Refrigerator

Abstract

To solve the problem that it is difficult for conventional refrigerators to reduce a manufacturing cost of an internal tray shelf disposed in a storage chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 10 of the present invention comprises a heat insulating box 11, a refrigeration chamber 17 inside the heat insulating box 11, and a plurality of internal tray shelves 26 that divide the refrigeration chamber 17. The internal tray shelf 26 has a glass plate 41, a decorative part 42 disposed at end parts 41A, 41B of the glass plate 41 in a depth direction of the refrigerator, and a cap part 43 engaged with both end parts 42A, 42B of the decorative part 42. The decorative part 42 is formed by extrusion molding, and is cut to a desired length for use. This structure reduces a manufacturing cost of the decorative part 42 itself, and also reduces the manufacturing cost of the internal tray shelf 26.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3B

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator that reduces the manufacturing cost of an internal tray shelf. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional refrigerator. The refrigerator includes an insulated box used as a storage compartment, an insulated door that closes a front opening of the insulated box, and a shelf that divides the inside of the storage compartment into small spaces.

[0003] The shelf mainly comprises a glass plate, a front resin member and a reinforcing member arranged at the end of the glass plate on the front side of the interior, a rear resin member arranged at the end of the glass plate on the rear side of the interior, and lateral resin members arranged at both ends of the glass plate in the width direction of the interior.

[0004] The reinforcing member is disposed at the end of the glass plate on the front side of the interior so as to enclose the front resin member. The reinforcing member is made of a material harder than the front resin member. The reinforcing member is made of a metal material such as stainless steel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-94101 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As described above, the four side edges of the glass plate are protected all around by the front resin member, the rear resin member, and the pair of side resin members. The front resin member, the rear resin member, and the side resin member each have a different shape, and are formed by resin molding using a metal mold. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost because the above four resin members are resin molded using different metal molds. In particular, at the end of the glass plate on the front side of the interior, a reinforcing member is used in addition to the front resin member, which makes it even more difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0007] In addition, in the storage room where the shelves are installed, the amount of stored items increases, and the temperature of the storage room fluctuates depending on the time and number of times the insulated door is opened and closed when storing and removing items. The temperature fluctuations cause the four resin members to repeatedly expand and contract due to thermal expansion and contraction.

[0008] However, the four resin members are tightly arranged on the four sides of the glass plate, restricting each other's expansion and contraction, and are particularly difficult to expand due to thermal expansion. Furthermore, there is a problem that the weak parts of the four resin members are easily cracked or deformed due to repeated stress concentration caused by thermal expansion.

[0009] For example, at the end of the glass plate on the front side of the interior of the container, the front resin member is not only restricted in its expansion and contraction by the reinforcing member, but is also sandwiched between the glass plate and the reinforcing member, which have different linear expansion coefficients. This structure poses the problem that the front resin member is prone to cracking or deformation due to the concentration of the above-mentioned stress.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a refrigerator that protects the depth direction ends of the glass plate with a decorative part made by extrusion molding and cap parts that engage with both ends of the decorative part, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the internal tray shelves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In a first aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the refrigerator includes an insulating box in which a storage compartment is formed, and an internal tray shelf that is disposed relative to the insulating box and divides the storage compartment, and the internal tray shelf includes a glass plate, a decorative portion disposed at an end of the glass plate in the depth direction of the storage compartment and formed by extrusion molding, and a cap portion that is engaged with both ends of the decorative portion. With this structure, the decorative portion can be cut to fit the length of the end of the glass plate and used. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the decorative portion itself is reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the internal tray shelf is also reduced.

[0012] In a second aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the cap portion has an opening into which the decorative portion is inserted, a first side portion covering an end of the glass plate in the width direction of the interior, a second side portion covering the end of the glass plate in the depth direction and having a locking hole formed therein for locking with the decorative portion, and a third side portion covering a surface of the glass plate, and a first curved surface is formed at a corner portion between the first side portion and the second side portion, a second curved surface is formed at a corner portion between the first side portion and the third side portion, and a third curved surface is formed at a corner portion between the second side portion and the third side portion. This structure makes it difficult for a cloth or the like to get caught on the tray shelf inside the refrigerator when a user cleans the interior of the storage compartment, improving convenience.

