Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of smoothly locking a heat insulation door of the refrigerator at an arbitrary portion.SOLUTION: In a refrigerator 10, a support mechanism 14 has: a hinge body part 141 fixed to a heat insulation box body 11; and a hinge shaft 142 extending in a vertical direction from the hinge body part 141 and inserted under a condition that it can rotate to the heat insulation door 13. A restriction module 15 has a base part 151, a guide part 152, and a pressure application part 153. The base part 151 has a base tubular part 1511 which is fixed to the heat insulation door 13, and into which the hinge shaft 142 is rotatably inserted. The guide part 152 has a guide engagement part 1524 arranged on an outer radial side than the base tubular part 1511, and engaged with the hinge body part 141. The pressure application part 153 is fixed to the heat insulation door 13, and applies a pressure to the guide part 152 from the outer radial side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator having a rotary heat-insulating door.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a refrigerator having a rotary heat-insulating door. This type of refrigerator has a heat-insulating box body, a storage chamber formed inside the heat-insulating box body, and a heat-insulating door that closes the opening of the storage chamber. The heat-insulating door is rotatably connected to the heat-insulating box body at its widthwise end portions. With such a configuration, by rotating the heat-insulating door, the opening and closing of the storage chamber opening can be performed. Here, in order to improve the convenience of the refrigerator, there has been a user's desire to regulate the opening and closing angle of the heat-insulating door.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a mechanism for temporarily fixing a rotary door of a refrigerator at a rotational position of about 90 degrees.

[0004] Referring to FIG. 16, the schematic configuration of the refrigerator 100 described in Patent Document 1 will be described. The refrigerator 100 described in Patent Document 1 has a door body 101, an upper hinge 106 that forms a rotation axis, and an extension portion 103 that extends a bearing portion 102 for receiving the rotation axis. Further, in Patent Document 1, a holding plate 104 is provided on the upper hinge 106. The holding plate 104 is formed of an elastic material, and the extension portion 103 is locked by the uneven portion 105 when the door body 101 is opened by about 90 degrees. With such a configuration, in Patent Document 1, the door body 101 can be temporarily stopped at a door opening angle of approximately 90 degrees.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the refrigerator according to the above-described background art had room for improvement from the perspective of convenience when opening and closing the heat-insulating door.

[0007] Specifically, depending on the installation location and usage situation of the refrigerator 100, there is a desire to lock the door body 101 at an arbitrary rotational position. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, since the door body 101 is locked only at the rotational position where it is opened by about 90 degrees, it is difficult to lock the door body 101 at an arbitrary rotational position other than about 90 degrees.

[0008] On the other hand, a free stop member for locking the door body at an arbitrary position is on the market. As this free stop member, there are those with a hole formed in the center and those with a shaft extending from the center. The heat-insulating door of the refrigerator is rotatably supported by a hinge shaft. Considering this, as the free stop member used for the heat-insulating door, it is preferable to have a hole formed in the center.

[0009] However, there are problems in applying this free stop member to the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator. Specifically, the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator is slightly inclined in the open state. When the heat-insulating door is inclined, the hinge shaft supporting the heat-insulating door applies an accidental pressing force to the sliding structure of the free stop member. As a result, it is conceivable that the free stop member does not rotate smoothly and the rotational operation of the heat-insulating door is hindered.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator capable of locking the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator at an arbitrary position.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] (1) The refrigerator of the present invention includes a heat-insulating box body in which a storage chamber is formed, a heat-insulating door that closes an opening of the storage chamber, a support mechanism that rotatably supports the heat-insulating door with respect to the heat-insulating box body, and a regulation module that regulates the rotational movement of the heat-insulating door. The support mechanism has a hinge main body portion fixed to the heat-insulating box body and a hinge shaft that extends vertically from the hinge main body portion and is inserted into the heat-insulating door in a rotatable state. The regulation module has a base portion, a guide portion, and a pressure applying portion. The base portion is fixed to the heat-insulating door and has a base cylindrical portion into which the hinge shaft is rotatably inserted. The guide portion has a guide engaging portion that engages with the hinge main body portion. The pressure applying portion is configured to apply pressure to the guide portion from the radially outer side. In the refrigerator of the present invention, by the regulation module regulating the rotational movement of the heat-insulating door, the heat-insulating door can be locked at an arbitrary position in the rotational direction in the open state of the heat-insulating door. Further, there is a base cylindrical portion between the guide portion that receives the pressing force from the pressure holding portion and the hinge shaft. Therefore, even when the open heat-insulating door is inclined due to its own weight or the like, the hinge shaft is suppressed from unnecessarily pushing the guide portion, and the heat-insulating door can be smoothly opened and closed.

[0012] (2) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the guide portion has a guide main body portion having a substantially annular shape, a portion to be pressed that is pressed by the pressure applying portion, and a concave portion that is partially recessed inward in the radial direction. The concave portion is configured to face the pressure applying portion when the heat-insulating door is in the closed state. In the refrigerator of the present invention, when the heat-insulating door is in the closed state, the concave portion faces the pressure applying portion, so that the pressure applying portion does not strongly press the guide portion at the initial stage of the opening operation of the heat-insulating door. Therefore, even if the user is a weak woman or a child, the user can easily open the heat-insulating door at the initial stage of the opening operation of the heat-insulating door.

