Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator in which a front surface opening of a basic storage in which a special storage is provided is opened and closed by first and second storage doors, which enables taking in and out of an object stored in the special storage even when only one of the first and second storage doors is opened.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes a front surface opening of a basic storage which is opened and closed by first and second storage doors. A special storage includes a first container, and second and third containers which are aligned in a right-left direction below the first container. The second container faces one of the first and second storage doors in which the front surface opening of the basic storage is closed, while the third container faces the other of the first and second storage doors in which the front surface opening of the basic storage is closed. In a state where the front surface opening of the basic storage is closed by the first and second storage doors, right-left ends of at least one of the second and third containers are positioned inside from the right-left ends of the storage door facing the container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] For example, the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a refrigerator compartment that is cooled to a refrigeration temperature range, and a chilled compartment provided in the refrigerator compartment. In this refrigerator, the front opening of the refrigerator compartment can be opened and closed by two refrigerator compartment doors, so-called double doors or French doors, that can rotate left and right. The chilled compartment is provided with a chilled compartment door that opens and closes the front opening of the chilled compartment. By closing the front opening of the chilled compartment with the chilled compartment door to keep the inside of the chilled compartment in a substantially sealed state, it is possible to easily maintain the inside of the chilled compartment at a chilled temperature range that is different from the refrigeration temperature range. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-96029 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a conventional refrigerator having the above-mentioned configuration, the chilled compartment is formed long in the horizontal direction to meet the demand for storing long or large items, for example, and accordingly, the chilled compartment door that opens and closes the front opening of the chilled compartment is also formed long in the horizontal direction. Therefore, when the front opening of the refrigerator compartment is closed by the refrigerator compartment door, two refrigerator compartment doors are present in front of the chilled compartment door, and therefore, the user cannot open the chilled compartment door to put or take out an item in the chilled compartment unless he or she opens the two refrigerator compartment doors, that is, unless he or she opens the entire front opening of the refrigerator compartment.

[0005] This embodiment provides a technical proposal for a refrigerator having a configuration in which a special storage compartment, such as a chilled compartment, is provided within a basic storage compartment, such as a refrigerator compartment, and the front opening of the basic storage compartment is opened and closed by at least a first storage compartment door and a second storage compartment door, which makes it possible to put items in and take them out of the special storage compartment even when only one of the first storage compartment door and the second storage compartment door is open. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The refrigerator according to this embodiment is a refrigerator including a basic storage chamber that is cooled to a basic temperature zone, and a special storage chamber that is provided in the basic storage chamber and can be cooled to a special temperature zone different from the basic temperature zone, and a front opening of the basic storage chamber is configured to be opened and closed by at least a first storage chamber door and a second storage chamber door, and the special storage chamber includes a first container, and a second container and a third container that are arranged side by side in the left-right direction below the first container and are arranged to be able to be pulled out in the front-rear direction, and the second container faces one of the first storage chamber door and the second storage chamber door when the front opening of the basic storage chamber is closed, and the third container faces the other of the first storage chamber door and the second storage chamber door when the front opening of the basic storage chamber is closed, and when the front opening of the basic storage chamber is closed by the first storage chamber door and the second storage chamber door, both left and right ends of at least one of the second container and the third container are located inside the left and right ends of the storage chamber door facing the container. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration example of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of a refrigerator compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a refrigerated room according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a refrigerated room according to the present embodiment; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing an example of the configuration of a refrigerated room and its surrounding area according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a state in which the right-side refrigerator door is open in the refrigerator according to the embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which a right-side refrigerator door is open in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a state in which the left refrigerator door is open in the refrigerator according to the embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which the left refrigerator door is open in the refrigerator according to the embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the cooling chamber, the interior duct, and the surrounding area according to the embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the inside of a cooling chamber and its surroundings according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above at the rear; [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the inside of a cooling chamber and its surroundings according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the lower rear side; [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing an example of a positional relationship between a flap and a cold air outlet according to the embodiment; [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view illustrating an example of a flow of cold air in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a flow of cool air in a cooling chamber and its surrounding area according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view illustrating an example of a flow of cool air in a cooling chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration example of a chilled room according to a modified example of the present embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the inside of a cooling chamber and its surrounding parts according to a modified example of the present embodiment, viewed from above at the rear. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a refrigerator will be described with reference to the drawings. A refrigerator 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 has a rectangular box-shaped insulated box body 11 constituting the outer shell of the refrigerator 10, and a plurality of storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are formed inside the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Various storage items such as food items can be stored inside the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Although not shown in detail, the insulated box body 11 is configured with a thermal insulation material between an inner box and an outer box. As the thermal insulation material constituting the insulated box body 11, various thermal insulation materials such as vacuum insulation panels, urethane foam, and thermal insulation molded bodies molded from thermal insulation materials can be used.

[0009] In this case, the storage chamber 12 is a refrigerator chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the refrigerator temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 12 may be referred to as the "refrigerator chamber 12". The refrigerator temperature zone is an example of a basic temperature zone, and the refrigerator chamber 12 is an example of a basic storage chamber. In this case, the storage chamber 13 is a vegetable chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the refrigerator temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 13 may be referred to as the "vegetable chamber 13". In this case, the storage chamber 14 is an ice making chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the freezing temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 14 may be referred to as the "ice making chamber 14". In this case, the storage chamber 15 is a small freezing chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the freezing temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 15 may be referred to as the "small freezing chamber 15". In this case, the storage chamber 16 is a large freezing chamber that is maintained within the temperature range of the freezing temperature zone. Hereinafter, the storage chamber 16 may be referred to as the "large freezing chamber 16".

