Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator having a touch open function of a door, and comprising a door including a metal member.SOLUTION: A refrigerator according to an embodiment comprises a case, and a door. The case includes a storage chamber comprising an opening. The door is attached so as to be capable of opening and closing the opening of the storage chamber. The door comprises a front plate, a contacted part, a detecting part, and an insulating part. The front plate includes metal. The detecting part can detect a touch operation on the contacted part. The insulating part includes an insulating body, and connects the front plate and the contacted part so as to be capable of insulating them.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is a refrigerator equipped with a sensor provided on the door and a door opening device capable of opening the door based on the detection result of the sensor. The sensor provided on the door is, for example, a capacitance sensor capable of detecting a touch operation of a user touching the surface of the door by detecting a change in capacitance. A non-contact capacitance sensor is provided inside the door to minimize unevenness on the surface of the door, thereby suppressing deterioration of the aesthetic appearance.

[0003] In the above refrigerator, in order to maintain the performance of the capacitance sensor, it is necessary to use a material with a low dielectric constant such as glass or resin as the surface material of the door, and it is difficult to use a metal material. In addition, since the touch electrode part is provided inside the door, there is a concern that the insulation property of the refrigerator will be impaired. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-8433 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a door with a touch-to-open function and including a door including a metal member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A refrigerator according to an embodiment has a housing and a door. The housing includes a storage compartment having an opening. The door is attached so as to be able to open and close the opening of the storage compartment. The door has a front panel, a contactable portion, a detection portion, and an insulating portion. The front panel includes metal. The detection portion is capable of detecting a touch operation on the contactable portion. The insulating portion includes an insulator and connects the front panel and the contactable portion in an insulating manner. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F2-F2 in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a ceiling part of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the door opening operation part of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F3-F3 in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a door-opening operation portion of a refrigerator according to a first modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a door-opening operation portion of a refrigerator according to a second modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a door-opening operation unit of a refrigerator according to a third modified example. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F4-F4 in FIG. 8 . [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a door-opening operation part of a refrigerator according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F5-F5 in FIG. 10 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, duplicate descriptions of those components may be omitted.

[0009] In this embodiment, the vertical direction in refrigerator 1 is defined as the "up-down direction V," the vertically upward direction as the "upward UP" in the vertical direction V, and the vertically downward direction as the "downward LO" in the vertical direction V. Additionally, the left-right direction when viewed from a user standing in front of refrigerator 1 is defined as the "width direction W," the leftward direction as the "leftward LT" in the width direction W, and the rightward direction as the "rightward RT" in the width direction W. Additionally, the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction V and the width direction W is defined as the "depth direction D," the direction closer to the user standing in front of refrigerator 1 as viewed from refrigerator 1 is defined as the "front FR" in the depth direction D, and the direction further away from refrigerator 1 is defined as the "rearward RR" in the depth direction D.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view showing refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F2-F2 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a ceiling part of refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment. The overall configuration of refrigerator 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 will be described. Note that refrigerator 1 does not need to have all of the configurations described below, and some of the configurations may be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] The refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a refrigerator body 5 and a plurality of doors 11. The refrigerator body 5 includes a housing 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 10 includes, for example, an inner box 10a, an outer box 10b, and a foamed insulating material 10c.

[0012] The inner box 10a is a member that forms the inner surface of the housing 10, and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin. 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 to be slightly larger than the inner box 10a, and is disposed outside the inner box 10a.

[0013] The outer box 10b is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped that forms the outer surface except for the front surface FR (front face) of the housing 10. However, a recess is formed in the rear RR of the end (lower end) of the lower LO of the outer box 10b to form a machine chamber 26, which will be described later.

[0014] The foamed insulation material 10c is, for example, an insulation material made of a foam such as urethane foam, and is filled between the inner box 10a and the outer box 10b.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, 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.

[0016] 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 (left LT and right RT) of the lower wall 22 and are connected to the left and right ends of the upper wall 21. As shown in Fig. 2, the rear wall 25 rises upward UP from the rear end (rear end) of the lower wall 22 and is connected to the rear end of the upper wall 21.

[0017] 1 and 2, a plurality of storage compartments 27 are formed inside the housing 10. The plurality of storage compartments 27 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 27A, a vegetable compartment 27B, an ice making compartment 27C, a small freezer compartment 27D, and a main freezer compartment 27E.