[0013] In a third aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the decorative part has a locking protrusion to be inserted into the locking hole and a locking recess into which an outer peripheral edge of the cap part surrounding the locking hole is inserted, and in the locked state, the locking protrusion and the second side surface part are substantially flush with each other. With this structure, when a user of the refrigerator cleans the inside of the storage compartment, a dishcloth or the like is less likely to get caught on the internal tray shelf, improving convenience.

[0014] In addition, in a fourth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the width of the outer circumferential edge portion in the extension direction of the decorative portion is narrower than the width of the locking recess. With this structure, even if the decorative portion repeatedly expands and contracts due to thermal expansion or the like caused by temperature changes in the storage compartment, the amount of expansion is absorbed by the gap between the outer circumferential edge portion and the locking recess, preventing damage to the decorative portion.

[0015] In a fifth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the first side surface of the cap portion is located outside the end portion in the width direction of the glass plate. With this structure, the end portion in the width direction of the glass plate is protected by the cap portion that is engaged with both ends of the decorative portion. As a result, when the internal tray shelf is disposed in the refrigerator compartment, the end portion of the glass plate does not come into contact with the inner box inside the refrigerator, preventing the inner box from being damaged. Effect of the Invention

[0016] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the ends of the glass plate in the depth direction inside the refrigerator are protected by a decorative portion formed by extrusion molding and cap portions that engage with both ends of the decorative portion, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the internal tray shelves. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal tray shelf of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an internal tray shelf of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal tray shelf of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an internal tray shelf of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4C]FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an internal tray shelf of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal tray shelf of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal tray shelf of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal tray shelf of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal tray shelf of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a bottom view illustrating an internal tray shelf of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal tray shelf of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the up-down direction indicates the height direction of the refrigerator 10, the left-right direction indicates the width direction of the refrigerator 10 as viewed from the front, and the front-rear direction indicates the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. In addition, when describing this embodiment, the same reference numbers are used for the same members as a general rule, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the external structure of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment as viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 3B is an exploded perspective view illustrating the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 4A is a perspective view illustrating the cap portion 43 of the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIGS. 4B and 4C are side views illustrating the cap portion 43 of the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 5A is a perspective view illustrating the ornamental portion 42 of the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 5B is a perspective view illustrating the engagement state between the ornamental portion 42 and the cap portion 43 of the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 6A is a perspective view illustrating the shelf support portion 71 that supports the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state in which the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment is supported by the shelf support portion 71. Fig. 7 is a bottom view illustrating the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment. Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the internal tray shelf 26 of the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, a refrigerator 10 includes an insulated box 11 and a storage compartment formed inside the insulated box 11. The storage compartments include, from the upper side of the interior, a refrigerator compartment 17, a freezer compartment 18, and a vegetable compartment 19. For ease of explanation, Fig. 1 shows the numbers of the storage compartments.

[0021] The refrigerator compartment 17 is located above the center of the insulated box 11 and is formed using approximately half of the internal space of the refrigerator. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 17 is closed by a first insulated door 12 and a second insulated door 13 that open from approximately the center of the insulated box 11 in a manner that allows them to be opened and closed freely. The first insulated door 12 is a rotating door, and the upper and lower ends on the left side of the drawing are rotatably supported by the insulated box 11 via a hinge mechanism (not shown). The second insulated door 13 is a rotating door, and the upper and lower ends on the right side of the drawing are rotatably supported by the insulated box 11 via a hinge mechanism (not shown).

[0022] The freezer compartment 18 is formed below the center of the insulated box body 11 and below the refrigerator compartment 17. The front opening of the freezer compartment 18 is closed by a third insulated door 14 and a fourth insulated door 15 so as to be freely opened and closed. The third insulated door 14 and the fourth insulated door 15 are doors that are pulled out in the depth direction of the interior.

