Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator in which the strength of a refrigerator body is easily secured even if a heat insulation wall is made thinner.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 according to the present invention comprises a refrigerator body 2 in which a storage chamber is formed in an internal cooling object space, and a cooling outside chamber 30 provided outside the cooling object space in the refrigerator body 2. The cooling outside chamber 30 is provided with an outside plate 51 provided on the outside, an inside plate 52 provided on the inside, and a heat insulation wall 54 comprising a foam heat insulation material packed between the outside plate 51 and the inside plate 52. The heat insulation wall 54 is provided with a ventilation part 55 establishing communication between the inside and the outside of the cooling outside chamber 30. A portion of the heat insulation wall 54 is located on the rear side or the lower side of the ventilation part 55.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a refrigerator is formed by filling a foam heat insulating material to form a refrigerator body, and storage chambers such as a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber are formed inside. In recent years, in order to meet the demand for high volume, the heat insulating wall of the refrigerator body has been thinned. However, when the heat insulating wall is thinned, the rigidity of the refrigerator body decreases and it becomes difficult to ensure strength (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator in which the strength of the refrigerator body can be easily ensured even when the heat insulating wall is thinned.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a refrigerator body in which a storage chamber is formed in an internal space to be cooled, and a cooling outer chamber provided outside the space to be cooled in the refrigerator body. The cooling outer chamber is provided with an outer plate provided on the outside, an inner plate provided on the inside, and a heat insulating wall having a foam heat insulating material filled between the outer plate and the inner plate. The heat insulating wall is provided with a ventilation portion that communicates the inside and the outside of the cooling outer chamber, and a part of the heat insulating wall is located behind or below the ventilation portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] In the following description, the left - right direction, the front - back direction, and the up - down direction indicate the directions when the refrigerator is viewed from the front. The width direction means the width direction of the refrigerator and corresponds to the left - right direction. Also, right, left, up, down, back, rear, and front indicate the position, side, etc. when the refrigerator is viewed from the front, unless otherwise specified.

[0008] In the inner box 4 of the refrigerator 1, the side facing the storage chamber is defined as the inner - side of the chamber, and the side facing the outer box 3 through the heat - insulating material is defined as the heat - insulating region side. Also, in the outer box 3 of the refrigerator 1, the side facing the inner box 4 through the heat - insulating material is defined as the inner - side of the chamber, and the side facing the outside of the chamber is defined as the outer - side of the chamber.

[0009] 1. First Embodiment Hereinafter, the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] (1) Configuration of the refrigerator 1 As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator body 2 of the refrigerator 1 is composed of an outer box 3, an inner box 4, heat - insulating materials 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 6 provided in the storage chamber heat - insulating space P1 formed therebetween, and a heat - insulating wall body 50. In the refrigerator body 2, a refrigerating chamber 12, a vegetable chamber 14, a first freezing chamber 18, and a second freezing chamber 20 are arranged from the upper stage, and an ice - making chamber (not shown) is arranged beside the first freezing chamber 18. The refrigerating chamber 12, the vegetable chamber 14, the first freezing chamber 18, the second freezing chamber 20, and the ice - making chamber are storage chambers provided in the cooling target space inside the refrigerator body 2. A heat - insulating partition wall 21 is provided horizontally between the refrigerating space composed of the refrigerating chamber 12 and the vegetable chamber 14 and the freezing space composed of the ice - making chamber, the first freezing chamber 18, and the second freezing chamber 20.

[0011] A refrigerating cooler 22 for cooling the refrigerating space composed of the refrigerating chamber 12 and the vegetable chamber 14 is provided on the back surfaces of the refrigerating chamber 12 and the vegetable chamber 14. Above the refrigerating cooler 22, a refrigerating fan 23 for blowing the cold air generated by the refrigerating cooler 22 into the refrigerating space is provided.

[0012] A refrigeration cooler 24 for cooling a refrigerating space composed of an ice making chamber, a first freezer compartment 18, and a second freezer compartment 20 is provided on the upper rear surface of the second freezer compartment 20. Above this refrigeration cooler 24, a refrigeration fan 25 for blowing the cold air generated by the refrigeration cooler 24 into the refrigerating space is provided.

[0013] On the outside of the refrigerator body 2, a board storage chamber 28 and a machine room 30 are provided. The board storage chamber 28 and the machine room 30 are cooling outer chambers provided outside the cooling target space partitioned by heat insulating materials 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, and 6 from the cooling target space cooled by the refrigeration cooler 22 and the refrigeration cooler 24 in the refrigerator body 2. Thus, as a target of the cooling outer chamber in the present invention, it can be cited as a broad condition that it is a portion provided outside the cooling target space. In particular, a portion where the cooling target space such as a refrigerating chamber is provided upward is more desirable as the cooling outer chamber. This point will be described in detail later.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine room 30 is provided, for example, at the lower rear of the freezer compartment 20. The machine room 30 is a space that opens to the rear. In the machine room 30, a compressor 26, a condenser 27, and refrigerant pipes connecting them, which constitute a refrigeration cycle together with the refrigeration cooler 22 and the refrigeration cooler 24, are arranged. Further, in the machine room 30, an evaporation tray 32 that receives the defrost water generated from the refrigeration cooler 24 via a pipe 31, a heat radiation fan 33 that cools the compressor 26 and the condenser 27, etc., and promotes the evaporation of the defrost water accumulated in the evaporation tray 32 are arranged. Although it will be described in detail later, the side wall of the machine room 30 in the present embodiment is formed by a heat insulating wall body 50.

[0015] The substrate storage chamber 28 is provided, for example, at the lower rear of the refrigerating chamber 12, and a control substrate 7 on which a microcomputer or the like for controlling the refrigerator 1 is mounted is provided. Electrical components such as a refrigerating fan 23, a freezing fan 25, a compressor 26, a heat radiation fan 33, and a sensor (not shown) provided inside or outside the refrigerator body 2 are electrically connected to the control substrate 7 by electrical wiring. Based on the signal input from the sensor and the control program stored in the memory in advance, the operations of the refrigerating fan 23, the freezing fan 25, the compressor 26, and the heat radiation fan 33 are controlled to control the overall operation of the refrigerator 1.

[0016] (2) Configuration of the refrigerator body 2 As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the refrigerator body 2 is formed of a box-shaped body that opens at the front and includes a left side wall, a right side wall, a ceiling wall, a bottom wall, and a back wall. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a molded heat insulating material 5a is provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 on the left side wall, and a molded heat insulating material 5b is provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 on the right side wall. A molded heat insulating material 5c is provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 on the ceiling wall, and a molded heat insulating material 5d is provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 on the bottom wall. A molded heat insulating material 5e is provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 on the back wall. The molded heat insulating materials 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e are heat insulating materials that are pre-molded into a predetermined shape before being disposed in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1, and are, for example, vacuum heat insulating materials, expanded polystyrene, cardboard, or the like.

[0017] In portions where the molded heat insulating materials 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e do not exist in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1, refrigerant pipes such as heat radiation pipes connecting components of the refrigeration cycle are provided, and electrical wiring connecting electrical components provided in the cooling target space or the cooling outer chamber of the refrigerator body 2 is provided. At the same time, a foamed heat insulating material 6 such as urethane foam is filled to form a storage chamber heat insulating wall that thermally insulates the refrigerating chamber 12, the vegetable chamber 14, the first freezing chamber 18, the second freezing chamber 20, and the ice making chamber from outside the cabinet.

[0018] More specifically, the outer box 3 made of a steel plate that constitutes the outer shell of the refrigerator body 2 has a box shape that is open at the front and has a left side plate 3a, a right side plate 3b, a top plate 3c, a bottom plate 3d, and a back plate 3e. The left side plate 3a, the right side plate 3b, and the top plate 3c are formed by bending a single long steel plate. The bottom plate 3d and the back plate 3e are members provided separately from the left side plate 3a, the right side plate 3b, and the top plate 3c.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, at the front end of the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3, a front engaging portion 3a1 that engages with the flange portion 4a1 of the inner box 4 protrudes inward in the width direction, and at the front end of the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3, a front engaging portion 3b1 that engages with the flange portion 4b1 of the inner box 4 protrudes inward in the width direction.

[0020] Also, at the rear end of the left side plate 4a of the inner box 4, a rear engaging portion 4a2 that engages with the flange portion 3e1 provided at the left end of the back plate 3e is provided, and at the rear end of the right side plate 4b of the inner box 4, a rear engaging portion 4b2 that engages with the flange portion 3e1 provided at the right end of the back plate 3e is provided.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a lower flange portion 3a3 that protrudes inward in the width direction is formed at the lower end of the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3, and a lower flange portion 3b3 that protrudes inward in the width direction Y1 is formed at the lower end of the right side plate 3b. The lower flange portion 3a3 is fixed to the frame member 8 provided at the lower left side of the refrigerator body 2 by screws or the like, and the lower flange portion 3b3 is fixed to the frame member 8 provided at the lower right side of the refrigerator body 2 by screws or the like.

