Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of easily changing a rotation range of a heat insulation door of the refrigerator.SOLUTION: A support mechanism 14 of a refrigerator 10 has a hinge body part 141 fixed to a heat insulation box body 11. A range restriction module 15 has a base part 151, a stopper part 152, and a contact part 154. The base part 151 is fixed to a heat insulation door 13. The stopper part 152 is assembled to the base part 151, and constituted so that a relative position to the base part 151 can be changed in a rotation direction. A contact part 154 is fixed to the stopper part 152, and constituted to contact the hinge body part 141 when an angle for opening the heat insulation door 13 becomes constant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

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 the end in the width direction. With such a configuration, by rotating the heat-insulating door, the opening and closing of the storage chamber opening can be performed. In addition, in order to improve the convenience of the refrigerator, there is a desire to regulate the opening range of the heat-insulating door.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an invention for changing the maximum angle when the rotary door of a refrigerator opens. Specifically, in Patent Document 1, in order to change the maximum angle, a mounting bracket is attached to the heat-insulating door. A door stopper is integrally attached to the mounting bracket by screwing two adjusting screws. This mounting bracket is attached to the lower edge of the door. After attachment, by rotating the adjusting screws, the door stopper moves, and thereby the position of the door stopper can be freely changed. Therefore, the opening and closing angle of the door until the door stopper hits a predetermined part of the main body can be easily changed and set.

[0004] In addition, inventions for changing the opening angle of the heat-insulating door of a refrigerator are also described in Patent Document 2 and the like below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

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 viewpoint of convenience when opening and closing the heat-insulating door.

[0007] Specifically, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, since the position of the door stopper was changed by loosening the screw, a screw operation using a jig was required. Therefore, there was a problem that the operation for changing the position of the door stopper was complicated. Further, under the usage conditions of the refrigerator, due to the rotary door repeatedly abutting against the door stopper, the position of the door stopper was displaced, and there was a problem that the regulated position of the rotary door was unintentionally changed.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator capable of easily changing the rotation range of the heat-insulating door of the refrigerator.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] (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 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 range restriction module that restricts the rotation range of the heat-insulating door. The support mechanism has a hinge main body portion fixed to the heat-insulating box body. The range restriction module has a base portion, a stopper portion, and a contact portion. The base portion is fixed to the heat-insulating door. The stopper portion is assembled to the base portion and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the base portion. The contact portion is fixed to the stopper portion and is configured to contact the hinge main body portion when the opening angle of the heat-insulating door reaches a certain value. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, when the opening angle of the heat-insulating door reaches a certain value, the contact portion fixed to the stopper portion contacts the hinge main body portion, so that the maximum opening angle of the heat-insulating door can be defined. Further, since the stopper portion can change its relative position with respect to the base portion in the rotational direction, the user can change the position of the stopper portion in the rotational direction. Therefore, the user can change the maximum opening angle of the heat-insulating door based on the installation position of the refrigerator and the like.

[0010] (2) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the relative position in the rotational direction between the base portion and the stopper portion can be changed in predetermined angular units. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, with such a configuration, the position of the contact portion fixed to the stopper portion in the rotational direction can be changed in predetermined angular units, so that the maximum opening angle of the heat-insulating door can be easily changed.

[0011] (3) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the support mechanism further has a hinge shaft that extends vertically from the hinge main body portion and is inserted into the heat insulation door in a rotatable state. The base portion has a base main body portion and a base engaging portion. The stopper portion has a stopper main body portion and a stopper engaging portion. The position of the contact portion in the rotational direction is defined by the engagement of the base engaging portion and the stopper engaging portion. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, since the position of the contact portion in the rotational direction is defined by the engagement of the base engaging portion and the stopper engaging portion, the position of the contact portion in the rotational direction can be accurately defined.

[0012] (4) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, a plurality of the base engaging portions are formed along the circumferential direction, and a plurality of the stopper engaging portions are formed along the circumferential direction. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, since a plurality of the base engaging portions and the stopper engaging portions are formed along the circumferential direction, a plurality of engagement portions between the base engaging portion and the stopper engaging portion can be provided. Therefore, the position of the contact portion in the rotational direction can be firmly defined.

[0013] (5) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the range restricting module further has a pressure applying portion, and the pressure applying portion is configured to apply pressure to the stopper portion. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the pressure applying portion generates an appropriate resistance force against the rotation of the stopper portion. Therefore, when the user manually rotates the stopper portion, the user can obtain an appropriate sense of moderation.