[0013] (3) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the guide engagement portion is configured to sandwich the hinge main body portion. In the refrigerator of the present invention, when the heat-insulating door is opened and closed, the guide portion does not rotate because the guide engagement portion sandwiches the hinge main body portion. On the other hand, the pressure applying portion rotates together with the heat-insulating door while applying pressure to the guide portion. Therefore, the heat-insulating door can be locked at an arbitrary position in the rotational direction.

[0014] (4) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the hinge shaft is rotatably inserted into a hinge collar built in the heat-insulating door, and the inner diameter of the base cylindrical portion and the inner diameter of the hinge collar are substantially the same. In the refrigerator of the present invention, since the inner diameter of the base cylindrical portion and the inner diameter of the hinge collar are substantially the same, even when the heat-insulating door in the open state is inclined, the regulation module also inclines simultaneously. Therefore, even when the heat-insulating door is inclined, there is no significant change in the regulating force in the regulation module. Therefore, the user can easily open and close the heat-insulating door and hold the open state of the heat-insulating door at an arbitrary rotational position.

[0015] (5) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, a concave region is formed by making the widthwise end portion at the upper side of the heat-insulating door concave, and the regulation module is characterized by being housed in the concave region. In the refrigerator of the present invention, by disposing the regulation module on the upper side of the heat-insulating door, it is possible to suppress the regulation module from receiving the self-weight of the heat-insulating door. Further, the concave region is originally formed to allow relative rotation between the hinge main body portion and the heat-insulating door. Therefore, by disposing the regulation module in such a concave region, a dedicated space for the regulation module is not required, and there is no accompanying reduction in the heat insulating material of the heat-insulating door.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the heat-insulating door can be locked at an arbitrary location.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 10A

Figure 10B

Figure 11A

Figure 11B

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15A

Figure 15B

Figure 16

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same members are basically denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Further, in the following description, the directions of up, down, front, rear, left, and right are used as appropriate, but the left and right indicate the left and right when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the front.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10 with the heat-insulating door 13 in the closed state.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10 has a storage chamber 12 and is a device for cooling stored items such as food to a predetermined cooling temperature range. The refrigerator 10 mainly includes a heat-insulating box body 11 in which the storage chamber 12 is formed, a heat-insulating door 13 that closes the opening of the storage chamber 12, a support mechanism 14 that rotatably supports the heat-insulating door 13 with respect to the heat-insulating box body 11, and a regulation module 15 that regulates the rotational movement of the heat-insulating door 13. The support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3A and subsequent figures.

[0021] The heat-insulating door 13 has a first heat-insulating door 131, a second heat-insulating door 132, a third heat-insulating door 133, and a fourth heat-insulating door 134.

[0022] The first heat-insulating door 131 is a door that closes the upper part of the opening of the refrigerating chamber 121. The right end of the first heat-insulating door 131 is rotatably supported with respect to the heat-insulating box body 11 via the support mechanism 14. The support mechanism 14 is disposed on both the upper end side and the lower end side at the right end of the first heat-insulating door 131.

[0023] The second heat-insulating door 132 is a door that closes the lower part of the opening of the refrigerating chamber 121. The second heat-insulating door 132 is a door that opens and closes by sliding in the front-rear direction.

[0024] The third heat-insulating door 133 and the fourth heat-insulating door 134 are doors that close the freezing chamber 122. The third heat-insulating door 133 and the fourth heat-insulating door 134 are doors that open and close by sliding in the front-rear direction.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the refrigerator 10.

[0026] The heat-insulating box body 11 constitutes the main body of the refrigerator 10. The heat-insulating box body 11 includes an outer box 111, an inner box 112, and a heat-insulating material 113. The outer box 111 is made of a steel plate that is bent into a predetermined shape. The inner box 112 is made of a synthetic resin plate disposed on the inner side spaced apart from the outer box 111. The heat-insulating material 113 is made of foamed urethane resin, vacuum heat-insulating material, etc. filled between the outer box 111 and the inner box 112. The internal space of the heat-insulating box body 11 is the storage chamber 12.

[0027] The storage chamber 12 is partitioned into a refrigerating chamber 121 and a freezing chamber 122 from above. The refrigerating chamber 121 and the freezing chamber 122 are partitioned by a heat-insulating wall 27 having the same heat-insulating structure as the heat-insulating box body 11. As described above, the front opening of the refrigerating chamber 121 is closably closed by a first heat-insulating door 131 and a second heat-insulating door 132. The front opening of the freezing chamber 122 is closably closed by a third heat-insulating door 133 and a fourth heat-insulating door 134.

[0028] A cooling chamber 19 is formed at the back side of the freezing chamber 122. An evaporator 21, which is a cooler, is disposed inside the cooling chamber 19. A machine room 23 is partitioned and formed at the lower rear part of the heat-insulating box body 11. A compressor 24 is disposed in the machine room 23. The evaporator 21 and the compressor 24, together with a condenser and an expansion means not shown here, form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. By operating the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the air inside the cooling chamber 19 is cooled by the evaporator 21, and this air is blown into each storage chamber, so that the temperature inside each storage chamber becomes a predetermined cooling temperature range.