[0022] Next, the frame member 8 will be described. Since the frame member 8 provided at the lower left side of the refrigerator body 2 and the frame member 8 provided at the lower right side have a symmetric structure, here, the frame member 8 provided at the lower right side of the refrigerator body 2 will be described, and a detailed description of the frame member 8 provided at the lower left side of the refrigerator body 2 will be omitted.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the frame member 8 includes a lower frame portion 8a provided along the lower right side of the refrigerator body 2, and a rear frame portion 8b that bends upward from the rear end of the lower frame portion 8a and is provided along the left rear portion of the refrigerator body 2.

[0024] The lower frame portion 8a has an L-shaped cross section including a lower frame bottom portion 8a1 extending in the front-rear direction along the left end portion of the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3, and a lower frame side portion 8a2 protruding upward from the lower frame bottom portion 8a1.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, on the lower frame bottom portion 8a1 of the lower frame portion 8a, the left end portion of the bottom plate 3d, the lower flange portion 3a3 of the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3, and the bottom portion of the heat insulation wall body 50 are fixed together.

[0026] The outer side in the width direction of the lower frame side portion 8a2 faces the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3 in the left-right direction to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material. In the portion where the outer side in the width direction of the lower frame side portion 8a2 faces the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3 to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material, the outer side in the width direction of the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3 may be provided so as to be in direct contact, or a flexible body such as a soft tape may be sandwiched between the outer side in the width direction of the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3, and the outer side in the width direction of the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3 may be provided so as to face each other via the flexible body. Further, even when a small gap is generated between the outer side in the width direction of the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3, by ensuring the length of the portion where the outer side in the width direction of the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3 face each other, the outflow of the foam heat insulating material can be suppressed. In the following description, for the portions where different parts face each other to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material, similarly, any configuration can be adopted, such as directly contacting the parts with each other, sandwiching a flexible body such as a soft tape between them, or leaving a small gap between the parts, and the description to that effect will be omitted below. Also, the inner side in the width direction of the lower frame side portion 8a2 faces the heat insulation wall body 50 in the left-right direction to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material.

[0027] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear frame portion 8b of the frame member 8 includes a rear frame rear portion 8b1 that extends upward from the rear end of the lower frame bottom portion 8a1 of the lower frame portion 8a, and a rear frame side portion 8b2 that protrudes forward from the outer end in the width direction of the rear frame rear portion 8b1.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, a heat insulation wall body 50 is fixed to the rear frame rear portion 8b1. The inner side in the width direction of the rear frame side portion 8b2 faces the heat insulation wall body 50 in the left - right direction to suppress the outflow of the foamed heat insulation material.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3 is a partition wall having a stepped shape that separates the second freezer compartment 20 and the machine room 30. That is, the partition wall separates the storage chamber side and the cooling outer chamber side. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the bottom plate 3d includes a storage chamber lower portion 3d1 located below the second freezer compartment 20, which is the lowermost storage chamber in front of the machine room 30, a machine room ceiling portion 3d2 located at the ceiling (upper side) of the machine room 30, and a rising portion 3d3 that rises from the storage chamber lower portion 3d1 toward the machine room ceiling portion (cooling outer chamber ceiling portion) 3d2. The width - direction ends of the storage chamber lower portion 3d1 and the machine room ceiling portion 3d2 are provided with substantially constant heights in the front - rear direction.

[0030] The storage chamber lower portion 3d1 is provided with a wide bottom plate portion 3d1a on the front side, and a narrow bottom plate portion 3d1b that is smaller than the wide bottom plate portion 3d1a in the width direction of the refrigerator is provided on the rear side of the wide bottom plate portion 3d1a. Also, the machine room ceiling portion 3d2 and the rising portion 3d3 are smaller than the wide bottom plate portion 3d1a in the width direction of the refrigerator. For example, the machine room ceiling portion 3d2 and the rising portion 3d3 have the same size in the width direction of the refrigerator as the narrow bottom plate portion 3d1b.

[0031] On the wide-bottom plate portion 3d1a, front flange-like portions 3d4a that project upward toward the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 are provided along both left and right ends thereof. On the narrow-bottom plate portion 3d1b, the rising portion 3d3, and the machine room ceiling portion 3d2, rear flange-like portions 3d4b are provided along both left and right ends thereof. The rear flange-like portion 3d4b projects from the narrow-bottom plate portion 3d1b, the rising portion 3d3, and the machine room ceiling portion 3d2 along the inner plate 52 described later. In this embodiment, the rear flange-like portion 3d4b projects toward the storage chamber heat insulation space P1, but it may project toward the outside of the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 (toward the machine room 30). The rear flange-like portion 3d4b corresponds to the "flange-like portion" provided at the end of the partition wall in the present invention and facing the inner plate.

[0032] The front end portion of the rear flange-like portion 3d4b widens outward in the width direction as it goes forward (as it approaches the front flange-like portion 3d4a) and is connected to the rear end of the front flange-like portion 3d4a.

[0033] Note that it is preferable that the rear flange-like portion 3d4b projects from the bottom plate 3d by a larger amount than the front flange-like portion 3d4a. The front flange-like portion 3d4a is preferably formed by bending upward from both left and right ends of the wide-bottom plate portion 3d1a and is provided integrally with the lower part 3d1 of the storage chamber, the machine room ceiling portion 3d2, and the rising portion 3d3. The rear flange-like portion 3d4b is preferably provided by fixing a member formed separately from the lower part 3d1 of the storage chamber, the machine room ceiling portion 3d2, and the rising portion 3d3 to both left and right end portions of the narrow-bottom plate portion 3d1b, the machine room ceiling portion 3d2, and the rising portion 3d3. Also, it is preferable that the thickness of the rear flange-like portion 3d4b is larger than the thicknesses of the front flange-like portion 3d4a, the lower part 3d1 of the storage chamber, the machine room ceiling portion 3d2, and the rising portion 3d3.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, both left and right end portions of the wide-bottom plate portion 3d1a are provided overlapping the lower frame bottom 8a1 of the frame member 8 and are fixed by screws (not shown) or the like. Thereby, the front flange-like portions 3d4a provided at both left and right end portions of the wide-bottom plate portion 3d1a face the side portions 8a2 of the lower frame of the frame member 8 in the left-right direction and suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material.

[0035] As described above, the bottom plate width narrow part 3d1b, the machine room ceiling part 3d2, and the rising part 3d3 are smaller in the width direction than the bottom plate width wide part 3d1a. Therefore, when the bottom plate width wide part 3d1a is fixed to the lower frame bottom part 8a1, a gap is formed between the bottom plate width narrow part 3d1b, the rising part 3d3, and the rear flange part 3d4b provided on the machine room ceiling part 3d2 and the left and right side plates 3a, 3b of the outer box 3 to arrange the heat insulating wall body 50.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 10, on the inner surface of the lower part 3d1 of the bottom plate 3d below the storage chamber (the surface facing the storage chamber heat insulating space P1), the molded heat insulating material 5d is adhered by an adhesive such as double-sided adhesive tape or hot melt. The molded heat insulating material 5d includes a front heat insulating part 5d1 attached to the lower part 3d1 of the bottom plate 3d of the storage chamber, and a rear heat insulating part 5d2 rising upward along the rising part 3d3 of the bottom plate 3d from the rear end part of the front heat insulating part 5d1.

[0037] The rear end of the front heat insulating part 5d1 is located behind the rear end of the front flange part 3d4a (the front end of the rear flange part 3d4b), and is provided behind the front end of the extension part 52c of the inner plate 52 described later. Also, the front heat insulating part 5d1 and the rear heat insulating part 5d2 are provided with a smaller dimension in the left-right direction than the interval between the left and right front flange parts 3d4a and the interval between the left and right rear flange parts 3d4b, and are provided at positions separated from the front flange part 3d4a and the rear flange part 3d4b in the left-right direction (see FIG. 7).

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, injection holes 3e2 for injecting the foaming stock solution of the foamed heat insulating material 6 into the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 are formed in the left and right both side parts of the back plate 3e. In addition, the position and the number of the injection holes 3e2 provided in the vertical direction are not particularly limited. For example, the injection holes 3e2 are provided behind the refrigerator compartment 12 and behind the second freezer compartment 20.

[0039] The inner box 4 made of synthetic resin is integrally formed by a vacuum forming machine, and has a box shape with an opening in the front having a left side plate 4a, a right side plate 4b, a top plate 4c, a bottom plate 4d, and a back plate 4e that face the left side plate 3a, the right side plate 3b, the top plate 3c, the bottom plate 3d, and the back plate 3e of the outer box 3 respectively. The inner box 4 is provided inside the above-described outer box 3, and forms a storage room heat insulation space P1 together with the outer box 3.

[0040] (3) Structure of the machine room 30 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine room 30 is a space provided behind the rising portion 3d3 of the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3. Specifically, the machine room 30 has its front partitioned by the rising portion 3d3 of the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3, its top partitioned by the machine room ceiling portion 3d2 of the bottom plate 3d, its bottom partitioned by a base plate 34 to which the compressor 26 etc. is attached, and its left and right side surfaces partitioned by heat insulation wall bodies 50, and is a space that opens to the rear. The rear opening of the machine room 30 is closed by a rear grill 35 (see FIG. 1).