[0014] (6) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the stopper portion has a plurality of stopper concave portions along the circumferential direction, and the pressure applying portion presses the stopper concave portions. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, when the user manually rotates the stopper portion, the user can obtain a stepwise sense of moderation by the pressure applying portion pressing the concave portions of the stopper portion.

[0015] (7) Further, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the contact portion has a notch, and when the opening angle of the heat insulation door reaches a certain level, the hinge main body portion contacts the notch. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, when the opening angle of the heat insulation door reaches a certain level, the hinge main body portion contacts the notch, thereby suppressing the unnecessary rise of the stopper portion and the contact portion. Therefore, the rotational positions of the stopper portion and the contact portion can be maintained, and the rotational range of the heat insulation door can be appropriately defined.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] It is possible to provide a refrigerator capable of easily changing the rotational range of the heat insulation door of the refrigerator.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8A

Figure 8B

Figure 9A

Figure 9B

Figure 10

Figure 11A

Figure 11B

Figure 12A

Figure 12B

Figure 13A

Figure 13B

Figure 14A

Figure 14B

Figure 15A

Figure 15B

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the refrigerator 10 according to the 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, back, 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 insulation 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 insulation box body 11 in which the storage chamber 12 is formed, a heat insulation door 13 that closes the opening of the storage chamber 12, a support mechanism 14 that rotatably supports the heat insulation door 13 with respect to the heat insulation box body 11, and a range restriction module 15 that restricts the rotation range of the heat insulation door 13. The support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3A and subsequent figures.

[0021] As will be described later, according to the refrigerator 10 of the present embodiment, by having the range restriction module 15, the maximum angle when the heat insulation door 13 opens can be defined. Further, by rotating a predetermined part of the range restriction module 15 by the user, the maximum angle can be changed.

[0022] The storage chamber 12 has a refrigerating chamber 121 in the upper part and a freezing chamber 122 in the lower part.

[0023] The heat-insulating door 13 includes 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.

[0024] The first heat-insulating door 131 is a door that closes the upper part of the opening of the refrigerator compartment 121. The first heat-insulating door 131 includes a left heat-insulating door 1311 and a right heat-insulating door 1312.

[0025] The left heat-insulating door 1311 is a door that closes the left part of the opening of the refrigerator compartment 121. The left end of the left heat-insulating door 1311 is rotatably supported with respect to the heat-insulating box body 11 via a support mechanism 14. The support mechanism 14 is disposed on both the upper end side and the lower end side at the left end of the left heat-insulating door 1311. A range restriction module 15 is disposed near the support mechanism 14.

[0026] The right heat-insulating door 1312 is a door that closes the right part of the opening of the refrigerator compartment 121. The right end of the right heat-insulating door 1312 is rotatably supported with respect to the heat-insulating box body 11 via a 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 right heat-insulating door 1312. A range restriction module 15 is disposed near the support mechanism 14.

[0027] The second heat-insulating door 132 is a door that closes the lower part of the opening of the refrigerator compartment 121. The second heat-insulating door 132 is a door that opens and closes by sliding in the front-rear direction.

[0028] The third heat-insulating door 133 and the fourth heat-insulating door 134 are doors that close the opening of the freezer compartment 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.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the refrigerator 10.

[0030] The heat insulation box body 11 constitutes the main body of the refrigerator 10. The heat insulation box body 11 has an outer box 111, an inner box 112, and a heat insulating material 113. The outer box 111 is made of a steel plate 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 insulation box body 11 is the storage chamber 12 described above.

[0031] 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 insulation structure as the heat insulation 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.

[0032] 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 insulation 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 by blowing this air into each storage chamber, the temperature inside each storage chamber becomes a predetermined cooling temperature range.

[0033] 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.

[0034] Inside the cooling chamber 19, below the evaporator 21, a defrost heater 22 is arranged. As the vapor compression refrigeration cycle operates, 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 heat it, thereby performing a defrost operation to melt and remove the frost.

[0035] 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.

[0036] The cooling operation in the refrigerator 10 will be described. First, here, based on the instruction of 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 return air ducts (not shown here) respectively.

