Refrigerator door and refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a door that can improve an aesthetic appearance of a handle part and can improve cleaning property, and to provide a refrigerator.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes a door such as a freezing chamber door 13. The freezing chamber door 13 includes: a body part 20; and a handle part 30 installed in an upper end part of the body part 20. The handle part 30 includes a groove part 31 recessed on a lower side. The groove part 31 extends along a horizontal direction of the body part 20. The groove part 31 has a shape, that communicates to a front surface 21a of the body part 20 in at least any one of the right and left end parts of the handle part 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a door provided on a refrigerator, and a refrigerator provided with this door. [Background technology]

[0002] A refrigerator is provided with doors for opening and closing each storage compartment. At one end of the door, a handle is provided for a user to hold when opening the door. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator provided with drawer doors such as an ice compartment door and a vegetable compartment door. At the upper edge of the drawer door, a handle is provided for a user to hold when pulling out the door. The handle has a downwardly concave shape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-238360 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, in order to improve the aesthetic appearance of refrigerators, consideration has been given to providing a design to the handles provided at the ends of the doors. In addition, there is a problem that dirt and dust are likely to accumulate in the recesses of the handles, which have a downward concave shape.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a door and a refrigerator that can improve the aesthetic appearance of the handle portion and improve cleaning properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A door according to one aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator door, and includes a main body and a handle provided at an upper end of the main body. The handle has a groove recessed downward, the groove extending along the left-right direction of the main body, and the groove has a shape that communicates with a front surface of the main body at at least either the left or right end of the handle.

[0007] A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention includes a door according to the one aspect of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the aesthetic appearance of the handle portion of the refrigerator door and the refrigerator can be improved, and cleaning properties can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of the front part of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a freezer compartment door of the refrigerator shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an exploded perspective view of a handle portion and a main body portion that constitute the freezer compartment door shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a front view of the handle portion that constitutes the freezer compartment door. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a top view of the handle portion that constitutes the freezer compartment door. [Figure 7] 7A to 7C are cross-sectional views showing cross-sectional shapes at various positions from line AA to line JJ of the handle portion shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional views shown in FIG. 7 in a superimposed state. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional views shown in FIG. 7 in a superimposed state. [Figure 10] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional views shown in FIG. 7 in a superimposed state. [Figure 11]FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional views shown in FIG. 7 in a superimposed state. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a pull-out door of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the configuration of the door shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a top view showing the configuration of the door shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0011] <First embodiment> (Overall configuration of refrigerator) First, the overall configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 shows the external appearance of the refrigerator 1 as seen from the front. Fig. 2 shows the external appearance of the refrigerator 1 as seen obliquely from the front.

[0012] The exterior of the refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of an insulated box body 50. This insulated box body 50 forms the storage space of the refrigerator 1. The storage space formed by the insulated box body 50 is divided into, for example, a refrigerator compartment, a vegetable compartment, and a freezer compartment, in that order from the top, by a plurality of partitions extending horizontally.

[0013] The refrigerator compartment is provided with a refrigerator compartment door 11 that can be opened and closed from either the left or right side end. The vegetable compartment is provided with a pull-out vegetable compartment door 12. The freezer compartment is provided with a pull-out freezer compartment door 13.

[0014] As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is divided into a plurality of storage spaces, including a refrigerator compartment, a vegetable compartment, and a freezer compartment. However, the locations of the storage spaces are not limited to the above. Furthermore, the configuration of the doors of the storage spaces is not limited to the above.

[0015] In this embodiment, the surface on which the door is provided is called the front or front surface of the refrigerator. Based on the front surface, the surfaces of the refrigerator 1 are called the top, side, back, and bottom surfaces based on the positions of the refrigerator 1 when it is installed in a normal state. In addition, the left-right direction (horizontal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) when the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface is called the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the vegetable compartment door 12, the freezer compartment door 13, etc.). In addition, the up-down direction (vertical direction perpendicular to the left-right direction) when the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface is called the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the vegetable compartment door 12, the freezer compartment door 13, etc.). In addition, the side located on the left side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1 is called the left side of the refrigerator 1, and the side located on the right side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1 is called the right side of the refrigerator 1.

