Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of making effective use of a dead space formed in the upper part of a refrigerator body while suppressing the occurrence of such a problem that it is easy for a user to hear the driving sound of a compressor.SOLUTION: A refrigerator in the present embodiment includes a refrigerator body, a storage room provided in the upper part of the refrigerator body, a cooler provided in the upper part of the storage room, a blower provided on the front side relative to the cooler, a heat insulation material provided at least on the front side relative to the blower, and a compressor in the lower part of the refrigerator body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

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 refrigeration cycle mechanism including a cooler that generates cold air and a compressor that pressure-feeds refrigerant to the cooler. In this type of refrigerator, the cooler is disposed in a cooler chamber provided in a middle or lower part of the rear wall of the refrigerator body. The compressor is disposed in a machine chamber provided in the rear part of the lower part of the refrigerator body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-247440 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional refrigerators described above, the rear part of the upper part of the storage chamber located at the top of the refrigerator body is difficult for the user to reach, and this part becomes dead space. In recent years, therefore, it has been considered to place the compressor in this dead space, i.e., the rear part of the upper part of the refrigerator body. This allows the storage chamber located at the bottom of the refrigerator body to be expanded to the part where the compressor was previously located, and therefore makes it possible to expand the storage space of the storage chamber that is easy for the user to reach.

[0005] However, in a configuration in which the compressor is located at the upper rear of the refrigerator body, the compressor is located close to the user's head, which creates a new problem in that the compressor's operating noise is easily heard by the user.

[0006] The present embodiment provides a refrigerator that can effectively utilize the dead space formed at the top of the refrigerator main body while suppressing the occurrence of the problem that the compressor's driving noise becomes easily audible to the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The refrigerator according to this embodiment comprises a refrigerator main body, a storage compartment provided at an upper portion of the refrigerator main body, a cooler provided at an upper portion of the storage compartment, a blower provided forward of the cooler, an insulating material provided at least forward of the blower, and a compressor provided at a lower portion of the refrigerator main body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [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. 2 is a front view showing an example of the internal configuration of a refrigeration compartment according to the present embodiment; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing an example of the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a rear view showing an example of the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a schematic configuration example of a rear part of an upper part of a refrigeration compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a rear view showing an example of the configuration of the upper rear part of a refrigerator compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of setting dimensions of each part in a refrigeration cooler according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of setting dimensions of each part in a refrigeration cooler according to a modified example of the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of a rear part of an upper part of a refrigeration compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a schematic configuration example of a corner of the heat-insulating box according to the present embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration example of an internal duct in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration example of an internal duct according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a bottom view showing a schematic configuration example of an internal duct according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the refrigerator will be described with reference to the drawings. A refrigerator 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 has a rectangular box-shaped insulated box 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. The insulated box 11 is an example of a refrigerator body constituting the main body of the refrigerator 10. Various storage items such as food items can be stored inside the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. That is, a storage space capable of accommodating the storage items is formed inside the storage chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the insulated box 11 is configured to include a heat insulating material between an inner box and an outer box. As the heat insulating material constituting the insulated box 11, various heat insulating materials such as vacuum insulation panels, urethane foam, and heat insulating molded bodies molded from heat insulating materials can be applied.

[0010] 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".

[0011] The refrigerator compartment 12 is the storage compartment provided at the top of the insulated box 11 among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 provided in the refrigerator 10. 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 storage compartment provided at the bottom of the insulated box 11 among the multiple storage compartments 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 provided in the refrigerator 10.

[0012] 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 12D[R] and 12D[L]. 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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].

[0015] 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.

[0016] As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, a chilled compartment 20 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 12. In this case, the chilled compartment 20 is provided in the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 12. The chilled compartment 20 is an example of a special storage compartment provided in a basic storage compartment. Since the chilled compartment 20 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 20 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 different from the basic temperature zone. In this case, the chilled temperature zone is assumed to be a temperature zone lower than the chilled temperature zone.

[0017] A plurality of containers capable of holding stored items, in this case three containers, a large container 21, a medium container 22, and a small container 23, are housed within the chilled compartment 20 and can be pulled out in the front-to-rear direction. With large container 21, medium container 22, and small container 23 provided in a pull-out manner within the chilled compartment 20, a user can take out and put stored items into and out of the innermost parts of large container 21, medium container 22, and small container 23 by pulling out large container 21, medium container 22, and small container 23 forward.

[0018] In this case, the large container 21 is provided in the upper region R1 in the chilled compartment 20. The upper region R1 is an example of a first cooling region. The middle container 22 and the small container 23 are provided in the lower region R2 in the chilled compartment 20. The lower region R2 is an example of a second cooling region. The middle container 22 and the small container 23 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction below the large container 21. In this case, as viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10, the middle container 22 is arranged on the right side of the lower region R2 in the chilled compartment 20, and the small container 23 is arranged on the left side of the lower region R2 in the chilled compartment 20. Note that, as viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10, the middle container 22 may be arranged on the left side of the lower region R2 in the chilled compartment 20, and the small container 23 may be arranged on the right side of the lower region R2 in the chilled compartment 20.

[0019] In the lower region R2 of the chilled compartment 20, a water supply tank 24 is housed to the left of the small container 23 and can be pulled out in the front-rear direction. The water supply tank 24 is a tank that can store water for making ice. Although not shown in detail, the water stored in the water supply tank 24 is supplied to the ice maker in the ice making chamber 14 via a water supply pipe by a pump.

[0020] Large container 21 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. Although the front part of large container 21 is provided with handle 21a on which a user places his / her fingers, the front opening of upper region R1 is generally open when large container 21 is housed in upper region R1 of chilled compartment 20. Therefore, a user can put items in and take items out of large container 21 to a certain extent without pulling large container 21 out of chilled compartment 20.

[0021] The inner container 22 is an example of the second container, and in this case, is formed in a deep rectangular box shape with an open top. The front part of the inner container 22 is wall-shaped, and when the inner container 22 is accommodated in the lower region R2 in the chilled chamber 20, it is configured to almost close the front opening of the lower region R2.

[0022] Small container 23 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 23 is also wall-shaped, and is configured to substantially close the front opening of lower region R2 when small container 23 is accommodated in lower region R2 in chilled chamber 20.

[0023] The large container 21, the medium container 22, and the small container 23 each have a different size of storage space for storing stored items. In this case, the size of the storage space of the large container 21 is the largest among the multiple containers 21, 22, and 23. The size of the storage space of the small container 23 is the smallest among the multiple containers 21, 22, and 23. The size of the storage space of the medium container 22 is smaller than the storage space of the large container 21 and larger than the storage space of the small container 23.

[0024] A plate-shaped partition shelf member 30 is provided above the large container 21. The chilled compartment 20 is formed by the space below this partition shelf member 30. The partition shelf member 30 separates the space between the partition shelf member 30 and the large container 21 as part of the chilled compartment 20 from the refrigerating compartment 12.

[0025] The height of the partition shelf member 30 is adjustable above the large container 21. To explain in more detail, the left and right ends of the partition shelf member 30 are selectively placed on any one of a plurality of protruding stages (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the refrigeration compartment 12. Therefore, the user can appropriately adjust the height of the partition shelf member 30 above the large container 21.

[0026] In conventional refrigerators, a chilled compartment door is rotatably attached to the front end of the member corresponding to the partition shelf member 30, making it difficult to configure the height of the member corresponding to the partition shelf member 30 to be changeable. According to refrigerator 10 according to the present disclosure, a chilled compartment door is not provided on partition shelf member 30, so it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the height of partition shelf member 30 is changeable as described above.