[0041] Inside the machine room 30, a heat radiation fan 33 is provided towards one side in the width direction of the refrigerator (for example, the left side when viewed from the front). The heat radiation fan 33 is provided with its rotation axis oriented in the width direction of the refrigerator such that the suction port 33a faces one side in the width direction of the refrigerator and the blowout port 33b faces the other side (for example, the right side when viewed from the front).

[0042] On one side in the width direction of the refrigerator rather than the heat radiation fan 33, there are a ventilation portion 55 provided in the heat insulation wall body 50, a through hole (not shown) provided in the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3 so as to communicate with the ventilation portion 55, and a ventilation portion (not shown) provided in the rear grill 35. The through hole is covered so as to be ventilable from the outside of the outer box 3 by a ventilation port covering body 80 provided in the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3.

[0043] On the other side of the refrigerator in the width direction from the heat dissipation fan 33, there are provided a compressor 26, a condenser 27, an evaporation tray 32, a ventilation portion 55 provided in the heat insulation wall body 50, and a through hole 3b4 provided in the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 so as to communicate with the ventilation portion 55. The through hole 3b4 is covered from the outside of the outer box 3 by a ventilation port covering body 80 provided in the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 so as to be ventilable.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the ventilation port covering body 80 provided in the through hole 3b4 of the left side plate 3a and the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 divides the through hole into a plurality of regions and has a plurality of small hole portions 80a each having an opening area narrower than that of the through hole 3b4, and a ventilation port flange portion 80b provided around the plurality of small hole portions 80a and covering the peripheral edge portion of the through hole 3b4 from the outside of the left side plate 3a and the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3.

[0045] When the heat dissipation fan 33 operates in the machine room 30 having such a configuration, due to the blowing action of the heat dissipation fan 33, the air outside the refrigerator 1 flows into the machine room 30 through the ventilation portion 55 of the heat insulation wall body 50 and the ventilation portion of the rear grill 35, and is sucked into the suction port 33a of the heat dissipation fan 33 and blown out from the blowout port 33b. The air blown out from the blowout port 33b of the heat dissipation fan 33 flows through the machine room 30 while cooling the condenser 27 and the compressor 26 and promoting the evaporation of the defrosting water accumulated in the evaporation tray 32, and is exhausted to the outside through the ventilation portion 55 of the heat insulation wall body 50.

[0046] (4) Heat insulation wall 54 Next, the portions of the heat insulation wall body 50 that constitute the left and right side surfaces of the machine room 30 will be described. Since the heat insulation wall body 50 that constitutes the left side surface of the machine room 30 and the heat insulation wall body 50 that constitutes the right side surface have a symmetrical structure, here, the right heat insulation wall body 50 will be described, and the left heat insulation wall body 50 will be given the same reference numerals for corresponding configurations and detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0047] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9, the heat insulation wall body 50 includes an outer plate 51 provided outside the machine room 30 which is a cooling outer chamber (outside in the width direction of the refrigerator), an inner plate 52 provided inside the machine room 30 (inside in the width direction of the refrigerator) at an interval from the outer plate 51, a heat insulation wall 54 having a foam heat insulation material filled in a cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 formed between the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52, and a ventilation part 55 provided so as to penetrate the heat insulation wall 54. Hereinafter, the heat insulation wall 54 is referred to as the "machine room heat insulation wall 54". Also, in terms of being provided in the machine room as a cooling outer chamber, this heat insulation wall 54 can also be regarded as a "cooling outer chamber heat insulation wall".

[0048] The inner plate 52 is a flat member that faces the rear flange portion 3d4b provided at the right end of the bottom plate 3d in the left - right direction and closes the right side surface of the machine room 30 formed below the bottom plate 3d.

[0049] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner plate 52 includes a top portion 52a that faces the machine room ceiling portion 3d2 in the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3 in the left - right direction, an inclined portion 52b that faces the rising portion 3d3 in the bottom plate 3d in the left - right direction, and an extension portion 52c that faces the lower storage chamber portion 3d1 in the bottom plate 3d in the left - right direction. Also, an inner plate peripheral wall 52h that protrudes toward the outer plate 51 (toward the outside in the width direction) is provided at the peripheral edge portion of the inner plate 52.

[0050] The top portion 52a, the inclined portion 52b, and the extension portion 52c of the inner plate 52 face the rear flange portion 3d4b provided at the width - direction end of the bottom plate 3d on the inner side in the width direction and suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulation material in the left - right direction.

[0051] The extension portion 52c is a part of the inner plate 52 and is formed to extend forward from the rising portion 3d3. An inclined portion 52c1 that inclines toward the outside in the width direction (toward the outer plate 51 side) toward the front end is provided at the front - side portion of the extension portion 52c. Thereby, in the heat insulation wall body 50, the front - end portion of the extension portion 52c becomes narrower toward the front end.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the inner plate 52 is provided with an inner vent hole 52d and an inner connection part 52e that constitute a vent part 55. The inner vent hole 52d is a through hole that penetrates the inner plate 52 in the left-right direction. The inner vent hole 52d is provided at a position where a through hole 3b4 provided in the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 is projected onto the inner plate 52. The inner connection part 52e projects from the entire periphery of the peripheral edge of the inner vent hole 52d toward the outer plate 51 (toward the outside in the width direction), and the inside thereof is formed to be hollow. The inner connection part 52e is composed of, for example, a cylindrical body having a trapezoidal cross section.

[0053] On the inner side in the width direction (the machine room 30 side) of the top part 52a and the inclined part 52b of the inner plate 52, a concave groove-shaped lead-out part 52f that sinks toward the outside in the width direction is provided. One end in the longitudinal direction of the lead-out part 52f opens at the periphery of the inner plate 52. The lead-out part 52f is provided with a refrigerant pipe that connects components of the refrigeration cycle such as the compressor 26 and the condenser 27, and an electrical wiring that connects electrical components provided in the refrigerator body 2. The refrigerant pipe and the electrical wiring are led out from the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 through the lead-out part 52f to the machine room 30.

[0054] A convex part 52m that protrudes downward is provided at the bottom of the inner plate 52. The convex part 52m fits into a positioning concave part 8a1a provided at the bottom 8a1 of the lower frame part 8a, and positions the front-rear direction of the heat insulation wall body 50 (see FIG. 4).

[0055] Also, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 9, an inner plate reinforcement part 52g is provided on the outer side surface in the width direction of the inner plate 52 (the surface facing the outer plate 51 through the heat insulation wall 54). The inner plate reinforcement part 52g is composed of, for example, rib-shaped protrusions that protrude toward the outer plate 51 and extend in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction.

[0056] The outer plate 51 includes a top part 51a, an inclined part 51b, and an extension part 51c that face the top part 52a, the inclined part 52b, and the extension part 52c of the inner plate 52 in the left-right direction, and is a flat plate-shaped member having substantially the same shape as the inner plate 52 in a side view. An outer plate peripheral wall 51h that protrudes toward the inner plate 52 (toward the inside in the width direction) is provided at the peripheral edge of the outer plate 51.

[0057] The outer plate 51 faces the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3, the lower frame side portion 8a2 of the frame member 8, and the rear frame side portion 8b2 of the frame member 8 in the left - right direction to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material. In the present embodiment, the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the rear frame side portion 8b2 function as frame facing portions facing the outer box 3.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, an outer ventilation port 51d and an outer connection portion 51e that constitute a ventilation portion 55 are provided on the outer plate 51. The outer ventilation port 51d is a through - hole that penetrates the outer plate 51 in the left - right direction. The outer ventilation port 51d is provided at a position where a through - hole 3b4 provided in the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 is projected onto the outer plate 51. The outer connection portion 51e protrudes from the entire periphery of the outer ventilation port 51d toward the inner plate 52 (toward the inner side in the width direction), and the inside thereof is formed to be hollow. The outer connection portion 51e is, for example, composed of a cylindrical body having a trapezoidal cross - section.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an inner connection portion 52e is inserted into the hollow portion of the outer connection portion 51e. Thereby, the outer ventilation port 51d of the outer plate 51 and the inner ventilation port 52d of the inner plate 52 are connected by the outer connection portion 51e and the inner connection portion 52e, and a ventilation portion 55 that communicates the inside of the machine room 30 and the outside of the refrigerator is formed in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2.

[0060] Note that, in a state where the inner connection portion 52e is inserted into the hollow portion of the outer connection portion 51e, the interval D1 between the outer connection portion 51e and the inner connection portion 52e is preferably an interval that can suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material filled in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2. For example, it is preferable that the above - mentioned interval D1 is smaller than the length L1 in which the outer connection portion 51e and the inner connection portion 52e overlap in the left - right direction. It is more preferable that it is smaller than the thickness t1 of the outer connection portion 51e and the inner connection portion 52e. Also, it is preferable that the above - mentioned length L3 is larger than the thickness t1 of the outer connection portion 51e and the inner connection portion 52e.

[0061] The ventilation part 55 is preferably provided above the vertical center of the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2. That is, in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2, the vertical length of the space formed above the outer connection part 51e constituting the ventilation part 55 is smaller than the vertical length of the space formed below the outer connection part 51e. Thus, the ventilation part 55 is preferably provided at a position closer to the upper side than the vertical center in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8, on the inner surface in the width direction of the outer plate 51 (the surface facing the inner plate 52 via the heat insulation wall 54), the outer plate reinforcing part 51g, the connection part reinforcing part 51i, and the peripheral wall reinforcing part 51j project toward the inner plate 52.