[0037] FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10 of the portion where the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15 are arranged. FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the support mechanism 14 mainly includes a hinge main body portion 141 and a hinge shaft 142. The support mechanism 14 is a mechanism that rotatably supports the upper right end portion of the right heat insulation door 1312 with respect to the heat insulation box body 11. Although not shown here, the support mechanism 14 is also provided at the lower right end portion of the right heat insulation door 1312. The rear end portion of the hinge main body portion 141 is fixed to the front right end portion of the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 11.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 3B, the front end portion of the hinge body 141 protrudes forward beyond the front surface of the heat insulation box body 11 shown in FIG. 3A. The hinge shaft 142 is a cylindrical member attached to the tip of the hinge body 141. The hinge shaft 142 extends along the vertical direction from the hinge body 141. The hinge shaft 142 is inserted into the right heat insulation door 1312 described above in a rotatable state. Further, the hinge shaft 142 is inserted into the range restriction module 15 and the hinge collar 16 in a rotatable state.

[0040] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15.

[0041] The hinge body 141 is formed by shaping a plate-like member made of metal or the like into a predetermined shape. The hinge body 141 has a hinge fixing portion 1411, a first hinge extension portion 1412, a second hinge extension portion 1413, and a third hinge extension portion 1414. The hinge fixing portion 1411 has a substantially rectangular shape and is a portion fixed to the upper surface of the heat insulation box body 11 described above. The first hinge extension portion 1412 is a portion that extends substantially linearly forward from the front left end of the hinge fixing portion 1411. The second hinge extension portion 1413 is a portion that extends substantially linearly to the right from the front end of the first hinge extension portion 1412. The third hinge extension portion 1414 is a portion that extends from the right end of the second hinge extension portion 1413 toward the right rear side. The hinge shaft 142 is fixed to the tip of the third hinge extension portion 1414.

[0042] The hinge shaft 142 is a substantially cylindrical member that extends along the vertical direction from the front end of the hinge body 141. The hinge shaft 142 is fixed to the hinge body 141 in a non-rotatable manner. The hinge shaft 142 is a member that is inserted into the right heat insulation door 1312 described above in a rotatable state. As described above, the lower portion of the hinge shaft 142 is inserted into the hinge collar 16 in a relatively rotatable state.

[0043] The hinge collar 16 is a substantially cylindrical member embedded in the aforementioned right heat-insulating door 1312. The hinge collar 16 is non-rotatable relative to the right heat-insulating door 1312. The lower portion of the aforementioned hinge shaft 142 is inserted into the hinge collar 16. As the right heat-insulating door 1312 rotates, the hinge shaft 142 rotates inside the hinge collar 16.

[0044] The range restriction module 15 is a member that restricts the rotation range of the aforementioned right heat-insulating door 1312. The hinge shaft 142 passes through a hole formed in the center of the range restriction module 15. Details of the range restriction module 15 will be described later with reference to the figures after FIG. 5A.

[0045] With reference to FIGS. 5A to 7, the configuration of the range restriction module 15 will be described in detail. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the range restriction module 15 seen from above. FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the range restriction module 15 seen from another angle above. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the range restriction module 15 seen from above. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the range restriction module 15 seen from below.

[0046] With reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, as described above, the range restriction module 15 is a member that restricts the rotation range of the right heat-insulating door 1312 shown in FIG. 1 and the like. The range restriction module 15 as a whole has a flat shape, and a hole through which the aforementioned hinge shaft 142 passes is formed in its center. In the range restriction module 15, the contact portion 154 and the stopper portion 152 are made rotatable. As will be described later, the user can change the rotation range of the right heat-insulating door 1312 by rotating the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154 by hand.

[0047] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the range restriction module 15 has, from the lower side, a base portion 151, a pressure applying portion 153, a stopper portion 152, a contact portion 154, and a lid portion 155. Here, the base portion 151 and the stopper portion 152 are made of synthetic resin formed by injection molding or the like. The contact portion 154 is made of a metal plate having a predetermined thickness in order to receive the inertia of the right heat insulation door 1312. As will be described later, the relative position in the rotational direction between the base portion 151 and the stopper portion 152 can be changed in predetermined angular units.

[0048] The base portion 151 is a substantially plate-shaped member fixed to the right heat insulation door 1312 described above. The base portion 151 is also a support member that supports other members constituting the range restriction module 15. The base portion 151 has a base main body portion 1511, a base hole portion 1512, a base engaging portion 1513, a base storage portion 1514, a first step portion 1515, and a second step portion 1516.