[0027] The protrusion (not shown) may be, for example, a bead-shaped protrusion integrally provided on the inner box forming the inner surface of the insulating box body 11, or may be a fastener attached to the inner box. The number of steps of the protrusion is preferably two or more, but may be one. If the number of steps of the protrusion is one, the height position of the partition shelf member 30 cannot be adjusted.

[0028] Furthermore, 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 shelf member 30 is provided as a component separate from these shelf members 12T. However, the partition shelf member 30 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 shelf member 30.

[0029] The upper region R1 in the chilled compartment 20 is configured not to have a chilled compartment door that makes the chilled compartment 20 a generally sealed space. That is, the upper region R1 in the chilled compartment 20 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 21 and the partition shelf member 30 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, the refrigerator 10 is configured so that at least a part of the space between the large container 21 and the partition shelf member 30, i.e., the part facing the open refrigerator compartment door, is open to the front.

[0030] Furthermore, the lower region R2 in the chilled chamber 20 does not have a chilled chamber door that would make the inside of the chilled chamber 20 a generally sealed space. However, the front surface of the middle container 22 and the front surface of the small container 23 housed in the lower region R2 in the chilled chamber 20 are configured to function as a chilled chamber lid that closes the lower region R2 in the chilled chamber 20.

[0031] When the left refrigerator door 12D[L] closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the right refrigerator door 12D[R] opens the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12, for example, at an opening angle of 90 degrees or more, the small container 23 cannot be pulled out forward, but the middle container 22 can be pulled out forward. On the other hand, when the right refrigerator door 12D[R] closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 and the left refrigerator door 12D[L] opens the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12, for example, at an opening angle of 90 degrees or more, the middle container 22 cannot be pulled out forward, but the small container 23 can be pulled out forward.

[0032] As illustrated in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the refrigerator 10 has a plurality of injection ports, in this case four injection ports 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D, on the rear surface of the insulating box 11. The injection ports 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D are respectively arranged in a dispersed manner at the corners of the rear surface of the insulating box 11. These injection ports 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D are openings for injecting the stock solution of the foaming insulation material into the insulating box 11 when manufacturing the refrigerator 10. The stock solution injected into the insulating box 11 foams between the inner box and the outer box that constitute the insulating box 11. As a result, the foaming insulation material is formed in the insulating box 11.

[0033] The refrigerator 10 also includes a machine room 40. In this case, the machine room 40 is provided behind the large freezer room 16. In other words, the machine room 40 is provided at the rear of the lower part of the insulated box body 11. Mechanical components such as a compressor 41 are housed in the machine room 40. The machine room 40 also houses a water storage section 42. The water storage section 42 is in the form of a container formed to surround the periphery of the compressor 41, and is capable of storing water therein.

[0034] The refrigerator 10 also includes a freezer cooler chamber 50. In this case, the freezer cooler chamber 50 is provided behind the ice making chamber 14, the small freezer chamber 15, and the large freezer chamber 16. The freezer cooler chamber 50 is provided above the machine chamber 40. The freezer cooler chamber 50 contains a freezer cooler 51, a freezer blower 52, and the like. The freezer cooler 51 constitutes a well-known refrigeration cycle mechanism together with the above-mentioned compressor 41, and generates cold air for cooling the ice making chamber 14, the small freezer chamber 15, and the large freezer chamber 16 to within a predetermined freezing temperature range. The freezer blower 52 is provided above the freezer cooler 51 in the freezer cooler chamber 50, and blows the cold air generated by the freezer cooler 51 into the ice making chamber 14, the small freezer chamber 15, and the large freezer chamber 16.

[0035] The refrigerator 10 also includes a refrigeration cooler chamber 100. In this case, the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 is provided at the rear of the upper part of the refrigerator chamber 12. In other words, the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 is provided at the rear of the upper part of the insulated box body 11. The space at the rear of the upper part of the refrigerator chamber 12 provided at the upper part of the insulated box body 11 is difficult for the user to reach, and tends to become a so-called dead space. The refrigerator 10 according to the present disclosure is configured to include the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 in such a dead space.

[0036] The space within the refrigeration cooling chamber 100 is a space partitioned at the rear of the upper part of the refrigeration chamber 12 from a storage space formed within the refrigeration chamber 12. The space within the refrigeration cooling chamber 100 can be defined as an example of a cooler installation section.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the refrigerator cooler chamber 100 contains a refrigerator cooler 101, a refrigerator blower 102, and the like. The refrigerator cooler 101 constitutes a well-known refrigeration cycle mechanism together with the above-mentioned compressor 41, and generates cold air for cooling the refrigerator chamber 12, the chilled chamber 20, and the vegetable chamber 13 to a temperature range of a predetermined refrigeration temperature zone. The refrigerator blower 102 is provided in front of the refrigerator cooler 101 in the refrigerator cooler chamber 100, and blows the cold air generated by the refrigerator cooler 101 into the refrigerator chamber 12, the chilled chamber 20, and the vegetable chamber 13. The refrigerator cooler chamber 100 is provided with a plurality of refrigerator blowers 102, in this case, two refrigerator blowers 102. The plurality of refrigerator blowers 102 are arranged along the left-right direction.

[0038] Further, an external heat insulating material 103 is provided inside the refrigeration cooling chamber 100. The external heat insulating material 103 is made of a resin-based material having heat insulating properties, such as polystyrene foam, and in this case, is provided in front of and below the refrigeration blower 102. Note that the external heat insulating material 103 may be configured to be provided at least in front of the refrigeration blower 102, and not below the refrigeration blower 102.

[0039] Further, a cold air flow path 104 is provided in the refrigeration cooling chamber 100. The cold air flow path 104 is a passage for flowing the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooling device 101 into the storage space in the refrigeration chamber 12 and the storage space in the chilled chamber 20. In this case, the cold air flow path 104 is provided at least from the front side of the refrigeration cooling device 101 and the refrigeration blower 102 to the lower side of the refrigeration cooling device 101 and the refrigeration blower 102.

[0040] The cold air flow path 104 may be provided at least in front of the refrigeration cooler 101 and the refrigeration blower 102, but not below the refrigeration cooler 101 and the refrigeration blower 102. Alternatively, the cold air flow path 104 may be provided at least below the refrigeration cooler 101 and the refrigeration blower 102, but not in front of the refrigeration cooler 101 and the refrigeration blower 102.

[0041] In the refrigerator cooler compartment 100, the above-mentioned outer insulation material 103 is provided between the cold air flow path 104 and the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12. In addition, in the refrigerator cooler compartment 100, an inner insulation material 105 is provided between the cold air flow path 104 and the refrigerator cooler 101.

[0042] The inner insulation material 105 is made of a resin material having thermal insulation properties, such as polystyrene foam, and in this case, is provided in front of and below the refrigeration cooler 101. The refrigeration blower 102 is disposed so as to be embedded in a portion of the inner insulation material 105 located in front of the refrigeration cooler chamber 100. The cold air flow path 104 is formed between the outer insulation material 103 and the inner insulation material 105.

[0043] The inner insulation material 105 may be provided at least in front of the cold storage cooler 101. Alternatively, the inner insulation material 105 may be provided at least below the cold storage cooler 101. The refrigerator 10 may be provided with at least one of the outer insulation material 103 and the inner insulation material 105. That is, the refrigerator 10 may be provided with an insulation material at least either between the cold air flow path 104 and the storage space of the refrigerator compartment 12, or between the cold air flow path 104 and the cold storage cooler 101.

