Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of achieving suppression of freeze-up of a blower.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a storage chamber; a cooler chamber which is positioned behind the storage chamber, and in which a cooler is provided for generating cold air for cooling the storage chamber; a blower for supplying cold air in the cooler to the storage chamber; and a covering part for covering the front of the cooler. The covering part includes: an opening part which is formed by penetrating the covering part in a frontward / backward direction, and in which the blower is stored; and a protrusion part formed protruding backward from a surface where the opening part is provided. The protrusion part includes: an inclination part positioned below the opening part and inclining downward from the front toward the back; and a shielding part provided at the position which is on both sides in a left-to-right direction of the inclination part and which is overlapped with the inclination part when viewed from the left-to-right direction. A dimension in the frontward / backward direction of the shielding part is equal to or greater than a dimension in the frontward / backward direction of the inclination part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a refrigerator in which a blower is provided inside a chamber cover member that constitutes a cooler chamber in which a cooler is disposed. The chamber cover member is located in front of the cooler, and a space is formed between the blower and the cooler. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-070725 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional configuration, the portion of the storage chamber cover member located between the blower and the cooler is formed in a horizontal plane, which is a shape that makes it easy for water to accumulate. Therefore, if defrost water generated during defrosting of the cooler falls on the horizontal plane portion, the water may remain and freeze due to the operation of the cooler. If the ice grows into a large ice mass that engulfs the blower, it may cause a malfunction. Thus, the conventional configuration has room for improvement in terms of suppressing freezing of the blower.

[0005] In view of this, the present embodiment provides a refrigerator capable of suppressing freezing of the blower. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A refrigerator of an embodiment includes a storage compartment, a cooler compartment located behind the storage compartment and equipped with a cooler that generates cold air for cooling the storage compartment, a blower that supplies the cold air in the cooler compartment to the storage compartment, and a cover portion that covers the front of the cooler, the cover portion having an opening that penetrates the cover portion in the front-to-rear direction and accommodates the blower, and a protrusion formed to protrude rearward from the surface on which the opening is provided, the protrusion portion having an inclined portion located below the opening and inclining downward from the front to the rear, and a blocking portion provided on both left-to-right sides of the inclined portion in a position that overlaps with the inclined portion when viewed from the left-to-right direction, and the front-to-rear dimension of the blocking portion is greater than or equal to the front-to-rear dimension of the inclined portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of a state in which a refrigeration fan is housed in an opening of a cover in a refrigerator according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a rear view showing an example of a state in which a refrigeration blower is housed in an opening of a cover in a refrigerator according to an embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a structure around a cover and a freezer cooler in a refrigerator according to an embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a rear view showing an example of a structure around a cover and a freezer cooler in a refrigerator according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment taken along line X7-X7 of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the refrigerator according to the embodiment taken along line X9-X9 of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, refrigerator 1 is configured to have multiple storage compartments inside refrigerator body 10, which is a vertically long rectangular box with an open front. In the following description, the open side of refrigerator body 10 is referred to as the front side of refrigerator 1, and the side opposite the opening is referred to as the rear side of refrigerator 1. Also, the up-down direction with respect to the direction of gravity when refrigerator 1 is placed on the floor in the position shown in Fig. 1 is referred to as the up-down direction of refrigerator 1. The left-right direction when refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the left-right direction of refrigerator 1, that is, the width direction, and the front-rear direction of refrigerator 1 is referred to as the depth direction of refrigerator 1.

[0009] The refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of a refrigerator body 10. The refrigerator body 10 is composed of a rectangular box having insulating properties and an open front. The refrigerator body 10 is mainly composed of an outer box 101 made of a steel plate and an inner box 102 made of a synthetic resin. Between the outer box 101 and the inner box 102, an insulating material such as rigid foamed urethane, which is an example of a foam insulating material, or a vacuum insulating panel, which is an example of an insulating member, is provided. The refrigerator body 10 is divided into a plurality of storage compartments for storing items.