[0063] The outer plate reinforcing part 51g is composed of, for example, rib-shaped protrusions extending in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction that project toward the inner plate 52. The protruding amount h1 of the outer plate reinforcing part 51g from the outer plate 51 is larger than the protruding amount h2 of the inner plate reinforcing part 52g from the inner plate 52 (see FIG. 5). The connection part reinforcing part 51i is a plate-shaped ridge provided on the outside of the outer connection part 51e so as to connect the outer connection part 51e and the outer plate 51, and the protruding amount from the outer connection part 51e decreases as it moves away from the outer plate 51 (as it approaches the inner plate 52). The peripheral wall reinforcing part 51j is a plate-shaped ridge provided so as to connect the outer plate peripheral wall 51h and the outer plate 51.

[0064] Also, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, on the outside in the width direction of the outer plate 51 (the side facing the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3), a locking part 51k to which the locking piece 81 of the ventilation port covering body 80 locks is provided so as to open to the outer ventilation port 51d.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52 are configured such that the inner connection part 52e is inserted into the hollow part of the outer connection part 51e, and the outer plate peripheral wall 51h of the outer plate 51 is fitted inside the inner plate peripheral wall 52h of the inner plate 52 and fixed by screws or the like. Thereby, the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and a cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 filled with a foamed heat insulating material is formed between the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52.

[0066] The periphery of the heat-insulated space P2 of the cooling outer chamber is blocked by a peripheral wall 53 formed by an outer plate peripheral wall 51h and an inner plate peripheral wall 52h. The interval E between the outer plate peripheral wall 51h and the inner plate peripheral wall 52h is preferably an interval that can suppress the outflow of the foam heat-insulating material filled in the heat-insulated space P2 of the cooling outer chamber. For example, it is preferable that the above interval E is smaller than the length M in which the outer plate peripheral wall 51h and the inner plate peripheral wall 52h overlap in the left-right direction, and it is more preferable that the interval E is smaller than the thickness t2 of the outer plate peripheral wall 51h and the inner plate peripheral wall 52h. Also, the length M is preferably larger than the thickness t2 of the outer plate peripheral wall 51h and the inner plate peripheral wall 52h (see FIG. 5).

[0067] An opening 56 is provided in the peripheral wall 53. The opening 56 is preferably provided at a location facing the storage chamber heat-insulating space P1 in the peripheral wall 53 so as to communicate the heat-insulating space P2 of the cooling outer chamber with the storage chamber heat-insulating space P1 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4.

[0068] For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, the opening 56 is provided on the front side of the heat-insulating space P2 of the cooling outer chamber (the inclined portions 51b, 52b and the extension portions 51c, 52c of the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52), and is provided so as to open to the rear of the storage chamber heat-insulating space P1 formed between the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 and the right side plate 4b of the inner box 4.

[0069] The opening 56 is preferably a narrow passage portion that narrows the interval between the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52. That is, the width (length in the left-right direction) of the opening 56 is preferably smaller than the width of the heat-insulating space P2 of the cooling outer chamber (the interval between the portions where the reinforcing portions 51g, 51i, 51j are not provided on the inner side surface in the width direction of the outer plate 51 and the portion where the reinforcing portion 52g is not provided on the outer side surface in the width direction of the inner plate 52). Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the width W of the opening 56 is preferably smaller than the interval between the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 and the right side plate 4b of the inner box 4.

[0070] Also, when the opening 56 is provided on the front side of the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2, as shown in FIG. 10, it is preferable that the upper end of the opening 56 is located above the upper end of the outer connection portion 51e that constitutes the ventilation portion 55, and the lower end of the opening 56 is located below the lower end of the outer connection portion 51e.

[0071] The heat insulation wall 54 is made of a foamed heat insulation material provided outside the outer connection portion 51e in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2. As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 10, in this embodiment, foamed heat insulation materials are provided on the upper side, lower side, front side, and rear side of the outer connection portion 51e that constitutes the ventilation portion 55, and the heat insulation wall 54 is provided in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 so as to surround the entire outer peripheral portion of the outer connection portion 51e.

[0072] The heat insulation wall 54 is connected to a storage chamber heat insulation wall made of a foamed heat insulation material provided in the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 through an opening 56 provided in the peripheral wall 53. In this embodiment, since the upper end of the opening 56 is located above the upper end of the outer connection portion 51e and the lower end of the opening 56 is located below the lower end of the outer connection portion 51e, the upper part (the upper side of the outer connection portion 51e) and the lower part (the lower side of the outer connection portion 51e) of the heat insulation wall 54 are connected to the storage chamber heat insulation wall through the opening 56.

[0073] (5) Assembly method of the refrigerator body 2 Next, the assembly method of the refrigerator body 2 in the above-described refrigerator 1 will be described.

[0074] First, the molded heat insulation materials 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e are adhered to the inner surfaces of the left side plate 3a, right side plate 3b, top plate 3c, bottom plate 3d, and rear plate 3e of the outer box 3 with an adhesive such as a double-sided adhesive tape or hot melt.

[0075] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, after the inner box 4 is disposed inside the left side plate 3a, top plate 3c, and right side plate 3b of the outer box 3, the flange portions 4a1, 4b1 of the left and right side plates 4a, 4b of the inner box 4 are inserted and engaged with the front engagement portions 3a1, 3b1 of the left and right side plates 3a, 3b of the outer box 3.

[0076] Further, the inner connection part 52e of the inner plate 52 is inserted into the hollow part of the outer connection part 51e of the outer plate 51, and the outer plate peripheral wall 51h of the outer plate 51 is fitted inside the inner plate peripheral wall 52h of the inner plate 52, and a heat insulation assembly M (see FIG. 4) in which the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52 are fixed with screws or the like is created.

[0077] Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the lower flange parts 3a3 and 3b3 provided on the left and right side plates 3a and 3b of the outer box 3 and the wide bottom part 3d1a of the bottom plate of the outer box 3 are fixed to the lower frame bottom part 8a1 of the frame member 8.

[0078] Further, the heat insulation assembly M is arranged in the gap formed between the rear flange-like part 3d4b of the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3 and the left and right side plates 3a and 3b, and the heat insulation assembly M is fixed to the lower frame bottom part 8a1 and the rear frame rear part 8b1 of the frame member 8.

[0079] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the heat insulation assembly M is arranged in the gap formed between the rear flange-like part 3d4b of the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3 and the left and right side plates 3a and 3b, the outer plate 51 faces the left and right side plates 3a and 3b of the outer box 3, and the inner plate 52 faces the rear flange-like part 3d4b of the bottom plate 3d and closes the above gap. Further, the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 formed inside the heat insulation assembly M communicates with the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 through the opening 56.

[0080] Then, refrigerant pipes such as heat dissipation pipes for connecting components of the refrigeration cycle and electrical wiring for connecting electrical components provided in the refrigerator body 2 are provided in the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4. At that time, the refrigerant pipes and the electrical wiring are led out from the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 to the machine room 30 through the lead-out part 52f provided on the inner plate 52 and are provided in the machine room 30.

[0081] Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the flange part 3e1 provided on the back plate 3e of the outer box 3 is inserted and engaged with the rear side engaging parts 3a2 and 3b2 provided on the left and right side plates 3a and 3b, and the back plate 3e is attached to the bottom plate 3d to close the back surface of the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 leaving the injection hole 3e2.

[0082] After that, the refrigerator body 2 is laid down so that the front of the refrigerator body 2 faces downward, and with the injection hole 3e2 provided in the back plate 3e of the outer box 3 facing upward, an injection nozzle (not shown) is inserted into the injection hole 3e2, and the foaming stock solution of the foamed heat insulating material is injected from the injection nozzle into the storage chamber heat insulating space P1.

[0083] The foaming stock solution injected from the injection nozzle flows into the spaces between the left and right side plates 4a and 4b of the inner box 4 and the formed heat insulating materials 5a and 5b. The foaming stock solution that has flowed into the spaces between the left and right side plates 4a and 4b of the inner box 4 and the formed heat insulating materials 5a and 5b is received by the flange portions 4a1 and 4b1 provided at the front end of the inner box 4 and accumulates at the front end of the refrigerator body 2. The foaming stock solution that has accumulated at the front end of the refrigerator body 2 expands due to foaming and rises and fills the inside of the left side wall, right side wall, ceiling wall, and bottom wall of the refrigerator body 2.

[0084] After that, the foaming stock solution fills the space formed between the formed heat insulating material 5e provided on the back wall of the refrigerator body 2 and the back plate 4e of the inner box 4, thereby forming a storage chamber heat insulating wall in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1.

[0085] Also, a part of the foaming stock solution that has moved upward on the left and right side walls of the refrigerator body 2 flows into the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2 through the opening 56 of the heat insulating assembly M. As a result, in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2, a heat insulating wall 54 that is integrally foam-molded with the foamed heat insulating material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 is formed around the ventilation portion 55.

[0086] (6) Effect In this embodiment, since the above-described heat insulating wall body 50 is provided in the machine room 30 which is a cooling outer chamber, the rigidity of the machine room 30 where the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 is likely to decrease can be improved, and the strength of the refrigerator body can be increased.

