigerating chamber door 11Ab.

[0080] The main body 51 includes a button portion 511 , an upper rear protrusion 512 , an upper protrusion 513 , a side rear protrusion (standing wall portion) 514 , a fixing wall portion 515 , and a connection portion 516 .

[0081] The main body 51 is a resin member formed of resin. Figure 4 As shown, the main body portion 51 is provided in an opening (hole-shaped portion) 11h that penetrates a member forming an outer surface (outer surface) 11s of the door 11 in the thickness direction.

[0082] The button portion 511 is a plate-shaped member, and is a member for the user to input the door opening operation of the door 11. The user performs the door opening operation of the door 11 by pressing the button portion 511 toward the rear RR.

[0083] The decorative surface 511a of the button portion 511 is painted. The decorative surface 511a of the button portion 511 is a surface facing the outside of the door 11 in the button portion 511 provided on the door 11. The door opening operation portion 50 is a painted component having the button portion 511 painted.

[0084] The main body 51 is provided on the door 11 so that the decorative surface 511a of the button portion 511 is substantially flush with the outer surface 11s of the door 11. Specifically, the decorative surface 511a is located on a virtual surface extending the outer surface 11s of the door 11 toward the hole-shaped portion 11h provided on the outer surface 11s of the door 11.

[0085] The main body 51 is configured to be able to move forward and backward in the thickness direction of the door 11. When the user inputs a door opening operation to the door opening operation unit 50, for example, the user presses the main body 51 located in the initial position toward the inner side of the door 11 with a finger. When the user removes the finger from the main body 51, the main body 51 is pushed toward the outer side of the door 11 by a force member such as a spring (not shown) and returns to the initial position. The main body 51 is configured so that, in the initial position, the decorative surface 511a is substantially flush with the outer surface 11s of the door 11. Figure 4 The main body 51 is shown in an initial position.

[0086] like Figure 4 as well as Figure 5As shown in FIG. 1 , the size of the button portion 511 in the vertical direction V is larger than the size of the button portion 511 in the width direction W. That is, the button portion 511 has a shape in which the vertical direction V is long.

[0087] The upper rear protrusion 512 is provided at the upper part of the main body 51. The upper part of the main body 51 refers to the vicinity of the upper end UP of the main body 51. The upper rear protrusion 512 is provided on the back side of the button portion 511 and protrudes toward the back side (rear RR). The back side of the button portion 511 refers to the surface facing the opposite side to the decorative surface 511a. That is, the back side of the button portion 511 refers to the surface facing the inner side of the door 11.

[0088] The upper protrusion 513 is a portion that protrudes upward UP from the front end of the upper rear protrusion 512. Figure 4 As shown, in a cross section parallel to the up-down direction V and the depth direction D, the upper rear protrusion 512 and the upper protrusion 513 are formed in a substantially L-shape.

[0089] The side rear protrusions (standing walls) 514 are provided at both ends of the body 51 in the width direction W and protrude to the back side of the button 511. The both ends of the body 51 in the width direction W are the left LT end and the right RT end of the body 51.

[0090] like Figure 5 As shown, the side rear protrusion 514 is provided near the outer periphery of the main body 51. The side rear protrusion 514 is connected to the upper rear protrusion 512 via a connecting portion 51c protruding from the main body 51 to the back side, and extends to the vicinity of the lower end of the main body 51.

[0091] The side rear protrusion 514 is formed continuously with the upper rear protrusion 512 via the connecting portion 51c. When viewed from the rear RR, the upper rear protrusion 512 and a pair of side rear protrusions 514 on the left LT and the right RT provided on the upper rear protrusion 512 form a roughly U-shape opening toward the lower LO.

[0092] The side rear protrusion 514 has a slit portion 51s which is a cutout that divides the side rear protrusion 514. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of slits 51s are provided at predetermined intervals in the side rear protrusion 514. The slits 51s divide the side rear protrusion 514 in the direction along the back surface of the main body 51. Figure 5 In the illustrated example, three slit portions 51 s are provided in the side rear protrusion 514 provided in the left side LT or the right side RT so as to divide the side rear protrusion 514 into four parts in the up-down direction V.

[0093] The fixed wall portion 515 is a portion protruding from the back side of the button portion 511 toward the rear RR, and is provided as a pair of the fixed wall portions 515 sandwiched by a pair of the side rear protrusions 514 in the width direction W. Specifically, on the left side LT of the main body portion 51, the fixed wall portion 515 is provided at a position closer to the right RT than the side rear protrusions 514. Also, on the right side RT of the main body portion 51, the fixed wall portion 515 is provided at a position closer to the left LT than the side rear protrusions 514.