[0018] In this embodiment, among the multiple storage compartments 27, the refrigerator compartment 27A is located at the top UP (top). The vegetable compartment 27B is located below the refrigerator compartment 27A at LO. The ice making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D are located below the vegetable compartment 27B at LO. The main freezer compartment 27E is located below the ice making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D at LO. The small freezer compartment 27D is located to the right RT of the ice making compartment 27C.

[0019] The housing 10 has an opening at the front FR of each storage chamber 27, which allows ingredients and the like to be put in and taken out of each storage chamber 27.

[0020] The housing 10 has a first partition portion 28 and a second partition portion 29. The first partition portion 28 and the second partition portion 29 are, for example, partition walls extending substantially horizontally.

[0021] First partition 28 is located between refrigerating compartment 27A and vegetable compartment 27B, and separates refrigerating compartment 27A from vegetable compartment 27B.

[0022] Second partition 29 is located between vegetable compartment 27B and ice-making compartment 27C and small freezer compartment 27D, and separates vegetable compartment 27B from ice-making compartment 27C and small freezer compartment 27D.

[0023] The temperature inside the vegetable compartment 27B is maintained higher than that inside the refrigerator compartment 27A. Inside the vegetable compartment 27B, for example, 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.

[0024] The temperatures in ice-making compartment 27C, small freezing compartment 27D, and main freezing compartment 27E are maintained at a temperature at which the stored items can be frozen. Inside ice-making compartment 27C, small freezing compartment 27D, and main freezing compartment 27E, for example, storage containers for accommodating the stored items to be frozen and guide rails for moving the storage containers in the depth direction D are provided.

[0025] The openings of the storage compartments 27 are openably and closably covered by a plurality of doors 11. As shown in Fig. 1, the doors 11 include, for example, a left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, a right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, a vegetable compartment door 11B, an ice-making compartment door 11C, a small freezer compartment door 11D, and a main freezer compartment door 11E.

[0026] The left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab are attached so that the opening of refrigerator compartment 27A can be opened and closed. The vegetable compartment door 11B is attached so that the opening of vegetable compartment 27B can be opened and closed. The ice-making compartment door 11C is attached so that the opening of ice-making compartment 27C can be opened and closed. The small freezer compartment door 11D is attached so that the opening of small freezer compartment 27D can be opened and closed. The main freezer compartment door 11E is attached so that the opening of main freezer compartment 27E can be opened and closed.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 3, the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab are supported on the housing 10 via hinges 6 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis O as the center of rotation. The left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa is supported on the left side LT of the housing 10 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis Oa as the center of rotation. The right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab is supported on the right side RT of the housing 10 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis Ob as the center of rotation.

[0028] A revolving door that opens to the left and right, such as the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, is sometimes called, for example, a double door or a French door.

[0029] The dimensions of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab in the width direction W may be equal to or different from each other. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 3, the dimensions of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa in the width direction W are different from each other, and the dimension of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa is smaller than the dimension of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0030] 2, door containers 18A, 18B movable in the vertical direction V and a door container 19 provided on the lower side LO are detachably attached to the rear side RR of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. Similarly, multiple door containers may be attached to the rear side RR of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa.

[0031] 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.

[0032] A vegetable compartment container is connected to the rear RR surface of the vegetable compartment door 11B. A storage container is connected to each of the rear RR surfaces of the ice compartment door 11C, the small freezer compartment door 11D, and the main freezer compartment door 11E.

[0033] Each of the doors 11 contains an appropriate insulating material inside. The appropriate insulating material may include a foam insulating material similar to the foam insulating material 10c described above, a sheet insulating material, a vacuum insulating material, etc. The insulating material contained in the left refrigerator door 11Aa and the right refrigerator door 11Ab will be described later.

[0034] Various members that form refrigerator body 5 together with housing 10 are arranged at rear RR of housing 10. Examples of members that form refrigerator body 5 include pipes (not shown) through which a refrigerant circulates, cooling units 15A and 15B, flow path forming members 14A and 14B, and cooling fans 16A and 16B.

[0035] At the rear RR of the housing 10, at the lower LO, a machine room 26 in which, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporating dish, etc. are arranged is provided.

[0036] The cooling unit 15A is disposed at the rear RR of the refrigerator compartment 27A, and cools the refrigerator compartment 27A and the vegetable compartment 27B.