[0010] The refrigerator compartment 12 is the uppermost storage compartment among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 that the refrigerator 10 has. The vegetable compartment 13 is provided below the refrigerator compartment 12 and is located approximately in the center of the insulated box 11 in the vertical direction. The ice making compartment 14 and the small freezing compartment 15 are provided below the vegetable compartment 13 and are lined up in the horizontal direction of the refrigerator 10 within the insulated box 11. The large freezing compartment 16 is provided below the ice making compartment 14 and the small freezing compartment 15 within the insulated box 11. The large freezing compartment 16 is the lowermost storage compartment among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 that the refrigerator 10 has.

[0011] The refrigerator compartment 12 has a rectangular opening at its front. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is opened and closed by two storage compartment doors 12D[R] and 12D[L] that can rotate left and right, that is, two double doors. The right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] is an example of a first storage compartment door, and the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] is an example of a second storage compartment door. That is, the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is opened and closed by at least two storage compartment doors, in this case, the right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L]. The refrigerator compartment door may be a single storage compartment door that opens and closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 may be opened and closed by three or more storage compartment doors.

[0012] The refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] and the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L] have the same vertical dimension but different horizontal dimensions. In this case, the horizontal dimension H1 of the refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] is longer than the horizontal dimension H2 of the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L]. When the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by the refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] and the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L], the left end of the refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] is located to the left of the center line L of the refrigerator 10 in the horizontal direction, and the right end of the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L] is also located to the left of the center line L of the refrigerator 10 in the horizontal direction.

[0013] A vertical partition plate 12S is provided at the right end of the left refrigerator door 12D[L] in a foldable manner. The vertical partition plate 12S shields the gap between the right refrigerator door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator door 12D[L] when the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by the right refrigerator door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator door 12D[L]. This prevents the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 12 from leaking out through the gap between the right refrigerator door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator door 12D[L].

[0014] The vegetable compartment 13 has a rectangular opening on its front side. The front opening of the vegetable compartment 13 is opened and closed by a storage compartment door that can move in the front-rear direction, a so-called drawer-type vegetable compartment door 13D. The ice-making compartment 14 has a rectangular opening on its front side. The front opening of the ice-making compartment 14 is opened and closed by a storage compartment door that can move in the front-rear direction, a so-called drawer-type ice-making compartment door 14D. The small freezer compartment 15 has a rectangular opening on its front side. The front opening of the small freezer compartment 15 is opened and closed by a storage compartment door that can move in the front-rear direction, a so-called drawer-type small freezer compartment door 15D. The large freezer compartment 16 has an opening on its front side. The front opening of the large freezer compartment 16 is opened and closed by a storage compartment door that can move in the front-rear direction, a so-called drawer-type large freezer compartment door 16D.

[0015] As illustrated in FIG. 2, a chilled compartment 100 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 12. In this case, the chilled compartment 100 is provided in the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 12. The chilled compartment 100 is an example of a special storage compartment. Since the chilled compartment 100 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 12, it can be cooled to the chilled temperature zone like the refrigerator compartment 12. However, the chilled compartment 100 can also be cooled to a chilled temperature zone different from the chilled temperature zone. The chilled temperature zone is an example of a special temperature zone. In this case, the chilled temperature zone is assumed to be a temperature zone lower than the chilled temperature zone.

[0016] A plurality of containers capable of holding stored items, in this case three containers, a large container 101, a medium container 102, and a small container 103, are housed within the chilled compartment 100 and can be pulled out in the front-to-rear direction. With large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 provided within chilled compartment 100 and capable of being pulled out, a user can place stored items in and take out stored items from the innermost parts of large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 by pulling out large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 forward.

[0017] In this case, large container 101 is provided in an upper tier within chilled compartment 100. Medium container 102 and small container 103 are provided in a lower tier within chilled compartment 100, and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction below large container 101. In this case, when viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10, medium container 102 is arranged on the right side of the lower tier within chilled compartment 100, and small container 103 is arranged on the left side of the lower tier within chilled compartment 100. It is also possible to configure refrigerator 10 so that medium container 102 is arranged on the left side of the lower tier within chilled compartment 100, and small container 103 is arranged on the right side of the lower tier within chilled compartment 100, when viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10.

[0018] A water supply tank 104 is housed in the lower level of chilled compartment 100 to the left of small container 103 and can be pulled out in the front-rear direction. Water supply tank 104 is a tank that can store water for making ice. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the water stored in water supply tank 104 is supplied to the ice maker in ice making chamber 14 via a water supply pipe by a pump.

[0019] Large container 101 is an example of a first container, and in this case, is formed in the shape of a shallow rectangular box with an open top. The front part of large container 101 is provided with a handle part on which a user can place their fingers, but is configured so that when large container 101 is housed in the upper space of chilled compartment 100, the front opening of the upper space is generally open. Therefore, a user can put items in and take items out of large container 101 to a certain extent without pulling large container 101 out of chilled compartment 100.

[0020] The inner container 102 is an example of the second container, and in this case, is formed in the shape of a deep rectangular box with an open top. The front part of the inner container 102 is wall-shaped, and when the inner container 102 is accommodated in the lower space in the chilled chamber 100, it is configured to almost close the front opening of the lower space.