[0087] Generally, in a refrigerator, a machine room that houses at least one of the components on the high-temperature side of the refrigeration cycle, such as a compressor and a condenser, may be arranged not only at the lower part of the refrigerator but also at the ceiling part. However, when the present invention is applied to a configuration in which a machine room is provided particularly at the lower part of the refrigerator as in the present embodiment, improving the rigidity of the machine room 30 contributes to improving the rigidity of the entire refrigerator, which is preferable. In other words, when the present invention is applied to a part provided on the outside of the space to be cooled, where a refrigerating chamber or the like is provided upward, as a cooling outer chamber, the effect of improving the rigidity is increased, which is preferable.

[0088] Since the heat insulation wall body 50 is provided with a ventilation part 55 that communicates the inside and the outside of the machine room 30, cooling inside the machine room 30 and evaporation of the defrost water accumulated in the evaporation tray 32 can be appropriately performed. Even if a heat insulation wall is added to the side of the machine room 30, the refrigerator 1 can easily exhibit desired performance.

[0089] In addition, since the upper and lower parts of the heat insulation wall 54 that constitutes the heat insulation wall body 50 are connected to the foam heat insulation material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulation space P1, the heat insulation wall 54 can be provided integrally with the storage chamber heat insulation wall to improve the rigidity of the heat insulation wall body 50, and the heat insulation wall 54 and the storage chamber heat insulation wall can be molded at once, reducing the manufacturing man-hours.

[0090] The connection parts 51e and 52e that communicate the inner ventilation port 52d provided on the inner plate 52 and the outer ventilation port 51d provided on the outer plate 51 form a flow path that communicates the inside and the outside of the machine room 30 and functions as a structure that reinforces the heat insulation wall body 50, so that the strength of the refrigerator main body 2 can be significantly increased.

[0091] Moreover, when the inner connection part 52e is inserted into the hollow part of the outer connection part 51e, by reducing the interval between the outer connection part 51e and the inner connection part 52e, when filling the foam heat insulation material, the air in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 can be exhausted from between the outer connection part 51e and the inner connection part 52e, while suppressing the outflow of the foam heat insulation material to the outside of the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2.

[0092] In addition, the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3 is a member with a complex shape including a lower part 3d1 of the storage chamber, a rising part 3d3, and a ceiling part 3d2 of the machine room, and is a relatively large member constituting the bottom of the refrigerator body 2. However, since rear flange-like parts 3d4b are provided at both left and right ends of the bottom plate 3d, the rigidity of the bottom plate 3d is increased and it becomes easier to maintain the desired shape.

[0093] In addition, since the rear flange-like part 3d4b of the bottom plate 3d protrudes along the inner plate 52 of the heat insulation wall body 50, even if the bottom plate 3d is deformed, the rear flange-like part 3d4b can face the inner plate 52 of the heat insulation wall body 50 to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulation material.

[0094] In addition, the rear flange-like part 3d4b is formed separately from the lower part 3d1 of the storage chamber, the ceiling part 3d2 of the machine room, and the rising part 3d3, and the rear flange-like part 3d4b can be accurately formed even for the rising part with a large shape change.

[0095] In addition, when the inner plate 52 includes an extension part 52c extending forward from the rising part 3d3 of the bottom plate 3d, a wide bottom plate part 3d1a and a narrow bottom plate part 3d1b with different lengths in the width direction are provided in the lower part 3d1 of the storage chamber of the bottom plate 3d, and the portion where the length in the width direction of the bottom plate 3d changes can be provided in the lower part 3d1 of the storage chamber with a substantially constant height in the front-rear direction. Thereby, the manufacturing of the bottom plate 3d becomes easy and the manufacturing accuracy of the bottom plate 3d becomes high, and it becomes difficult for the foam heat insulation material to leak from between the inner plate 52 and the bottom plate 3d.

[0096] In addition, when an inclined part 52c1 is provided at the front side part of the extension part 52c of the inner plate 52, since the length in the width direction of the bottom plate 3d gradually changes from the wide bottom plate part 3d1a to the narrow bottom plate part 3d1b, molding defects of the bottom plate 3d can be suppressed.

[0097] In addition, in the heat insulating wall body 50, when the opening 56 that communicates the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 and the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2 is a narrow passage portion that narrows the interval between the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52, the filling pressure is suppressed at the opening 56 when the foam heat insulating material is filled from the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 to the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2, and it is possible to suppress the foam heat insulating material from leaking out from between the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52 to the outside of the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2.

[0098] In the present embodiment, since the outer plate 51 constituting the heat insulating wall body 50 faces the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the rear frame side portion 8b2 from the inside, it is possible to suppress the outer plate 51 from deforming so as to bulge outward (toward the outer box 3 side) under the filling pressure of the foam heat insulating material, and suppress undesired deformation of the side plates 3a and 3b of the outer box 3.

[0099] In the present embodiment, since the lead-out portion 52f is provided on the inner plate 52 of the heat insulating wall body 50, connection members such as refrigerant pipes and electrical wiring can be wired from the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 to the machine room 30. Further, by forming the inner plate 52 of a resin molded body, the lead-out portion 52f can be formed with high accuracy as compared with the case of forming a lead-out portion for inserting a connection member into the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3 made of a steel plate, and it is possible to suppress the foam heat insulating material from leaking out from the lead-out portion. The foam heat insulating material is less likely to leak from the lead-out portion In the present embodiment, since the rear end of the molded heat insulating material 5d provided between the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3 and the bottom plate 4d of the inner box 4 is provided behind the front end of the extension portion 52c of the heat insulating wall body 50, the area of the storage chamber covered with the molded heat insulating material 5d can be expanded. Further, since the molded heat insulating material 5d is provided at a position separated from the rear flange portion 3d4b in the left-right direction, it is possible to suppress the molded heat insulating material 5d from being damaged by contacting the rear flange portion 3d4b during manufacturing.

[0100] In the present embodiment, since the positioning concave portion 8a1a that positions the convex portion 52m provided on the inner plate 52 is provided on the bottom portion 8a1 of the lower frame of the frame member 8, the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52 can be fixed to the predetermined positions of the frame member 8 in the refrigerator body 2 before filling the foam heat insulating material whose shape is difficult to be stable.

[0101] Further, in the present embodiment, since the peripheral wall reinforcing portion 51j is provided on the outer plate peripheral wall 51h and the connection portion reinforcing portion 51i is provided outside the outer connection portion 51e, even when the outer plate 51 receives the filling pressure of the foam heat insulating material, it is suppressed from deforming so as to bulge outward (toward the outer box 3 side), and undesired deformation of the side plates 3a and 3b of the outer box 3 can be suppressed.

[0102] Also, in the present embodiment, the protruding amount h1 of the outer plate reinforcing portion 51g of the outer plate 51 is made larger than the protruding amount h2 of the inner plate reinforcing portion 52g of the inner plate 52, or a peripheral wall reinforcing portion is not provided on the inner connection portion 52e of the inner plate 52, and a peripheral wall reinforcing portion 51j is provided on the outer connection portion 51e of the outer plate 51, so that the rigidity of the inner plate 52 is set smaller than that of the outer plate 51. By making the rigidity of the inner plate 52 smaller than that of the outer plate 51 in this way, even if a high foaming pressure acts on the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2 during filling of the foam heat insulating material, the inner plate 52 can be preferentially deformed rather than the outer plate 51, and it is possible to suppress the outer plate 51 from deforming so as to bulge outward, and suppress undesired deformation of the side plates 3a and 3b of the outer box 3.

[0103] Also, in the present embodiment, the opening 56 that communicates the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 and the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2 in the heat insulating wall body 50 is provided on the front side of the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2 and is provided so as to open behind the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 formed between the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 and the right side plate 4b of the inner box 4. When filling the foam heat insulating material, the foam stock solution flowing along the left side wall or the right side wall of the refrigerator body 2 easily flows into the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2. Therefore, even if a narrow passage portion that narrows the distance between the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52 is formed as the opening 56 in the heat insulating wall body 50 to reduce the filling pressure in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2, the foam heat insulating material in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2 can be easily filled. That is, while suppressing the foam heat insulating material from flowing out of the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2, the foam heat insulating material can be filled in a wide range of the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2.

[0104] 2. Second Embodiment (1) Refrigerator 100 of the Second Embodiment Hereinafter, the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0105] In the above-described first embodiment, the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 is formed using the outer plate 51 provided separately from the side plates 3a and 3b of the outer box 3. However, in the second embodiment, it is different from the first embodiment in that the portions of the side plates 3a and 3b of the outer box 3 located on the side of the machine room 30 are used as the outer plates.

[0106] Since the heat insulation wall 150 constituting the left side surface of the machine room 30 and the heat insulation wall 150 constituting the right side surface are symmetric in structure, the heat insulation wall 150 on the right side will be described here, and the detailed description of the heat insulation wall on the left side will be omitted.