[0023] The vegetable compartment 19 is formed below the center of the insulated box body 11 and below the freezer compartment 18. The front opening of the vegetable compartment 19 is closed by a fifth insulated door 16, which can be opened and closed freely. The fifth insulated door 16 is a door that can be pulled out in the depth direction of the interior.

[0024] 2, the insulating box 11 mainly includes an outer box 21 made of a steel plate forming the outer shape of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 22 made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 21, and an insulating material 23 disposed between the outer box 21 and the inner box 22. As the insulating material 23, for example, urethane foam is used.

[0025] The storage compartment inside the insulated box 11 is divided from above into a refrigerator compartment 17, a freezer compartment 18, and a vegetable compartment 19. The refrigerator compartment 17 and the freezer compartment 18 are divided by an insulating wall 24. The freezer compartment 18 and the vegetable compartment 19 are divided by an insulating wall 25.

[0026] A plurality of internal tray shelves 26 are detachably disposed inside the refrigerator compartment 17. Details will be described later, but for example, three internal tray shelves 26 are disposed from the top of the refrigerator compartment 17. The interior of the refrigerator compartment 17 is divided into four spaces in the vertical direction. The internal tray shelves 26 are engaged with a plurality of shelf support portions 71 (see FIG. 6A) provided on the interior side of the inner box 22 of the refrigerator compartment 17. The number and size of the above spaces in the refrigerator compartment 17 can be arbitrarily changed in design by the user of the refrigerator 10 selecting the shelf support portion 71 to be used.

[0027] A cooling chamber 27 is defined behind the freezing chamber 18. A cooler 28 is disposed in the cooling chamber 27. A machine chamber 29 is defined behind the lowermost part of the insulated box body 11. A compressor 30 and other components are disposed in the machine chamber 29. The cooler 28 and the compressor 30 are connected to an expansion means and a condenser (not shown) via refrigerant piping to form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. The components of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle are connected to each other via refrigerant piping (not shown).

[0028] As the refrigeration cycle operates, the air inside the cooling chamber 27 is cooled by the cooler 28. A blower 31 is disposed above the cooler 28 in the cooling chamber 27. The blower 31 is, for example, an axial flow blower or a centrifugal blower, and blows the cold air inside the cooling chamber 27 toward the refrigerator chamber 17 and the freezer chamber 18. Then, the cold air is blown to each storage chamber via various air ducts 32, so that the refrigerator chamber 17 is in the refrigerator temperature range and the freezer chamber 18 is in the freezing temperature range. The cold air from the refrigerator chamber 17 is blown to the vegetable chamber 19 via an air duct (not shown), so that the vegetable chamber 19 is in the refrigerator temperature range.

[0029] A defrost heater 33 is disposed below the cooler 28 in the cooling chamber 27. As the refrigeration cycle operates, thick frost forms on the surface of the cooler 28. When this occurs, a control unit (not shown) performs a defrosting operation in which the compressor 30 is stopped and the defrost heater 33 is energized to heat it, thereby melting and removing the frost. Note that an electric resistance heater, a sheath heater, a hot gas defroster, or the like is used as the defrost heater 33.

[0030] 3A and 3B, the internal tray shelf 26 mainly comprises a glass plate 41, a decorative part 42 attached to an end of the glass plate 41, and cap parts 43 engaged with both ends in the extending direction of the decorative part 42. The internal tray shelf 26 is engaged with a plurality of shelf support parts 71 (see FIG. 6A) provided on the inside of the inner box 22 of the refrigeration chamber 17, thereby vertically dividing the internal space of the refrigeration chamber 17.

[0031] Glass plate 41 is formed, for example, from transparent glass with high light transmission, thereby preventing blocking of light from an interior light (not shown) and improving brightness inside refrigerator compartment 17. Glass plate 41 is a substantially rectangular plate-like body, and is engaged with the upper surface of shelf support portion 71 of the inner box in a state in which it can be pulled out in the depth direction inside the refrigerator. Glass plate 41 is also used as a placement plate on which items to be stored in refrigerator compartment 17 are placed.