[0021] Small container 103 is an example of a third container, and in this case, is formed in a deep rectangular box shape with an open top. The front part of small container 103 is also wall-shaped, and when small container 103 is accommodated in the lower space in chilled chamber 100, it is configured to almost close the front opening of the lower space.

[0022] Large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 each have a different size of storage space for storing stored items. In this case, the size of the storage space of large container 101 is the largest among the multiple containers 101, 102, and 103. The size of the storage space of small container 103 is the smallest among the multiple containers 101, 102, and 103. The size of the storage space of medium container 102 is smaller than the storage space of large container 101 and larger than the storage space of small container 103.

[0023] As illustrated in Fig. 3, the large container 101 faces both the right and left refrigerator doors 12D[R] and 12D[L] when the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed. When the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by the right and left refrigerator doors 12D[R] and 12D[L], the left end of the large container 101 is located inside the left end of the left refrigerator door 12D[L], i.e., toward the center in the left-right direction, and the right end of the large container 101 is located inside the right end of the right refrigerator door 12D[R], i.e., toward the center in the left-right direction. In other words, the left-right dimension H3 of the large container 101 is shorter than the dimension H4 between the left end of the left refrigerator door 12D[L] and the right end of the right refrigerator door 12D[R] when the large container 101 is closed.

[0024] 4, the inner container 102 faces one of the storage compartment doors, the right door 12D[R] and the left door 12D[L], in this case the right door 12D[R], when the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed. When the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by the right door 12D[R] and the left door 12D[L], the left end of the inner container 102 is located inside the left end of the right door 12D[R], i.e., toward the center in the left-right direction, and the right end of the inner container 102 is located inside the right end of the right door 12D[R], i.e., toward the center in the left-right direction. In other words, the left-right dimension H5 of the inner container 102 is shorter than the dimension H1 between the left and right ends of the right door 12D[R] in the closed state.

[0025] The small container 103 faces the other of the refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] and the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L] when the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed, that is, the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L] in this case. When the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by the refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] and the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L], the left end of the small container 103 is located inside the left end of the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L], that is, toward the center in the left-right direction, and the right end of the small container 103 is located inside the right end of the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L], that is, toward the center in the left-right direction. In other words, the left-right dimension H6 of the small container 103 is shorter than the dimension H2 between the left and right ends of the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L] in the closed state.

[0026] 5, a plate-shaped partition member 105 is provided above the large container 101. The chilled compartment 100 is formed by the space below this partition member 105. The partition member 105 separates the space between the partition member 105 and the large container 101 as part of the chilled compartment 100 from the refrigerating compartment 12.

[0027] The height of the partition member 105 is adjustable above the large container 101. To explain in more detail, the partition member 105 is detachably placed on a protruding portion (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the refrigerator compartment 12. The protruding portion (not shown) is formed in multiple stages at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The partition member 105 is attached to any one of the multiple stages of the protruding portion at a selectable height position. Therefore, the height of the partition member 105 above the large container 101 can be appropriately adjusted.

[0028] The protrusion (not shown) that supports the partition member 105 may be, for example, a bead-shaped protrusion integrally formed on the inner box that forms the inner surface of the insulated box body 11, or may be a fixing device attached to the inner box.

[0029] A plurality of shelf members 12T are detachably provided within the refrigeration chamber 12. Storage items can be placed on the upper surfaces of the shelf members 12T. The partition member 105 is provided as a component separate from these shelf members 12T. However, the partition member 105 can also be defined as a component that functions as the lowest shelf member within the refrigeration chamber 12, and storage items can also be placed on the upper surface of the partition member 105.

[0030] The upper region of the chilled compartment 100 is configured not to have a chilled compartment door that makes the chilled compartment 100 a generally sealed space. That is, the upper region of the chilled compartment 100 is an open space with its front opening always open. Therefore, when both the right and left refrigerator compartment doors 12D[R] and 12D[L] are open, the refrigerator 10 is configured so that the entire space between the large container 101 and the partition member 105 is open to the front. Also, when at least one of the right and left refrigerator compartment doors 12D[R] and 12D[L] is open, at least a part of the space between the large container 101 and the partition member 105, i.e., the part facing the open refrigerator compartment door, is open to the front.

[0031] Furthermore, the lower area of ​​chilled compartment 100 does not have a chilled compartment door that would make chilled compartment 100 a generally sealed space. However, the front surface of middle container 102 and the front surface of small container 103 housed in the lower space of chilled compartment 100 are configured to function as a chilled compartment lid that closes the lower space of chilled compartment 100.

[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 6, when the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] opens the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12, for example, at an opening angle of 90 degrees or more, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the small container 103 cannot be pulled forward, but the medium container 102 can be pulled forward.

[0033] As illustrated in FIG. 8, when the right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] opens the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12, for example, to an angle of 90 degrees or more, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the medium container 102 cannot be pulled forward, but the small container 103 can be pulled forward.

[0034] The large container 101, the medium container 102, and the small container 103 are each configured to have adjustable cooling capacity. This point will be described in detail below. As illustrated in Fig. 10, the refrigerator 10 includes a cooler chamber 200. In this case, the cooler chamber 200 is provided behind the vegetable chamber 13. A cooler 201 and a blower fan 202 are housed in the cooler chamber 200.