[0107] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the heat insulation wall 150 of the present embodiment includes a right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 located on the side of the machine room 30 which is a cooling outer chamber, an inner plate 152 provided on the machine room 30 side of the side plate 3b, a heat insulation wall 154 having a foamed heat insulating material filled in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 formed between the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 and the inner plate 152, and a ventilation portion 155 provided so as to penetrate the heat insulation wall 154.

[0108] The inner plate 152 includes a top portion 152a facing the machine room ceiling portion 3d2 in the left-right direction on the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3, an inclined portion 152b facing the rising portion 3d3 in the left-right direction on the bottom plate 3d, and an extension portion 152c facing the lower portion 3d1 of the storage chamber in the left-right direction on the bottom plate 3d. Further, an inner plate peripheral wall 152h protruding toward the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 (outward in the width direction) is provided at the peripheral edge portion of the inner plate 152.

[0109] The top portion 152a, the inclined portion 152b, and the extension portion 152c of the inner plate 152 face the rear flange portion 3d4b provided at the width direction end portion of the bottom plate 3d on the inner side in the width direction and suppress the outflow of the foamed heat insulating material in the left-right direction.

[0110] On the front side of the extension portion 152c, an inclined portion 152c1 is provided which inclines toward the outer side in the width direction (toward the side plate 3b of the outer box 3) as it goes toward the front end. As a result, in the heat insulating wall body 50, the front end portion of the extension portion 152c becomes narrower toward the front end.

[0111] The inner plate 152 is provided with an inner vent hole 152d and an inner connection portion 152e that constitute a vent portion 155. The inner vent hole 152d is a through hole that penetrates the inner plate 152 in the left - right direction. The inner vent hole 152d is provided at a position where a through hole 3b4 provided in the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 is projected onto the inner plate 152.

[0112] The inner connection portion 152e projects from the entire periphery of the inner vent hole 152d toward the side plate 3b of the outer box 3 (toward the outer side in the width direction), and is hollow inside. The inner connection portion 152e is, for example, a frame - shaped protrusion provided with a substantially constant frame width t3 in the protruding direction, and an outer flange portion 152e1 is provided at its tip. The outer flange portion 152e1 is a portion that opposes the peripheral edge of an outer vent hole (the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 in this embodiment), which is a part of the outer plate, and suppresses the outflow of the foam heat insulating material by narrowing the gap between the two. The outer flange portion 152e1 may partially have a so - called flange shape (flange shape) that extends in the outer peripheral direction of the outer vent hole so that the distance along the peripheral edge of the outer vent hole is larger than the general plate thickness of the resin parts of the refrigerator, for example, the plate thickness of the inner box 4 or the base plate 34. As shown in the example of FIG. 13, it may be connected to other shapes such as being folded back at the outer peripheral portion of the flange shape and directed toward the inner vent hole 152d side. As shown in FIG. 13, it is preferable that the amount of protrusion of the inner connection portion 152e from the inner plate 152 in the width direction is larger than the amount of protrusion of the inner plate peripheral wall 152h.

[0113] The outer flange portion 152e1 opposes the peripheral edge of the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 in the left - right direction and suppresses the outflow of the foam heat insulating material. As a result, it is arranged so as to surround the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 that functions as an outer vent hole provided in the outer plate by the outer flange portion 152e1, and the inner connection portion 152e communicates the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 and the inner vent hole 152d.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 13, the frame width t3 of the outer flange portion 152e1 is preferably sized to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material filled in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2. For example, it is preferable that the frame width t3 is larger than the thickness of the inner plate 152 or the thickness of the inner plate peripheral wall 152h.

[0115] Note that the inner connection portion 152e may be provided with a recess 152e2 for punching that opens inward in the width direction (the machine room side).

[0116] On the outer surface in the width direction of the inner plate 152 (the surface facing the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 through the heat insulating wall 154), an inner plate reinforcing portion 152g and a peripheral wall reinforcing portion 152j project outward in the width direction.

[0117] The inner plate reinforcing portion 152g is composed of, for example, rib-shaped protrusions extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction that project toward the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3.

[0118] The peripheral wall reinforcing portion 152j is a plate-shaped ridge provided so as to connect the inner plate peripheral wall 152h and the inner plate 152. In the present embodiment, a plurality of peripheral wall reinforcing portions 152j are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction on the inner plate lower peripheral wall 152h1 provided along the lower edge portion of the inner plate 152, and a plurality of peripheral wall reinforcing portions 152j are arranged at intervals in the up-down direction on the inner plate rear peripheral wall 152h2 provided along the rear edge portion of the inner plate 152.

[0119] A flexible body 160 such as a soft tape is provided on the outer side in the width direction (the right side plate 3b side of the outer box 3) of the plurality of peripheral wall reinforcing portions 152j, and is provided so as to face the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the rear frame side portion 8b2 of the frame member 8 with the flexible body 160 interposed therebetween. (See FIG. 13). Note that the thickness of the flexible body 160 in the natural state where no load is acting on the flexible body 160 is preferably smaller than the interval between the peripheral wall reinforcing portion 152j and the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the rear frame side portion 8b2 of the frame member 8.

[0120] Also, as shown in FIG. 12, a locking portion 152k for locking the locking piece 81 of the vent covering 80 is provided on the outer flange portion 152e1 of the inner plate 152. One end of this locking portion 152k opens to the inside of the outer flange portion 152e1 (the hollow side of the inner connection portion 152e), and the other end forms a concave shape that terminates at the outer flange portion 152e1. As a result, the outer flange portion 152e1 is provided with the locking portion 152k while maintaining a shape that is connected so as to surround the through-hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 which is the outer vent.

[0121] The vent covering 80 includes a plurality of small hole portions 80a that divide the through-hole 3b4 into a plurality of regions and narrow the opening area of each one to be smaller than the through-hole 3b4, and a vent flange portion 80b that is provided around the plurality of small hole portions 80a and covers the peripheral edge portion of the through-hole 3b4 from the outside of the left side plate 3a of the outer box 3. The vent flange portion 80b is preferably provided in a shape and size that can cover the entire outer flange portion 152e1 from the side.

[0122] The inner plate peripheral wall 152h provided at the peripheral edge portion of the inner plate 152 has a smaller protruding amount from the inner plate 152 at the inclined portion 152b and the extended portion 152c compared to the top portion 152a, the lower edge portion, and the rear edge portion of the inner plate 152.

[0123] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the inner plate 152 provided with the flexible body 160 at the peripheral wall reinforcing portion 152j is disposed in the gap formed between the rear flange portion 3d4b of the bottom plate 3d of the outer box 3 and the left and right side plates 3a, 3b, and the inner plate 152 is fixed to the lower frame bottom portion 8a1 and the rear frame rear portion 8b1 of the frame member 8.

[0124] Thereby, a plurality of peripheral wall reinforcing portions 152j face the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the rear frame side portion 8b2 of the frame member 8 in the width direction with the flexible body 160 interposed therebetween, and the outer flange portion 152e1 provided at the tip of the inner connection portion 152e faces the peripheral edge portion of the through-hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 in the width direction, suppressing the outflow of the foam heat insulating material.

[0125] On one hand, the inner plate peripheral wall 152h is separated from the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 at the top portion 152a, the inclined portion 152b, and the extension portion 152c. Therefore, an opening 156 that communicates the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 and the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 is formed at the top portion 152a, the inclined portion 152b, and the extension portion 152c. The opening width of this opening 156 widens at the inclined portion 152b and the extension portion 152c.

[0126] A part of the foam raw liquid injected into the storage chamber heat insulation space P1 flows from the opening 156 into the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 through the heat insulation wall 154, and is filled around the ventilation portion 55 in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2, and is foam-molded integrally with the foam heat insulation material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulation space P1.

[0127] (2) Effects of the Second Embodiment In this embodiment, since the outer box 3 functions as an outer plate that partitions the outside of the heat insulation wall body 150, the heat insulation wall body 150 can be provided in the refrigerator body 2 while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0128] In this embodiment, since the outer flange portion 152e1 provided at the tip of the inner connection portion 152e faces the peripheral edge portion of the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3, the outflow of the foam heat insulation material from the through hole 3b4 can be suppressed. When the frame width t3 of the outer flange portion 152e1 is larger than the thickness of the inner plate 152 and the thickness of the inner plate peripheral wall 152h, a region where the outer flange portion 152e1 and the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 face each other can be secured between the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 and the through hole 3b4, and the outflow of the foam heat insulation material can be effectively suppressed.

[0129] In this embodiment, since the ventilation port flange portion 80b that covers the peripheral edge portion of the through hole 3b4 from the outside is provided on the ventilation port covering body 80, even if an uneven shape is generated on the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3 due to the outer flange portion 152e1 facing the peripheral edge portion of the through hole 3b4, the uneven shape can be covered by the ventilation port covering body 80, and the appearance of the refrigerator can be improved.

[0130] Also, in the present embodiment, the outer flange portion 152e1 maintains a shape that is connected so as to surround the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3, and since the locking portion 152k to which the locking piece 81 of the vent covering body 80 is locked is provided, the outflow of the foam heat insulating material can be suppressed by the outer flange portion 152e1, and the vent covering body 80 can be attached to the through hole 3b4.

[0131] 3. Modification Examples of the First Embodiment and the Second Embodiment As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

[0132] Any one of the plurality of modification examples described below may be applied to the above-described first embodiment and second embodiment, or any two or more of the modification examples described below may be combined and applied. Also, various other changes are possible in addition to the following modification examples.