[0049] The base main body portion 1511 is the main body portion of the plate-shaped base portion 151. In a top view, the base main body portion 1511 has a substantially rectangular shape.

[0050] The base hole portion 1512 is a hole that penetrates the substantially central portion of the base main body portion 1511 in a substantially circular shape. The inner diameter of the base hole portion 1512 is made to be slightly longer than the outer diameter of the hinge shaft 142 described above.

[0051] The base engaging portion 1513 is an engaging portion formed on the side of the stopper portion 152, that is, on the upper surface of the base main body portion 1511. Specifically, a plurality of base engaging portions 1513 are formed around the base hole portion 1512, that is, along the circumferential direction. The base engaging portion 1513 can engage with the stopper engaging portion 1523 of the stopper portion 152 described later by presenting a predetermined concavo-convex shape. Here, a wave shape is adopted as the concavo-convex shape of the base engaging portion 1513. As will be described later, when the base engaging portion 1513 and the stopper engaging portion 1523 engage with each other, the positions of the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154 in the rotational direction are defined.

[0052] The base storage part 1514 is a part where the upper surface of the base main body part 1511 is partially concave. The base storage part 1514 is sized to accommodate the pressure applying part 153 described above.

[0053] The first step part 1515 is a step part formed near the rear side edge of the base main body part 1511. The first step part 1515 has a side face facing rightward.

[0054] The second step part 1516 is a step formed on the front side edge of the base main body part 1511. The second step part 1516 has a side face facing rightward.

[0055] The stopper part 152 is assembled to the base part 151 and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the base part 151. The stopper part 152 has a stopper main body part 1521, a stopper hole part 1522, a stopper engaging part 1523, a stopper concave part 1524, a stopper extending part 1525, a stopper contact part 1526, a first abutting part 1527, and a second abutting part 1528.

[0056] The stopper main body part 1521 is a part forming the main body of the stopper part 152 and has a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0057] The stopper hole part 1522 is a part that penetrates the central part of the stopper main body part 1521 in a substantially circular shape. The inner diameter of the stopper hole part 1522 is slightly longer than the outer diameter of the hinge shaft 142 described above.

[0058] The stopper engaging part 1523 is an engaging part formed on the side of the base part 151, that is, on the lower surface of the stopper main body part 1521. Specifically, the stopper engaging part 1523 is an uneven part formed along the circumferential direction on the lower surface of the stopper main body part 1521. As the shape of the stopper engaging part 1523, a wave shape similar to the base engaging part 1513 described above is adopted. By engaging the base engaging part 1513 of the base part 151 and the stopper engaging part 1523 of the stopper part 152, the rotation of the stopper part 152 clockwise in a top view is restricted. Thereby, as will be described later, the rotation range of the right heat insulation door 1312 can be restricted.

[0059] Also, the shapes of the base engaging portion 1513 of the base portion 151 and the stopper engaging portion 1523 of the stopper portion 152 are such that the stopper portion 152 does not lift under the usage conditions of the refrigerator 10. Specifically, under the usage conditions of the refrigerator 10, when the user opens the right heat insulation door 1312 described above, the contact portion 1541 of the contact portion 154 contacts the support mechanism 14 described above. At this time, the vertical surface of the stopper engaging portion 1523 contacts the vertical surface of the base engaging portion 1513. By doing so, the rotation of the stopper portion 152 and the stopper concave portion 1524, and thus the rotation of the right heat insulation door 1312 by a predetermined angle or more, can be suppressed. Further, since the base engaging portion 1513 and the stopper engaging portion 1523 have a corrugated shape, an accidental rise of the stopper portion 152 during contact is suppressed, and the engagement between the base hole portion 1512 and the stopper engaging portion 1523 is also prevented from coming off.

[0060] The stopper concave portion 1524 is a portion where the side surface of the stopper main body portion 1521 is recessed inward in the radial direction. A plurality of stopper concave portions 1524 are formed on the side surface of the stopper main body portion 1521. The stopper concave portions 1524 are separated from each other at a predetermined interval. As will be described later, when the user rotates the stopper portion 152, the pressure applying portion 153 presses the stopper concave portion 1524, so that a sense of moderation can be given to the user.