[0029] Inside the cooling chamber 19, a blower 20 is disposed above the evaporator 21. The blower 20 is an axial flow blower or a centrifugal blower, and blows the air inside the evaporator 21 cooled by the evaporator 21 toward the refrigerating chamber 121 and the freezing chamber 122.

[0030] Inside the cooling chamber 19, below the evaporator 21, a defrost heater 22 is arranged. With the operation of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, a lot of frost forms on the surface of the evaporator 21. When this happens, an arithmetic control unit such as a CPU (not shown) stops the compressor 24 and the blower 20, closes the cooling chamber 19, and energizes the defrost heater 22 to perform a defrost operation to melt and remove the frost by heating.

[0031] An air duct 18 is formed upward from the cooling chamber 19. At the upper part of the air duct 18, an air outlet which is an opening for blowing air into the refrigerating chamber 121 is formed.

[0032] The cooling operation in the refrigerator 10 will be described. First, here, based on an instruction from an arithmetic control unit (not shown), the compressor 24 of the refrigeration cycle is operated, so that the air inside the cooling chamber 19 is cooled by the evaporator 21. The cooled air is blown into the refrigerating chamber 121 via the air duct 18 by the blower 20 blowing the air inside the cooling chamber 19. Also, a part of the cooled air is supplied to the freezing chamber 122. The air that has cooled the refrigerating chamber 121 and the freezing chamber 122 returns to the cooling chamber 19 via a return air duct (not shown here) respectively.

[0033] FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a portion where the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 are arranged in the closed state of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 3B is a cutaway perspective view showing a portion where the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 are arranged in the closed state of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 3B is a cross-section taken along the cutting plane line A - A of FIG. 3A.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the support mechanism 14 mainly has a hinge main body portion 141 and a hinge shaft 142. The support mechanism 14 is a part that rotatably supports the upper right end portion of the first heat-insulating door 131 with respect to the heat-insulating box body 11. Although not shown here, the support mechanism 14 is also provided at the lower right end portion of the first heat-insulating door 131.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3A, the hinge main body portion 141 is a member fixed to the heat insulation box body 11. The hinge main body portion 141 is made of a metal plate formed into a predetermined shape and has a strength capable of supporting the first heat insulation door 131. The rear end portion of the hinge main body portion 141 is fixed to the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 11 via fastening means such as screws. The front end portion of the hinge main body portion 141 protrudes forward from the front surface of the heat insulation box body 11 and curves toward the right side. A fixing portion 25 is interposed between the rear end portion of the hinge main body portion 141 and the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 11. The fixing portion 25 is, for example, a plate member made of synthetic resin and adjusts the height of the hinge main body portion 141. Further, the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 11 at the portion where the hinge main body portion 141 is fixed can be reinforced by the fixing portion 25.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 3B, the hinge shaft 142 is a substantially columnar member extending along the vertical direction from the front end portion of the hinge main body portion 141. The hinge shaft 142 is fixed to the hinge main body portion 141 in a non-rotatable manner. On the other hand, the hinge shaft 142 is a member inserted into the first heat insulation door 131 in a rotatable state. Specifically, a hinge collar 16 is embedded near the upper right end of the first heat insulation door 131. The first heat insulation door 131 and the hinge collar 16 are non-rotatable relative to each other. The hinge collar 16 is a substantially cylindrical member with an open upper end. The hinge shaft 142 is inserted into the hinge collar 16 in a rotatable state.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 3B, the regulation module 15 is a module that regulates the rotational movement of the first heat insulation door 131. The regulation module 15 is fixed to the right end portion of the upper surface of the first heat insulation door 131 with the hinge shaft 142 inserted therein. By regulating the rotation of the first heat insulation door 131 by the regulation module 15, the user can lock the first heat insulation door 131 at an arbitrary rotation position. Such matters will be described with reference to the figures after FIG. 4A. Here, the regulation module 15 can also be disposed at both the upper end and the lower end of the first heat insulation door 131. Further, considering the proper operation of the regulation module 15 in consideration of the self-weight of the first heat insulation door 131, the regulation module 15 may be disposed only at the upper end of the first heat insulation door 131.

[0038] By making the right-side end, which is the widthwise end at the upper side of the heat-insulating door 13, concave, a concave region 17 is formed. The regulation module 15 is housed in the concave region 17. By disposing the regulation module 15 on the upper side of the heat-insulating door 13, it is possible to prevent the regulation module 15 from receiving the dead weight of the heat-insulating door 13. Further, the concave region 17 is originally formed to allow the rotation of the heat-insulating door 13. Therefore, by disposing the regulation module 15 in such a concave region 17, a dedicated space for the regulation module 15 is not required, and there is no reduction in the heat-insulating material 113 of the heat-insulating door 13.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 4A to 5B, the regulation module 15 will be described. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the regulation module 15 as seen from the upper front. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the regulation module 15 as seen from the upper rear. FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of the regulation module 15 as seen from above. FIG. 5B is an exploded perspective view of the regulation module 15 as seen from below.