[0010] Refrigerator 1 is provided with, as storage compartments, for example, refrigeration compartment 11, vegetable compartment 12, ice making compartment 13, small freezing compartment 14, and freezing compartment 15. Refrigeration compartment 11 and vegetable compartment 12 are all storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range, and are cooled to, for example, about 1 to 5°C. On the other hand, ice making compartment 13, small freezing compartment 14, and freezing compartment 15 are storage compartments in the freezing temperature range, and are cooled to, for example, -18°C or lower. The refrigeration temperature range and freezing temperature range are temperature ranges suitable for storing items in a refrigerated or frozen state.

[0011] The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided at the top of the refrigerator body 10. The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with a special compartment 16. The special compartment 16 is configured to be able to maintain a temperature range different from the refrigeration temperature range, which is the temperature range of most of the refrigerator compartment 11. The special compartment 16 can be configured as a chilled compartment, for example, capable of maintaining the inside at a so-called chilled temperature range of around 0°C. The special compartment 16 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 11. The vegetable compartment 12 is provided below the refrigerator compartment 11. The ice making compartment 13 and the small freezer compartment 14 are provided below the vegetable compartment 12, side by side. The freezer compartment 15 is provided below the ice making compartment 13 and the small freezer compartment 14, that is, at the bottom of the refrigerator body 10.

[0012] The refrigerator 1 includes a right-side refrigerator door 21a, a left-side refrigerator door 21b, a vegetable door 22, an ice-making door 23, a small freezer door 24, and a freezer door 25. Each of the doors 21a to 25 is formed by, for example, filling a heat insulating material inside a frame member made of metal or synthetic resin. The right-side refrigerator door 21a and the left-side refrigerator door 21b are, for example, hinged double doors that open and close the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 11. The refrigerator 1 is not limited to a configuration that includes double doors 21a and 21b, and may be a configuration that includes a so-called single-opening door. The vegetable door 22, the ice-making door 23, the small freezer door 24, and the freezer door 25 are all drawer-type doors that open and close the front openings of the vegetable compartment 12, the ice-making compartment 13, the small freezer compartment 14, and the freezer compartment 15, respectively. Although details are not shown, the vegetable compartment 12, the ice making compartment 13, the small freezer compartment 14, and the freezer compartment 15 each have containers that can be removed and inserted integrally with the vegetable compartment door 22, the ice making compartment door 23, the small freezer compartment door 24, and the freezer compartment door 25, respectively.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, refrigerator body 10 has an insulated partition wall 17 and a non-insulated partition wall 18. Insulated partition wall 17 vertically separates storage compartments 11, 12 in the refrigerating temperature range from storage compartments 13, 14, 15 in the freezing temperature range in an insulated state. Non-insulated partition wall 18 vertically separates storage compartments 11, 12 in the refrigerating temperature range from refrigerator compartment 11 to vegetable compartment 12 without providing thermal insulation. Therefore, refrigerator compartment 11 and vegetable compartment 12 are thermally connected to each other.

[0014] The refrigerator 1 includes a refrigeration cycle 30 as shown in FIG. 2. The refrigeration cycle 30 is not shown in detail because it is a well-known configuration, but includes a compressor 31, a refrigeration cooler 32, a freezing cooler 33, a switching valve (not shown), a condenser, an expansion valve, and the like. The compressor 31 is provided, for example, in a machine room (not shown) at the bottom of the refrigerator 1. The compressor 31 compresses a refrigerant used to cool each of the storage chambers 11 to 15. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 31 is supplied to the refrigeration cooler 32 and the freezing cooler 33. When the compressor 31 is stopped, no refrigerant is supplied to any of the coolers 32 and 33, and therefore cooling of each of the storage chambers 11 to 15 is stopped.