[0044] In addition, a drain gutter 106 is provided below the refrigeration cooler 101 in the refrigeration cooler chamber 100. The drain gutter 106 is located between the refrigeration cooler 101 and the cold air flow path 104, and is adapted to receive water generated from the refrigeration cooler 101 during defrosting operation to melt frost adhering to the refrigeration cooler 101, for example. A part of the above-mentioned inner insulation material 105, in this case a part located below the refrigeration cooler 101, is provided between the drain gutter 106 and the cold air flow path 104.

[0045] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the refrigeration cooler 101 is formed in a long rectangular shape along the left-right direction of the heat-insulating box 11. In addition, refrigerant pipes 101p constituting a refrigeration cycle mechanism protrude from both left and right ends of the refrigeration cooler 101. In addition, an accumulator 101q constituting a refrigeration cycle mechanism together with the refrigeration cooler 101 is disposed on the side of the refrigeration cooler 101, in this case, on the right side as viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. The left-right dimension H3 of the drain gutter 106 is larger than the left-right dimension H4 of not only the refrigeration cooler 101 but also the entire cooler unit including the refrigerant pipes 101p and the accumulator 101q. Therefore, the drain gutter 106 is designed to receive not only the water from the refrigeration cooler 101 but also the water dripping from the refrigerant pipes 101p and the accumulator 101q.

[0046] In the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, the dimensions of the refrigeration cooler 101 are made as short as possible in the up-down and front-rear directions and as long as possible in the left-right direction in order to minimize the amount of protrusion of the refrigeration cooler 101 forward or downward in the storage space in the refrigeration chamber 12. Therefore, the refrigerant pipe 101p and the accumulator 101q are also arranged to the side of the refrigeration cooler 101, rather than to the front or below, in order to minimize the amount of protrusion of the refrigeration cooler 101 forward or downward in the storage space in the refrigeration chamber 12.

[0047] Drain gutter 106 also includes drain outlet 106a. In this case, drain outlet 106a is provided at the bottom of the right end of drain gutter 106 when viewed from the front side of refrigerator 10. The bottom surface of drain gutter 106 is inclined downward toward drain outlet 106a. Therefore, water received in drain gutter 106 easily flows over the bottom surface of drain gutter 106 toward drain outlet 106a.

[0048] 6, a control device 60 is provided in a portion of the heat-insulating box 11 above the refrigeration cooler 101. The control device 60 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, for example, and can control the overall operation of the refrigerator 10 based on a control program and various setting information. The control device 60 is configured to be disposed above the refrigeration cooler 101 via the heat-insulating box 11.

[0049] A vacuum insulation material 11S is provided inside a portion of the insulating box 11 that is located between the control device 60 and the cold storage cooler 101. The control device 60 may be provided behind the cold storage cooler 101 via the insulating box 11. In this case, it is also preferable to provide a vacuum insulation material 11S inside a portion of the insulating box 11 that is located between the control device 60 and the cold storage cooler 101.

[0050] Further, between the control device 60 and the refrigeration cooler 101, a foam insulation material 11T is provided. The surface forming the inside of the heat-insulating box 11 between the control device 60 and the refrigeration cooler 101 includes at least a first surface 11M and a second surface 11N. The first surface 11M is along a predetermined direction, in this case, the front-rear direction of the heat-insulating box 11. The second surface 11N is inclined from the rear end of the first surface 11M toward the refrigeration cooler 101, in this case, downward. The foam insulation material 11T is provided at least outside the first surface 11M and the second surface 11N. It is sufficient that the foam insulation material 11T is provided at least outside the second surface 11N.

[0051] The rear end of the vacuum insulation material 11S extends at least rearward of the rear end of the first surface 11M, in other words, rearward of the front end of the second surface 11N. The control device 60 is disposed forward of the rear end of the vacuum insulation material 11S. This allows the vacuum insulation material 11S to provide sufficient insulation between the control device 60 and the refrigeration cooler 101.

[0052] 8, the top surface of the heat-insulating box 11 is defined as a reference plane K1, a direction perpendicular to this reference plane K1, i.e., a vertical direction F1, is defined as a first reference direction, and a front-rear direction F2 that intersects with this vertical direction F1, in this case, perpendicular thereto, is defined as a second reference direction. In this case, a dimension H10 in the front-rear direction F2 of the end face of the refrigeration cooler 101 on the reference plane K1 side, i.e., the upper side, in the vertical direction F1, is smaller than a dimension H11 in the front-rear direction F2 of the end face of the refrigeration cooler 101 on the opposite side to the reference plane K1, i.e., the lower side, in the vertical direction F1.

[0053] Cold storage cooler 101 is configured with fin blocks 101a, 101b, and 101c, each of which has a plurality of fins arranged in the left-right direction, arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction (three stages in this case). Cold storage cooler 101 is configured such that the dimension H10 in the front-to-rear direction F2 of fin block 101a, the uppermost of these three fin blocks 101a, 101b, and 101c, is smaller than the dimensions H11 in the front-to-rear direction F2 of the other fin blocks 101b and 101c.

[0054] In this case, the refrigeration cooler 101 is configured such that fin blocks arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction are formed in only one row in the front-rear direction. However, the refrigeration cooler 101 may be configured such that fin blocks arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction are formed in multiple rows in the front-rear direction. In this case, the refrigeration cooler 101 may be configured such that the number of rows of fin blocks in the vertical direction is greater than, less than, or the same as the number of rows of fin blocks in the front-rear direction.

[0055] 9, the rear surface of the heat-insulating box 11 may be defined as a reference surface K1, a direction perpendicular to the reference surface K1, i.e., the front-rear direction F1, may be defined as a first reference direction, and a vertical direction F2 intersecting the front-rear direction F1, in this case, perpendicular thereto, may be defined as a second reference direction. In this case, the dimension H20 in the vertical direction F2 of the end face of the refrigeration cooler 101 on the reference surface K1 side, i.e., the rear side, in the front-rear direction F1 may be smaller than the dimension H21 in the vertical direction F2 of the end face of the refrigeration cooler 101 on the opposite side to the reference surface K1, i.e., the front side, in the front-rear direction F1.

[0056] 10, a cooler chamber cover 110 constituting the outer shell of the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 functions as an example of a partition member separating the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 from the storage space in the refrigeration chamber 12. A return port 111 is provided in the rear portion of the cooler chamber cover 110.

[0057] The return port 111 forms an opening for returning air in the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12 to the refrigeration cooler 101. In this case, the return port 111 is provided in the rear portions of both the left and right side surfaces of the cooler chamber cover 110 and in the rear portion of the bottom surface of the cooler chamber cover 110. The return port 111 is an opening made up of a plurality of slits. The return ports 111 provided on both the left and right side surfaces of the cooler chamber cover 110 are formed by a plurality of slits extending in the up-down direction. The return port 111 provided on the bottom surface of the cooler chamber cover 110 is formed by a plurality of slits extending in the left-right direction.

[0058] 4 and 5, refrigerator 10 includes drain pipe 120 for discharging water from drain gutter 106. Drain pipe 120 includes at least upper drain pipe 121 and intermediate drain pipe 122.