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the user rotates and opens / closes the aforementioned first heat-insulating door 131, the regulation module 15 is a member that generates a resistance force against the rotation of the first heat-insulating door 131, thereby locking the first heat-insulating door 131 at an arbitrary position in the rotational direction. In other words, the regulation module 15 has a function of regulating the rotational movement of the first heat-insulating door 131.

[0041] Specifically, the regulation module 15 mainly includes a base portion 151, a guide portion 152, and a pressure applying portion 153. The base portion 151 is fixed to the upper surface of the aforementioned first heat-insulating door 131 and rotates together with the first heat-insulating door 131. On the other hand, the guide portion 152 does not rotate together with the first heat-insulating door 131 when the guide engagement portion 1524 engages with the tip of the support mechanism 14. Such matters will be described later with reference to FIG. 5A and the like. The pressure applying portion 153 is housed in the base portion 151.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 5A, the base portion 151 is a member fixed to the upper surface of the aforementioned first heat insulation door 131 by fixing means such as screws. Further, the base portion 151 is also a support member that supports other members constituting the regulation module 15, specifically, the guide portion 152 and the pressure applying portion 153. Specifically, the base portion 151 mainly includes a base cylindrical portion 1511, a base main body portion 1512, a base wall portion 1513, a housing portion 1514, and a base hole portion 1515.

[0043] The base cylindrical portion 1511 is a substantially cylindrical portion disposed at the center of the base portion 151 in a top view. The lower end of the base cylindrical portion 1511 is continuous with the base main body portion 1512. The aforementioned hinge shaft 142 is inserted into the base cylindrical portion 1511 in a rotatable state.

[0044] The base main body portion 1512 is a plate-like portion having a substantially rectangular shape in a top view. A plurality of hole portions for fastening by screws or the like are formed at the rear end portion of the base main body portion 1512. Each portion forming the base portion 151 stands upright from the upper surface of the base main body portion 1512.

[0045] The base wall portion 1513 is a portion standing upright in a wall shape from the upper surface of the base main body portion 1512. The front portion of the base wall portion 1513 has a substantially circular shape so as to surround the base cylindrical portion 1511 from the radially outer side. The rear portion of the base wall portion 1513 projects rearward in a substantially rectangular shape. The guide cylindrical portion 1526 of the guide portion 152 described later is disposed in the space formed between the base cylindrical portion 1511 and the base wall portion 1513. Under the usage conditions of the refrigerator 10, the guide cylindrical portion 1526 of the guide portion 152 rotates relative to the space formed between the base cylindrical portion 1511 and the base wall portion 1513.

[0046] The housing portion 1514 is a substantially rectangular region surrounded by the rear portion of the base wall portion 1513. The pressure applying portion 153 is housed in the housing portion 1514.

[0047] The base hole portion 1515 is an internal region of the base cylindrical portion 1511 and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The upper and lower ends of the base hole portion 1515 are open. The hinge shaft 142 described above is inserted into the base hole portion 1515 in a rotatable state.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 5A, the pressure applying portion 153 is housed in the housing portion 1514 of the base portion 151 described above. With such a configuration, the pressure applying portion 153 is fixed to the first heat insulating door 131 together with the base portion 151 and applies pressure to the guide portion 152 from the radially outer side. Specifically, the pressure applying portion 153 mainly includes a case portion 1531 and steel balls 1532. The case portion 1531 is a substantially cylindrical portion with an open front end, and an elastic portion 1533 described later, which is a spring for example, is disposed inside thereof. The steel balls 1532 are made of a metal having a substantially spherical shape and are exposed forward from the front end of the case portion 1531 in a state of being biased forward by the elastic portion 1533 described later. As will be described later, the steel balls 1532 slide while pressing the outer surface of the guide cylindrical portion 1526 of the guide portion 152 from the radially outer side.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the guide portion 152 is rotatably assembled to the base portion 151 and is a portion that engages with the hinge main body portion 141 described above in the rotational direction. Specifically, the guide portion 152 mainly includes a guide main body portion 1521, a guide engaging portion 1524, a guide hole portion 1525, and a guide cylindrical portion 1526. The outer surface of the guide cylindrical portion 1526 is the portion to be pressed 1522 or the concave portion 1523.

[0050] The guide main body portion 1521 is a portion having a substantially annular shape that constitutes the main body of the guide portion 152.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 5B, the guide cylindrical portion 1526 is a portion that protrudes substantially cylindrically downward from the lower surface of the guide main body portion 1521.

[0052] The pressed portion 1522 is, with reference to FIG. 5B, a portion at the peripheral edge of the guide main body portion 1521 that is pressed by the pressure applying portion 153. Specifically, the pressed portion 1522 is a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the pressed portion 1522 where the concave portion 1523 is not formed.

[0053] The concave portion 1523 is, with reference to FIG. 5B, a portion where a part of the outer peripheral surface of the guide cylindrical portion 1526, which is the peripheral edge portion, is partially recessed radially inward. As will be described later, the concave portion 1523 is configured to face the pressure applying portion 153 when the heat insulation door 13 is in the closed state.