[0035] The cooler 201 constitutes a well-known refrigeration cycle mechanism together with a compressor (not shown) and generates cold air for cooling the refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13. The cooler 201 is surrounded by a heat insulating member 203 in the cooler compartment 200. In this case, the heat insulating member 203 faces the upper part and both left and right sides of the cooler 201, but does not face the lower part of the cooler 201. A gutter member for receiving defrost water generated from the cooler 201 is provided below the cooler 201.

[0036] The blower fan 202 blows the cold air generated by the cooler 201 into the refrigerator compartment 12 and further into the vegetable compartment 13. The refrigerator 10 is equipped with a plurality of blower fans 202, in this case two blower fans 202. The plurality of blower fans 202 are incorporated into a portion of the heat insulating member 203 that faces the upper part of the cooler 201. The plurality of blower fans 202 are arranged with the rotation axis of the fan aligned in the up-down direction. The plurality of blower fans 202 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0037] An internal duct 210 is provided at the top of the cooler chamber 200 so as to extend upward along the rear surface of the refrigerator chamber 12. The internal duct 210 is provided with a plurality of cold air outlets 211 for the refrigerator chamber. The internal duct 210 is also provided with a plurality of cold air outlets for the chilled chamber, in this case a cold air outlet 221 for a large container, a cold air outlet 222 for a medium container, and a cold air outlet 223 for a small container.

[0038] The cold air generated by the cooler 201 is supplied to the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12 from the cold air outlet 211 for the refrigerator compartment through the inside duct 210 by the blowing action of the blower fan 202. As a result, the inside of the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled to within the temperature range of a predetermined refrigeration temperature zone.

[0039] Furthermore, the cold air generated by the cooler 201 is supplied to the large container 101 in the chilled compartment 100 from the large container cold air outlet 221 through the internal duct 210 by the blowing action of the blower fan 202. This causes the inside of the large container 101 to be cooled to a temperature range of a predetermined chilled temperature zone. In this embodiment, multiple cold air outlets 221 for large containers, in this case two, are arranged vertically at a predetermined interval. The opening area of ​​the upper cold air outlet 221 for large container is larger than the opening area of ​​the lower cold air outlet 221 for large container.

[0040] The cool air generated by the cooler 201 is supplied to the inner container 102 in the chilled compartment 100 from the inner container cool air outlet 222 through the in-compartment duct 210 by the blowing action of the blower fan 202. This causes the inside of the inner container 102 to be cooled to within the temperature range of a predetermined chilled temperature zone.

[0041] The cool air generated by the cooler 201 is supplied to the small container 103 in the chilled compartment 100 from the small container cool air outlet 223 through the internal duct 210 by the blowing action of the blower fan 202. This causes the inside of the small container 103 to be cooled to within the temperature range of the specified chilled temperature zone.

[0042] 11 and 12, a cold air supply adjustment unit 300 is provided in the internal duct 210 to adjust the amount of cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 12, the large container 101, the medium container 102, and the small container 103. The cold air supply adjustment unit 300 is an example of an adjustment unit, and in this case, includes a double damper 310 and a single damper 320.

[0043] The double damper 310 is configured with multiple flaps, in this case a large flap 311 and a medium flap 312. The double damper 310 is configured with multiple flaps, in this case a large opening 313 and a medium opening 314. The large opening 313 is located below the cold air outlet 221 for the large container. The medium opening 314 is located below the cold air outlet 222 for the medium container.

[0044] The large opening 313 opens in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. The large flap 311 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction and has a size that allows it to close the large opening 313. The middle opening 314 opens in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. The middle flap 312 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction and has a size that allows it to close the middle opening 314.

[0045] The large flap 311 and the middle flap 312 are configured to be rotatable by one common motor (not shown) included in the double damper 310. That is, the double damper 310 is configured to be able to rotate a plurality of flaps (in this case, two flaps 311, 312) by one motor.

[0046] The double damper 310 is capable of varying the opening degrees of the large flap 311 and the middle flap 312, or of setting them to the same opening degree, for example, by adjusting a transmission mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotational force of the motor to the large flap 311 and the middle flap 312.

[0047] The large flap 311 is an example of a switching member, and the double damper 310 can switch the large flap 311 between a blocking state and a permissive state by controlling the driving of a motor (not shown). The blocking state is an example of a first state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the cooler 201 is blocked from flowing into the cold air outlet 221 for the large container. That is, in the blocking state, the large flap 311 closes the large opening 313. On the other hand, the permissive state is an example of a second state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the cooler 201 is permitted to flow into the cold air outlet 221 for the large container. That is, in the permissive state, the large flap 311 opens the large opening 313.

[0048] The middle flap 312 is an example of a switching member, and the double damper 310 can switch the middle flap 312 between a blocking state and a permissive state by controlling the driving of a motor (not shown). The blocking state is an example of a first state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the cooler 201 is blocked from flowing to the cold air outlet 222 for the middle container. That is, the blocking state is a state in which the middle flap 312 closes the middle opening 314. On the other hand, the permissive state is an example of a second state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the cooler 201 is permitted to flow to the cold air outlet 222 for the middle container. That is, the permissive state is a state in which the middle flap 312 opens the middle opening 314.

[0049] The single damper 320 is configured to include one small flap 321. The single damper 320 has one small opening 322. The small opening 322 is located below the cool air outlet 223 for small containers.