[0059] The upper drain pipe 121 is an example of the first portion, and at least a part of it is disposed between the above-mentioned refrigeration cooler 101 and the return port 111. The upper end of the upper drain pipe 121 is connected to the drain port 106a of the drain gutter 106. The lower end of the upper drain pipe 121 is bent laterally and connected to the upper end of the intermediate drain pipe 122.

[0060] 11, the intermediate drain pipe 122 is an example of the second portion, and is a portion disposed in a corner portion 11K formed between a side portion and a rear portion of the heat-insulating box 11. The intermediate drain pipe 122 is farther from the cold air flow path 104 than the upper drain pipe 121.

[0061] 4 and 5, drain pipe 120 further has lower drain pipe 123. Lower drain pipe 123 is an example of a third portion, and is curved from the lower end of intermediate drain pipe 122 toward compressor 41 so as to avoid injection port 11C, and is led out onto water storage section 42 provided around compressor 41. Therefore, injection port 11C is configured to be located between intermediate drain pipe 122 and lower drain pipe 123 when viewed from the front side or the rear side of refrigerator 10.

[0062] Water discharged from the drain gutter 106 through the drain pipe 120 passes through the upper drain pipe 121 and the intermediate drain pipe 122 in this order, and is finally led out from the lower drain pipe 123 into the water storage section 42 and stored in the water storage section 42. The water stored in the water storage section 42 can evaporate naturally because the top surface of the water storage section 42 is open. In addition, because the compressor 41 is located near the water storage section 42, the evaporation of the water in the water storage section 42 is promoted by the heat generated by the compressor 41.

[0063] 12, an internal duct 130 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator cooler chamber 100 so as to extend downward along the rear surface of the refrigerator chamber 12. The cold air flow path 104 extends not only within the refrigerator cooler chamber 100 but also from within the refrigerator cooler chamber 100 to within the internal duct 130.

[0064] 13, the refrigeration cooling chamber 100 is provided with a first refrigeration chamber cold air outlet 141. The interior duct 130 is provided with a plurality of outlets, in this case, a second refrigeration chamber cold air outlet 142 and a third refrigeration chamber cold air outlet 143.

[0065] The first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 is an example of a first outlet, and passes through the front surface of the refrigerator cooling chamber 100 and the outer insulation material 103 to communicate with the inside of the storage space of the refrigerator compartment 12. The second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 142 and the third refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 143 are examples of second outlets, and pass through the front surface of the internal duct 130 to communicate with the inside of the storage space of the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0066] The first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 is provided at least above the above-mentioned return port 111. The second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 142 and the third refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 143 are provided at least below the above-mentioned return port 111. It is sufficient that the refrigerator 10 is configured so that at least the second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 142 is provided below the return port 111.

[0067] The second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 142 is provided below the first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 and has a larger opening than the first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141. The third refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 143 is provided below the first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 and the second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 142 and has a larger opening than the first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 and the second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 142. That is, the opening areas of the multiple refrigerator compartment cold air outlets 141, 142, 143 are smaller the higher the cold air outlets are located.

[0068] In addition, the internal duct 130 is provided with a plurality of cold air outlets for the chilled compartment, in this case a cold air outlet 151 for a large container, a cold air outlet 152 for a medium container, and a cold air outlet 153 for a small container. In this case, the cold air outlet 151 for the large container, the cold air outlet 152 for the medium container, and the cold air outlet 153 for the small container are provided at the lower end of the internal duct 130, and are all located below the plurality of cold air outlets 141, 142, and 143 for the refrigerator compartment. The cold air outlet 151 for the large container, the cold air outlet 152 for the medium container, and the cold air outlet 153 for the small container are all examples of special outlets, and penetrate the front of the internal duct 130 to communicate with the chilled compartment 20.

[0069] The cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 is supplied from the cold air outlets 141, 142, and 143 for the refrigeration compartment through the cold air flow path 104 by the blowing action of the refrigeration blower 102 into the storage space of the refrigeration compartment 12. As a result, the inside of the storage space of the refrigeration compartment 12 is cooled to within the temperature range of a predetermined refrigeration temperature zone.

[0070] The cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 is supplied to the large container 21 in the chilled compartment 20 from the large container cold air outlet 151 through the cold air flow path 104 by the blowing action of the refrigeration blower 102. This causes the inside of the large container 21 to be cooled to within the temperature range of a predetermined chilled temperature zone.

[0071] The cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 is supplied to the inner container 22 in the chilled compartment 20 from the inner container cold air outlet 152 through the cold air flow path 104 by the blowing action of the refrigeration blower 102. This causes the inside of the inner container 22 to be cooled to within the temperature range of the predetermined chilled temperature zone.

[0072] The cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 is supplied to the small container 23 in the chilled compartment 20 from the cold air outlet 153 for the small container through the cold air flow path 104 by the blowing action of the refrigeration blower 102. This causes the inside of the small container 23 to be cooled to within the temperature range of the specified chilled temperature zone.

[0073] 5 and 10, an adjustment unit 160 capable of adjusting the amount of cold air supplied to each of the refrigerator compartment 12, the large container 21, the medium container 22, and the small container 23 is provided inside the internal duct 130. The adjustment unit 160 is configured to be capable of guiding the cold air generated by the refrigerator cooler 101 to the refrigerator compartment cold air outlets 142, 143 side, the large container cold air outlet 151 side, the medium container cold air outlet 152 side, and the small container cold air outlet 153 side, and in this case, is provided with a double damper 161 and a single damper 162.

[0074] The double damper 161 includes a large flap 161a and a middle flap 161b. The double damper 161 includes a large opening 161c that is opened and closed by the large flap 161a. The double damper 161 also includes a middle opening 161d that is opened and closed by the middle flap 161b.

[0075] The large opening 161c is an example of a passage through which air can pass, and is located below the first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 and above the second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 142, the third refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 143, and the large container cold air outlet 151. The middle opening 161d is an example of a passage through which air can pass, and is located above the middle container cold air outlet 152.

[0076] The large flap 161a and the middle flap 161b are configured to be rotatable by one common motor 161m included in the double damper 161. That is, the double damper 161 is configured to be able to rotate a plurality of flaps, in this case two flaps 161a and 161b, by one motor 161m. The large flap 161a is an example of a movable part capable of adjusting the amount of air passing through the large opening 161c. The middle flap 161b is an example of a movable part capable of adjusting the amount of air passing through the middle opening 161d.

[0077] The motor 161m is an example of a drive unit that drives the large flap 161a and the middle flap 161b. The entire motor 161m is provided upstream of the large opening 161c and the middle opening 161d in the cool air flow path 104. Note that at least a part of the motor 161m may be provided upstream of the large opening 161c and the middle opening 161d in the cool air flow path 104.

[0078] The double damper 161 is capable of varying the opening degrees of the large flap 161a and the middle flap 161b, 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 161m to the large flap 161a and the middle flap 161b.

[0079] The large flap 161a is an example of a switching member, and the double damper 161 can switch the large flap 161a between a blocking state and a permitting state by controlling the driving of the motor 161m. The blocking state is an example of a first state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 is prevented from flowing to the cold air outlet 142 for the second refrigerator compartment, the cold air outlet 143 for the third refrigerator compartment, and the cold air outlet 151 for the large container. That is, the blocking state is a state in which the large flap 161a closes the large opening 161c. 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 refrigeration cooler 101 is permitted to flow to the cold air outlet 142 for the second refrigerator compartment, the cold air outlet 143 for the third refrigerator compartment, and the cold air outlet 151 for the large container. That is, the permitting state is a state in which the large flap 161a opens the large opening 161c.