[0054] The guide engaging portion 1524 is configured to engage with the hinge main body portion 141 described above with reference to FIG. 5A. Specifically, the guide engaging portion 1524 projects upward in a wall shape from near the opposing ends of the guide main body portion 1521. With reference to FIG. 5A, the guide engaging portions 1524 are arranged to face each other along the front-rear direction. When viewed from above, the guide engaging portion 1524 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a longitudinal direction along the tangential direction with respect to the edge circular shape of the guide main body portion 1521. Also, each guide engaging portion 1524 is disposed radially outside the base cylindrical portion 1511.

[0055] The guide hole portion 1525 is a portion where a substantially central portion of the guide main body portion 1521 is opened in a substantially circular shape. The inner diameter of the guide hole portion 1525 is made substantially the same as the outer diameter of the base cylindrical portion 1511 of the base portion 151. The base cylindrical portion 1511 of the base portion 151 is inserted into the guide hole portion 1525. By doing so, the guide portion 152 is assembled to the base portion 151 in a rotatable state.

[0056] FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 in the closed state of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 6B is a cutaway perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 in the closed state of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 7 is an exploded cutaway perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 in the closed state of the refrigerator 10. FIGS. 6B and 7 are cross-sectional views taken along the cutting plane line B-B of FIG. 6A.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 6A, as described above, the regulation module 15 mainly includes a base portion 151 constituting the lower part and a guide portion 152 constituting the upper part. Here, the base portion 151 is fixed to the upper surface of the aforementioned first heat insulation door 131 and rotates together with the first heat insulation door 131. On the other hand, the guide portion 152 is engaged with the hinge main body portion 141 and thus does not rotate together with the first heat insulation door 131.

[0058] As described above, the regulation module 15 has guide engagement portions 1524 protruding upward in a wall shape at both ends on its upper surface. The guide engagement portions 1524 sandwich the tip portion of the hinge main body portion 141 along the front-rear direction. Thereby, the guide portion 152 is fixed to the aforementioned heat insulation box body 11 via the hinge main body portion 141 in the rotational direction. Therefore, even when the aforementioned first heat insulation door 131 rotates for opening and closing, the guide portion 152 does not rotate together with the first heat insulation door 131. On the other hand, since the base portion 151 is fixed to the upper surface of the aforementioned first heat insulation door 131, when the user opens and closes the first heat insulation door 131, it rotates together with the first heat insulation door 131. Also, referring to FIG. 6B, since the pressure applying portion 153 is housed in the housing portion 1514 of the base portion 151, it rotates together with the heat insulation door 13 while applying pressure to the guide portion 152. Therefore, as will be described later, the heat insulation door 13 can be held at an arbitrary position in the rotational direction.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 6B, the hinge shaft 142 is rotatably inserted into the hinge collar 16. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the inner diameter L11 of the base cylindrical portion 1511 and the inner diameter L10 of the hinge collar 16 are substantially the same. Therefore, as will be described later, even when the heat insulation door 13 in the open state is inclined, the regulation module 15 also inclines simultaneously. From this, even if the heat insulation door 13 is inclined, there is no significant fluctuation in the regulation force generated by the regulation module 15. Accordingly, the user can easily open and close the heat insulation door 13 and hold the open state of the heat insulation door 13 at an arbitrary rotational position. Also, the diameter L12 of the hinge shaft 142 is approximately the same as or slightly shorter than the aforementioned L11 and L10. By doing so, the hinge shaft 142 can easily rotate inside the base hole portion 1515 and the hinge collar 16.

[0060] FIG. 8A is a cutaway plan view showing the regulation module 15 in the closed state of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 8B is a cutaway plan view showing the guide cylindrical portion 1526 in the closed state of the refrigerator 10. FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views taken along the C-C cutting plane line shown in FIG. 6A. Here, hatching is applied to the base wall portion 1513, and coloring is applied to the guide cylindrical portion 1526.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 8A, as described above, the outer peripheral surface of the guide cylindrical portion 1526 of the guide portion 152 has a pressed portion 1522 and a concave portion 1523. The pressed portion 1522 is an outer surface presenting the cylindrical shape of the guide cylindrical portion 1526 and is a portion that is relatively strongly pressed by the pressure applying portion 153. The concave portion 1523 is a portion where the outer surface of the guide cylindrical portion 1526 is recessed inward in the radial direction.

[0062] As described above, the pressure applying portion 153 has a structure in which a steel ball 1532 is fitted into the front end portion of the case portion 1531. Also, an elastic portion 1533, which is a coil spring for example, is built into the case portion 1531. The elastic portion 1533 biases the steel ball 1532 forward, which is the inner side in the radial direction.

[0063] When the first heat-insulating door 131 is in the closed state, the pressure applying part 153 faces the concave part 1523 of the guide part 152. Therefore, the pressing force applied by the steel balls 1532 of the pressure applying part 153 to the concave part 1523 is extremely small. From this, in the closed state of the first heat-insulating door 131, the regulation module 15 hardly generates a rotational resistance force against the first heat-insulating door 131. Therefore, the user can easily open the heat-insulating door 13 at the initial stage of the opening operation of the heat-insulating door 13.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 8B, the outer surface of the guide cylindrical part 1526 has a pressed part 1522 and a concave part 1523. Here, the range angle θ1 of the concave part 1523 is, for example, 45 degrees. When the first heat-insulating door 131 is in the closed state, the steel balls 1532 shown in FIG. 8A contact near the center of the concave part 1523 in the circumferential direction. By doing so, in the initial state in the opening operation of the first heat-insulating door 131 described above, the pressing force applied by the steel balls 1532 to the first heat-insulating door 131 via the guide cylindrical part 1526 can be reduced. Therefore, even if the user is a person with weak arm strength such as a woman or a child, the first heat-insulating door 131 can be easily opened.