[0016] In this embodiment, each of the drawer-type doors (for example, the vegetable compartment door 12 and the freezer compartment door 13) is provided with a handle portion 30 at its upper end portion.

[0017] (Vegetable compartment door configuration) Next, a more detailed configuration of the drawer door provided in the refrigerator 1 will be described. The refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment has two drawer doors (specifically, a vegetable compartment door 12 and a freezer compartment door 13). The vegetable compartment door 12 and the freezer compartment door 13 have roughly the same configuration. Below, a more detailed configuration of the freezer compartment door 13 will be described as a representative of the two drawer doors provided in the refrigerator 1. FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the freezer compartment door 13 from above. FIG. 4 shows the freezer compartment door 13 with the handle portion 30 removed from the main body portion 20.

[0018] The freezer door 13 mainly comprises a metal plate 21, a back member 22, a lower cap member 23, a handle portion 30, and a heat insulating material (not shown). The outer shape of the freezer door 13 is formed by the metal plate 21, the back member 22, the lower cap member 23, and the handle portion 30. In this embodiment, the portion formed by the members other than the handle portion 30 among the members constituting the outer shape of the freezer door 13 is called the main body portion 20 of the door. In other words, the main body portion 20 has the metal plate 21, the back member 22, and the lower cap member 23.

[0019] The metal plate 21 is disposed on the front surface of the door. The metal plate 21 is formed, for example, by bending each edge of a substantially rectangular steel plate. The metal plate 21 has a front portion 21a and side portions 21b and 21b provided on both the left and right sides. The plate member forming the front surface of the door may be a member made of glass or resin. In addition, the front surface of the door may be formed of different members, such as by making the front surface of the door out of metal or glass and making the outer periphery out of resin.

[0020] The handle portion 30 is attached to the upper edge of the metal plate 21. The handle portion 30 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The handle portion 30 has a groove portion 31 recessed on the lower side. The groove portion 31 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the handle portion 30 (i.e., the left-right direction of the freezer compartment door 13).

[0021] The lower cap member 23 is attached to the lower edge of the metal plate 21. Like the handle portion 30, the lower cap member 23 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS.

[0022] The back member 22 forms the back portion of the freezer compartment door 13. The back member 22 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS.

[0023] The heat insulating material is provided inside the exterior body of the door formed by combining the metal plate 21, the back member 22, the lower cap member 23, and the handle portion 30. The heat insulating material is formed, for example, by filling the inside of the exterior body of the door with a foamed insulating material such as urethane foam.

[0024] (Handle configuration) Next, a more detailed description will be given of the configuration of the handle portion 30. An external view of the handle portion 30 is shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6.

[0025] The handle portion 30 has a groove portion 31, an upper surface portion 32, a left side surface portion 33a, a right side surface portion 33b, a front surface portion 34, a rear surface portion 35, and an insertion portion 36. The groove portion 31 is located in front of the upper surface portion 32 and has a shape that is concave downward. This concave shape of the groove portion 31 extends along the left-right direction of the freezer compartment door 13.

[0026] The upper surface portion 32, the side surface portion 33a, the side surface portion 33b, the front surface portion 34, and the rear surface portion 35 form the respective surfaces of the handle portion 30. The insertion portion 36 is provided on the inside of the front surface portion 34, the side surface portion 33a, and the side surface portion 33b, following the shapes of these respective surfaces. The insertion portion 36 is inserted into the inside of the metal plate 21. As a result, the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 is sandwiched between the front surface portion 34 and the like and the insertion portion 36.

[0027] The groove 31 has a shape that communicates with the front surface of the main body 20 at both the left and right ends of the handle 30. The shape of the groove 31 will be described in more detail below. In the handle 30 of this embodiment, the groove 31 has a symmetrical shape. Therefore, the shape of the recess from the center of the groove 31 to the left side will be described below. The same configuration as the left side can be applied to the recess shape from the center of the groove 31 to the right side.