[0080] The middle flap 161b is an example of a switching member, and the double damper 161 can switch the middle flap 161b between a blocking state and a permissive state by controlling the driving of the motor 161m. The blocking state is an example of a first state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 is blocked from flowing to the middle container cold air outlet 152. That is, the blocking state is a state in which the middle flap 161b closes the middle opening 161d. 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 refrigeration cooler 101 is permitted to flow to the middle container cold air outlet 152. That is, the permissive state is a state in which the middle flap 161b opens the middle opening 161d.

[0081] The single damper 162 is configured to include one small flap 162a. The single damper 162 is provided with a small opening 162c that is opened and closed by the small flap 162a. The small opening 162c is an example of a passage portion through which air can pass, and is located above the small container cool air outlet 153.

[0082] The small flap 162a is configured to be rotatable by one motor 162m included in the single damper 162. That is, the single damper 162 is configured to be able to rotate one flap 162a by one motor 162m. The small flap 162a is an example of a movable part that can adjust the amount of air passing through the small opening 162c.

[0083] The motor 162m is an example of a drive unit that drives the small flap 162a. The entire motor 162m is provided upstream of the small opening 162c in the cool air flow path 104. Note that at least a part of the motor 162m may be provided upstream of the small opening 162c in the cool air flow path 104.

[0084] The small flap 162a is an example of a switching member, and the single damper 162 can switch the small flap 162a between a blocking state and a permitting state by controlling the driving of the motor 162m. The blocking state is an example of a first state, and is a state in which the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 is prevented from flowing to the cold air outlet 153 for small containers. That is, the blocking state is a state in which the small flap 162a closes the small opening 162c. 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 refrigeration cooler 101 is permitted to flow to the cold air outlet 153 for small containers. That is, the permitting state is a state in which the small flap 162a opens the small opening 162c.

[0085] According to refrigerator 10, the amount and strength of cold air supplied to refrigerator compartment 12, large container 21, medium container 22, and small container 23 can be adjusted by appropriately changing the opening degree of multiple flaps 161a, 161b, and 162a. This allows the cooling capacity of refrigerator compartment 12, large container 21, medium container 22, and small container 23 to be adjusted. That is, according to refrigerator 10, it is possible to cool refrigerator compartment 12, upper region R1, and lower region R2 to different temperature zones. Also, according to refrigerator 10, it is possible to cool refrigerator compartment 12, large container 21, medium container 22, and small container 23 in different cooling modes.

[0086] The adjustment unit 160 includes a double damper 161 as an example of a first adjustment unit capable of adjusting the amount of air flowing from the cold air outlets 142, 143 for the refrigerator compartment into the refrigerator compartment 12. The adjustment unit 160 also includes a double damper 161 as an example of a second adjustment unit capable of adjusting the amount of cold air flowing from the cold air outlet 151 for the large container and the cold air outlet 152 for the medium container into the chilled compartment 20. The adjustment unit 160 also includes a single damper 162 as an example of a second adjustment unit capable of adjusting the amount of cold air flowing from the cold air outlet 153 for the small container into the chilled compartment 20. That is, the adjustment unit 160 includes at least a first adjustment unit and a second adjustment unit.

[0087] In this embodiment, the double damper 161 is a component that functions both as a first adjustment unit and a second adjustment unit, and the single damper 162 is a component that is dedicated to functioning as the second adjustment unit.

[0088] As illustrated in Fig. 6, the adjustment unit 160 entirely overlaps with the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 in the vertical direction of the insulating box 11. That is, when viewed from above or below the refrigerator 10, the adjustment unit 160 entirely fits between the front end and the rear end of the refrigeration cooler chamber 100. In other words, the adjustment unit 160 entirely fits between the front end of the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 and the rear surface of the refrigeration chamber 12. That is, in the vertical direction of the insulating box 11, the adjustment unit 160 entirely fits within the projection range of the refrigeration cooler chamber 100. Note that the adjustment unit 160 may be configured such that at least a part of it overlaps with the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 in the vertical direction of the insulating box 11.

[0089] In addition, the front end of the adjustment unit 160 is located rearward of the front end of the refrigeration cooler 101. In addition, the front end of the adjustment unit 160 is located rearward of the front end of the refrigeration blower 102. In addition, the front end of the adjustment unit 160 is located rearward of the front end of the refrigeration cooler chamber 100.

[0090] In addition, the rear end of the adjustment unit 160 is located rearward of the rear end of the refrigeration cooling device 101. In addition, the rear end of the adjustment unit 160 is located rearward of the rear end of the refrigeration blower 102. In addition, the rear end of the adjustment unit 160 is located forward of the rear end of the refrigeration cooling device chamber 100, i.e., the rear surface of the refrigeration chamber 12.

[0091] In addition, the adjustment unit 160 is provided between the refrigerating cooler 101 and the chilled compartment 20. As illustrated in Fig. 3, when the refrigerator 10 is viewed as a whole, the adjustment unit 160 is provided on the rear side of a portion above the center in the vertical direction within the refrigerating compartment 12. Therefore, it can be said that this adjustment unit 160 is also provided in a so-called dead space.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerator 10 is provided with a cold air curtain forming flow path 170 in the chilled compartment 20. In this case, the cold air curtain forming flow path 170 is provided along the bottom of the large container 21. The cold air curtain forming flow path 170 is located in front of the large container cold air outlet 151 in the upper region R1 of the chilled compartment 20, and the large container cold air outlet 151 and the cold air curtain forming flow path 170 overlap in the front-rear direction when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. The center of the large container cold air outlet 151 in the vertical direction and the center of the cold air curtain forming flow path 170 in the vertical direction are generally or completely at the same height. Therefore, when the large container 21 is accommodated in the upper region R1 of the chilled compartment 20, the rear end of the cold air curtain forming flow path 170 is configured to be connected to the large container cold air outlet 151.

[0093] The front end of the cold air curtain forming flow passage 170 opens upward, and the cold air that has entered the cold air curtain forming flow passage 170 from the large container cold air outlet 151 is blown upward. In this case, the front end of the cold air curtain forming flow passage 170 is an opening that extends vertically along the up-down direction. However, the front end of the cold air curtain forming flow passage 170 may be inclined, for example, forward, backward, left, right, etc.

[0094] The air blown out from the large container cold air outlet 151 flows through the cold air curtain forming flow path 170 and flows vertically through the chilled compartment 20 from the front end of the cold air curtain forming flow path 170. According to this configuration example, even if the chilled compartment 20 is not provided with a chilled compartment door, a wall of cold air blown upward from the front end of the cold air curtain forming flow path 170, a so-called cold air curtain, can be formed on the front part of the chilled compartment 20, and leakage of cold air from the chilled compartment 20 can be suppressed. As a result, even if the chilled compartment 20 is not provided with a chilled compartment door, it is possible to suppress insufficient cooling within the chilled compartment 20.

[0095] The cold air curtain forming flow path 170 is formed between a resin plate and the bottom surface of the large container 21, for example, by detachably placing the resin plate inside the large container 21. However, the cold air curtain forming flow path 170 may be configured to be integrally provided on the bottom part of the large container 21. Also, a metal plate may be placed on the resin plate. Also, a metal plate may be placed inside the large container 21 without a resin plate therebetween, and the cold air curtain forming flow path 170 may be formed between the metal plate and the bottom surface inside the large container 21.