[0065] FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10 with the first heat-insulating door 131 in the open state. FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10 with the first heat-insulating door 131 in the open state from another angle.

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, here, the refrigerator 10 in the open state is shown in which the user operates the first heat-insulating door 131 to open it. As shown in FIG. 9B, the angle θ2 at which the first heat-insulating door 131 opens with respect to the front surface of the heat-insulating box body 11 is, for example, 90 degrees. On the inner surface of the first heat-insulating door 131, a storage part 26 having a substantially pocket shape is provided. Beverages, food, seasonings, etc. are stored in the storage part 26. As a result, when the weight of the first heat-insulating door 131 itself and the weight of the stored items are added, it becomes 10 kg or more. From this, when the first heat-insulating door 131 is in the open state, the first heat-insulating door 131 inclines slightly.

[0067] FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 in the open state of the first heat insulation door 131. FIG. 10B is a cutaway perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 in the open state of the first heat insulation door 131. FIG. 10B is a cross-section taken along the cutting plane line D-D of FIG. 10A.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 10A, when the user performs an opening operation, the first heat insulation door 131 rotates about the hinge axis 142 as the center of rotation. During the opening operation, in a top view, the first heat insulation door 131 rotates counterclockwise. At this time, only the base portion 151, which is the lower portion of the regulation module 15, rotates following the first heat insulation door 131. That is, since the base portion 151 is fixed to the upper surface of the first heat insulation door 131, it rotates together with the first heat insulation door 131. On the other hand, the guide portion 152, which is the upper portion of the regulation module 15, is fixed in the rotational direction by the guide engagement portion 1524 clamping the tip of the hinge main body portion 141. Therefore, even when the first heat insulation door 131 rotates, it does not rotate. Thus, when the user rotates the first heat insulation door 131 to open and close it, the base portion 151 and the guide portion 152 rotate relative to each other.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 10B, a hinge collar 16 is embedded in the first heat insulation door 131. The hinge collar 16 is fixed by a heat insulating material 113 such as foamed urethane filled in the first heat insulation door 131. Furthermore, the position of the hinge collar 16 inside the first heat insulation door 131 is defined by a bracket disposed inside the first heat insulation door 131. Therefore, the hinge collar 16 rotates together with the first heat insulation door 131. On the other hand, since the hinge axis 142 inserted into the hinge collar 16 is fixed to the front end of the support mechanism 14, it does not rotate even when the first heat insulation door 131 rotates. Therefore, the hinge axis 142 and the hinge collar 16 rotate relative to each other.

[0070] FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 in the open state of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 11B is a cutaway perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 in the open state of the refrigerator 10. FIG. 11B is a cross-section taken along the cutting plane line E-E of FIG. 11A.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 11A, when the aforementioned first heat insulation door 131 rotates until it reaches the 90-degree open state, the base portion 151 rotates together with the first heat insulation door 131. On the other hand, the guide portion 152 does not rotate by engaging with the support mechanism 14. In other words, the base portion 151 and the guide portion 152 rotate relative to each other.

[0072] Therefore, referring to FIG. 11B, the steel ball 1532 of the pressure applying portion 153 rotates while pressing the pressed portion 1522 by the biasing force of the elastic portion 1533. As a result, a frictional force is generated between the pressed portion 1522 and the guide cylindrical portion 1526, and a resistance force that restricts the rotation of the base portion 151 is generated. Therefore, the first heat insulation door 131 to which the base portion 151 is fixed can be locked at an arbitrary rotation angle.

[0073] FIG. 12 is a cutaway plan view showing the transition of the regulation module 15. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting plane line F-F of FIG. 11A. In FIG. 12, the upper part shows the regulation module 15 with the first heat insulation door 131 in the closed state, the middle part shows the regulation module 15 when the opening angle of the first heat insulation door 131 (θ2 shown in FIG. 9B) is about 20 degrees, and the lower part shows the regulation module 15 when the opening angle of the first heat insulation door 131 (θ2 shown in FIG. 9B) is about 90 degrees. In each view of FIG. 12, the cross-section of the member that rotates together with the aforementioned first heat insulation door 131 is shown by hatching. On the other hand, the cross-section of the member that is fixed to the side of the heat insulation box body 11 and does not rotate together with the first heat insulation door 131 is shown with color.

[0074] The configuration of the regulation module 15 shown in the upper part of FIG. 12 is as described with reference to FIG. 8A.

[0075] In the regulation module 15 shown in the middle part of FIG. 12, as the first heat insulation door 131 rotates, the base part 151 and the pressure applying part 153 rotate counterclockwise, while the guide part 152 does not rotate. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, when the first heat insulation door 131 rotates counterclockwise with the hinge main body part 141 as the rotation center, the base part 151 fixed to the upper surface of the first heat insulation door 131 also rotates counterclockwise. Therefore, the pressure applying part 153 stored in the accommodating part 1514 of the base part 151 also rotates counterclockwise along the periphery of the guide cylindrical part 1526. By doing so, as the first heat insulation door 131 rotates, the pressure applying part 153 also rotates counterclockwise.