[0037] Cooling unit 15B is disposed behind ice-making compartment 27C or small freezer compartment 27D RR, and cools ice-making compartment 27C, small freezer compartment 27D, and main freezer compartment 27E.

[0038] The flow path forming member 14A forms a flow path through which the cold air supplied from the cooling unit 15A flows to the refrigerator compartment 27A and the vegetable compartment 27B.

[0039] Flow path forming member 14B forms a flow path through which cold air supplied from cooling unit 15B flows to ice making compartment 27C, small freezing compartment 27D, and main freezing compartment 27E.

[0040] Cooling fan 16A blows the cool air formed by cooling unit 15A into a flow path surrounded by flow path forming member 14A, and forms a flow of cool air that circulates inside refrigerator compartment 27A and vegetable compartment 27B.

[0041] Cooling fan 16B blows the cold air formed in cooling unit 15B into a flow path surrounded by flow path forming member 14B, and forms a flow of cold air that circulates inside ice making compartment 27C, small freezing compartment 27D and main freezing compartment 27E.

[0042] 2 and 3, a first power supply board 70 and a second power supply board 80 are provided in the power supply board housing section 2 in the ceiling portion of the upper UP of the housing 10. Here, the ceiling portion refers to the surface of the upper wall 21 on the upper UP.

[0043] The power supply board housing 2 has a rectangular container shape with an open upper side UP, and is covered from the upper side UP by a power supply board housing cover 2A. The power supply board housing cover 2A is attached to the power supply board housing 2 in a detachable manner.

[0044] The first power supply board 70 is a power supply board that receives power from an external commercial power source PS via a power cord 7 and supplies power necessary for the cooling operation of the refrigerator 1 to each component. The first power supply board 70 supplies power to, for example, the cooling units 15A and 15B and a door opening device 41 (described later) and the like.

[0045] The first power supply board 70 includes a control unit 70a configured with a computer such as a microcomputer, and the control unit 70a of the first power supply board 70 controls the refrigerator 1 as a whole.

[0046] The second power supply board 80 is connected to the first power supply board 70 via a power supply line 8, and is supplied with power from an external commercial power source PS through the first power supply board 70. The second power supply board 80 supplies power to, for example, a door opening operation unit 42, which will be described later, and the like.

[0047] The second power supply board 80 may include a control unit configured with a computer such as a microcomputer, and may control a part or the whole of the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, the control unit 70a that controls the refrigerator 1 may be provided on a control board or the like other than the first power supply board 70 or the second power supply board 80.

[0048] In the space between the inner box 10a and the outer box 10b of the housing 10, a wiring bundle 12 drawn from the first power supply board 70 and a wiring bundle 13 drawn from the second power supply board 80 are laid.

[0049] The wiring bundle 12 includes control lines connected to the first power supply board 70, the cooling units 15A, 15B and the door opening device 41, and transmits control signals from the first power supply board 70 to the cooling units 15A, 15B and the door opening device 41.

[0050] The wiring bundle 13 is a power supply line that supplies power to the door opening operation unit 42, etc. The wiring bundle 12 may also include a power supply line that supplies power from the first power supply board 70 to the door opening operation unit 42, etc.

[0051] The first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 do not have to be two independent power supply boards, but may be a single power supply board. In addition, the first power supply board 70 and the second power supply board 80 may be provided on the rear wall 25 of the housing 10.

[0052] 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 attached to the upper wall 21 of the housing 10. The door opening device 41 is a device that automatically opens the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. For example, the door opening device 41 includes a left door opening device 41A and a right door opening device 41B.

[0053] The left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B have, for example, a drive device for opening the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, and other parts such as a housing member for housing the drive device.

[0054] In this embodiment, the driving device used is, for example, one that has a movable iron core that is pushed forward FR when an electromagnet is excited, and a cylindrical coil (not shown) arranged around the movable iron core, and utilizes a solenoid structure or solenoid method in which the movable iron core arranged inside the cylindrical coil is moved by electromagnetic force obtained by passing a current through the cylindrical coil.

[0055] The left door opening device 41A and the right door opening device 41B can open the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab by translating the movable iron core with the electromagnetic force generated when a current flows through a cylindrical coil using the drive device utilizing the solenoid structure or solenoid system. A drive device utilizing a solenoid structure or solenoid system is sometimes called a solenoid actuator.