[0028] Fig. 7 shows vertical cross sections of the handle portion 30 at the positions shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Here, the vertical cross section of the handle portion 30 refers to a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction (longitudinal direction) of the handle portion 30.

[0029] Each cross-sectional view of the handle portion 30 shown in Fig. 7 corresponds to a cross-sectional view at each position from position A (approximately the center of the handle portion 30) to position J (near the left end portion of the handle portion 30) shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. The interval between adjacent positions varies depending on the dimensions of the freezer door 13, but is 30 mm in one example.

[0030] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the stepwise cross-sectional shape of groove portion 31 from approximately the center in the left-right direction of handle portion 30 (i.e., position A) to the vicinity of the left end portion (i.e., position J). Fig. 8 to Fig. 10 show the cross-sectional views shown in Fig. 7 in an overlapping state.

[0031] The groove portion 31 has a front inclined surface 31a and a rear inclined surface 31b. The front inclined surface 31a is an inclined surface located forward of the lowest part of the groove portion 31. The rear inclined surface 31b is an inclined surface located rearward of the lowest part of the groove portion 31.

[0032] The groove 31 has a left end inclined surface 31c and a right end inclined surface 31d. The left end inclined surface 31c is located near the left side surface 33a of the handle 30. The right end inclined surface 31d is located near the right side surface 33b of the handle 30.

[0033] The depth of groove 31 becomes gradually shallower toward both the left and right ends of handle 30. The depth of groove 31 is represented, for example, by the height from the bottom of groove 31 to the upper end of front inclined surface 31a (see FIG. 8).

[0034] As shown in Fig. 8, the depth d of groove 31 at position A of handle 30 is the maximum depth dmax of the entire groove 31. The depth d of groove 31 gradually becomes shallower toward the left end of handle 30 (i.e., as one moves from position A to position J). As shown in Fig. 8, the position of the upper end of front inclined surface 31a is approximately constant from position A to position J, and the position of the lowermost portion (bottom) of groove 31 gradually becomes higher as one moves from position A to position J.

[0035] In this embodiment, the groove 31 has almost no recess near the ends on both the left and right sides of the handle 30 (for example, at position J). For example, as shown in Fig. 8, at position J, the inclination direction of the front inclined surface 31a of the groove 31 is opposite to the inclination direction of the front inclined surface 31a in the central portion. That is, the inclination direction of the front inclined surface 31a of the groove 31 is reversed at both left and right ends from the inclination direction at the central portion.

[0036] At the recessed end portions located at the left and right ends of groove portion 31, groove portion 31 extends forward (see FIG. 3, etc.). In other words, left end inclined surface 31c and right end inclined surface 31d of groove portion 31 are inclined upward from the lower side of groove portion 31 toward the front side of freezer compartment door 13 (i.e., the side where front portion 34 of handle portion 30 and front portion 21a of metal plate 21 are located).

[0037] In this way, the groove 31 is shaped so that both the left and right ends of the handle 30 are connected to the front surface (i.e., the front surface 21a) of the main body 20. As a result, when a user of the refrigerator 1 places his or her hand on the handle 30 of the freezer door 13 and slides his or her hand laterally (left and right) within the groove 31, the user can pull his or her hand out of the groove 31 naturally and without discomfort along the shape of the left end inclined surface 31c or the right end inclined surface 31d.

[0038] In the conventional handle shape, when the hand is slid sideways in the groove, it hits the wall at the end, and the hand cannot be removed unless the sliding direction of the hand is changed to the forward direction, which makes the user feel uncomfortable when removing the hand from the groove. On the other hand, in the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, the groove is connected to the front, so the user can remove the hand from the groove without intentionally changing the sliding direction of the hand. Therefore, the dirt and dust accumulated in the groove can be easily discharged to the front side, and the cleaning property of the handle can be improved. The surface of the groove 31 of the handle 30 provided on the drawer door is a smooth curved surface over the entire surface. In other words, there are almost no protruding or angular parts on the surface of the groove 31. Therefore, the user can remove the hand from the groove 31 naturally without feeling uncomfortable.