[0050] The small opening 322 is opened in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. The small flap 321 is formed in a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction and has a size that allows the small opening 322 to be closed.

[0051] The small flap 321 is configured to be rotatable by one motor (not shown) included in the single damper 320. That is, the single damper 320 is configured to be able to rotate one flap 321 by one motor.

[0052] The small flap 321 is an example of a switching member, and the single damper 320 can switch the small flap 321 between a blocking state and a permitting state by controlling the driving of a motor (not shown). The blocking state is an example of a first state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the cooler 201 is prevented from flowing to the cold air outlet 223 for small containers. That is, the blocking state is a state in which the small flap 321 closes the small opening 322. On the other hand, the permitting state is an example of a second state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the cooler 201 is permitted to flow to the cold air outlet 223 for small containers. That is, the permitting state is a state in which the small flap 321 opens the small opening 322.

[0053] The cold air supply adjustment unit 300 is provided between the cooler 201 and the multiple cold air outlets 221, 222, and 223, and a partition rib 330 is provided between the multiple cold air outlets 221, 222, and 223. This makes it easier to guide the cold air that has passed through the large opening 313 to the cold air outlet 221 for the large container, easier to guide the cold air that has passed through the middle opening 314 to the cold air outlet 222 for the middle container, and easier to guide the cold air that has passed through the small opening 322 to the cold air outlet 223 for the small container.

[0054] According to refrigerator 10, the amount and strength of cold air supplied to large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 can be adjusted by appropriately changing the opening degree of large flap 311, medium flap 312, and small flap 321. This makes it possible to adjust the cooling capacity of large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103, respectively.

[0055] 13, the middle flap 312 is configured such that at least one end of the middle flap 312 switched to the permissive state, in this case the tip, overlaps with the middle container cold air outlet 222 in the cold air blowing direction R. That is, the tip of the middle flap 312 switched to the permissive state is positioned higher than the lower end of the middle container cold air outlet 222. In addition, in the process of the middle flap 312 switching from the blocking state to the permissive state, at least one end of the middle flap 312, in this case the tip, moves away from the middle container cold air outlet 222 side to the opposite side of the middle container cold air outlet 222.

[0056] Also, small flap 321 is configured such that at least one end, in this case the tip, of small flap 321 switched to the permissive state overlaps with small container cold air outlet 223 in the cold air blowing direction R. That is, the tip of small flap 321 switched to the permissive state is positioned higher than the lower end of small container cold air outlet 223. Also, in the process of small flap 321 switching from the blocking state to the permissive state, at least one end, in this case the tip, of small flap 321 moves away from small container cold air outlet 223 side to the opposite side of small container cold air outlet 223.

[0057] 10 to 12, a cold air return port 401 is provided at the rear of the partition wall 400 that separates the refrigerator compartment 12 and the chilled compartment 100 from the vegetable compartment 13, located to the side of the internal duct 210. The cold air return port 401 is provided on the rear side of the partition wall 400 that constitutes the bottom wall of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the chilled compartment 100, and faces the cooler compartment 200 in the vertical direction. In this case, the cold air return port 401 faces the upper surfaces of both the left and right ends of the cooler compartment 200.

[0058] Furthermore, the cold air return port 401 is provided at a position offset to both the left and right of the cooler 201 in the cooler chamber 200. The cold air return port 401 has a function of returning the cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 12 or the chilled compartment 100 to the cooler 201, and in this case, is an opening made up of a plurality of slits. In this case, the plurality of slits each extend in the front-rear direction and are arranged at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction.

[0059] In addition, openings 230 consisting of a plurality of slits are provided on the upper surface of both the left and right ends of the cooler chamber 200 so as to face the cold air return port 401. Below the openings 230 in the cooler chamber 200, a cold air return passage 232 is formed between a cover 231 forming the outer shell of the cooler chamber 200 and the heat insulating member 203.

[0060] 14 and 15, the cold air supplied to refrigerator compartment 12 or chilled compartment 100 is supplied to vegetable compartment 13 via cold air return port 401, and thereby the inside of vegetable compartment 13 is also cooled by the cold air. In other words, refrigerator 10 is configured such that cold air supplied to refrigerator compartment 12 or chilled compartment 100 is then sent to vegetable compartment 13, thereby cooling the inside of vegetable compartment 13.

[0061] As shown by the black arrow in Fig. 16, a cold air recovery port 240 is provided at the bottom of the heat insulating member 203. In the vegetable compartment 13, cold air that has passed through the cold air return port 401 enters the cooler compartment 200 from the opening 230, flows through the cold air return passage 232, and forms a flow of cold air that is returned to the cooler 201 from the cold air recovery port 240. This makes it difficult for the cold air to directly flow toward the items stored in the vegetable compartment 13, making it easier to maintain the temperature and humidity inside the vegetable compartment 13 at levels suitable for the stored items, such as vegetables.

[0062] In addition, a small gap is formed between the cold air return port 401 and the opening 230, so that some of the cold air that passes through the cold air return port 401 can flow into the vegetable compartment 13 rather than into the cooling chamber 200.

[0063] In addition, the above-mentioned partition wall 400 is mainly made of, for example, a resin material, and has a lower insulating property than an insulating wall having a heat insulating material. Therefore, the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 can be indirectly cooled by the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 12 or the chilled compartment 100 through the partition wall 400, and even if the cold air is not directly directed toward the stored items in the vegetable compartment 13, the inside of the vegetable compartment 13 can be kept cooled to an appropriate temperature.