[0015] The refrigeration cooler 32, together with the refrigeration blower 34, is provided behind the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12, which are storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range. The refrigeration cooler 32 and the refrigeration blower 34 have the function of generating cold air for cooling the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12, and supplying the cold air into the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12. The freezer cooler 33, together with the freezer blower 35, is provided behind the ice making compartment 13, the small freezer compartment 14, and the freezer compartment 15, which are storage compartments in the freezing temperature range. The freezer cooler 33 and the freezer blower 35 have the function of generating cold air for cooling the ice making compartment 13, the small freezer compartment 14, and the freezer compartment 15, and supplying the cold air into the ice making compartment 13, the small freezer compartment 14, and the freezer compartment 15. The compressor 31 and the fans 34 and 35 are electrically connected to a control device (not shown), and the operation of the compressor 31 and the fans 34 and 35 is controlled by the control device. The refrigerator 1 is not limited to the configuration including the two coolers 32 and 33, and may be configured to generate cold air for cooling the storage chambers 11 to 15 using one cooler.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, a drain gutter 36 is provided below the freezer cooler 33. The drain gutter 36 receives defrost water generated when the freezer cooler 33 is defrosted. The defrost water received in the drain gutter 36 is discharged to a machine room outside the warehouse via a drain hose (not shown) connected to the drain gutter 36. In addition, a heating unit 37 is provided between the freezer cooler 33 and the drain gutter 36. The heating unit 37 has a function of defrosting the freezer cooler 33 by generating heat when power is supplied from an external power source (not shown). The operation of the heating unit 37 is controlled by the control unit.

[0017] The heating unit 37 is composed of, for example, a plate heater, and melts frost adhering to the cryocooler 33. The heating unit 37 also prevents defrost water generated during defrosting of the cryocooler 33 and received in the drainage gutter 36 from freezing in the drainage gutter 36, so that the defrost water is discharged in a liquid state from the drainage gutter 36. The heating unit 37 is composed of, for example, a pipe heater or a glass tube heater, and can be configured to include heating devices provided around the cryocooler 33, in this case, in front of, behind, and below the cryocooler 33.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 1 includes a rear portion 41 and a cover portion 50. The rear portion 41 is provided behind the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 in the freezing temperature range, and between the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 and the inner box 102. A cold air path 42 is formed between the rear portion 41 and the inner box 102. The cold air path 42 is a passage for supplying cold air generated by the freezing cooler 33 into the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15. The cold air that flows into the cold air path 42 is supplied by the freezing blower 35 and passes through the cold air path 42. The rear portion 41 is provided with an outlet 41a. The outlet 41a is formed to penetrate the rear portion 41 in the thickness direction, and connects the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 to the cold air path 42. The outlet 41a is for supplying the cool air flowing through the cool air path 42 into the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15.

[0019] In addition, an intake port 41b is provided below the outlet 41a. In this case, the intake port 41b is formed in the lower part of the rear part 41 between the rear part 41 and the inner box 102. The intake port 41b is located, for example, below the freezing cooler 33. The intake port 41b communicates the storage chambers 13, 14, 15 with the cold air path 42. The intake port 41b is supplied into the storage chambers 13, 14, 15 via the outlet 41a, and serves to return the air that has passed through the storage chambers 13, 14, 15 and the moisture contained in the stored items to the freezing cooler 33. The cold air generated by the freezing cooler 33 flows through the cold air path 42 and flows out from the outlet 41a to the storage chambers 13, 14, 15. The cold air that has cooled the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15 is returned to the refrigeration cooler 33 from the intake port 41b together with moisture contained in the air and stored items within the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15.

[0020] The rear portion 41 has a partition member 411 and a heat insulating member 412. The partition member 411 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and is provided on the front side of the rear portion 41. The partition member 411 constitutes part of the rear surfaces of the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15. The heat insulating member 412 is made of, for example, a foamed heat insulating material such as polystyrene foam, and is provided on the rear side of the rear portion 41. The heat insulating member 412 is attached to the partition member 411.