[0061] The stopper extending portion 1525 is a portion that extends in a plate shape outward in the radial direction from the stopper main body portion 1521. The stopper extending portion 1525 is formed at the rear right portion of the stopper main body portion 1521. The angular range of the stopper extending portion 1525 is, for example, about 45 degrees. The contact portion 154 described above is fixed to the upper surface of the stopper extending portion 1525.

[0062] The stopper contact portion 1526 is a portion erected upward from the outer edge of the first abutting portion 1527. A groove extending along the vertical direction is formed on the side surface facing the outside of the stopper contact portion 1526. Thereby, under the usage condition, the frictional force between the user's finger and the stopper contact portion 1526 is increased, and the user can easily change the rotation range of the right heat insulation door 1312.

[0063] The first abutting portion 1527 is the side surface of the counterclockwise side end of the stopper extending portion 1525. Under the usage condition of the range restricting module 15, the first abutting portion 1527 of the stopper portion 152 abuts against the first stepped portion 1515 of the base portion 151, thereby defining the counterclockwise rotation range of the stopper portion 152.

[0064] The second abutting portion 1528 is the side surface of the clockwise side end of the stopper extending portion 1525. Under the usage condition of the range restricting module 15, the second abutting portion 1528 of the stopper portion 152 abuts against the second stepped portion 1516 of the base portion 151, thereby defining the clockwise rotation range of the stopper portion 152.

[0065] The pressure applying portion 153 is configured to apply pressure to the stopper portion 152. Specifically, the pressure applying portion 153 includes a cylindrical case, a steel ball housed at the end of the case, and a biasing portion such as a spring that biases the steel ball inside the case. The pressure applying portion 153 is housed in the base housing portion 1514 of the base portion 151. The steel ball disposed at the tip of the pressure applying portion 153 presses the stopper concave portion 1524 of the stopper portion 152. By doing so, the pressure applying portion 153 generates an appropriate resistance force against the rotation of the stopper portion 152. Therefore, when the user manually rotates the stopper portion 152, the user can obtain an appropriate sense of moderation.

[0066] The contact portion 154 is fixed to the stopper portion 152. Further, the contact portion 154 is configured to contact the hinge main body portion 141 described above when the opening angle of the right heat insulation door 1312 reaches a certain value. Specifically, the contact portion 154 is made of a bent metal plate and has a contact support portion 1542 and a contact portion 1541. The contact support portion 1542 has a shape conforming to the stopper extension portion 1525 described above and is fixed to the upper surface of the stopper extension portion 1525 via fastening means such as screws. The contact portion 1541 is a portion that vertically rises upward from the counterclockwise side end of the contact support portion 1542. As will be described later, by the inner end in the radial direction of the contact portion 1541 contacting the hinge main body portion 141 described above, the rotation range of the right heat insulation door 1312 can be restricted.

[0067] Also, a notch portion 1543 is formed in the contact portion 1541. Referring to FIG. 5A, the notch portion 1543 is a portion where a radially inner portion is notched in a substantially rectangular shape near the upper end of the contact portion 1541. As will be described later, the notch portion 1543 is a portion that contacts and fits into a specific portion of the support mechanism 14 when the contact portion 1541 contacts the hinge main body portion 141 as the right heat insulation door 1312 rotates. Here, the notch portion 1543 can also be formed in the middle portion of the contact portion 1541 in the vertical direction.

[0068] The lid portion 155 is a plate-like member that covers the base portion 151, the stopper portion 152, and the contact portion 154 from above. The lid portion 155 has a lid main body portion 1551 and a lid hole portion 1552 formed by penetrating the lid main body portion 1551.

[0069] FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10 in the closed state at the portion where the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15 are installed. FIG. 8B is a top view showing the refrigerator 10 in the closed state at the portion where the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15 are installed. In FIG. 8B, the contact portion 154 and the hinge main body portion 141 are colored.

[0070] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, when the right heat-insulating door 1312 is in the closed state and the opening angle is less than 90 degrees, the range restriction module 15 has no influence on the rotational movement of the right heat-insulating door 1312. Specifically, referring to the portion surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 8B, in the circumferential direction, the contact portion 154 of the range restriction module 15 is separated from the third hinge extension portion 1414 of the hinge main body portion 141. Therefore, the user can open the right heat-insulating door 1312 without being affected by the range restriction module 15.