[0039] Next, the inclination angles of the front inclined surface 31a and the rear inclined surface 31b of the groove portion 31 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0040] Here, the inclination angles of the front inclined surface 31a and the rear inclined surface 31b are defined as follows.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 9, the cross section of the front inclined surface 31a has a curved shape. The inclination angle of the straight line obtained by connecting the lowest part of the groove 31 and the inflection point of the curved front inclined surface 31a from the horizontal plane is defined as α. In Fig. 9, the inclination angle α of the front inclined surface 31a at position A is A , and the inclination angle α of the front inclined surface 31a at position I I This shows that.

[0042] 9, the cross section of the rear inclined surface 31b also has a curved shape. Here, the inclination angle of the straight line obtained by connecting the lowest part of the groove 31 and the inflection point of the curved rear inclined surface 31b from the horizontal plane is defined as β. In FIG. 9, the inclination angle β of the rear inclined surface 31b at position A is A , and the inclination angle β of the rear inclined surface 31b at position I. I This shows that.

[0043] When the inclination angle of each inclined surface of the groove is defined as above, in the handle portion 30 according to this embodiment, α>β at approximately the center (e.g., position A) of the groove 31 in the left-right direction. For example, at position A, A >β A On the other hand, in the vicinity of the ends on both the left and right sides of the groove portion 31 (for example, positions I and J), α<β. For example, at position I, α I <β I It is as follows.

[0044] 10, dashed lines connect the lowest part of groove portion 31 with the inflection points of each inclined surface at each position from position A to position J. In the example shown in FIG 10, the magnitude relationship between the inclination angles α and β is reversed around position F or position G.

[0045] In the above method, the angle of the straight line obtained by connecting the lowest part of the groove portion 31 with the inflection point of each curved inclined surface from the horizontal plane is defined as the inclination angle α or β, but the inclination angle of each inclined surface may be defined in a different manner.

[0046] For example, the average inclination angle of each inclined surface may be calculated and compared. For example, the average inclination angle of the front inclined surface 31a is denoted as α', and the average inclination angle of the rear inclined surface 31b is denoted as β' (see FIG. 11).

[0047] Even in this case, in the handle portion 30 according to this embodiment, α'>β' (e.g., α'A>β'A) is satisfied at approximately the center in the left-right direction of the groove portion 31 (e.g., position A, etc.). On the other hand, near the ends on both the left and right sides of the groove portion 31 (e.g., positions I and J, etc.), α'<β' (e.g., α'J>β'J) is satisfied.

[0048] In yet another method, the inclination angle α of the front inclined surface 31a may be compared with the average inclination angle β' of the rear inclined surface 31b. In this case as well, in the handle portion 30 according to this embodiment, α>β' is satisfied at approximately the center of the groove portion 31 in the left-right direction (e.g., position A, etc.). On the other hand, in the vicinity of the ends on both the left and right sides of the groove portion 31 (e.g., positions I and J, etc.), α<β' is satisfied.

[0049] In addition, in the handle portion 30 according to this embodiment, when the rate of change of the inclination angle α from the center to both ends in the left-right direction of the groove is compared with the rate of change of the inclination angle β from the center to both ends in the left-right direction of the groove, (Rate of change of α)>(Rate of change of β) (See Figure 7.)