[0021] The cover 50 is made of a foam insulation material such as polystyrene foam. The cover 50 is located behind the rear part 41 and divides the cold air passage 42 in the front-rear direction. The cover 50 is located in front of the freezing cooler 33 and covers the front of the freezing cooler 33. In this case, a cooler chamber 61 is formed between the cover 50 and the inner box 102. The cooler chamber 61 is located behind the storage chambers 13, 14, and 15 and is provided with the freezing cooler 33. The cooler chamber 61 constitutes a part of the cold air passage 42. The cover 50 guides the air that is sucked into the cooler chamber 61 from the intake port 41b and passes through the freezing cooler 33 in the vertical direction, in this case, upward. The air in the cooler chamber 61 is then blown by the refrigeration blower 35.

[0022] The covering portion 50 has an opening 51 and a protruding portion 52. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the opening 51 is located near the upper portion of the covering portion 50 and is formed penetrating the covering portion 50 in the front-rear direction, i.e., the thickness direction. The opening 51 is configured, for example, in a substantially rectangular shape and is capable of accommodating the refrigeration blower 35. In other words, the refrigeration blower 35 is provided in the middle of the covering portion 50. In this embodiment, the opening 51 is inclined with respect to the horizontal such that the bottom surface 511 is inclined downward from the inside to the outside in the width direction of the covering portion 50 (in this case, the left-right direction).

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a regulating member 53 is provided around the opening 51. The regulating member 53 is for regulating the movement of the refrigeration blower 35 in the front-rear direction when the refrigeration blower 35 is accommodated in the opening 51. The regulating member 53 is configured to have a predetermined thickness in the front-rear direction. The regulating member 53 is configured to include a front regulating member 531 and a rear regulating member 532. As shown in FIG. 3, the front regulating member 531 is provided, for example, near the center of the lower part of the opening 51. The front regulating member 531 contacts the front surface of the refrigeration blower 35 and regulates the forward movement of the refrigeration blower 35. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear regulating member 532 is formed, for example, along a part of the outer periphery of the opening 51, and a plurality of rear regulating members 532 are provided. The rear regulating member 532 has, for example, an inner periphery formed in an arc shape. In addition, the rear regulating member 532 is configured to have a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape so that the inner surface is the short side. The rear regulating member 532 contacts the rear surface of the refrigeration blower 35 and regulates the refrigeration blower 35 from moving rearward.

[0024] The protrusion 52 is formed on the rear side of the cover 50 and protrudes rearward from a surface 501 on which the opening 51 is provided. The protrusion 52 partially reduces the space between the cover 50 and the inner box 102 in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the protrusion 52 faces a part of the refrigeration cooler 33. Therefore, the protrusion 52 reduces the area in which the refrigeration cooler 33 is provided in the space between the cover 50 and the inner box 102 in the front-rear direction. This allows the air supplied into the cooler chamber 61 to efficiently contact the refrigeration cooler 33. In this embodiment, the dimension of the protrusion 52 in the left-right direction is larger than the dimension of the refrigeration cooler 33 in the left-right direction. In addition, the upper end of the protrusion 52 is located lower than the upper end of the refrigeration cooler 33.

[0025] Next, the configuration around the refrigeration cooler 33 will be described in detail. In the above-mentioned refrigeration cycle 30, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 31 is supplied to the refrigeration cooler 33 via the upstream refrigerant piping 381. The upstream refrigerant piping 381 is connected to the upstream side of the refrigeration cooler 33 and supplies the refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 33. In this case, the upstream refrigerant piping 381 is connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the left side of the refrigeration cooler 33, for example, bent upward into a U shape, and extends along the left-right direction of the refrigeration cooler 33 above the refrigeration cooler 33, in this case the right direction. The upstream refrigerant piping 381 is provided at a position overlapping with the refrigeration blower 35 and the opening 51 in the front-rear direction. The upstream refrigerant piping 381 functions as a refrigerant piping.