[0032] The decorative portion 42 is attached to at least both ends 41A, 41B of the glass plate 41 in the depth direction of the interior of the refrigerator. The decorative portion 42 is formed, for example, by extrusion molding using a non-translucent resin material, and then cut to a desired length before use. The decorative portion 42 has a length approximately equal to the both ends 41A, 41B of the glass plate 41, and is approximately U-shaped in cross section. The both ends 41A, 41B of the glass plate 41 and their surroundings are fitted into the decorative portion 42, whereby the decorative portion 42 is fixed to the glass plate 41.

[0033] With this structure, decorative portion 42 is used as a protective member for preventing a refrigerator user from being injured by his / her hands coming into contact with glass plate 41. Moreover, decorative portion 42 is formed of, for example, white resin, and is disposed at both ends 41A, 41B of glass plate 41, thereby improving the design and cleanliness of refrigerator 10.

[0034] As described above, decorative portion 42 is formed into a long shape by extrusion molding, and then cut to fit the length of the portion where it is to be attached to glass plate 41. The internal capacity and size of the interior space of refrigerator 10 vary depending on the model. However, decorative portion 42 can be cut to a desired length as described above, which reduces the number of dies for forming decorative portion 42 and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0035] The cap portion 43 is disposed at both ends 42A, 42B in the extension direction of the decorative portion 42 and at the periphery thereof, and is engaged with the decorative portion 42. The cap portion 43 is disposed so as to cover the four corner portions 41C of the glass plate 41. Although details will be described later, the cap portion 43 also has a substantially U-shape in cross section, and the decorative portion 42 is fitted inside the cap portion 43. As described above, the glass plate 41 is fitted inside the decorative portion 42. The cap portion 43, like the decorative portion 42, is formed by die molding using, for example, a resin material that does not have translucency.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4A, the cap portion 43 has a first side portion 51 covering end portion 41D (see Figure 3B) or end portion 41E (see Figure 3B) of the glass plate 41, a second side portion 52 covering end portion 41A (see Figure 3B) or end portion 41B (see Figure 3B) of the glass plate 41, a third side portion 53 covering the front side of the glass plate 41, and a fourth side portion 54 covering the back side of the glass plate 41.

[0037] The cap portion 43 has openings 55 in a generally L-shape formed on the surface facing the first side portion 51 and the surface facing the second side portion 52. The cap portion 43 also has a hollow portion 56 for holding the decorative portion 42 and the glass plate 41. With this structure, the hollow portion 56 communicates with the outside space through the openings 55. The corner portion 41C of the glass plate 41 and its surrounding area are inserted into the hollow portion 56 of the cap portion 43 through the opening 55.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4B, the second side surface portion 52 of the cap portion 43 has a locking hole 57 formed therein into which the locking protrusion 61 (see FIG. 5A) of the decorative portion 42 is inserted. The locking hole 57 is a vertically elongated opening that communicates the external space with the hollow portion 56, and is surrounded by the outer peripheral edge portion 52A of the second side surface portion 52. As will be described in detail later, when the decorative portion 42 and the cap portion 43 are assembled to the glass plate 41, the locking protrusion 61 of the decorative portion 42 is inserted into the locking hole 57, and the tip side of the outer peripheral edge portion 52A of the cap portion 43 is inserted into the locking recess 62 (see FIG. 5A) of the decorative portion 42, so that the decorative portion 42 and the cap portion 43 are locked to each other.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 4C, the cap portion 43 has an opening 55, but is formed in a substantially hexahedral box shape. The first side portion 51 and the second side portion 52 are formed continuously, and the corner portion between them is formed as a first curved surface 58. The first side portion 51 and the third side portion 53 are formed continuously, and the corner portion between them is formed as a second curved surface 59. The second side portion 52 and the third side portion 53 are formed continuously, and the corner portion between them is formed as a third curved surface 60. Similarly, a fourth curved surface 66 (see FIG. 7) is formed at the corner portion between the first side portion 51 and the fourth side portion 54, and a fifth curved surface 67 (see FIG. 7) is formed at the corner portion between the second side portion 52 and the fourth side portion 54.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 5A, a locking structure 40 for locking with the cap part 43 is formed around the periphery of the end part 42A of the decorative part 42. The locking structure 40 includes a locking protrusion 61 inserted into a locking hole 57 (see Fig. 4B) of the cap part 43 and a locking recess 62 into which the tip side of the outer peripheral edge part 52A (see Fig. 4B) of the cap part 43 is inserted.