[0050] That is, the degree of inclination of the front inclined surface 31a of the groove 31 changes more significantly between the center and the end in the left-right direction of the groove 31, while the degree of inclination of the rear inclined surface 31b does not change much between the center and the end in the left-right direction. As a result, since the inclination angle (α or α') of the front inclined surface 31a is large in the center in the left-right direction, when the hand placed in the groove is pulled forward, the hand is less likely to slip out, and the hand can be securely placed on the handle. On the other hand, the inclination angle of the front inclined surface 31a becomes smaller toward the end in the left-right direction, and the hand placed in the groove is more likely to slip out. Therefore, the user naturally puts the hand on the center of the left-right part of the handle, and dirt and dust are less likely to accumulate at the left and right ends. In addition, the inclination angle of the front inclined surface 31a becomes smaller near the end in the left-right direction, and the lowest part of the groove is exposed to the front, so that even if dirt and dust accumulate in the groove, they can be easily seen, and since the groove is connected to the front, they can be easily removed.

[0051] In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 7 to 11, the position of the bottom of the groove gradually becomes higher and moves forward as it moves from the center of the groove in the left-right direction to both left and right ends. More precisely, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 6, the bottom of the groove moves gently forward from position A to near position F, gradually retreats from near position F to near position H, and moves toward the front surface of the door from near position H. Then, near position J, the bottom of the groove disappears at a position slightly behind the front surface of the door. That is, the groove disappears without reaching the front surface 34 while moving toward the front surface of the door near position J. Therefore, since no groove is formed in the front surface 34, the front surface of the door can be kept flat. Note that the position of the bottom of the groove retreats once from near position F to near position H, but this occurs due to the relationship between the inclination angle of the front inclined surface 31a of the groove and the depth of the groove, and it may not retreat from position A to position J, for example.

[0052] (Summary of the first embodiment) As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes a door such as the freezer door 13. The freezer door 13 includes a main body 20 and a handle 30 provided at the upper end of the main body 20. The handle 30 has a groove 31 recessed downward. The groove 31 extends along the left-right direction of the main body 20. The groove 31 has a shape that communicates with the front surface of the main body 20 (specifically, the front surface 21a) at at least either the left or right end of the handle 30.

[0053] The recesses provided in the grips of the doors of conventional refrigerators are composed of flat walls and have an overall linear and angular shape. This shape makes it difficult to remove dirt that has accumulated in the recesses. In particular, dirt and dust tend to accumulate in the angular corners of the recesses, making it difficult to remove them.

[0054] In contrast, the groove 31 provided on the freezer compartment door 13 of this embodiment has a shape that communicates with the front surface of the main body 20 (specifically, the front surface 21a) at both left and right end portions of the handle portion 30. More specifically, the left and right end portions of the groove 31 are provided with a left end inclined surface 31c and a right end inclined surface 31d that connect to the front surface of the main body 20 (i.e., the front surface 21a).

[0055] According to the above configuration, when a brush, hand, etc. is slid laterally inside groove 31 of handle 30, the brush, hand, etc. can be pulled out of the groove from either the left or right end without resistance. This makes it easy to remove dirt from inside the groove.

[0056] In addition, the wall surface of the groove portion 31 is smoothly curved as a whole, which improves the aesthetic appearance of the handle portion 30. As a result, the design of the refrigerator 1 when viewed from the front can be improved.

[0057] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the handle portion of at least one door of the refrigerator is different from that of the first embodiment. The same configuration as that of the first embodiment can be applied to the other configurations. In the following, a drawer-type door 114 provided in the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment will be described as an example. The configuration of the door 114 can be applied to doors such as a vegetable compartment door, a freezer compartment door, and an ice compartment door.

[0058] 12 to 14 show the appearance of door 114. In this embodiment, the middle section of refrigerator 1 is divided into two storage compartments, a left one and a right one. Each storage compartment is provided with a door. Door 114 is, for example, the door of an ice-making compartment located on the right side of the middle section of refrigerator 1.

[0059] The door 114 mainly includes a metal plate 21, a back member 22, a lower cap member 23, a handle portion 130, and a heat insulating material (not shown). The outer shape of the door 114 is formed by the metal plate 21, the back member 22, the lower cap member 23, and the handle portion 130. In this embodiment, a portion formed by the members other than the handle portion 130 among the members constituting the outer shape of the door 114 is called a main body portion 20 of the door. In other words, the main body portion 20 includes the metal plate 21, the back member 22, and the lower cap member 23. The same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied to the main body portion 20.