[0026] Further, downstream side refrigerant piping 382 is connected to the downstream side of the cryocooler 33. The downstream side refrigerant piping 382 is connected, for example, near the lower end of the left side of the cryocooler 33, bent upward, and extends above the cryocooler 33 along the left-right direction of the cryocooler 33 (in this case, the right direction). A gas-liquid separator 39 is provided in the middle of the downstream side refrigerant piping 382. The gas-liquid separator 39 has a function of separating the refrigerant after flowing through the cryocooler 33 into liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant.

[0027] The refrigeration cooler 33 has an end plate 331, a refrigerant pipe 332, and a plurality of heat dissipation parts 333. As shown in FIG. 6, the end plate 331 is provided at both ends of the refrigeration cooler 33 in the left and right direction. The end plate 331 is composed of a plate-shaped member along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. The refrigerant pipe 332 is made of aluminum, for example, and the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 31 flows through it. The refrigerant pipe 332 has a refrigerant inlet 332a and a refrigerant outlet 332b. The refrigerant inlet 332a is an inlet through which the refrigerant flows in. The refrigerant outlet 332b is an outlet through which the refrigerant flows out. The refrigerant inlet 332a is provided on the upper side and the front side of the refrigeration cooler 33. The refrigerant inlet 332a is connected to the upstream refrigerant piping 381. The refrigerant outlet 332b is provided on the lower side and the front side of the refrigeration cooler 33. The refrigerant outlet 332b is connected to the downstream refrigerant piping 382. The refrigerant outlet 332b is provided at a position farther from the refrigeration blower 35 than the refrigerant inlet 332a is provided. In other words, the refrigerant inlet 332a is provided at a position closer to the refrigeration blower 35 than the refrigerant outlet 332b is provided.

[0028] The refrigerant pipe 332 is formed to meander in the left-right direction, and is configured in multiple stages, for example, five stages, in the up-down direction. The left-right folded-back portions of the refrigerant pipe 332 are located outside the end plates 331. In this embodiment, the folded-back portion 332c of the topmost stage of the refrigerant pipe 332 is configured to be folded back in a U-shape in the front-rear direction. The refrigerant pipes 332 located in the topmost stage are arranged in parallel to the front-rear direction and extend along the left-right direction. In addition, a portion of the refrigerant pipe 332 located in the topmost stage overlaps with the refrigeration blower 35 and the opening 51 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the refrigeration cooler 33, the refrigeration blower 35, and the opening 51 at least partially overlap with each other in the front-rear direction.

[0029] The heat dissipation parts 333 are made of, for example, aluminum and are configured as plate-shaped members along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. The heat dissipation parts 333 are provided between the two end plates 331 at intervals from each other in the left-right direction. The heat dissipation parts 333 are provided, for example, at equal or unequal intervals in the left-right direction. The heat dissipation parts 333 are configured in a plurality of stages, for example, five stages, in the up-down direction. The refrigerant pipes 332 are attached to the heat dissipation parts 333 so as to penetrate through them. The number of stages of the refrigerant pipes 332 and the heat dissipation parts 333 is not limited to five stages, and can be configured in other numbers of stages, such as four stages. In FIG. 5 and other figures, in order to make the drawings easier to see, only some of the heat dissipation parts 333 are labeled, and the other heat dissipation parts 333 are omitted.

[0030] Here, for example, during defrosting to melt frost adhering to the refrigeration cooler 33, the compressor 31 is stopped and the supply of refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 33 is stopped, while the refrigeration blower 35 is driven. During defrosting, for example, water droplets dripping from the wall surface of the inner box 102 or the refrigerant pipes 381, 382, ​​etc., may hang on the upper part of the refrigeration cooler 33. At this time, the water droplets hanging on the upper part of the refrigeration cooler 33 or moisture contained in the air moving in the cooler chamber 61 may adhere to the periphery of the refrigeration blower 35 due to the driving of the refrigeration blower 35. Then, when the refrigerant is supplied to the refrigeration cooler 33 by the cooling operation, that is, the driving of the compressor 31, in a state where the water droplets are adhering to the periphery of the refrigeration blower 35, there is a possibility that the water droplets will grow into ice that involves the refrigeration blower 35. For this reason, it is important to ensure drainage so that no residual water is left around the refrigeration blower 35.