[0096] 12 and 13, the cold air flow path 104 formed in the refrigeration cooling chamber 100 and the inside duct 130 has a downstream narrowing section 180 where the flow path area is reduced downstream of the adjustment section 160. In addition, the cold air flow path 104 has an upstream narrowing section 181 where the flow path area is reduced between the refrigeration blower 102 and the adjustment section 160.

[0097] The first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 is provided upstream of the downstream throttle section 180 and the upstream throttle section 181. On the other hand, the second refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 142 is provided downstream of the upstream throttle section 181, at the same height as the lower end of the downstream throttle section 180. In addition, the third refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 143, the large container cold air outlet 151, the medium container cold air outlet 152, and the small container cold air outlet 153 are provided downstream of the upstream throttle section 181 and downstream of the downstream throttle section 180.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 14, the return port 111 is provided outside the downstream tapered portion 180 and the upstream tapered portion 181 in the width direction, that is, the left-right direction, of the insulating box 11.

[0099] The refrigerator 10 illustrated above has the refrigerator compartment 12 in the upper part of the insulated box 11 constituting the main body, and the refrigerator cooler 101 in the rear part of the upper part of the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12. Meanwhile, the refrigerator 10 has the compressor 41 in the lower part of the insulated box 11. According to this configuration example, the space behind the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 12 provided in the upper part of the insulated box 11, i.e., the dead space that is difficult for the user to reach, can be effectively utilized as an installation space for the refrigerator cooler 101.

[0100] Moreover, compressor 41 is disposed at the rear of the lower part of insulated box 11, which is located at the front of refrigerator 10 and is far from the user's head. This can prevent the driving sound of compressor 41 from becoming easily audible to the user. Thus, refrigerator 10 can effectively utilize the dead space formed at the rear of the upper part inside insulated box 11 as an installation space for refrigeration cooler 101 while preventing the problem of the driving sound of compressor 41 becoming easily audible to the user.

[0101] Moreover, according to the refrigerator 10, the refrigeration cooler 101 is installed in a refrigeration cooler chamber 100 that is separated from the storage space in the refrigeration chamber 12 at the rear of the upper part of the refrigeration chamber 12. According to this configuration example, the refrigeration cooler 101 and the storage space in the refrigeration chamber 12 can be separated by a cooler chamber cover 110 that forms the outer shell of the refrigeration cooler chamber 100. This makes it possible to prevent the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 from being directly supplied to the storage space in the refrigeration chamber 12, and thus to prevent the storage space in the refrigeration chamber 12 from being cooled more than necessary.

[0102] Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the refrigeration cooler 101, which in the conventional configuration is disposed at the rear of the refrigerator compartment 12 or the vegetable compartment 13, is disposed in the upper region of the insulated box body 11. Therefore, the region where the cooler was disposed in the conventional configuration can be utilized as a storage region of the storage compartment, and the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12 and the vegetable compartment 13 can be expanded rearward.

[0103] In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the refrigeration blower 102 that blows the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 is also installed in a so-called dead space. According to this configuration example, the dead space formed in the upper rear part of the inside of the heat-insulating box body 11 can be more effectively utilized. Also, since the refrigeration blower 102 is arranged in the vicinity of the refrigeration cooler 101, in this case, in the front region, the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 can be efficiently sent by the refrigeration blower 102.

[0104] In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the adjustment unit 160 capable of adjusting the amount of air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 12 and the chilled compartment 20 is also installed in the so-called dead space. According to this configuration example, the dead space formed in the upper rear part of the inside of the insulating box 11 can be utilized more effectively.

[0105] Moreover, according to the refrigerator 10, the outer insulation material 103 and the inner insulation material 105 in the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 are also installed in a so-called dead space. According to this configuration example, the dead space formed in the upper rear part of the insulated box body 11 can be utilized more effectively. Moreover, since the outer insulation material 103 and the inner insulation material 105 are arranged in the vicinity of the refrigeration cooler 101, in this case at least in the front region, the insulation of the refrigeration cooler 101 can be efficiently performed.

[0106] The refrigerator 10 includes a cold air flow path 104 for flowing the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 101 into the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12, and includes heat insulating materials 103 and 105 between the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12 and the cold air flow path 104, and between the refrigeration cooler 101 and the cold air flow path 104. According to this configuration example, the cold air flow path 104 can be insulated by the heat insulating materials 103 and 105, and it is possible to prevent the low-temperature cold air flowing through the cold air flow path 104 from affecting unintended parts. That is, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring on the surfaces of the refrigerator cooler compartment 100 and the internal duct 130 due to the influence of the cold air flowing through the cold air flow path 104, for example.

[0107] In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the return port 111 for returning the air in the storage space of the refrigerator compartment 12 to the refrigerator cooler 101 is provided in the rear part of the cooler compartment cover 110 forming the outer shell of the refrigerator cooler compartment 100. According to this configuration example, it is easy to form a flow in which the cold air blown forward from the cold air outlets 141, 142, 143, 151, 152, 153 into the refrigerator compartment 12 or the chilled compartment 20 hits the back surface of the refrigerator compartment right door 12D[R] and the refrigerator compartment left door 12D[L], turns back, goes around the outside of the storage space, and returns to the rear side. By forming such a flow of cold air, it is possible to uniformly cool the entire storage space.

[0108] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, return port 111 is located near drain outlet 106a of drain gutter 106. Here, the cold air entering refrigeration cooler chamber 100 from return port 111 is cold air used for cooling in the storage space in refrigerator chamber 12, and has a higher temperature than at least the cold air immediately after being generated from refrigeration cooler 101. Therefore, by supplying such cold air with a higher temperature from return port 111 to drain outlet 106a of drain gutter 106, freezing of water at drain outlet 106a can be suppressed, and drainage of water from drain gutter 106 can be prevented from being stagnated.

[0109] In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, the opening area of ​​the multiple cold air outlets 141, 142, 143 for the refrigerator compartment is smaller toward the upper side. That is, among the multiple cold air outlets 141, 142, 143 for the refrigerator compartment, the opening area of ​​the cold air outlet closer to the refrigeration cooler 101 is smaller. According to this configuration example, it is possible to prevent relatively low temperature cold air immediately after it is generated from the refrigeration cooler 101 from being supplied to the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12, and it is possible to prevent the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12 from being cooled more than necessary.

[0110] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, drain gutter 106 for receiving water generated from refrigeration cooler 101 is provided between refrigeration cooler 101 and cold air flow path 104. In other words, cold air flow path 104 is not interposed between refrigeration cooler 101 and drain gutter 106. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the cold air flow path 104 from interfering with the dripping of water from refrigeration cooler 101 to drain gutter 106.

[0111] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, inner insulation material 105 is provided between drain gutter 106 and cold air flow path 104. According to this configuration example, the space between drain gutter 106 and cold air flow path 104 can be insulated by inner insulation material 105. This makes it possible to prevent water in drain gutter 106 from freezing due to cold air flowing through cold air flow path 104, and prevents drainage of water from drain gutter 106 from being stagnated.

[0112] According to the refrigerator 10, the drain pipe 120 that drains water from the drain gutter 106 has an upper drain pipe 121 arranged between the refrigeration cooler 101 and the return port 111, and an intermediate drain pipe 122 arranged in the corner 11K of the heat-insulating box 11, and the intermediate drain pipe 122 is configured to be farther away from the cold air flow path 104 than the upper drain pipe 121. According to this configuration example, at least the intermediate drain pipe 122 of the drain pipe 120 can be separated from the cold air flow path 104. This can prevent the water flowing in the drain pipe 120 from freezing due to the cold air flowing in the cold air flow path 104, and can prevent the drainage of water from the drain gutter 106 from being stagnated.