[0064] The cold air returned from the cold air recovery port 240 into the cooler chamber 200 is cooled again by the cooler 201 and supplied into the refrigerator chamber 12 or the chilled chamber 100, and then sent into the vegetable chamber 13. By repeating this circulation of cold air, the insides of the refrigerator chamber 12, the chilled chamber 100, and the vegetable chamber 13 are each cooled to within a predetermined temperature range.

[0065] In the refrigerator 10 according to the present disclosure, the chilled compartment 100 includes a large container 101 on the upper level, and a middle container 102 and a small container 103 on the lower level, arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The middle container 102 faces the right refrigerator door 12D[R] in the closed state, and the small container 103 faces the left refrigerator door 12D[L] in the closed state. When the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by the right refrigerator door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator door 12D[L], both the left and right ends of the middle container 102 are located inside the left and right ends of the right refrigerator door 12D[R] in the closed state that faces the container 102, and both the left and right ends of the small container 103 are located inside the left and right ends of the left refrigerator door 12D[L] in the closed state that faces the container 103.

[0066] According to this configuration example, in a refrigerator 10 in which a special storage compartment, for example, a chilled compartment 100 is provided within the refrigerator compartment 12 and the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is opened and closed by a right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] and a left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L], stored items can be put into and taken out of the chilled compartment 100 even when only one of the right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] is open.

[0067] In other words, when the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] is closed and the right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] is open, the user can put items in and take items out of the part of the large container 101 that corresponds to the right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R], and can also put items in and take items out of the middle container 102.

[0068] In addition, when the right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] is closed and the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] is open, the user can put items in and take items out of the part of the large container 101 that corresponds to the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L], and can also put items in and take items out of the small container 103.

[0069] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 are each configured to have adjustable cooling capacity. According to this configuration example, large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 can be used by switching between cooling modes of different temperature ranges, providing a configuration that is convenient for the user.

[0070] The switchable cooling modes include a chilled mode for cooling to a temperature range of around 0 degrees, a partial mode for cooling to a temperature range of around -3 degrees, and a refrigerated mode for cooling to a temperature range of around 5 degrees. By providing a heater on the bottom surface of the container, a summer vegetable cooling mode for cooling to a temperature range of around 10 degrees can be realized. By providing a heat insulating material around the container, a soft freezing mode for cooling to a temperature range of around -9 degrees can be realized.

[0071] Furthermore, according to refrigerator 10, the cooling capacities of large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 are adjusted by cold air supply adjustment unit 300, which can adjust the amount of cold air supplied to large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103, respectively, by appropriately changing the opening degree of large flap 311, medium flap 312, and small flap 321. This allows the cooling capacities of large container 101, medium container 102, and small container 103 to be adjusted precisely and finely.

[0072] Furthermore, according to refrigerator 10, middle flap 312 is configured such that at least one end, in this case the tip, of middle flap 312 switched to the permissive state overlaps with middle container cold air outlet 222 in cold air blowing direction R. Similarly, small flap 321 is configured such that at least one end, in this case the tip, of small flap 321 switched to the permissive state overlaps with small container cold air outlet 223 in cold air blowing direction R.

[0073] According to this configuration example, the distance between the middle flap 312 and the middle container cold air outlet 222, and the distance between the small flap 321 and the small container cold air outlet 223 can be shortened as much as possible, and it is possible to prevent the cold air supply adjustment unit 300 from becoming large. In addition, the cold air can be blown out from the middle container cold air outlet 222 or the small container cold air outlet 223 while maintaining the momentum of the cold air as much as possible.

[0074] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, in the process of middle flap 312 switching from the blocking state to the allowing state, at least one end of middle flap 312, in this case the tip, is configured to move away from middle-container cold air outlet 222 side to the opposite side of middle-container cold air outlet 222. In addition, in the process of small flap 321 switching from the blocking state to the allowing state, at least one end of small flap 321, in this case the tip, is configured to move away from small-container cold air outlet 223 side to the opposite side of small-container cold air outlet 223.

[0075] According to this configuration example, it is possible to prevent the tip of the middle flap 312 that has switched from the blocking state to the allowing state from blocking all or part of the middle container cold air outlet 222, and cold air can smoothly flow out from the middle container cold air outlet 222. Also, it is possible to prevent the tip of the small flap 321 that has switched from the blocking state to the allowing state from blocking all or part of the small container cold air outlet 223, and cold air can smoothly flow out from the small container cold air outlet 223.

[0076] In addition, according to refrigerator 10, cold air return port 401 is provided on the rear side of the bottom walls of refrigerator compartment 12 and chilled compartment 100, and faces the upper surfaces of both left and right ends of cooler compartment 200 in the vertical direction. And, openings 230 connected to cooler 201 are provided on the upper surfaces of both left and right ends of cooler compartment 200. According to this configuration example, cold air that has passed through cold air return port 401 can be smoothly guided from openings 230 toward cooler 201.

[0077] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, cold air return port 401 is provided on both the left and right sides of cooler 201. According to this configuration example, cold air that has passed through cold air return port 401 can be circulated by utilizing the spaces on both the left and right sides of cooler 201. According to refrigerator 10, cold air return passage 232 is formed in the spaces on both the left and right sides of cooler 201, and this cold air return passage 232 is located below cold air return port 401 and faces cold air return port 401 in the up-down direction. According to this configuration example, cold air that has passed through cold air return port 401 can be efficiently returned to cooler 201 through cold air return passage 232.