[0041] In addition, an inclined surface 63 is formed from the locking protrusion 61 toward the end 42A of the decorative part 42. The formation of the inclined surface 63 makes it easier to insert the decorative part 42 into the hollow part 56 (see FIG. 4A) of the cap part 43, improving the ease of assembly by the worker. The locking structure 40 is also formed around the periphery of the end 42B (see FIG. 3B) of the decorative part 42, and the cap part 43 is assembled to both ends 42A, 42B of the decorative part 42 in the extension direction.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5B, when the decorative part 42 and the cap part 43 are engaged with each other, the engaging protrusion 61 of the decorative part 42 is inserted into the engaging hole 57 of the cap part 43, and the tip side of the outer peripheral edge part 52A of the cap part 43 is inserted into the engaging recess 62 of the decorative part 42. Then, the decorative part 42 and the cap part 43 are engaged with each other, so that the cap part 43 is less likely to fall off the decorative part 42. The cap part 43 is a small member, for example, 15 mm square in top view, but maintains the engaged state with the decorative part 42. If the cap part 43 falls off the decorative part 42, the cap part 43 is prevented from being mixed with food in the refrigerator compartment 17 and being ingested by mistake.

[0043] Here, the temperature inside refrigerator compartment 17 fluctuates depending on the time and number of times the insulated door is opened and closed when a user of refrigerator 10 puts food or the like in and takes it out of refrigerator compartment 17, the amount of items stored in refrigerator compartment 17, etc. Then, the above-mentioned temperature fluctuation causes thermal expansion and contraction of decorative part 42, so that decorative part 42 repeatedly expands and contracts in its extension direction.

[0044] In this embodiment, when the decorative portion 42 and the cap portion 43 are engaged with each other, the tip side of the outer peripheral edge portion 52A of the cap portion 43 has a slight gap with respect to the engaging recess 62 of the decorative portion 42 in the extension direction of the decorative portion 42. For example, the width W1 (see FIG. 5A) of the engaging recess 62 in the lateral width direction of the chamber is about 1 mm wider than the width W2 (see FIG. 4B) of the tip side of the outer peripheral edge portion 52A of the cap portion 43.

[0045] With this structure, the expansion and contraction movement of the decorative part 42 in the extension direction is absorbed by the gap. Furthermore, the concentration of stress accompanying the expansion and contraction movement is prevented from occurring in weak parts of the decorative part 42, making the decorative part 42 less likely to break. Note that on the side of the locking hole 57 of the cap part 43, when the decorative part 42 expands and contracts as described above, the cap part 43 slides slightly against the inclined surface 63 of the decorative part 42 in the direction of the interior depth, thereby dealing with the concentration of the stress.

[0046] As shown in the figure, the first to third curved surfaces 58, 59, 60 of the cap portion 43 are arranged on the front, front, and side surfaces of the glass plate 41. This structure prevents a cloth or the like from getting caught on the cap portion 43 when a user of the refrigerator 10 uses the cloth or the like to wipe the inside of the refrigeration chamber 17, improving the convenience of the user. Furthermore, since the corners of the cap portion 43 are the first to third curved surfaces 58, 59, 60, the user is prevented from coming into contact with the cap portion 43 and being injured when putting food or the like in or taking it out of the refrigeration chamber 17. The same effect can be obtained by arranging the fourth and fifth curved surfaces 66, 67 (see FIG. 7) of the cap portion 43 on the back side of the glass plate 41.