[0094] The fixing wall portion 515 is formed with a fixing structure such as a snap structure for fixing a sensor that detects an operation input to the door opening operation portion 50. In addition, the fixing wall portion 515 may be provided with a cutout (slit) that divides the fixing wall portion 515.

[0095] The connecting portion 516 is a claw for fixing the reinforcing plate 52 provided on the back side of the button portion 511 to the main body portion 51. The connecting portion 516 is provided on the back side of the button portion 511. Figure 6 As shown, the cross section along the horizontal direction (width direction W and depth direction D) is substantially L-shaped.

[0096] The reinforcing plate 52 is a member separate from the main body 51 and is a plate-shaped member provided along the back surface of the main body 51. The dimension of the reinforcing plate 52 in the up-down direction V is larger than the dimension of the reinforcing plate 52 in the width direction W.

[0097] like Figure 6 As shown, the reinforcing plate 52 is sandwiched by the connecting portion 516 in the width direction W and fixed to the main body 51. In addition, the reinforcing plate 52 is sandwiched by the button portion 511 and the connecting portion 516 in the depth direction D and fixed to the main body 51.

[0098] The main body 51 is provided with a plurality of connection parts 516. The main body 51 has an appropriate number of connection parts 516 according to the size of the reinforcing plate 52, etc. The connection parts 516 are not limited to claws as long as they fix the reinforcing plate 52 to the back of the main body 51. For example, the connection parts 516 may also be a rivet structure that can fix the reinforcing plate 52 to the main body 51 by thermal deformation.

[0099] The main body 51 is subjected to a drying process for drying the paint applied to the decorative surface 511a. The main body 51 is formed of resin, and therefore may be deformed due to drying in the drying process. Specifically, the main body 51 may be warped toward the front FR or the rear RR due to drying. When the main body 51 is warped, the decorative surface 511a and the outer surface 11s of the door 11 cannot maintain substantially the same surface, which may impair the aesthetics of the refrigerator 1.

[0100] The reinforcing plate 52 is a correction member for correcting the warping of the main body 51. Therefore, the reinforcing plate 52 is preferably formed of a material having higher rigidity than the resin material forming the main body 51. For example, the reinforcing plate 52 is formed of metal.

[0101] Even if the main body 51 is warped, the warping of the main body 51 can be corrected by installing the reinforcing plate 52 on the back of the main body 51 due to the rigidity of the reinforcing plate 52. Therefore, the decorative surface 511a and the outer surface 11s of the door 11 can be maintained substantially flush with each other, and the aesthetics of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

[0102] As described above, the slits 51s are provided in the side rear protrusions 514 provided on the back of the main body 51. By dividing the side rear protrusions 514 by the slits 51s, the rigidity of the side rear protrusions 514 can be prevented from becoming too high, and the effect of the reinforcing plate 52 correcting the warping of the main body 51 can be improved.

[0103] The correction of the warping of the painted parts by the reinforcing plate is not limited to the door opening operation part 50, and can be applied to various painted parts constituting the refrigerator 1. For example, in the painted parts arranged inside the storage chamber 27 of the housing 10 (inside the box), a reinforcing plate can also be arranged on the back of the main body part with the decorative surface painted to correct the warping of the main body part.

[0104] The housing portion 53 is a housing member that forms a housing space 50s that can house a sensor that can detect when the main body portion 51 is pushed backward RR. Figure 4 As shown, the housing portion 53 is a box-shaped member having an opening at the front FR, and a housing space 50s capable of housing the above-mentioned sensor is formed in the inner space of the opening.

[0105] The outer shell 53 is provided at a position closer to the inner side of the door 11 than the member forming the outer surface 11s of the door 11. That is, the outer shell 53 is not exposed to the outer side of the door 11. Figure 4 As shown, extended portions 53a and 53b are provided at the upper and lower ends of the outer shell 53 to face the back surface of the member forming the outer surface 11s of the door 11. The extended portions 53a and 53b are formed continuously along the outer periphery of the outer shell 53, and also face the back surface of the member forming the outer surface 11s of the door 11 at the ends on the left LT and the right RT.

[0106] The extended portions 53 a and 53 b of the outer shell portion 53 are, for example, sealing portions that prevent the foam heat insulating material filled in the door 11 from intruding into the storage space 50 s of the outer shell portion 53 .