[0060] The handle portion 130 is attached to the upper edge of the metal plate 21. The handle portion 130 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The handle portion 130 has a groove portion 131, an upper surface portion 32, side portions 33a and 33b, a front surface portion 34, a rear surface portion 35, and an insertion portion 36. The groove portion 131 is located in front of the upper surface portion 32, and has a shape that is concave downward. This concave shape of the groove portion 131 extends along the left-right direction of the door 114.

[0061] The groove 131 has a shape that communicates with the front surface of the main body 20 at the right end of the handle 130. As in the first embodiment, the groove 131 has a front inclined surface 31a and a rear inclined surface 31b. The groove 131 also has a right end inclined surface 31d. Meanwhile, at the left end of the handle 130, the groove 131 has a vertical end surface 131e that extends approximately vertically up and down.

[0062] In the handle portion 30 according to the first embodiment, the groove portion 31 has a shape that communicates with the front surface of the main body portion 20 at both the left and right ends of the handle portion 30, but in this embodiment, only the right end portion of the handle portion 130 has a shape that communicates with the front surface of the main body portion 20. In this way, the groove portion of the handle portion may be configured to communicate with the front surface of the main body portion at at least either the left or right end portion of the handle portion.

[0063] The shape of the recess of the groove 131 is the same as that of the portion from the center to the right side of the groove 31 of the handle part 30 according to the first embodiment.

[0064] Specifically, the depth of groove 131 becomes gradually shallower toward the right end of handle 130.

[0065] Furthermore, if the inclination angles of the front inclined surface 31a and the rear inclined surface 31b of the groove 131 are defined in the same manner as in the first embodiment, in the handle 130 according to this embodiment, α>β is satisfied at the left end of the groove 131 (corresponding to approximately the center in the left-right direction in the first embodiment). On the other hand, in the vicinity of the right end of the groove 31, α<β is satisfied.

[0066] Furthermore, α>β also holds at approximately the center in the left-right direction of groove portion 131. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of groove portion 131 at approximately the center in the left-right direction is similar to the cross-sectional shape at position E or position F shown in FIG.

[0067] In addition, in the handle portion 130 according to this embodiment, when the rate of change of the inclination angle α from the left end to the right end of the groove is compared with the rate of change of the inclination angle β from the left end to the right end of the groove, (Rate of change of α)>(Rate of change of β) It is as follows.

[0068] As described above, groove 131 is shaped to connect to the front surface (i.e., front surface 21a) of main body 20 at the right end of handle 30. As a result, when a user of refrigerator 1 places his / her hand on handle 130 of door 114 and slides his / her hand laterally (specifically, to the right) within groove 131, he / she can pull his / her hand out of groove 131 naturally and without discomfort along the shape of right end inclined surface 31d.

[0069] This embodiment is preferably applied to a door of a refrigerator having a configuration in which the door is divided into two in the left-right direction of the refrigerator.

[0070] In this embodiment, the door located on the right side of the refrigerator 1, which is divided into two doors in the left-right direction, has been described as an example, but the configuration of this embodiment can also be applied to the door located on the left side of the refrigerator 1. In this case, it is preferable to apply a configuration symmetrical to the handle portion 130 shown in FIG. 12 and other figures. This provides a handle portion having a recessed shape similar to the handle portion 30 of the freezer door 13 described in the first embodiment when the two doors located on the left and right sides are joined together. This increases the sense of unity of the configuration when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front, improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0071] (summary) A refrigerator door (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12, freezer compartment door 13, door 114) according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a main body portion (e.g., main body portion 20) and a handle portion (e.g., handle portion 30, 130) provided at an upper end portion of the main body portion. The handle portion has a groove portion (e.g., groove portion 31, 131) recessed downward. The groove portion extends along the left-right direction of the main body portion. The groove portion has a shape that communicates with the front surface (e.g., front surface portion 21a) of the main body portion at at least either the left or right end portion of the handle portion.