[0076] On the other hand, the guide part 152 engaged with the above-mentioned hinge main body part 141 does not rotate together even when the first heat insulation door 131 rotates. Therefore, the guide cylindrical part 1526 (the pressed part 1522 and the concave part 1523), which is a part of the guide part 152, does not rotate together with the first heat insulation door 131.

[0077] Referring to the regulation module 15 shown in the lower part of FIG. 12, when the first heat insulation door 131 further performs an opening operation, as the base part 151 rotates, the pressure applying part 153 stored in the base part 151 further rotates along the periphery of the pressed part 1522. On the other hand, as described above, the position of the guide cylindrical part 1526 in the rotation direction is fixed. As a result, the pressure applying part 153 rotates and moves counterclockwise and is arranged on the side of the pressed part 1522. When it becomes like that, the steel ball 1532 abuts against the pressed part 1522. Therefore, the steel ball 1532 pushes and compresses the elastic part 1533 radially outward toward the left side. Thereby, the biasing force generated from the elastic part 1533 becomes larger, and the steel ball 1532 strongly presses the guide cylindrical part 1526 from the radially outside. That is, the steel ball 1532 of the pressure applying part 153 strongly presses the pressed part 1522 from the radially outside and rotates counterclockwise along the pressed part 1522.

[0078] When the rotational movement of the first heat insulating door 131 ends, the steel balls 1532 of the pressure applying portion 153 continue to strongly press the pressed portion 1522, which is a part of the guide portion 152, from the radially outer side. Due to this pressing force, the guide portion 152 is locked in the rotational direction. As a result, the relative rotation between the base portion 151 and the guide portion 152 is relatively strongly restricted by the pressing force of the steel balls 1532. Therefore, referring to FIG. 10A, the first heat insulating door 131, with the base portion 151 fixed in the rotational direction, is also locked in the rotational direction. The degree to which the first heat insulating door 131 is locked is such that, when no operation is performed by the user, the position of the first heat insulating door 131 in the rotational direction does not fluctuate. Also, even when the first heat insulating door 131 is locked, the user can perform a rotational operation while feeling an appropriate sense of moderation by manually operating the first heat insulating door 131.

[0079] When the user closes the first heat insulating door 131, the reverse operation of the above is performed. That is, while the angle θ2 shown in FIG. 9B is large, the user closes the first heat insulating door 131 while resisting the appropriate resistance force generated from the regulation module 15. Also, when the angle θ2 becomes small, since the resistance force generated from the regulation module 15 becomes small, the user can easily close the first heat insulating door 131.

[0080] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another form of the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing another form of the support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 from another angle. The support mechanism 14 and the regulation module 15 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 are basically the same as those described above, except that cutouts are formed in each member. Therefore, in the following description, the matters related to the cutouts will be mainly described, and other matters will refer to the above description.

[0081] Here, as the cutouts, a hinge cutout 143, a guide cutout 1527, and a base cutout 1516 are formed in each member.

[0082] The hinge notch 143 is formed by notching the front right side portion of the hinge main body 141. Also, referring to FIG. 14, a hinge groove portion 144 is formed in the hinge shaft 142. The hinge groove portion 144 is a groove that opens toward the right and is continuously formed from the lower end to the upper end of the hinge shaft 142. The upper end of the hinge groove portion 144 is connected to the hinge notch 143 of the hinge main body 141.

[0083] The guide notch 1527 is a notch formed in the guide portion 152. The guide notch 1527 is a portion obtained by notching the guide cylindrical portion 1526 and the guide main body portion 1521 from the left side. The guide notch 1527 communicates the outside with the guide hole portion 1525.

[0084] The base notch 1516 is a notch formed in the base portion 151. The base notch 1516 is a part obtained by notching the base wall portion 1513, the base cylindrical portion 1511, and the base main body portion 1512 from the left side. The base notch 1516 communicates the base hole portion 1515 with the outside. Also, the bottom of the hinge collar 16 is open.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 14, by forming each notch, a harness (not shown) can be easily routed. Specifically, the harness can be routed through the hinge notch 143, the hinge groove portion 144, the guide notch 1527, the base notch 1516, and the opening of the hinge collar 16. Thereby, transmission equipment provided in the first heat insulation door 131, such as a control panel, can be easily connected to a power source or the like provided in the heat insulation box body 11 described above via the harness.

[0086] FIGS. 15A and 15B are schematic diagrams showing the effects of the refrigerator 10 having the above-described configuration. FIG. 15A shows a case where the first heat insulation door 131 is not tilted. FIG. 15B shows a case where the first heat insulation door 131 is tilted.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 15A, when the first heat-insulating door 131 is in the closed state, the first heat-insulating door 131 is not inclined. Therefore, the relative positions of the hinge collar 16, the regulating module 15, the hinge shaft 142, and the hinge main body 141 are generally as designed. From this, the user can smoothly open and close the non-inclined first heat-insulating door 131.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 15B, for example, when the opening angle of the first heat-insulating door 131 is about 90 degrees, the hinge main body 141 may be inclined due to the weight of the first heat-insulating door 131. In FIG. 15B, the inclination of the first heat-insulating door 131 is emphasized and shown. Actually, the angle at which the first heat-insulating door 131 inclines is, for example, about 0.1 degrees.