[0071] FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10 at the portion where the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15 are installed when the heat-insulating door 13 is opened 90 degrees. FIG. 9B is a top view showing the refrigerator 10 at the portion where the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15 are installed when the heat-insulating door 13 is opened 90 degrees. The area surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 9B shows the range restriction module 15 and its peripheral portion, and the contact portion 154 and the hinge main body portion 141 are colored. Also, the portion indicated by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing the situation where the contact site 1541 contacts the third hinge extension portion 1414.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 9A, the right heat-insulating door 1312 is in the open state by the manual operation of the user. The angle θ1 between the front surface of the heat-insulating box body 11 and the right heat-insulating door 1312 is, for example, 90 degrees. The left heat-insulating door 1311 is also in the open state, similar to the right heat-insulating door 1312.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 9B, when the right heat-insulating door 1312 opens by 90 degrees, the contact portion 154 of the range-limiting module 15 rotates counterclockwise together with the right heat-insulating door 1312. In such a case, referring to the portion surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 9B, the radially inner end of the contact portion 1541 contacts the left side surface of the third hinge extension portion 1414 of the hinge main body portion 141. At this time, it is the end face of the contact portion 1541 that contacts the third hinge extension portion 1414. Therefore, the deformation of the contact portion 1541 is suppressed when the contact portion 1541 contacts the third hinge extension portion 1414. From this, the range-limiting module 15 can reliably regulate the maximum angle by which the right heat-insulating door 1312 rotates.

[0074] Also, referring to the portion surrounded by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 9B, the contact portion 1541 of the contact portion 154 contacts the side surface of the third hinge extension portion 1414 of the support mechanism 14. Also, at the time of this contact, the third hinge extension portion 1414 is partially fitted into the notch portion 1543 of the contact portion 154. By doing so, the third hinge extension portion 1414 of the hinge main body portion 141 restricts the position of the contact portion 1541 of the contact portion 154 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the position of the stopper portion 152 to which the contact portion 154 is fixed is also fixed. From this, when the contact portion 1541 of the contact portion 154 contacts the side surface of the third hinge extension portion 1414 of the support mechanism 14, the lifting of the stopper portion 152 shown in FIG. 6 is suppressed. Therefore, at the time of this contact, the range-limiting module 15 maintains the state in which the base engagement portion 1513 and the stopper engagement portion 1523 are fitted together. Therefore, the range-limiting module 15 can define the maximum angle of the right heat-insulating door 1312.

[0075] FIG. 10 is a cutaway perspective view showing the right heat-insulating door 1312 of the portion where the support mechanism 14 and the range-limiting module 15 are installed. FIG. 11A is a cutaway perspective view showing the situation where the user rotates the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154 of the range-limiting module 15. FIG. 11B is a cutaway perspective view showing the situation where the user rotates the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154 of the range-limiting module 15.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 10, a concave region 17 is formed by recessing the upper right end of the right heat-insulating door 1312 downward. The concave region 17 is formed to prevent interference between the upper end of the right heat-insulating door 1312 and the support mechanism 14 when the right heat-insulating door 1312 rotates. The range restriction module 15 is housed in the concave region 17. Therefore, in this embodiment, there is no need to form a dedicated concave space in the right heat-insulating door 1312 for housing the range restriction module 15. From this, the range restriction module 15 can be disposed in the right heat-insulating door 1312 without accompanying a reduction in the heat-insulating material inside the right heat-insulating door 1312.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 11A, in order to change the rotation range of the right heat-insulating door 1312, the user rotates the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154. Specifically, first, the user pushes up the stopper contact portion 1526 upward with his finger. In FIG. 11A, the force applied by the user to the stopper contact portion 1526 at this time is indicated by F1. The range restriction module 15 is disposed above the right end of the right heat-insulating door 1312. Further, the stopper contact portion 1526 faces the right side which is the outer side in the width direction at the right end of the right heat-insulating door 1312. Therefore, the user can easily contact the stopper contact portion 1526 of the range restriction module 15. Further, since a plurality of grooves are formed along the vertical direction on the outer surface of the stopper contact portion 1526, the slipping of the user's finger at the stopper contact portion 1526 is suppressed.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 11B, by such an operation of the user's finger, the stopper portion 152 is lifted upward. Also, inside the range restriction module 15, the position of the stopper portion 152 in the vertical direction is defined by the upper surface of the stopper main body portion 1521 abutting against the lower surface of the lid portion 155.