[0113] Moreover, according to the refrigerator 10, a part of the drain pipe 120, in this case, the intermediate drain pipe 122 occupying the majority of the drain pipe 120, is accommodated in the corner portion 11K of the heat-insulating box body 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the drain pipe 120 from reducing the volume of the storage space in the storage compartment.

[0114] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, drain pipe 120 further includes lower drain pipe 123 leading to water storage section 42. According to this configuration example, water drained from drain gutter 106 through drain pipe 120 can be efficiently sent toward water storage section 42.

[0115] According to refrigerator 10, injection port 11C is located between intermediate drain pipe 122 and lower drain pipe 123. Therefore, even if lower drain pipe 123 is provided in drain pipe 120 to stabilize the discharge of water to water storage section 42, it is possible to prevent lower drain pipe 123 from interfering with the injection of the concentrate of the foam insulation material from injection port 11C.

[0116] Moreover, according to the refrigerator 10, the control device 60 is provided above the refrigeration cooler 101 via the insulated box 11, and a vacuum insulation material 11S is provided between the control device 60 and the refrigeration cooler 101. According to this configuration example, the control device 60 and the refrigeration cooler 101 can be insulated by the vacuum insulation material 11S, and condensation on the control device 60 due to cold air generated from the refrigeration cooler 101 can be suppressed.

[0117] Furthermore, the vacuum insulation material 11S can provide sufficient insulation even if it is thin. Therefore, even if the vacuum insulation material 11S is provided, it is possible to prevent the thickness of the insulation wall of the insulation box 11 from increasing and the volume of the storage space in the storage chamber from decreasing.

[0118] Moreover, the refrigerator 10 further includes a foam insulation material 11T between the control device 60 and the refrigeration cooler 101. This configuration example can further improve the insulation between the control device 60 and the refrigeration cooler 101, and can further prevent condensation from occurring on the control device 60 due to cold air generated from the refrigeration cooler 101.

[0119] Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 10, the surface forming the interior side of the insulated box 11 between the control device 60 and the refrigeration cooler 101 includes a first surface 11M extending along the front-to-rear direction of the insulated box 11 and a second surface 11N inclined from the first surface 11M toward the refrigeration cooler 101, and the foamed insulation material 11T is provided at least outside the second surface 11N.

[0120] According to this configuration example, the thickness of the foamed insulation material 11T can be increased outside the inclined second surface 11N, and the insulation properties can be further improved. In addition, since sufficient insulation properties can be exhibited in the thickened portion of the foamed insulation material 11T, there is no need to provide the vacuum insulation material 11S in this portion. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of vacuum insulation material 11S used. In addition, it is possible to easily embed linear members such as pipes and wiring and other members in the thickened foamed insulation material 11T.

[0121] In addition, according to the refrigerator 10, when the top surface of the insulated box 11 is defined as a reference plane K1, the direction perpendicular to this reference plane K1, i.e., the vertical direction F1, is defined as a first reference direction, and the front-to-back direction F2 intersecting this vertical direction F1 is defined as a second reference direction, the dimension H10 in the front-to-back direction F2 of the end face of the refrigeration cooler 101 on the reference plane K1 side, i.e., the upper side, in the vertical direction F1 is smaller than the dimension H11 in the front-to-back direction F2 of the end face of the refrigeration cooler 101 on the opposite side to the reference plane K1, i.e., the lower side, in the vertical direction F1.

[0122] According to this configuration example, the dimension H10 of the end portion of the refrigeration cooler 101 that is closer to the inclined second surface 11N can be made as small as possible, and even if an inclined surface is provided on the surface that forms the interior side of the insulated box body 11, i.e., the inner box, the refrigeration cooler 101 can be arranged compactly without needing to expand the installation space.

[0123] Moreover, in the refrigerator 10, the adjustment unit 160 entirely overlaps with the refrigeration cooler chamber 100 in the up-down direction of the insulated box body 11. According to this configuration example, the adjustment unit 160 can be moved as far rearward as possible in the storage space in the refrigerator chamber 12, and by providing the adjustment unit 160 in the storage space in the refrigerator chamber 12, it is possible to prevent the capacity of the storage space in the refrigerator chamber 12 from being reduced by the adjustment unit 160.

[0124] Moreover, according to the refrigerator 10, the adjustment unit 160 is provided between the refrigeration cooler 101 provided at the rear of the upper part of the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12, and the chilled compartment 20 provided at the lower part of the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12. According to this configuration example, by providing the adjustment unit 160 in the storage space in the refrigerator compartment 12, it is possible to prevent the capacity of the storage space in the chilled compartment 20 from being reduced by the adjustment unit 160.

[0125] Moreover, according to the refrigerator 10, the cold air flow path 104 has a downstream narrowing section 180 where the flow path area is reduced downstream of the adjustment section 160. According to this configuration example, the cold air flowing in the cold air flow path 104 can be efficiently concentrated and sent downstream of the adjustment section 160, and in particular, it is possible to prevent the force of the cold air blown out from the third refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 143, the large container cold air outlet 151, the medium container cold air outlet 152, and the small container cold air outlet 153 from weakening.

[0126] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, cold air flow path 104 has upstream narrowing section 181 where the flow path area is reduced between refrigeration blower 102 and adjustment section 160. According to this configuration example, cold air blown by refrigeration blower 102 can be efficiently concentrated and sent to adjustment section 160, and weakening of the force of cold air blown out from the portion downstream of adjustment section 160 can be further suppressed.

[0127] Moreover, in the refrigerator 10, the return port 111 is provided outside the upstream tapered portion 181 in the width direction of the insulated box body 11. According to this configuration example, the cold air blown into the storage space can be efficiently collected from the return port 111 without weakening its momentum due to the throttling action of the upstream tapered portion 181, and the circulation of the cold air in the refrigerator compartment 12 and the chilled compartment 20 can be further promoted.

[0128] Moreover, according to the refrigerator 10, the adjustment unit 160 includes the motors 161m and 162m upstream of the large opening 161c, the medium opening 161d, and the small opening 162c in the cool air flow path 104. That is, by providing components of the drive system such as the motors 161m and 162m as far upstream as possible of the openings through which the cool air passes, the flow of the cool air downstream of the openings can be made smoother.

[0129] According to the refrigerator 10, the adjustment unit 160 includes a double damper 161 as an example of a first adjustment unit capable of adjusting the amount of air flowing from the cold air outlets 142, 143 for the refrigerator compartment into the refrigerator compartment 12. The adjustment unit 160 also includes a double damper 161 as an example of a second adjustment unit capable of adjusting the amount of cold air flowing from the cold air outlet 151 for the large container and the cold air outlet 152 for the medium container into the chilled compartment 20. The adjustment unit 160 also includes a single damper 162 as an example of a second adjustment unit capable of adjusting the amount of cold air flowing from the cold air outlet 153 for the small container into the chilled compartment 20.

[0130] According to this configuration example, it is possible to more accurately adjust the cooling capacity in the refrigerator compartment 12, the large container 21, the medium container 22, and the small container 23. In addition, since the double damper 161 serves as both the first adjustment section and the second adjustment section, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts.