[0031] Therefore, in this embodiment, the protrusion 52 of the cover 50 has a protrusion main body 521, an inclined portion 522, a blocking portion 523, and an outer inclined portion 524, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like. The protrusion main body 521 is bent, for example, into a substantially L-shape as a whole when viewed from the rear. The shape of the protrusion main body 521 is not limited to this, and may be substantially rectangular as a whole. The inclined portion 522 is located below the opening 51 and is formed continuously from the bottom surface 511 of the opening 51. The inclined portion 522 is inclined downward from the front to the rear. Also, the inclined portion 522 is located below the upper end of the refrigeration cooler 33, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0032] Here, the drainage performance of the inclined portion 522 improves as the inclination angle of the inclined portion 522 with respect to the horizontal increases, but if the angle is too large, the depth of the inclined portion 522 increases, and if ice forms on the inclined portion 522, the ice may not melt easily. Therefore, in this embodiment, the inclination angle of the inclined portion 522 with respect to the horizontal is set to, for example, about 10 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less. This makes it possible to ensure drainage while suppressing remaining ice on the inclined portion 522.

[0033] A heat transfer part 71 is provided on the upper part of the inclined part 522. The heat transfer part 71 is made of a thermally conductive adhesive tape such as aluminum tape. As shown in FIG. 7 etc., the heat transfer part 71 is fixed across the protrusion main body 521, the inclined part 522, and the bottom surface 511 of the opening 51. The heat transfer part 71 is for transferring the heat released from the heating part 37 to the refrigeration blower 35. This makes it possible to effectively suppress the growth of ice around the refrigeration blower 35.

[0034] 4, a main body side heat transfer section 72 can be provided. The main body side heat transfer section 72 is made of the same material as the heat transfer section 71, in this case a thermally conductive adhesive tape. The main body side heat transfer section 72 is formed along the shape of the protruding section main body 521 and is fixed to the protruding section main body 521. The main body side heat transfer section 72 has a function of transferring heat released from the heating section 37 to the heat transfer section 71. By providing the main body side heat transfer section 72, the heat of the heating section 37 can be transferred more effectively to the periphery of the refrigeration blower 35 via the heat transfer section 71.

[0035] The blocking portion 523 is formed to protrude upward from the upper surface 521a of the protruding portion main body 521. The blocking portion 523 is provided on both left and right sides of the inclined portion 522 at positions overlapping the inclined portion 522 when viewed from the left and right direction. The dimension of the blocking portion 523 in the front-rear direction is equal to or larger than the dimension of the inclined portion 522 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the dimension of the blocking portion 523 in the front-rear direction is approximately the same as that of the inclined portion 522 in the front-rear direction. The blocking portion 523 is set to be located on the same plane as the protruding portion main body 521. The blocking portion 523 is for blocking the movement of water from the inclined portion 522 to the left and right direction of the protruding portion 52. In this case, the blocking portion 523 forms a wall along the inclined portion 522. The blocking portion 523 is provided, for example, corresponding to a part of the rear side regulating member 532, and can be formed continuously with the rear side regulating member 532 located on the lower side of the opening 51. This can improve the manufacturability of the covering portion 50.

[0036] The outer inclined portion 524 is provided on the upper surface 521a of the protruding portion main body 521, outside the blocking portion 523. As shown in FIG. 9, the outer inclined portion 524 is inclined downward from the front to the rear. The dimension of the outer inclined portion 524 in the front-rear direction is set to be approximately the same as the dimension of the inclined portion 522 and the blocking portion 523 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the outer inclined portion 524 is provided on the entire upper surface 521a of the protruding portion main body 521 except for the portion where the blocking portion 523 is provided. The left-right end of the outer inclined portion 524 is located outside the left-right end of the refrigeration cooler 33. As a result, even if a part of the defrost water from the refrigeration cooler 33 drips onto the protruding portion main body 521 side, it can be drained downward via the outer inclined portion 524, so that the remaining water on the upper surface 521a of the protruding portion main body 521 can be suppressed.