[0079] When the stopper portion 152 rises, the lower end of the stopper engaging portion 1523 of the stopper portion 152 is located above the upper end of the base engaging portion 1513 of the base portion 151. Therefore, the rotation of the stopper portion 152 is not restricted by the base portion 151.

[0080] In this state, when the user applies a frictional force to the stopper contact portion 1526 with his or her finger, the stopper portion 152 can be rotated counterclockwise. In FIG. 11B, the force applied by the user to the stopper contact portion 1526 at this time is indicated by F2. When the stopper portion 152 has rotated to the rotational position desired by the user, the user releases his or her finger from the stopper contact portion 1526. Then, the stopper portion 152 drops downward due to its own weight. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11A, the stopper engaging portion 1523 of the stopper portion 152 engages with the base engaging portion 1513 of the base portion 151.

[0081] Further, the base engaging portion 1513 of the base portion 151 and the stopper engaging portion 1523 of the stopper portion 152 described above are formed in predetermined angular units (for example, 10-degree units). Therefore, the positions of the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154 in the rotational direction can be finely set, and thus the maximum angle at which the right heat insulation door 1312 opens can also be finely set.

[0082] Also, while the stopper portion 152 is rotating due to the operation of the user, the pressure applying portion 153 constantly applies a pressing force to the stopper portion 152 from the left. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of stopper concave portions 1524 are formed on the side surface of the stopper main body portion 1521 of the stopper portion 152 at predetermined angular intervals. Therefore, when the user rotates the stopper portion 152, the pressure applying portion 153 continuously presses the side surface of the stopper main body portion 1521 while crossing between the stopper concave portions 1524. Thereby, when the user rotates the stopper portion 152, the user can feel an operation feeling called a sense of moderation or a click feeling.

[0083] FIG. 12A is a top view showing the range restriction module 15 before rotating the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154. FIG. 12B is a top view showing the range restriction module 15 after rotating the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 12A, in the range restriction module 15 before the user rotates the stopper portion 152, the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154 are arranged on the counterclockwise side. Specifically, the first contact portion 1527 of the stopper portion 152 contacts the first step portion 1515 of the base portion 151. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9B, the range restriction module 15 allows the right heat insulation door 1312 to open up to 90 degrees.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 12B, when the user rotates the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154 clockwise, the second contact portion 1528 of the stopper portion 152 contacts the second step portion 1516 of the base portion 151. In this case, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 13B, the range restriction module 15 allows the right heat insulation door 1312 to open up to 180 degrees.

[0086] FIG. 13A is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10 of the portion where the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15 are installed when the heat insulation door 13 is opened 180 degrees. FIG. 13B is a top view showing the refrigerator 10 of the portion where the support mechanism 14 and the range restriction module 15 are installed when the heat insulation door 13 is opened 180 degrees.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 13A, when the user opens the right heat insulation door 1312, the opening angle θ1 of the right heat insulation door 1312 is 180 degrees. Here, the left heat insulation door 1311 also shows a state of opening at the same angle as the right heat insulation door 1312.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 13B, when the opening angle θ1 of the right heat-insulating door 1312 reaches 180 degrees, the contact portion 1541 of the contact part 154 contacts the third hinge extension part 1414 of the hinge main body part 141. Thereby, it is suppressed that the maximum opening angle of the right heat-insulating door 1312 exceeds 180 degrees. Also here, by the end face of the contact portion 1541 contacting the side surface facing the left side of the third hinge extension part 1414, the deformation of the contact part 154 at the time of contact is suppressed.

[0089] FIG. 14A is an exploded perspective view of the range restriction module 15 according to another embodiment as viewed from above. FIG. 14B is an exploded perspective view of the range restriction module 15 according to another embodiment as viewed from below.

[0090] The schematic configuration of the range restriction module 15 shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B is the same as that shown in FIGS. 5A etc., and the configurations of the base engagement part 1513 and the stopper engagement part 1523 are different. Here, the base engagement part 1513 is formed in a wall shape, and the stopper engagement part 1523 is formed in a groove shape.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 14A, the base engagement part 1513 is a part that extends in a wall shape along the radial direction. The base engagement parts 1513 are arranged at substantially equal intervals along the circumferential direction around the base hole part 1512.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 14B, the stopper engagement part 1523 is a part that extends in a groove shape along the radial direction. The stopper engagement parts 1523 are arranged at substantially equal intervals along the circumferential direction around the base hole part 1512, that is, on the lower surface of the stopper main body part 1521. The shape of the stopper engagement part 1523 presents a shape obtained by inverting the base engagement part 1513. Therefore, the base engagement part 1513 of the base part 151 shown in FIG. 14A and the stopper engagement part 1523 of the stopper part 152 shown in FIG. 14B engage with each other. Thereby, the positions of the stopper part 152 and the contact part 154 in the rotational direction are fixed.