[0056] With such a drive device, the movable iron core inside the cylindrical coil is forced forward by electromagnetic force, so that the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa or the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab can be pushed forcefully in the opening direction. Note that the power from the movable iron core is transmitted to the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa or the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab only while the movable iron core is in contact with the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa or the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0057] The left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa and 11Ab are opened by the pushing force of the movable iron core, and then rotate to open to a predetermined angle by inertia caused by the pushing force. When the action of inertia weakens, the opening speed of the left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa and 11Ab slows down. In this way, the left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa and 11Ab are opened to a certain extent.

[0058] The left door opening device 41A is disposed behind the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa (RR). The left door opening device 41A has a plunger 41P as the movable iron core that is pushed forward FR when an electromagnet is excited, and the cylindrical coil (not shown) provided around the plunger 41P.

[0059] The right door opening device 41B is disposed behind the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab (RR). The right door opening device 41B has a plunger 41P as the movable iron core that is pushed forward FR when an electromagnet is excited, and the cylindrical coil (not shown) provided around the plunger 41P.

[0060] The cylindrical coil is formed by tightly winding a copper wire into a spiral shape. The plunger 41P is a movable core provided inside the cylindrical coil and moves linearly by using an electromagnetic force generated when a current flows through the cylindrical coil. The direction in which the plunger 41P moves linearly coincides with the depth direction D.

[0061] The door opening device 41 is controlled by the control unit 70a of the first power supply board 70, and forcibly opens the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab by pushing the plunger 41P forward FR.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 1, the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab have a door-opening operation unit 42 (operation unit) that can detect an input operation from a user on the surface of the front FR. When the door-opening operation unit 42 accepts an operation from the user, the control unit 70a operates the door-opening device 41. The configuration of the door-opening operation unit 42 will be described later.

[0063] The door opening operation unit 42 has a left door opening operation unit 42a provided on the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and a right door opening operation unit 42b provided on the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. The control unit 70a operates the left door opening device 41A when an operation is received on the left door opening operation unit 42a, and operates the right door opening device 41B when an operation is received on the right door opening operation unit 42b.

[0064] Next, the configuration of the door opening operation unit 42 will be described. Fig. 4 is a front view showing the vicinity of the door-opening operation unit 42 in the refrigerator 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F3-F3 in Fig. 4.

[0065] Components of the refrigerator 1 other than the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab are omitted in the cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 5. Also, while Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, it is preferable that the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa has a similar configuration.

[0066] The right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab includes a front panel 111, a door body 112, a foam insulation material 113, and a vacuum insulation material 114. As shown in Fig. 5, the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab is provided with a right door opening operation part 42b. Similarly, the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa is provided with a left door opening operation part 42a.

[0067] The front panel 111 is a surface member provided on the outer surface side of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. Here, the outer surface side of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab refers to the side facing the front FR when the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab is closed. Conversely, the side facing the rear RR when the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab is closed is referred to as the inner surface side of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0068] In addition, in the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab in the closed state, the direction that coincides with the depth direction D is also referred to as the thickness direction of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0069] The front plate 111 is a substantially flat plate-shaped member and includes a metal. The front plate 111 is preferably formed of a metal.

[0070] The door body 112 has an opening at the front FR and is a base that forms the surface of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab other than the front FR. The rear RR of the door body 112 may be formed with an uneven shape such as a structure for attaching the door containers 18A, 18B, and 19 shown in FIG.

[0071] The foam insulation material 113 and the vacuum insulation material 114 are insulation materials for suppressing temperature changes in the refrigerator compartment 27A. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the vacuum insulation material 114 is provided at the rear RR inside the opening of the door main body 112. The foam insulation material 113 is filled inside the opening of the door main body 112.

[0072] The foamed insulation material 113 is formed, for example, by foaming liquid urethane foam (a foamed insulation material liquid). The foamed insulation material 113 is formed by pouring the foamed insulation material liquid into the inside of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab and foaming the foamed insulation material liquid while preventing the foamed insulation material liquid from leaking to the outside of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0073] The door opening operation unit 42 includes a contacted portion 421 , an insulating portion 422 , a detection portion 423 , and an isolating member 424 .

[0074] The contacted portion 421 is a substantially flat plate-shaped member and includes a metal. The contacted portion 421 is preferably formed of a metal. Moreover, as shown in Fig. 5, the contacted portion 421 is provided in an opening formed in the front plate 111. The front plate 111 and the contacted portion 421 are preferably provided to form substantially the same plane.