[0037] The cover 50 also has a communication hole 54. The communication hole 54 is formed penetrating the cover 50 in the front-rear direction, and communicates the opening 51 with the cooler chamber 61. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 8, the communication hole 54 is provided between the blocking portion 523 and the outer inclined portion 524. In this embodiment, the communication hole 54 is located, for example, on the left side of the inclined portion 522. As described above, the bottom surface 511 of the opening 51 is inclined downward from the inside to the outside in the left-right direction of the cover 50. Therefore, by providing the communication hole 54 on the left side of the inclined portion 522 located on the outside in the left-right direction of the cover 50, the water flowing on the bottom surface 511 of the opening 51 can be appropriately discharged to the outside of the opening 51 through the communication hole 54. In this configuration, the water discharged from the inclined portion 522, the outer inclined portion 524, and the communication hole 54 flows into the drain gutter 36 located below the refrigeration cooler 33, and is then discharged outside the refrigerator.

[0038] According to the embodiment described above, the refrigerator 1 includes the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15, the cooler compartment 61, the freezer blower 35, and the cover 50. The cooler compartment 61 is located behind the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15, and is provided with the freezer cooler 33 that generates cold air for cooling the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15. The freezer blower 35 supplies the cold air in the cooler compartment 61 to the storage compartments 13, 14, and 15. The cover 50 covers the front of the freezer cooler 33. The cover 50 has an opening 51 and a protruding portion 52. The opening 51 is formed penetrating the cover 50 in the front-rear direction, and houses the freezer blower 35. The protruding portion 52 is formed protruding rearward from a surface 501 on which the opening 51 is provided. The protruding portion 52 has an inclined portion 522 and a blocking portion 523. Inclined portion 522 is located below opening 51 and inclines downward from the front to the rear. Blocking portions 523 are provided on both left and right sides of inclined portion 522 at positions overlapping with inclined portion 522 when viewed from the left and right direction. The dimension of blocking portion 523 in the front-rear direction is equal to or greater than the dimension of inclined portion 522 in the front-rear direction.

[0039] Here, some of the defrost water generated when removing frost adhering to the refrigeration cooler 33 may adhere to the refrigeration blower 35 due to the influence of the air flow in the cooler chamber 61. Therefore, by providing the inclined portion 522 on the cover portion 50, the defrost water adhering to the refrigeration blower 35 through, for example, the opening 51 can be smoothly discharged from the inclined portion 522. This suppresses the remaining water on the protruding portion 52, and suppresses the occurrence of freezing between the refrigeration cooler 33 and the refrigeration blower 35. In addition, the blocking portion 523 can block the movement of water from the inclined portion 522 in the left and right directions of the cover portion 50, so that the growth of ice can be prevented. Therefore, the freezing of the refrigeration blower 35 can be suppressed.

[0040] The protruding portion 52 further has an outer inclined portion 524. The outer inclined portion 524 is located outside the blocking portion 523 in the left-right direction. The outer inclined portion 524 constitutes a part of the upper surface 521a of the protruding portion 52, and is inclined downward from the front to the rear. Accordingly, the outer inclined portion 524 can promote the discharge of defrost water on the upper surface 521a of the protruding portion 52. This can suppress the formation of ice on the covering portion 50, and therefore the formation of ice around the refrigeration blower 35 can be suppressed.

[0041] The left and right ends of the outer inclined portion 524 are located outside the left and right ends of the refrigeration cooler 33. This allows a part of the defrost water generated during defrosting of the refrigeration cooler 33 to be effectively discharged from the outer inclined portion 524. This further prevents freezing around the refrigeration blower 35.