[0133] (1) Modification Example 1 The heat insulating wall 54 of the heat insulating wall body 50 only needs to be provided at least partially on the outer peripheral portion of the ventilation portion 55 in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2, and does not need to be provided so as to surround the entire outer peripheral portion of the ventilation portion 55.

[0134] For example, as shown in Fig. 14(a), a heat insulating wall may not be provided on the front side of the ventilation portion 55, and a heat insulating wall 124a may be provided on the rear side of the ventilation portion 55. Thereby, the rigidity of the heat insulating wall body 50 can be improved and the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0135] When a heat insulating wall 124a is provided on the rear side of the ventilation part 55, it is preferable that the heat insulating wall 124a is provided so as to support the lower side of the foamed heat insulating material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1. Thereby, the rear part of the refrigerator body 2 can be supported by the heat insulating wall 124a, and the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0136] It is preferable that the heat insulating wall 124a is filled with a foamed heat insulating material integrally with the foamed heat insulating material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 and is connected to the foamed heat insulating material 6 above the heat insulating wall 124a. Thereby, the heat insulating wall 124a and the foamed heat insulating material 6 can be molded at one time, and the heat insulating wall 124a and the foamed heat insulating material 6 are firmly connected, so that the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0137] Also, as shown in Fig. 14(b), a heat insulating wall may not be provided above the ventilation part 55, and a heat insulating wall 124b may be provided below the ventilation part 55. Thereby, a large load can be received in a wide range of the bottom surface of the refrigerator body 2, and the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0138] When a heat insulating wall 124b is provided below the ventilation part 55, it is preferable that the heat insulating wall 124b is filled with a foamed heat insulating material integrally with the foamed heat insulating material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 and is connected to the foamed heat insulating material 6 on the front side of the heat insulating wall 124b. Thereby, the heat insulating wall 124b and the foamed heat insulating material 6 can be molded at one time, and the heat insulating wall 124b and the foamed heat insulating material 6 are firmly connected, so that the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0139] Also, as shown in Fig. 14(c), a heat insulating wall may not be provided directly in front of or directly above the ventilation part 55, and a heat insulating wall 124c may be provided on the rear side and the lower side of the ventilation part 55. Thereby, the rigidity of the heat insulating wall body 50 is improved, and the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0140] When a heat insulation wall 124c is provided on the rear side and the lower side of the ventilation part 55, it is preferable that the heat insulation wall 124c is provided so as to support the lower side of the foam heat insulation material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulation space P1. Thereby, the rear part of the refrigerator body 2 can be supported by the heat insulation wall 124c, and the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0141] It is preferable that the heat insulation wall 124c is filled with a foam heat insulation material integrally with the foam heat insulation material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulation space P1, and is connected to the foam heat insulation material 6 at at least one of the upper side and the front side of the heat insulation wall 154c. Thereby, the heat insulation wall 124a and the foam heat insulation material 6 can be formed at one time, and the heat insulation wall 154c and the foam heat insulation material 6 are firmly connected, so that the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0142] Also, as shown in FIG. 14(d), a heat insulation wall may not be provided directly above, directly below, or on the rear side of the ventilation part 55, and a heat insulation wall 124d may be provided in a region from a position below the ventilation part 55 to a position above the ventilation part 55 on the front side of the ventilation part 55. Thereby, the rigidity of the heat insulation wall body 50 can be improved, and the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0143] When the heat insulation wall 124d is provided in a region from a position below the ventilation part 55 to a position above the ventilation part 55 on the front side of the ventilation part 55, it is preferable that the heat insulation wall 124d is provided so as to support the lower side of the foam heat insulation material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulation space P1. Thereby, the rear part of the refrigerator body 2 can be supported by the heat insulation wall 124d, and the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0144] It is preferable that the heat insulation wall 124d is filled with a foam heat insulation material integrally with the foam heat insulation material 6 provided in the storage chamber heat insulation space P1, and is connected to the foam heat insulation material 6 at at least one of the upper side and the front side of the heat insulation wall 124d. Thereby, the heat insulation wall 124d and the foam heat insulation material 6 can be formed at one time, and the heat insulation wall 154d and the foam heat insulation material 6 are firmly connected, so that the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2 can be improved.

[0145] As described above, instead of filling the entire area of the side wall of the machine room 30 excluding the ventilation part 55 with the foamed heat insulating material 6, the present invention can also be implemented by filling a part thereof. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 14(a), (c), and (d), it is preferable to fill the foamed heat insulating material 6 from the lower part to the upper end of the side wall of the machine room. By doing so, the part of the foamed heat insulating material 6 filled in the side wall of the machine room 30 can receive the load on the upper storage room side, which is particularly effective in ensuring the rigidity of the refrigerator body 2.

[0146] (2) Modification Example 2 As shown in FIG. 15, the lower rear part of the molded heat insulating material 5a provided between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 on the left side wall and the lower rear part of the molded heat insulating material 5b provided between the outer box 3 and the inner box 4 on the right side wall may be inserted from the opening 56 provided in the peripheral wall of the heat insulating wall body 50 into the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2 and provided between the outer plate and the inner plate of the heat insulating wall body.

[0147] In this modification example, a wide range of the storage chamber heat insulating space P1 can be covered with the molded heat insulating materials 5a and 5b without interfering with the heat insulating wall body, and the heat insulating performance can be improved.

[0148] (3) Modification Example 3 In the above-described first embodiment and second embodiment, the heat insulating wall body 50 constituting the left side surface of the machine room 30 is provided symmetrically with the heat insulating wall body 50 constituting the right side surface, and the ventilation part 55 is provided in each heat insulating wall body. However, a ventilation port may be provided in only one of the left and right heat insulating wall bodies, and not in the other heat insulating wall body 50.

[0149] When a ventilation port is provided in only one of the left and right heat insulating wall bodies, the thickness of the other heat insulating wall body without the ventilation port may be made thinner than the thickness of the heat insulating wall body with the ventilation port, or the thickness of the other heat insulating wall body without the ventilation port may be made thicker than the thickness of the heat insulating wall body with the ventilation port.

[0150] (4) Modification Example 4 In the above-described first and second embodiments, the case where the ventilation port covering body 80 is provided outside the outer box 3 has been described. However, a ventilation port covering body that covers the inner ventilation port so as to be ventilable may be provided on the inner plate, or a ventilation port covering body may be provided in the hollow portion of the connecting portion that connects the inner ventilation port and the outer ventilation port.

[0151] (5) Modification Example 5 In the above-described first and second embodiments, the case where the cooling outer chamber provided with the heat insulating wall is the machine chamber 30 has been described. However, a heat insulating wall may be provided in the substrate storage chamber 28 or the like provided on the upper rear surface of the refrigerator body 2.

[0152] (6) Modification Example 6 In the above-described first and second embodiments, heat insulating walls are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the cooling outer chamber. However, for example, a heat insulating wall may be provided on the rear surface of the cooling outer chamber, and it can be installed at any location of the cooling outer chamber.

[0153] (7) Modification Example 7 As shown in FIG. 16, in this modification example, a planar peripheral wall reinforcing portion 252j that spreads along the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the rear frame side portion 8b2 of the frame member 8 is provided on the inner plate 252. The planar peripheral wall reinforcing portion 252j faces the lower frame side portion 8a2 and the rear frame side portion 8b2 in the left-right direction to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material.

[0154] Even in such a modification example, it is opposed to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material.

[0155] (8) Modification Example 8 In the second embodiment, the frame width on the inner plate 151 side of the inner connecting portion 152e was provided to be substantially the same as the frame width in the outer flange-shaped portion 152e1. However, as shown in FIG. 17, an outer flange-shaped portion 152e1 that spreads outward away from the opening may be formed at the tip of the inner connecting portion 152e.

[0156] (9) Modification Example 9 In the second embodiment, the inner connection portion 152e provided integrally with the inner plate 152 connects the inner vent hole 152d of the inner plate 152 and the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3. However, as shown in FIG. 18, the inner vent hole 152d and the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 may be connected by a connection portion 182 provided in a vent hole covering body 180 that covers the through hole 3b4 from the outside.

[0157] For example, the vent hole covering body 180 includes a plurality of small hole portions 180a that divide the through hole 3b4 into a plurality of regions and narrow the opening area of each one to be smaller than the through hole 3b4, a vent hole flange portion 180b that is provided around the plurality of small hole portions 180a and covers the peripheral edge portion of the through hole 3b4 from the outside of the right side plate 3b of the outer box 3, and a connection portion 182 that protrudes between the small hole portions 180a and the vent hole flange portion 180b. The connection portion 182 is a frame-shaped protrusion with a hollow inside, the frame width t4 is provided to be substantially constant in the protruding direction, and an inner flange portion 182a is provided at the tip of the connection portion 182.