[0078] The refrigerator 10 may be configured such that the cool air return port 401 and the cool air return passage 232 are provided on at least one of the left and right sides of the cooler 201.

[0079] Moreover, refrigerator 10 is provided with partition member 105 above large container 101. This partition member 105 separates the space between partition member 105 and large container 101 from refrigerator compartment 12 as part of chilled compartment 100. When at least one of refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] and refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L] is open, at least a part of the space between large container 101 and partition member 105 is open to the front.

[0080] According to this configuration example, when at least one of the right refrigerator compartment door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator compartment door 12D[L] is open, the user can put items in and take items out of at least a portion of the large container 101. Therefore, it is possible to provide a configuration that is easier to use than a conventional configuration in which it is not possible to put items in or take items out of the chilled compartment without opening two refrigerator compartment doors.

[0081] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, the height of partition member 105 above large container 101 can be adjusted. According to this configuration example, the storage volume of the upper region in chilled compartment 100 in particular can be appropriately enlarged or reduced, providing a more user-friendly configuration.

[0082] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0083] The refrigerator 10 may have a first modified configuration that does not include the vertical partition plate 12S. The refrigerator 10 may have a second modified configuration in which the vertical partition plate 12S can be connected to both the right refrigerator door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator door 12D[L], and the vertical partition plate 12S is connected to the storage compartment door that is opened first among the right refrigerator door 12D[R] and the left refrigerator door 12D[L], and the vertical partition plate 12S is not connected to the storage compartment door that is opened later or that is not opened. According to the first modified configuration and the second modified configuration, both the medium container 102 and the small container 103 arranged on the left and right sides of the lower stage in the chilled compartment 100 can be pulled out without interfering with the other storage compartment door or the vertical partition plate 12S when the opposing storage compartment door is opened.

[0084] 4, in refrigerator 10, the left end of inner container 102 is located to the left of the right end of vertical partition plate 12S. Therefore, even if refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] is opened, if refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L], on which vertical partition plate 12S is provided, remains closed, there is a risk that the left end of inner container 102 will hit vertical partition plate 12S when attempting to pull inner container 102 forward.

[0085] 17, refrigerator 10 may be configured so that boundary wall 106 separating inner container 102 and small container 103 is located to the right of the right end of vertical partition plate 12S. This results in the left end of inner container 102 being located to the right of the right end of vertical partition plate 12S, making it possible to realize a configuration that prevents the left end of inner container 102 from hitting vertical partition plate 12S when inner container 102 is pulled out forward.

[0086] The refrigerator 10 may be configured such that, when the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by the refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] and the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L], both the left and right ends of at least one of the medium container 102 and the small container 103 are positioned inside the left and right ends of the storage compartment door facing the container.

[0087] The refrigerator 10 may be configured such that the left and right ends of at least one of the inner container 102 and the small container 103, which has a larger storage space than the other, are located inside the left and right ends of the storage chamber door facing the container. That is, in the configuration example of the refrigerator 10 of the present disclosure, the left and right ends of the inner container 102, which has a larger storage space than the small container 103, are located inside the left and right ends of the storage chamber door facing the container. The refrigerator 10 may also be configured such that the left and right ends of at least one of the inner container 102 and the small container 103, which has a smaller storage space than the other, are located inside the left and right ends of the storage chamber door facing the container. That is, in the configuration example of the refrigerator 10 of the present disclosure, the left and right ends of the small container 103, which has a smaller storage space than the inner container 102, are located inside the left and right ends of the storage chamber door facing the container.

[0088] As illustrated in FIG. 18, the refrigerator 10 may be configured to include one blower fan 202 instead of multiple blower fans 202. In this case, the number of blower fans 202 may be reduced, and the blower fan 202 with higher blowing performance may be provided. In the configuration example illustrated in FIG. 18, the blower fan 202 is arranged with the rotation axis of the fan aligned along the front-rear direction. However, in the configuration example illustrated in FIG. 18, the blower fan 202 may be arranged with the rotation axis of the fan aligned along the up-down direction. Although not illustrated in detail, in the configuration example including the above-mentioned multiple blower fans 202, the multiple blower fans 202 may be arranged with the rotation axis of the fan aligned along the front-rear direction.

[0089] The cold air supply adjustment unit 300 is configured to include a double damper 310 on the right side and a single damper 320 on the left side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. However, the cold air supply adjustment unit 300 may be configured to include a double damper 310 on the left side and a single damper 320 on the right side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10.

[0090] According to the cold air supply adjustment unit 300, since it is configured with a double damper 310 that can rotate two flaps 311, 312, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts compared to a configuration that has three single dampers that can rotate one flap, and it is also possible to make the cold air supply adjustment unit 300 as a whole more compact.

[0091] The cold air supply adjustment unit 300 may be configured to include one triple damper capable of rotating three flaps. This configuration example can further suppress an increase in the number of parts, and can further compactify the cold air supply adjustment unit 300 as a whole. However, the present disclosure does not exclude a configuration including three single dampers capable of rotating one flap, and therefore the cold air supply adjustment unit 300 may be configured to include three single dampers capable of rotating one flap.