[0047] Furthermore, because decorative portion 42 is inserted into cap portion 43, a step is formed on the upper surface of decorative portion 42 with cap portion 43. Thus, on third side surface portion 53 of cap portion 43, inclined surface 64 is formed in the step region with decorative portion 42, and inclined surface 65 is also formed in the step region of glass plate 41. This structure prevents the cloth from getting caught in the step region of cap portion 43, improving convenience for the user.

[0048] In addition, when the decorative part 42 and the cap part 43 are engaged with each other, the tip surface 61A of the engaging protrusion 61 is substantially flush with the design surface of the outer peripheral edge part 52A of the second side surface part 52 of the cap part 43. This structure prevents the cloth from getting caught in the stepped area of ​​the cap part 43, improving convenience for the user.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 6A, the inner box 22 of the refrigeration chamber 17 is formed with a plurality of shelf support portions 71 for supporting the internal tray shelves 26 on its upper surface. The shelf support portions 71 are formed by part of the inner box 22 bulging toward the inside of the refrigerator and extending in the depth direction of the refrigerator. A pair of shelf support portions 71 are formed with the same shape at the same height position on the side surface of the inner box 22 in the width direction of the refrigerator, and the vicinity of both longitudinal ends 41D, 41E of the glass plate 41 are placed on the shelf support portions 71.

[0050] As shown in the figure, the shelf support portion 71 is also formed in multiple stages in the vertical direction of the refrigerator compartment 17. The shelf support portion 71 has different lengths in the depth direction of the refrigerator compartment according to the size of the glass plate 41. For example, the shelf support portion 71A in the third stage from the top of the refrigerator compartment 17 corresponds to a structure in which two glass plates 41 are arranged side by side in the depth direction of the refrigerator compartment as shown in FIG. 8. The glass plate 41 on the outside of the refrigerator compartment can also be arranged overlapping on the upper surface of the glass plate 41 on the inside of the refrigerator compartment. With this structure, the user of the refrigerator 10 can freely divide the interior space of the refrigerator compartment 17 in the vertical direction by selecting the shelf support portion 71 on which the interior tray shelf 26 is placed.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 6B, the shelf support portion 71 has recessed portions 72 formed in the middle and innermost portions in the depth direction. The recessed portions 72 are formed in a shape into which the cap portions 43 of the internal tray shelf 26 fit. With this structure, when the internal tray shelf 26 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber 17, the cap portions 43 on the inner inner side of the glass plate 41 fit into the recessed portions 72, and the cap portions 43 on the outer side of the glass plate 41 are hooked onto the outer side of the leading end of the internal tray shelf 26. The areas of the glass plate 41 near both ends 41D, 41E located between the cap portions 43 are placed on the upper surface of the shelf support portion 71.

[0052] As a result, in the internal tray shelf 26, both end sides of the glass plate 41 are supported by the shelf support parts 71 and used in a substantially horizontal state. Then, with the internal tray shelf 26 in a stable state, the stored items in the refrigeration chamber 17 are stably placed on the upper surface of the glass plate 41.

[0053] 7, the first side surface portion 51 of the cap portion 43 is located outside the end portion 41D of the glass plate 41. The cap portion 43 is attached to each of the four corner portions 41C (see FIG. 3B) of the glass plate 41. Here, the internal tray shelf 26 is assembled in such a manner that the cap portions 43 are engaged with both ends of the decorative portion 42, and then the glass plate 41 is fitted into the decorative portion 42. As a result, both ends 41D, 41E of the glass plate 41 are positioned by the first side surface portion 51 of the cap portion 43 and do not protrude from the decorative portion 42.