[0075] The insulating portion 422 is an insulating member including an insulator and is provided on the periphery of the contacted portion 421. Here, the periphery of the contacted portion 421 refers to a periphery of the contacted portion 421 having a substantially flat plate shape extending in the up-down direction V and the width direction W.

[0076] Moreover, insulating portion 422 is connected to the edge of the opening of front plate 111 on which contacted portion 421 is provided. That is, contacted portion 421 is connected to front plate 111 via insulating portion 422. Moreover, insulating portion 422 is an insulating member including an insulator, and therefore connects front plate 111 and contacted portion 421 in an insulating manner.

[0077] The detection unit 423 is a sensor (touch sensor) capable of detecting a touch operation input to the contacted portion 421. The detection unit 423 is provided on the rear side RR of the contacted portion 421 and is electrically connected to the contacted portion 421, as shown in FIG.

[0078] The detection unit 423 is, for example, a capacitance sensor. The detection unit 423 uses the electrically connected contacted unit 421 as an electrode and can detect a change in capacitance in the contacted unit 421. When a user touches the contacted unit 421 with a finger or the like and a touch operation is input to the contacted unit 421, the detection unit 423 detects this touch operation.

[0079] The detection unit 423 is connected to the first power supply board 70 via wiring (not shown). The control unit 70a of the first power supply board 70 operates the right door opening device 41B when the detection unit 423 detects a touch operation on the contacted part 421. Therefore, the user can easily open the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab by touching the contacted part 421.

[0080] In this way, the refrigerator 1 has a touch-open function for the doors (left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa and right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab) by using the contacted part 421 and the detection part 423.

[0081] For example, in the case of a refrigerator door, if the front panel and the contacted part are not insulated, even if a user inputs a touch operation to the contacted part, the detection part may not be able to sufficiently detect the touch operation, and the door may not open. For this reason, conventional refrigerators with a touch-open function use materials with low dielectric constants, such as glass and resin, as the surface material of the door.

[0082] In this embodiment, since the contacted part 421 is connected to the front panel 111 via the insulating part 422, even if the front panel 111 is made of metal, the detection part 423 can adequately detect the touch operation input to the contacted part 421. Therefore, the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab is opened based on the touch operation input to the contacted part 421.

[0083] The isolating member 424 is a box-shaped member having an opening in the front FR. The detecting unit 423 is provided in the opening of the isolating member 424. The isolating member 424 is a case member that is provided between the detecting unit 423 and the foamed insulation material 113 and isolates the detecting unit 423 from the foamed insulation material 113. The edge of the opening of the isolating member 424 is connected to the insulating unit 422 as shown in FIG. 5.

[0084] 5, the vacuum insulation material 114 and the isolating member 424 are provided in a position where they overlap when the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab is viewed from the front FR in the closed state. Therefore, the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab can have sufficient thermal insulation. The right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab can have sufficient thermal insulation as long as the vacuum insulation material 114 is provided in a position where it overlaps at least a part of the isolating member 424 when viewed from the front FR.

[0085] In this embodiment, refrigerator 1 includes housing 10 including storage compartment 27 with an opening, and door 11 attached to be able to open and close the opening of storage compartment 27. Door 11 also includes front panel 111 including metal, contacted portion 421, detection portion 423 capable of detecting a touch operation on contacted portion 421, and insulating portion 422 including an insulator and connecting front panel 111 and contacted portion 421 in an insulating manner.

[0086] According to such a configuration, even if front panel 111 is made of metal, detection section 423 can adequately detect a touch operation on contacted section 421.

[0087] As a result, it is possible to provide refrigerator 1 having door 11 including a metal member and having a touch-open function for door 11. Furthermore, since contactable portion 421 is provided at the opening of front panel 111, foam insulation material 113 can be provided over a wider area compared to a conventional refrigerator in which a touch-open sensor is provided behind the front panel of the door, and therefore the insulation properties of door 11 can be improved.

[0088] (Variation 1) Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a door-opening operation part 42A according to Modification 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, but it is preferable that the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa has a similar configuration.

[0089] The door opening operation unit 42A includes a contacted portion 421, an insulating portion 422A, and a detection portion 423.

[0090] Insulating part 422A is a box-shaped member having an opening in the front FR. Detecting part 423 is provided in the opening of insulating part 422A. Insulating part 422A is a case member provided between detecting part 423 and foamed insulating material 113, and isolating detecting part 423 from foamed insulating material 113. The edge of the opening of insulating part 422A is connected to front plate 111 and contacted part 421 as shown in FIG. 6.