[0107] Here, if Figure 4As shown, a predetermined gap is provided between the edge of the opening 11h of the door 11 and the main body 51. In addition, the refrigerator 1 is used near water and may come into contact with wet hands, and the outer surface 11s of the door 11 may be wetted by water.

[0108] The rear surface of the main body 51 of the door opening operation unit 50 is provided with an upper rear protrusion 512 protruding to the rear RR and an upper protrusion 513 protruding upward UP from the front end of the upper rear protrusion 512. The upper rear protrusion 512 has no cutout (slit).

[0109] Therefore, even if liquid such as water intrudes into the interior of the door 11 along the outer surface 11s of the door 11 from the gap between the edge of the opening 11h of the door 11 and the main body 51, the liquid will fall onto the upper surface of the upper rear protrusion 512 (the upper UP surface), and from the upper rear protrusion 512 via the connecting portion 51c along the side rear protrusion 514 to the lower LO of the main body 51.

[0110] The liquid falling onto the upper surface of the upper rear protrusion 512 is blocked by the upper protrusion 513 and does not flow to the rear RR, but flows in the width direction W provided with the side rear protrusion 514. As a result, it is possible to prevent the liquid from contacting the electrical components such as the sensor accommodated in the accommodation space 50s, and to prevent the electrical components from malfunctioning or malfunctioning.

[0111] Since the upper rear protrusion 512 and the upper protrusion 513 can suppress the intrusion of liquid into the storage space 50s, there is no need to provide an independent component for preventing the intrusion of liquid, and the increase in the number of components of the door opening operation unit 50 can be suppressed.

[0112] In the present embodiment, the refrigerator 1 comprises: a housing 10 including a storage chamber 27 having an opening; a door 11 installed to be able to open and close the opening of the housing 10; and a coating member (door opening operation unit) 50 provided on the housing 10 or the door 11. The coating member 50 comprises: a main body 51 formed of resin, a decorative surface 511a being coated; and a correction member (reinforcement plate) 52 provided along the back side of the main body 51 opposite to the decorative surface 511a, to correct the warping of the main body 51.

[0113] According to such a configuration, even when the main body 51 is warped due to drying, the warping of the main body 51 can be corrected by the reinforcing plate 52 .

[0114] As a result, it is possible to provide the refrigerator 1 in which the appearance of the painted resin parts is improved.

[0115] (Variant 1)

[0116] In the above embodiment, the decorative surface 511a of the button portion 511 in the main body 51 is painted, but the main body is not limited to this. The main body may be painted not only on the decorative surface 511a but also on the back. Even in the case where not only the decorative surface 511a but also the back is painted, the warping of the main body caused by drying can be corrected by providing the reinforcing plate 52 on the main body.

[0117] (Variant 2)

[0118] In the above embodiment, the side rear protrusion 514 extends to the vicinity of the lower end of the main body 51, but the form of the side rear protrusion is not limited to this. The side rear protrusion may also be a shape extending from the upper rear protrusion 512 to the vicinity of the center of the main body in the up-down direction V. Even if the side rear protrusion does not extend to the vicinity of the lower end of the main body, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of liquid into the storage space 50s.

[0119] Several embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the subject matter of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and subject matter of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising: a housing including a storage chamber having an opening; a door installed to be able to open and close the opening; and A coating component is provided on the housing or the door. The coating component has: The main body is formed of resin, and the decorative surface is painted; and The correction member is provided along the back surface of the main body opposite to the decorative surface, and corrects the warping of the main body.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: The main body has a vertical wall portion provided near the outer periphery of the main body and protruding toward the back side. The standing wall portion has a cutout that divides the standing wall portion in a direction along the back surface of the main body portion.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein: A hole-shaped portion is provided on the outer surface of the door, The decorative surface is located on a virtual surface that extends the outer surface of the door toward the hole-shaped portion. The main body has: An upper rear protrusion, provided at the upper portion of the main body and protruding toward the back side; as well as The upper protrusion protrudes upward from the front end of the upper rear protrusion.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein: The main body has side rear protrusions provided at both ends in the width direction of the main body and protruding toward the back side. The upper rear protrusion and the side rear protrusion are continuously provided via a connection portion protruding from the main body toward the rear surface side.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein: The size of the main body in the vertical direction is greater than the size of the main body in the width direction. The side rear protrusion has a cutout that divides the side rear protrusion in the up-down direction.

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