[0158] The inner flange portion 182a faces the peripheral edge portion of the inner vent hole 152d, which is a part of the inner plate, and by narrowing the distance between the two, it is a portion that suppresses the outflow of the foam heat insulating material during manufacturing. The distance that the inner flange portion 182a extends along the peripheral edge portion of the inner vent hole 152d may be partially in a so-called flange shape (flange shape) that extends in the outer peripheral direction of the inner vent hole 152d so as to be larger than the general plate thickness in the resin parts of the refrigerator, for example, the plate thickness of the inner box 4 or the base plate 34. As shown in the example of FIG. 18, the inner flange portion 182a may be formed as a part of the tip portion having a substantially cylindrical shape with a thick wall. The vent hole covering body 180 is attached to the refrigerator body 2 by inserting the connection portion 182 into the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 from the outside, and the connection portion 182 is provided in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner plate 152 to connect the through hole 3b4 and the inner vent hole 152d.

[0159] That is, when the connection portion 182 is inserted into the through hole 3b4 from the outside, the inner flange portion 182a provided at its tip faces the peripheral edge portion of the inner vent hole 152d provided in the inner plate 151 in the left-right direction and suppresses the outflow of the foam heat insulating material.

[0160] Further, the ventilation port flange portion 180b faces the peripheral edge portion of the through hole 3b4 in the left - right direction to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulating material.

[0161] The frame width t4 of the inner flange portion 182a is preferably of a size capable of suppressing the outflow of the foam heat insulating material filled in the cooling outer chamber heat insulating space P2. For example, it is preferable that the frame width t4 is larger than the thickness of the inner plate 152 or the thickness of the inner plate peripheral wall 152h.

[0162] Note that the connecting portion 182 may be provided with a recess 182b for punching that opens into a hollow portion or the like.

[0163] (10) Modification Example 10 In the second embodiment, the inner ventilation port 152d of the inner plate 152 and the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 are connected by the inner connecting portion 152e provided integrally with the inner plate 152. However, as shown in FIG. 19, the inner ventilation port 152d and the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 may be connected by an outer connecting portion 282 provided on the ventilation port covering body 280 and an inner connecting portion 252e provided on the inner plate 152.

[0164] For example, the ventilation port covering body 280 includes a plurality of small hole portions 280a that cover the through hole 3b4 from the outside, divide the through hole 3b4 into a plurality of regions, and narrow the opening area of each one to be smaller than that of the through hole 3b4, a ventilation port flange portion 280b provided around the plurality of small hole portions 280a to cover the peripheral edge portion of the through hole 3b4 from the outside of the right - hand side plate 3b of the outer box 3, and an outer connecting portion 282 that protrudes from between the small hole portions 280a and the ventilation port flange portion 280b. The outer connecting portion 282 is a frame - shaped protrusion with a hollow inside.

[0165] Further, the inner plate 152 is provided with an inner ventilation port 152d that penetrates the inner plate 152, and an inner connecting portion 152e that protrudes from the entire periphery of the peripheral edge portion of the inner ventilation port 152d toward the right - hand side plate 3b of the outer box 3 (toward the outside in the width direction). The inner connecting portion 152e has a hollow inside.

[0166] The vent cover 280 inserts the outer connection part 282 into the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 from the outside and also inserts it into the hollow part of the inner connection part 152e. Thereby, the vent cover 280 is attached to the refrigerator body 2, and in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 formed between the outer box 3 and the inner plate 152, the inner connection part 152e and the outer connection part 282 connect the inner vent 152d and the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3.

[0167] That is, when the outer connection part 282 is inserted into the hollow part of the inner connection part 152e, the outer connection part 282 and the inner connection part 152e face each other to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulation material.

[0168] Also, the vent flange part 180b faces the peripheral part of the through hole 3b4 in the left - right direction to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulation material.

[0169] Note that the distance between the outer connection part 282 and the inner connection part 152e is preferably a distance that can suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulation material filled in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2. For example, the distance between the outer connection part 282 and the inner connection part 152e is preferably smaller than the length by which the outer connection part 282 and the inner connection part 152e overlap in the left - right direction, and more preferably smaller than the thickness of the outer connection part 282 or the inner connection part 152e. Also, the length by which the outer connection part 282 and the inner connection part 152e overlap in the left - right direction is preferably larger than the thickness of the outer connection part 282 or the inner connection part 152e.

[0170] (11) Modification Example 11 In the second embodiment, the inner connection part 152e provided integrally with the inner plate 152 connects the inner vent 152d of the inner plate 152 and the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3. However, as shown in FIG. 20, by providing a connection member 255 provided separately from the inner plate 151 or the outer box 3 in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2, the inner vent 152d and the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3 may be connected.

[0171] For example, the connecting member 255 includes a frame-shaped main body portion 255a with a hollow interior, an inner flange portion 255b that extends outward away from one open end of the main body portion 255a, and an outer flange portion 255c that extends outward away from the other open end of the main body portion 255a.

[0172] The connecting member 255 is disposed in the cooling outer chamber heat insulation space P2 such that the inner flange portion 255b faces the peripheral edge of the inner vent 152d and the outer flange portion 255c faces the peripheral edge of the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3, thereby connecting the inner vent 152d and the through hole 3b4 of the outer box 3.

[0173] That is, the inner flange portion 255b faces the peripheral edge of the inner vent 152d in the left-right direction to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulation material.

[0174] The outer flange portion 255c faces the peripheral edge of the inner vent 152d in the left-right direction to suppress the outflow of the foam heat insulation material.

[0175] In this modification example, it is preferable that the vent flange portion 80b of the vent covering body 80 covers the entire outer flange portion 255c.

[0176] Even in such a modification example 11, it is possible to form a vent portion in the heat insulation portion while suppressing the outflow of the foam heat insulation material.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0177] 1... Refrigerator, 2... Refrigerator main body, 3... Outer box, 3d... Bottom plate, 3d1... Lower part of storage chamber, 3d1a... Wide part of bottom plate, 3d1b... Narrow part of bottom plate, 3d2... Ceiling part of machine room, 3d3... Upright part, 3d4a... Front flange portion, 3d4b... Rear flange portion, 3e... Rear plate, 4... Inner box, 6... Foam heat insulation material , 8... frame member, 8a... lower frame part, 8a1... lower frame bottom, 8a1a... positioning recess, 8a2... lower frame side part, 8b... rear frame part, 8b1... rear frame rear part, 8b2... rear frame side part, 12... refrigerator compartment, 14... vegetable compartment, 18... first freezer compartment, 20... second freezer compartment, 50... heat insulation wall body, 51... outer plate, 51d... outer ventilation opening, 51e... outer connection part, 51g... outer plate reinforcement part, 51h... outer plate peripheral wall, 51i... connection part reinforcement part, 51j... peripheral wall reinforcement part, 52... inner plate, 52d... inner ventilation opening, 52e... inner connection part, 52f... lead-out part, 52g... inner plate reinforcement part, 52h... inner plate peripheral wall, 52m... convex part, 53... peripheral wall, 54... heat insulation wall, 55... ventilation part, 56... opening, 80... ventilation opening covering body, 80a... small hole part, 80b... ventilation opening flange part, 81... locking piece

Claims

1. A refrigerator body having a storage chamber formed in an internal space to be cooled, and a cooling outer chamber provided outside the space to be cooled in the refrigerator body, wherein the cooling outer chamber is provided with an outer plate provided on the outside, an inner plate provided on the inside, and a heat insulating wall having a foamed heat insulating material filled between the outer plate and the inner plate, wherein the heat insulating wall is provided with a ventilation portion that communicates the inside and the outside of the cooling outer chamber, and a part of the heat insulating wall is located behind or below the ventilation portion.

2. The storage chamber is heat-insulated by a storage chamber heat-insulating wall filled with the foamed heat insulating material, and in the upper and lower portions of the heat insulating wall, regions filled with the foamed heat insulating material are connected to the storage chamber heat-insulating wall. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. The ventilation portion includes an inner ventilation port provided on the inner plate, an outer ventilation port provided on the outer plate, and a hollow connection portion that connects the inner ventilation port and the outer ventilation port so as to communicate with each other, and the heat insulating wall is provided on the outer periphery of the connection portion. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

4. The connection portion includes a first connection portion in contact with the foamed heat insulating material and a second connection portion inserted into the inner peripheral side of the first connection portion. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

5. The connection portion includes an outer flange-shaped portion facing the peripheral edge of the outer ventilation port on the outer plate. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

6. The connection portion includes an inner flange-shaped portion facing the peripheral edge of the inner ventilation port on the inner plate. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

7. It includes a ventilation port covering body that covers the outer ventilation port so as to be ventilable from the outside of the outer plate, the outer flange-shaped portion faces the peripheral edge of the outer ventilation port, and the ventilation port covering body includes a ventilation port flange portion that covers the peripheral edge of the outer ventilation port from the outside of the outer plate. The refrigerator according to claim 5.

8. The outer flange-shaped portion is provided with a locking portion that locks the ventilation port covering body while maintaining a shape connected so as to surround the outer ventilation port. The refrigerator according to claim 5.

9. The heat insulating wall is provided on both the left and right sides of the cooling outer chamber, and the ventilation portion is provided on one of the left and right heat insulating walls and not provided on the other. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

10. The thickness of the heat insulating wall on the other side where the ventilation portion is not provided is smaller than the thickness of the heat insulating wall on the one side where the ventilation portion is provided. The refrigerator according to claim 9.

Images