[0042] The cover portion 50 further has a communication hole 54. The communication hole 54 is formed penetrating the cover portion 50 in the front-rear direction, and communicates the opening 51 with the cooler chamber 61. The communication hole 54 is provided between the blocking portion 523 and the outer inclined portion 524. With this, water in the refrigeration blower 35 can be discharged to the cooler chamber 61 side through the communication hole 54. Then, the water that has passed through the communication hole 54 is discharged downward along the outer inclined portion 524. This makes it possible to suppress residual water in the refrigeration blower 35. As a result, it is possible to suppress freezing of the refrigeration blower 35.

[0043] In the front-rear direction, the refrigeration cooling device 33 and the refrigeration blower 35 at least partially overlap each other. With this, by bringing the positional relationship between the refrigeration cooling device 33 and the refrigeration blower 35 closer to each other, efficient heat exchange can be achieved while preventing the refrigeration blower 35 from freezing.

[0044] The refrigerator 1 further includes refrigerant piping 381. The refrigerant piping 381 is connected to the refrigeration cooler 33 and supplies refrigerant to the refrigeration cooler 33. The refrigerant piping 381 is provided above the refrigeration cooler 33 at a position overlapping with the refrigeration blower 35 in the front-to-rear direction. By positioning the refrigerant piping 381 above the refrigeration cooler 33, the upper part of the refrigeration cooler 33 is easily cooled. This makes it possible to suppress freezing of the refrigeration blower 35 while realizing efficient heat exchange.

[0045] The refrigeration cooler 33 has a refrigerant inlet 332a connected to the refrigerant pipe 381 and into which the refrigerant flows. The refrigerant inlet 332a is located on the upper side of the refrigeration cooler 33. By positioning the refrigerant inlet 332a, which is a part of the refrigeration cooler 33 that is easily cooled, on the upper side of the refrigeration cooler 33, it is possible to efficiently move cold air to the refrigeration blower 35 side. This makes it possible to suppress freezing of the refrigeration blower 35 while realizing efficient heat exchange.

[0046] The above embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1...refrigerator, 13, 14, 15...storage chamber, 33...freezer cooler (cooler), 35...freezer blower (blower), 50...cover, 51...opening, 52...projection, 522...inclined portion, 523...blocking portion, 61...cooler chamber

Claims

1. A storage room; a cooler chamber located at the rear of the storage chamber and including a cooler that generates cold air for cooling the storage chamber; a blower that supplies the cold air in the cooling chamber to the storage chamber; A cover portion that covers the front of the cooler, The cover portion has an opening formed by penetrating the cover portion in the front-rear direction and accommodating the blower, and a protrusion formed by protruding rearward from a surface on which the opening is provided, The protrusion has an inclined portion located below the opening and inclined downward from the front to the rear, and blocking portions provided on both left and right sides of the inclined portion at positions overlapping with the inclined portions when viewed from the left and right direction, The dimension of the blocking portion in the front-rear direction is equal to or greater than the dimension of the inclined portion in the front-rear direction. refrigerator.

2. The protrusion further includes an outer inclined portion located on the outer side of the blocking portion in the left-right direction, The outer inclined portion constitutes a part of the upper surface of the protrusion and inclines downward from the front to the rear. The refrigerator of claim 1.

3. The left and right ends of the outer inclined portion are located outside the left and right ends of the cooler.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2.

4. The cover portion further includes a communication hole formed to penetrate the cover portion in a front-rear direction and to communicate between the opening portion and the cooler chamber, The communication hole is provided between the blocking portion and the outer inclined portion.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2.

5. In the front-rear direction, the cooler and the blower at least partially overlap each other.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

6. A refrigerant pipe is further provided which is connected to the cooler and supplies a refrigerant to the cooler. The refrigerant piping is provided above the cooler and at a position overlapping with the blower in the front-rear direction.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5.

7. the cooler has a refrigerant inlet connected to the refrigerant pipe and into which the refrigerant flows, The refrigerant inlet is located above the cooler.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6.

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