[0089] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B, the pressure applying portion 153 applies a pressing force to the guide portion 152 to lock the first heat-insulating door 131 in the rotational direction. Therefore, if the hinge shaft 142 hits the guide cylindrical portion 1526 of the guide portion 152 due to the inclination of the first heat-insulating door 131, the rotational movement of the first heat-insulating door 131 may be inhibited.

[0090] In the present embodiment, referring to FIG. 6B, there is a base cylindrical portion 1511 of the base portion 151 between the hinge shaft 142 and the guide cylindrical portion 1526 of the guide portion 152. Therefore, the inclined hinge shaft 142 does not directly contact the guide cylindrical portion 1526 of the guide portion 152. Therefore, it is suppressed that the rotational movement of the guide cylindrical portion 1526 of the guide portion 152 is hindered by the inclined hinge shaft 142.

[0091] Referring again to FIG. 15B, even when the hinge shaft 142 inclines together with the first heat-insulating door 131, since the regulating module 15 has the above-described configuration, the regulating module 15 inclines together with the hinge shaft 142. Therefore, even when the first heat-insulating door 131 is in an inclined state, the regulating module 15 can lock the first heat-insulating door 131 at an arbitrary rotational position.

[0092] The present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0093] For example, referring to FIG. 6A, in the foregoing embodiment, as the guide engagement portion 1524, plate-like members disposed at both ends of the guide portion 152 are employed, and the guide engagement portion 1524 sandwiches the tip of the support mechanism 14, thereby fixing the guide portion 152 in the rotational direction. Here, other forms can be adopted as the guide engagement portion 1524. For example, a plurality of rod-like members protruding upward are adopted as the guide engagement portion 1524, and these plurality of rod-like members are inserted into the hole portion at the tip of the hinge main body portion 141. With such a configuration, the guide portion 152 can also be fixed in the rotational direction.

[0094] Furthermore, referring to FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment has a structure in which the front opening of the storage chamber 12 is closed by one first heat-insulating door 131, but a configuration in which the refrigerating chamber 121 is closed by a plurality of first heat-insulating doors 131 can also be adopted.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0095] 10 Refrigerator 11 Heat-insulating box body 111 Outer box 112 Inner box 113 Heat-insulating material 12 Storage chamber 121 Refrigerating chamber 122 Freezing chamber 13 Heat-insulating door 131 First heat-insulating door 132 Second heat-insulating door 133 Third heat-insulating door 134 Fourth heat-insulating door 14 Support mechanism 141 Hinge main body portion 142 Hinge shaft 143 Hinge notch 144 Hinge groove 15 Regulation module 151 Base portion 1511 Base cylindrical part 1512 Base main body part 1513 Base wall part 1514 Accommodation part 1515 Base hole part 1516 Base notch part 152 Guide part 1521 Guide main body part 1522 Pressed part 1523 Concave part 1524 Guide engagement part 1525 Guide hole part 1526 Guide cylindrical part 1527 Guide notch part 153 Pressure applying part 1531 Case part 1532 Steel ball 1533 Elastic part 16 Hinge collar 17 Concave region 18 Air duct 19 Cooling chamber 20 Blower 21 Evaporator 22 Defrost heater 23 Machine room 24 Compressor 25 Fixing part 26 Storage part 27 Heat insulation wall 100 Refrigerator 101 Door body 102 Bearing part 103 Extension part 104 Holding plate 105 Concave-convex part 106 Upper hinge

Claims

1. A heat-insulating box body in which a storage chamber is formed, a heat-insulating door that closes the opening of the storage chamber, a support mechanism that rotatably supports the heat-insulating door with respect to the heat-insulating box body, and a regulation module that regulates the rotational movement of the heat-insulating door, wherein the support mechanism has a hinge main body portion fixed to the heat-insulating box body and a hinge shaft extending along the vertical direction from the hinge main body portion and inserted into the heat-insulating door in a rotatable state, the regulation module has a base portion, a guide portion, and a pressure applying portion, the base portion is fixed to the heat-insulating door and has a base cylindrical portion into which the hinge shaft is rotatably inserted, the guide portion has a guide engaging portion that engages with the hinge main body portion, and the pressure applying portion is configured to apply pressure to the guide portion from the radially outer side. A refrigerator characterized by this.

2. The guide portion has a guide main body portion having a substantially annular shape, a pressed portion pressed by the pressure applying portion, and a concave portion that is partially recessed inward in the radial direction, and the refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion is configured to face the pressure applying portion when the heat-insulating door is in the closed state.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the guide engaging portion is configured to sandwich the hinge main body portion.

4. The hinge shaft is rotatably inserted into a hinge collar built into the heat-insulating door, and the inner diameter of the base cylindrical portion and the inner diameter of the hinge collar are substantially the same. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

5. A concave region is formed by making the widthwise end portion at the upper side of the heat-insulating door concave, and the refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the regulation module is housed in the concave region.

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