[0093] FIG. 15A is an exploded perspective view of the range restricting module 15 according to still another form, as seen from above. FIG. 15B is an exploded perspective view of the range restricting module 15 according to still another form, as seen from below.

[0094] The schematic configuration of the range restricting module 15 shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B is the same as that shown in FIGS. 5A etc., and the configurations of the base engaging portion 1513 and the stopper engaging portion 1523 are different. Here, the base engaging portion 1513 is formed in a rod shape, and the stopper engaging portion 1523 is formed in a hole shape.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 15A, the base engaging portion 1513 is a portion extending in a substantially rod shape along the vertical direction. The base engaging portion 1513 protrudes in a rod shape upward from the upper surface of the base main body portion 1511 around the base hole portion 1512. Here, one base engaging portion 1513 is illustrated, but a plurality of base engaging portions 1513 may be provided.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 15B, the stopper engaging portion 1523 is a hole portion formed from the lower surface of the stopper main body portion 1521. The stopper engaging portions 1523 are arranged at substantially equal intervals along the circumferential direction around the stopper main body portion 1521. Thus, the base engaging portion 1513 is inserted into the stopper engaging portion 1523. Thereby, the positions of the stopper portion 152 and the contact portion 154 in the rotational direction are fixed.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Also, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0098] 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 1311 Left Heat-insulating Door 1312 Right 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 1411 Hinge Fixing Part 1412 First Hinge Extension 1413 Second Hinge Extension 1414 Third Hinge Extension 142 Hinge Shaft 15 Range Limiting Module 151 Base Part 1511 Base Main Body 1512 Base Hole 1513 Base Engaging Part 1514 Base Storage Part 1515 First Step 1516 Second Step 152 Stopper Part 1521 Stopper Main Body 1522 Stopper Hole 1523 Stopper Engaging Part 1524 Stopper Concave Part 1525 Stopper Extension 1526 Stopper Contact Part 1527 First Contact Part 1528 Second Contact Part 153 Pressure Applying Part 154 Contact Part 1541 Contact Position 1542 Contact Support Position 1543 Notch 155 Cover Part 1551 Cover Main Body 1552 Cover Hole 16 Hinge Collar 17 Concave Region 18 Air Duct 19 Cooling Chamber 20 Blower 21 Evaporator 22 Defrost Heater 23 Machine Room 24 Compressor 27 Heat Insulation Wall

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 range restricting module that restricts the rotation range of the heat-insulating door, and the support mechanism has a hinge main body portion fixed to the heat-insulating box body, the range restricting module has a base portion, a stopper portion, and a contact portion, the base portion is fixed to the heat-insulating door, the stopper portion is assembled to the base portion and is configured to be rotatable with respect to the base portion, the contact portion is fixed to the stopper portion and is configured to contact the hinge main body portion when the opening angle of the heat-insulating door reaches a certain value. A refrigerator characterized by this.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the relative position in the rotation direction between the base portion and the stopper portion can be changed in a predetermined angular unit.

3. The support mechanism further has a hinge shaft that extends along the vertical direction from the hinge main body portion and is inserted into the heat-insulating door in a rotatable state, the base portion has a base main body portion and a base engaging portion, the stopper portion has a stopper main body portion and a stopper engaging portion, The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the position of the contact portion in the rotation direction is defined by the engagement of the base engaging portion and the stopper engaging portion.

4. A plurality of the base engaging portions are formed along the circumferential direction, The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that a plurality of the stopper engaging portions are formed along the circumferential direction.

5. The range restricting module further has a pressure applying portion, The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure applying portion is configured to apply pressure to the stopper portion.

6. The stopper portion has a plurality of stopper concave portions along the circumferential direction, The refrigerator according to claim 5, characterized in that the pressure applying portion presses the stopper concave portion.

7. The contact portion has a notch portion, The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that when the opening angle of the heat-insulating door reaches a certain value, the hinge main body portion contacts the notch portion.

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