[0054] With this structure, when the internal tray shelf 26 is being installed, the first side surface 51 of the cap portion 43 comes into contact with the inner box 22 above the shelf support portion 71, and the glass plate 41 is not in contact with the inner box 22 above the shelf support portion 71. As a result, the inner box 22 is prevented from being scratched by the glass plate 41. Also, the fourth side surface 54 of the cap portion 43 protrudes beyond the rear surface of the glass plate 41. Then, when the internal tray shelf 26 is being installed, the fourth side surface 54 of the cap portion 43 slides on the upper surface of the shelf support portion 71, and the glass plate 41 is not in contact with the upper surface of the shelf support portion 71. As a result, the shelf support portion 71 is prevented from being scratched by the glass plate 41.

[0055] As described above, first side surface portion 51 of cap portion 43 is located outside both ends 41D, 41E of glass plate 41, eliminating the need to cover both ends 41D, 41E of glass plate 41 with decorative portion 42. As a result, the number of parts required for internal tray shelf 26 is reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of refrigerator 10.

[0056] In this embodiment, the cap portion 43 is attached to both ends 41A, 41B (see FIG. 3B) in the depth direction of the interior of the cabinet to the glass plate 41 of the interior tray shelf 26, but this is not limited to this. For example, only the decorative portion 42 may be attached to the end 41A of the glass plate 41 on the exterior side of the cabinet, and the cap portion 43 may not be attached.

[0057] 6A and 8, two glass plates 41 may be arranged side by side in the depth direction of the interior of the refrigerator, corresponding to the shelf support portion 71A. In this case, a decorative portion 42 and a cap portion 43 are arranged on both ends 41A, 41B (see FIG. 3B) of the two glass plates 41. The cap portion 43 attached to the glass plate 41 on the interior side and the cap portion 43 on the end 41B of the glass plate 41 on the exterior side are arranged in the recessed portion 72 of the shelf support portion 71A. On the other hand, the cap portion 43 may or may not be attached to the end 41A of the glass plate 41 on the exterior side. In addition, various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10. Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 12 First Insulated Door 13 Second Insulated Door 14 Third Insulated Door 15 Fourth Insulated Door 16 The 5th Insulated Door 17 Refrigerator 18 Freezer 19 Vegetable compartment 21 Outer box 22 Inner box 23 Insulation 24,25 Insulated walls 26 Internal tray shelf 27 Cooling room 28 Cooler 29 Machine room 30 Compressor 31 Blower 32 Wind path 33 Defrost heater 40 Locking structure 41 Glass Plate 41A, 41B, 41D, 41E Ends 41C Corner section 42 Decoration section 42A,42B End 43 Cap part 51 First side part 52 Second side part 53 Third side part 54 Fourth side part 55 Opening 56 Hollow part 57 Locking hole 58 First Surface 59 Second Surface 60 The third surface 61 Locking protrusion 62 Locking recess 63,64,65 Slope 66 The Fourth Surface 67 The Fifth Surface 71 Shelf support 72 Recess

Claims

1. A heat-insulating box in which a storage chamber is formed; An internal tray shelf is provided for the insulating box and divides the storage chamber, The interior tray shelf is A glass plate and A decorative portion is provided at an end of the glass plate in a depth direction of the storage chamber and is formed by extrusion molding; and a cap portion engaged with both ends of the decorative portion.

2. The cap portion is an opening into which the decorative portion is inserted; A first side portion covering an end portion of the glass plate in a width direction of the chamber; a second side portion covering the end portion in the depth direction of the glass plate and having a locking hole formed therein to be locked with the decorative portion; and a third side portion covering a surface of the glass plate, a first curved surface is formed at a corner portion between the first side surface portion and the second side surface portion; a second curved surface is formed at a corner portion between the first side surface portion and the third side surface portion; 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a third curved surface is formed at a corner portion between the second side portion and the third side portion.

3. the decorative portion has a locking protrusion portion to be inserted into the locking hole, and a locking recess portion into which an outer peripheral edge portion of the cap portion surrounding the locking hole is inserted, The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein in the locked state, the locking protrusion and the second side surface portion are substantially flush with each other.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the width of the outer peripheral edge portion in the extending direction of the decorative portion is narrower than the width of the locking recess.

5. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first side surface portion of the cap portion is positioned outside the end portion in the width direction of the glass plate.

Images