[0072] In the refrigerator door (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12, freezer compartment door 13, door 114) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, the depth of the groove portion (e.g., groove portions 31, 131) may be gradually shallower toward at least either the left or right end of the handle portion.

[0073] In a door of a refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12, freezer compartment door 13, door 114), in a cross section of the groove (e.g., groove 31, 131) perpendicular to the left-right direction, if the inclination angle from the horizontal plane of a straight line obtained by connecting the lowest part of the groove and an inflection point on a front inclined surface of the groove (e.g., front inclined surface 31a) is α, and the inclination angle from the horizontal plane of a straight line obtained by connecting the lowest part of the groove and an inflection point on a rear inclined surface of the groove (e.g., rear inclined surface 31b) is β, At a central portion of the groove in the left-right direction, α>β, At least either one of the ends of the groove in the left-right direction may satisfy α<β.

[0074] In a door of a refrigerator according to any one of the above aspects of the present invention (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12, freezer compartment door 13, door 114), when a rate of change of the α from a center portion in the left-right direction to at least one end portion in the left-right direction in the groove portion (e.g., groove portion 31, 131) is compared with a rate of change of the β from a center portion in the left-right direction to at least one end portion in the left-right direction in the groove portion, (Rate of change of α)>(Rate of change of β) It may be as follows.

[0075] In a refrigerator door (e.g., vegetable compartment door 12, freezer compartment door 13, door 114) relating to any of the above-mentioned aspects of the present invention, the inclination direction of the front side surface (e.g., front inclined surface 31a) of the groove portion (e.g., groove portion 31) may be reversed at at least any one of the ends in the left-right direction from the inclination direction of the center in the left-right direction.

[0076] A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention (for example, refrigerator 1) includes a door according to any one of the above aspects of the present invention (for example, vegetable compartment door 12, freezer compartment door 13, door 114).

[0077] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. In addition, configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described in this specification are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1: Refrigerator 12: Vegetable compartment door 13: Freezer door 20: (Door) Body 21: Metal plate 21a: Front part (front of main body) 30: (Door) handle 31: Groove 31a: Front slope 31b: Rear inclined surface 31c: Right end inclined surface 31d: Left end inclined surface 114: Door 130: Handle 131: Groove 131e: Vertical end face α: Angle of inclination of the front inclined surface β: Angle of inclination of rear inclined surface

Claims

1. A refrigerator door, A main body portion, A handle portion provided at an upper end portion of the main body portion; Equipped with The handle portion has a groove portion recessed downward, The groove portion extends along the left-right direction of the main body portion, The groove portion has a shape that communicates with the front surface of the main body portion at at least either the left or right end of the handle portion.

2. 2. The door according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the groove portion gradually decreases toward at least one of the left and right ends of the handle portion.

3. In a cross section of the groove portion taken along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction, The inclination angle of a straight line obtained by connecting the lowest part of the groove portion and the inflection point on the inclined surface on the front side of the groove portion from the horizontal plane is defined as α, If the inclination angle of a straight line obtained by connecting the lowest part of the groove portion and the inflection point on the inclined surface on the rear side of the groove portion from the horizontal plane is β, At a central portion of the groove in the left-right direction, α>β. At least one of the ends of the groove in the left and right direction satisfies α<β. The door of claim 1.

4. a rate of change of the α from a central portion of the groove portion in the left-right direction to at least one end portion in the left-right direction; and a rate of change of β from a central portion of the groove portion in the left-right direction to at least one of the ends in the left-right direction; and Comparing, (Rate of change in α) > (Rate of change in β) 4. The door according to claim 3 .

5. The direction of inclination of the side surface on the front side of the groove portion is reversed at at least any one of the ends in the left-right direction from the direction of inclination of the central portion in the left-right direction. The door of claim 1.

6. A refrigerator comprising the door according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images