[0131] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 is provided upstream of downstream throttle section 180 and upstream throttle section 181. Here, first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 is provided at a position closest to refrigeration blower 102 among the multiple cold air outlets, and therefore the force of cold air blown out from first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 is unlikely to weaken. Therefore, cold air can be blown out from first refrigerator compartment cold air outlet 141 with sufficient force without utilizing the throttling action of downstream throttle section 180 and upstream throttle section 181.

[0132] Moreover, according to refrigerator 10, large container cold air outlet 151, medium container cold air outlet 152, and small container cold air outlet 153 are provided downstream of downstream throttle section 180 and upstream throttle section 181. Here, large container cold air outlet 151, medium container cold air outlet 152, and small container cold air outlet 153 are provided at positions farthest from refrigeration blower 102 among the multiple cold air outlets, and therefore the force of the cold air blown out from large container cold air outlet 151, medium container cold air outlet 152, and small container cold air outlet 153 tends to weaken. Therefore, by utilizing the throttling action of the downstream throttling section 180 and the upstream throttling section 181, the cold air can be blown out from the large container cold air outlet 151, the medium container cold air outlet 152, and the small container cold air outlet 153 without weakening the force of the cold air as much as possible.

[0133] Furthermore, according to refrigerator 10, the air blown out from large container cold air outlet 151 flows through cold air curtain forming flow path 170 and finally forms a cold air curtain from the front end of cold air curtain forming flow path 170 to the front part of chilled compartment 20. According to this configuration example, even if chilled compartment 20 is not provided with a chilled compartment door, the cold air curtain can prevent cold air from leaking out of chilled compartment 20, and can prevent chilled compartment 20 from becoming insufficiently cooled.

[0134] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and extensions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the adjustment unit 160 is configured to include a double damper 161 on the right side and a single damper 162 on the left side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10. However, the adjustment unit 160 may be configured to include a double damper 161 on the left side and a single damper 162 on the right side when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 10.

[0135] According to the adjustment section 160, since it is configured with a double damper 161 capable of rotating two flaps, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed compared to a configuration with three single dampers capable of rotating one flap, and the adjustment section 160 as a whole can be made more compact.

[0136] The adjustment unit 160 may be configured to include one triple damper capable of rotating three flaps. According to this configuration example, it is possible to further suppress an increase in the number of parts, and to further compact the adjustment unit 160 as a whole. However, the present disclosure does not exclude a configuration including three single dampers capable of rotating one flap, and therefore the adjustment unit 160 may be configured to include three single dampers capable of rotating one flap.

[0137] Moreover, the opening areas of the large opening, the medium opening, and the small opening in the adjustment portion 160 can be appropriately changed. Moreover, the arrangement positions of the large opening, the medium opening, and the small opening can be appropriately changed.

[0138] This embodiment can be applied not only to a configuration in which the special storage chamber has three containers 21, 22, and 23, but also to a configuration in which the special storage chamber has two or more containers, or to a configuration in which the special storage chamber has one container.

[0139] The storage compartment provided in the upper part of the heat-insulating box 11 is not limited to the refrigeration compartment 12, but may be another storage compartment. Also, the special storage compartment is not limited to the chilled compartment 20, but may be another storage compartment.

[0140] 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]

[0141] In the drawings, 10 is a refrigerator, 11 is an insulating box (refrigerator body), 11C is an injection port, 11S is a vacuum insulating material, 11T is a foam insulating material, 12 is a refrigerator compartment (storage compartment), 20 is a chilled compartment (special storage compartment), 41 is a compressor, 42 is a water storage section, 60 is a control device, 100 is a refrigerator cooler compartment (cooler installation section), 101 is a refrigerator cooler (cooler), 102 is a refrigerator A blower (blower), 103 is an outer insulation material (insulation material), 104 is a cold air flow path, 105 is an inner insulation material (insulation material), 106 is a drainage gutter, 110 is a cooler chamber cover (partition member), 111 is a return port, 120 is a drain pipe, 121 is an upper drain pipe (first part), 122 is an intermediate drain pipe (second part), 123 is a lower drain pipe (third part), 141 is a cold air for the first refrigerator chamber. The numeral 142 denotes a cold air outlet for the second refrigerator compartment (second outlet), 151 denotes a cold air outlet for a large container (special outlet), 152 denotes a cold air outlet for a medium container (special outlet), 153 denotes a cold air outlet for a small container (special outlet), 160 denotes an adjustment section, 161 denotes a double damper (first adjustment section, second adjustment section), 161a denotes a large flap (movable section), 161b denotes a medium flap (movable section), 161c denotes a large opening (passage section), 161d denotes a medium opening (passage section), 161m denotes a motor (drive section), 162 denotes a single damper (second adjustment section), 162a denotes a small flap (movable section), 162c denotes a small opening (passage section), 162m denotes a motor (drive section), 180 denotes a downstream throttle section, and 181 denotes an upstream throttle section.

Claims

1. A refrigerator main body, A storage compartment provided in an upper portion of the refrigerator body; A cooler provided at an upper portion of the storage chamber; A blower provided in front of the cooler; A heat insulating material provided at least in front of the blower; A compressor provided at a lower part of the refrigerator body; A refrigerator equipped with

2. A storage space is formed in the storage chamber, A cold air flow path is further provided for flowing the cold air generated by the cooler into the storage space, The cold air flow path is provided at least below the cooler, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulating material is provided at least either between the storage space and the cold air flow path or between the cooler and the cold air flow path.

3. a partition member that separates the cooler from the storage space; a return port for returning air in the storage space to the cooler; Further equipped with The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the return port is provided in a rear portion of the partition member.

4. The cold air flow path includes a first outlet and a second outlet communicating with the storage space, At least the second air outlet is provided below a return port for returning the air in the storage space to the cooler, The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the second outlet is provided below the first outlet and is larger than the first outlet.

5. A drainage gutter for receiving water generated from the cooler is provided between the cooler and the cold air flow path, The refrigerator according to claim 2 , wherein the heat insulating material is provided between the drain gutter and the cold air flow path.

6. A drain pipe for discharging water from the drainage gutter; a return port for returning air in the storage space to the cooler; Further equipped with A corner portion is formed between a side surface portion and a rear surface portion of the heat-insulating box constituting the refrigerator main body, The drain pipe is a first portion disposed between the cooler and the return port; A second portion disposed within the corner; having 6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the second portion is farther from the cold air flow path than the first portion.

7. A water storage section for storing water discharged through the drain pipe; An injection port provided on a rear surface of the insulating box body for injecting a foam insulating material into the insulating box body; Further equipped with The drain pipe further has a third portion leading to the water storage portion, 7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the inlet is located between the second portion and the third portion.

8. The refrigerator further includes a control device provided above or behind the cooler through a heat-insulating box that constitutes the refrigerator body, The refrigerator according to claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum insulator between the control device and the cooler.

9. A foam insulation material is further provided between the control device and the cooler, A surface forming an inside surface of the insulated box between the control device and the cooler includes a first surface along a predetermined direction and a second surface inclined from the first surface to the cooler side, The refrigerator according to claim 8 , wherein the foam insulation material is provided at least on an outer side of the second surface.

10. In the case where the upper surface or the rear surface of the insulating box is defined as a reference surface, a direction perpendicular to the reference surface is defined as a first reference direction, and a direction intersecting the first reference direction is defined as a second reference direction, The refrigerator of claim 9, wherein a dimension in the second reference direction of an end face of the cooler on the reference surface side in the first reference direction is smaller than a dimension in the second reference direction of an end face of the cooler on the opposite side to the reference surface in the first reference direction.

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