[0091] (Variation 2) Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a door-opening operation part 42B according to Modification 2. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, but it is preferable that the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa has a similar configuration.

[0092] The door opening operation unit 42B includes a contacted portion 421, an insulating portion 422B, and a detection portion 423.

[0093] Insulating portion 422B is an insulator that is provided integrally with contacted portion 421 and forms a surface layer on the periphery of contacted portion 421. For example, insulating portion 422B is formed by attaching a thin tape-shaped insulator to the periphery of contacted portion 421.

[0094] Furthermore, the insulating part 422B may be formed by applying a liquid insulator to the peripheral part of the contacted part 421. By providing the insulating part 422B integrally with the contacted part 421 and using an insulator that forms a surface layer on the peripheral part of the contacted part 421, when the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab is viewed from the front FR, the insulating part 422B that connects the front panel 111 and the contacted part 421 is less noticeable, and deterioration of the aesthetic appearance of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab can be suppressed.

[0095] 7, the insulating portion 422B may cover a part of the surface of the rear RR of the contacted portion 421. Also, an isolating member that isolates the detecting portion 423 from the foamed insulating material 113 may be provided.

[0096] (Variation 3) Fig. 8 is a front view showing the vicinity of door-opening operation unit 42C (left door-opening operation unit 42Ca and right door-opening operation unit 42Cb) according to Modification 3. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F4-F4 in Fig. 8. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, but it is preferable that left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa has a similar configuration.

[0097] The door opening operation portion 42C includes a contacted portion 421C, an insulating portion 422C, a detection portion 423C, a grip main body portion 425C, and a first wiring 426C.

[0098] The grip main body 425C is a substantially U-shaped member provided so as to protrude from the outer surface side of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, and both ends of the substantially U-shape are attached facing the inner surface side of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0099] The contacted part 421C is a substantially U-shaped member attached with both ends facing the inner surface of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, and is provided covering the grip main body part 425C from the outer surface side of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0100] 9, the contacted part 421C and the grip main body part 425C are provided to protrude from the outer surface side of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, and form a substantially U-shaped member having a certain thickness. This allows the user to use the door opening operation part 42C as a handle to be gripped when opening or closing the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0101] The insulating portion 422C is an insulating member that is connected to the tips at both ends of the substantially U-shaped contacted portion 421C and connects the contacted portion 421C to the front plate 111. As shown in Fig. 9, the insulating portion 422C is provided at a portion (attachment portion) where the contacted portion 421C is attached to the front plate 111. That is, the insulating portion 422C is provided at a base portion where the handle-shaped door opening operation portion 42C is attached to the front plate 111.

[0102] 9, the detection unit 423C is provided behind the contacted portion 421C RR, and is provided between the contacted portion 421C and the grip main body 425C in the depth direction D. The grip main body 425C has, for example, a wall (side surface portion) (not shown) at an end in the width direction W that extends forward FR and forms a handle-shaped side surface.

[0103] The detection unit 423C is provided in the internal space of the door opening operation unit 42C having a handle shape, which is surrounded by the contacted part 421C, the rear surface (back surface) of the grip main body 425C at the rear RR, and the above-mentioned side surface. Therefore, the detection unit 423C is not visible to the user.

[0104] A first wiring 426C extending to the mounting portion provided with the insulating portion 422C is connected to the detection portion 423C. The first wiring 426C is connected to a connector portion 427C provided on the rear side RR of the front plate 111.

[0105] Furthermore, the connector portion 427C is connected to the first power supply board 70 via a second wiring 428C provided inside the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. Therefore, when the detection portion 423C detects a touch operation on the contacted portion 421C, a signal is transmitted from the detection portion 423C to the first power supply board 70 via the first wiring 426C, the connector portion 427C, and the second wiring 428C.

[0106] Based on the signal received from the detection unit 423C, the control unit 70a of the first power supply board 70 operates the right door opening device 41B to open the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. The user may open the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab by inputting a touch operation to the contacted unit 421C, or may open the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab by grasping the door opening operation unit 42C having a handle shape and pulling it toward himself.