[0092] According to the cool air supply adjustment unit 300, the opening area of ​​the large opening 313 is the largest among the multiple openings 313, 314, and 322. The opening area of ​​the small opening 322 is the smallest among the multiple openings 313, 314, and 322. The opening area of ​​the medium opening 314 is smaller than the opening area of ​​the large opening 313 and larger than the opening area of ​​the small opening 322.

[0093] In addition, according to the cold air supply adjustment unit 300, the large opening 313 is positioned in the center in the left-right direction, and when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10, the medium opening 314 is positioned to the right of the large opening 313, and the small opening 322 is positioned to the left of the large opening 313.

[0094] However, the arrangement of the multiple openings 313, 314, 322 is not limited to this. For example, when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10, the small opening 322 may be arranged to the right of the large opening 313, and the medium opening 314 may be arranged to the left of the large opening 313.

[0095] Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which middle opening 314 is disposed in the center in the left-right direction, and large opening 313 is disposed to the right of middle opening 314, and small opening 322 is disposed to the left of middle opening 314, as viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which middle opening 314 is disposed in the center in the left-right direction, and small opening 322 is disposed to the right of middle opening 314, and large opening 313 is disposed to the left of middle opening 314, as viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10.

[0096] Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which small opening 322 is disposed in the center in the left-right direction, and medium opening 314 is disposed to the right of small opening 322 and large opening 313 is disposed to the left of small opening 322, as viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which small opening 322 is disposed in the center in the left-right direction, and large opening 313 is disposed to the right of small opening 322 and medium opening 314 is disposed to the left of small opening 322, as viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10.

[0097] This embodiment can be applied not only to a configuration in which the special storage chamber has three containers 101, 102, and 103, but also to a configuration in which the special storage chamber has four or more containers.

[0098] The basic storage compartment is not limited to the refrigerator compartment 12, but may be another storage compartment. The special storage compartment is not limited to the chilled compartment 100, but may be another storage compartment.

[0099] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented merely as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, etc. can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. This embodiment and its modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] In the drawings, 10 indicates a refrigerator, 12 indicates a refrigerator compartment (basic storage compartment), 12D[R] indicates a right door of the refrigerator compartment (first storage compartment door), 12D[L] indicates a left door of the refrigerator compartment (second storage compartment door), 100 indicates a chilled compartment (special storage compartment), 101 indicates a large container (first container), 102 indicates a medium container (second container), 103 indicates a small container (third container), 105 indicates a partition member, 200 indicates a cooler compartment, 201 indicates a cooler, 221 indicates a cold air outlet (cold air outlet) for the large container, 222 indicates a cold air outlet (cold air outlet) for the medium container, 223 indicates a cold air outlet (cold air outlet) for the small container, 300 indicates a cold air supply adjustment unit (adjustment unit), 311 indicates a large flap (switching member), 312 indicates a medium flap (switching member), 321 indicates a small flap (switching member), and 401 indicates a cold air return port.

Claims

1. A basic storage chamber that is cooled to a basic temperature range; A special storage chamber is provided in the basic storage chamber and can be cooled to a special temperature zone different from the basic temperature zone; A refrigerator comprising: The front opening of the basic storage chamber is configured to be opened and closed by at least a first storage chamber door and a second storage chamber door, The special storage room comprises: A first container; A second container and a third container are arranged side by side in the left-right direction below the first container and are provided so as to be removable in the front-rear direction; Equipped with the second container faces one of the first storage chamber door and the second storage chamber door in a state in which the front opening of the basic storage chamber is closed; the third container faces the other of the first storage chamber door and the second storage chamber door in a state in which the front opening of the basic storage chamber is closed, a left and right end of at least one of the second container and the third container is located inside the left and right end of the storage compartment door facing the container when a front opening of the basic storage compartment is closed by the first storage compartment door and the second storage compartment door.

2. The second container and the third container have different sizes of storage spaces for storing storage items, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein both left and right ends of at least one of the second container and the third container, which has a larger storage space than the other of the two containers, are located inside both left and right ends of a storage compartment door facing the container.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling capacity of each of the second container and the third container is adjustable.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3 , further comprising an adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of cool air supplied to each of the first container, the second container, and the third container.

5. A cooler for generating cold air; A cold air outlet for blowing cold air into the special storage chamber; Further equipped with the adjustment unit includes a switching member that is provided between the cooler and the cold air outlet and is switchable between a first state in which the cold air generated by the cooler is prevented from flowing into the cold air outlet and a second state in which the cold air generated by the cooler is allowed to flow into the cold air outlet; At least one end of the switching member switched to the second state overlaps with the cold air outlet in a blowing direction of the cold air, The refrigerator according to claim 4 , wherein, in the process of switching the switching member from the first state to the second state, at least one end of the switching member moves away from the cool air outlet.

6. A cooler for generating cold air; a cooler chamber in which the cooler is accommodated; A cold air return port for returning the cold air supplied to the special storage chamber to the cooler; Further equipped with 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cool air return port is provided on a rear side of a bottom wall of the basic storage compartment and faces the cooler compartment in the up-down direction.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the cool air return port is provided on both the left and right sides of the cooler.

8. A partition member is further provided above the first container, The partition member separates a space between the first container and the special storage chamber from the basic storage chamber as a part of the special storage chamber, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein when at least one of the first storage compartment door and the second storage compartment door is open, at least a portion of the space between the first container and the partition member is open to the front.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein a height of the partition member above the first container is adjustable.

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