[0107] (Variation 4) Fig. 10 is a front view showing the vicinity of door-opening operation unit 42D (left door-opening operation unit 42Da and right door-opening operation unit 42Db) according to modification 4. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F5-F5 in Fig. 10. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view mainly showing the configuration of right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, but it is preferable that left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa has a similar configuration.

[0108] The door opening operation portion 42D includes a contacted portion 421D, an insulating portion 422D, a detecting portion 423D, and an isolating member 424D.

[0109] The insulating part 422D forms the surface of the lower LO of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, as shown in Fig. 11. The insulating part 422D may form the entire surface of the lower LO of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, or may form a part of the surface of the lower LO.

[0110] 11, the contacted portion 421D is surrounded by an insulating portion 422D that forms the surface of the lower LO of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab in the horizontal direction (depth direction D and width direction W). At least a part of the contacted portion 421D is exposed to the lower LO of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0111] The detection portion 423D is provided above the contacted portion 421D, and is electrically connected to the contacted portion 421D.

[0112] The isolating member 424D is a box-shaped member having an opening on the lower side LO. The detecting unit 423D is provided in the opening of the isolating member 424D. As shown in FIG. 11, the isolating member 424D is a case member provided between the detecting unit 423D and the foamed insulating material 113, and isolating the detecting unit 423D from the foamed insulating material 113. As shown in FIG. 11, the edge of the opening of the isolating member 424D is connected to the contacted unit 421D. The edge of the opening of the isolating member 424D may be connected to the insulating unit 422D.

[0113] A user can open the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab by inputting a touch operation to the contactable portion 421D provided on the lower part LO of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. Because the contactable portion 421D is provided on the lower part LO of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, there is no need to provide an opening or the like in the front panel 111 that forms the front FR surface of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration in the aesthetic appearance of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 11, the upper end 42u of the door opening operation portion 42D is located above the lower end 114a of the vacuum insulation material 114, so that the vacuum insulation material 114 and at least a part of the isolating member 424D are positioned to overlap when the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab in the closed state is viewed from the front FR.

[0115] Furthermore, in the foam insulation material 113, a portion 113a provided near the peripheral portion (here, the bottom end 114a) of the vacuum insulation material 114 is provided in a position overlapping at least a portion of the isolating member 424D when the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab in the closed state is viewed from the front FR, as shown in Figure 11. Therefore, the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab can have sufficient thermal insulation properties.

[0116] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1...refrigerator, 10...casing, 11...door, 111...front panel, 113...foam insulation material, 114...vacuum insulation material, 42, 42A, 42B, 42C, 42D...door opening operation unit, 421, 421C, 421D...contacted portion, 422, 422A, 422B, 422C, 422D...insulating portion, 423, 423C, 423D...detection portion, 424, 424D...isolation member, 425C...gripping main body portion, 426C...first wiring, 427C...connector portion, 428C...second wiring, 27...storage chamber

Claims

1. a housing including a storage chamber having an opening; A door attached so as to be capable of opening and closing the opening; Equipped with The door is A front plate including a metal; A contacted portion; A detection unit capable of detecting a touch operation on the touched portion; an insulating part including an insulator and connecting the front plate and the contacted part in an insulative manner; Equipped with refrigerator.

2. The detection unit is electrically connected to the contacted part and is capable of detecting a change in capacitance of the contacted part.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. The door has a foam insulation material filled inside the door, The insulating portion is provided between the detection portion and the foam insulation material, The detection unit is isolated from the foam insulation material by the insulating unit.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

4. the insulating portion is provided integrally with the contacted portion and forms a surface layer at a peripheral portion of the contacted portion; 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

5. The door includes a grip body portion that protrudes toward an outer surface of the door beyond the front panel, the detection portion and the contacted portion are provided on the grip main body, The insulating portion connects the front plate and the contacted portion provided on the grip body portion.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

6. The door is A first wiring provided to the grip body and connected to the detection unit; A second wiring provided on the inner surface side of the door relative to the front panel; a connector portion that connects the first wiring and the second wiring; having 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5.

7. The door is A foam insulation material filled inside the door; A vacuum insulation material provided on the inner side of the door relative to the front panel; an isolation member provided between the detection unit and the foam insulation material and isolating the detection unit from the foam insulation material; Equipped with At least a portion of the isolating member is provided at a position overlapping the vacuum insulation material when viewed from the front.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

8. At least a portion of the isolating member is provided in a position overlapping with the foam insulation material provided near the peripheral portion of the vacuum insulation material when viewed from the front.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7.

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