Refrigerator

Abstract

To easily put in / out of articles placed in an open space below a lowest shelf.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a refrigerating chamber having an opening on the front side; a left door for opening / closing the left side of the opening; a right door for opening / closing the right side of the opening; one or more shelves disposed in the refrigerating chamber; and a lower space formed in a region from a bottom surface to the lowest shelf of the shelves in the refrigerating chamber. While the left door and the right door are closed, in front view of the refrigerating chamber, the lower space is positioned astride inside of a rear projection plane of the left door and inside of a rear projection plane of the right door, and the front side of the lower space is opened.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 19

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses disposing an independent drawer such as a chilled case in the space below the bottom shelf of the refrigerating chamber (paragraph 0063, FIG. 2B). Further, Patent Document 1 also discloses that the drawer may be disposed in another space within the refrigerating chamber instead of this space (paragraph 0066).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1, the space below the lowermost shelf is an open space. However, in Patent Document 1, the relationship between the opening width dimension of the open space and the refrigerator door is unclear. That is, there is room for improvement in terms of the ease of taking in and out of articles placed in the open space below the lowermost shelf.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigerating chamber having an opening in the front, a left door that opens and closes the left side of the opening, a right door that opens and closes the right side of the opening, one or more shelves disposed in the refrigerating chamber, and a lower space formed in a region from the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber to the lowermost shelf among the shelves. When the left door and the right door are closed, in a front view of the refrigerating chamber, the lower space straddles within the rear projection plane of the left door and within the rear projection plane of the right door, and the front of the lower space is open.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] Hereinafter, a mode (embodiment) for carrying out the present invention will be described.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator according to the present embodiment. In the following description, a 6-door refrigerator 1 will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to 6 doors.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, the heat-insulated box body 10 of the refrigerator 1 has storage compartments in the order of the refrigerator compartment 2 from above, the ice-making compartment 3 provided side by side on the left and right, the upper freezer compartment 4, the lower freezer compartment 5, and the vegetable compartment 6. The refrigerator 1 is provided with doors for opening and closing the openings in front of the respective storage compartments. These doors include the rotary refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b that are divided into left and right and open and close the opening of the refrigerator compartment 2, and the drawer-type ice-making compartment door 3a, upper freezer compartment door 4a, lower freezer compartment door 5a, and vegetable compartment door 6a that open and close the openings of the ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6, respectively. In order to fix the refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b to the refrigerator 1, door hinges (not shown) are provided at the upper and lower parts of the refrigerator compartment 2, and the upper door hinge is covered with a door hinge cover 16.

[0010] The refrigerator compartment 2 and the vegetable compartment 6 are refrigerated storage compartments that basically control the interior of the cabinet to a refrigerated temperature range (above 0°C). For example, the refrigerator compartment 2 is controlled to approximately 2°C, and the vegetable compartment 6 is controlled to approximately 6°C. The ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 are freezer storage compartments that control the interior of the cabinet to a freezer temperature range (below 0°C), for example, to an average of approximately -20°C. Incidentally, hereinafter, the ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, which are freezer storage compartments, may be referred to as the freezer compartment 7.

[0011] Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of Figure 2.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the refrigerator 1 is configured such that the outside of the cabinet and the inside of the cabinet are separated by a heat-insulating box body 10 formed by filling a foamed heat-insulating material (e.g., foamed urethane) between an outer box 10a (made of steel plate) and an inner box 10b (made of synthetic resin). In addition to the foamed heat-insulating material such as foamed urethane foam in the heat-insulating box body 10, a vacuum heat-insulating material 25 having a lower thermal conductivity than the foamed heat-insulating material is mounted between the outer box 10a and the inner box 10b to enhance the heat-insulating performance without reducing the storage volume. Here, the vacuum heat-insulating material is configured by wrapping a core material such as glass wool or urethane with an outer wrapping material. The outer wrapping material includes a metal layer (e.g., aluminum) to ensure gas barrier properties. Incidentally, the vacuum heat-insulating material 25 is disposed on the ceiling wall, left and right walls, back wall, and bottom wall of the heat-insulating box body, and the vacuum heat-insulating material 25 is also inserted into the door 5a of the lower freezer compartment 5, which is a relatively large freezer storage compartment, to enhance the heat-insulating performance.

[0013] The refrigerator compartment 2 is separated from the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper freezer compartment 4 by a heat-insulating partition wall 28. The lower freezer compartment 5 is separated from the vegetable compartment 6 by a heat-insulating partition wall 29. Further, on the front side between the ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5, a heat-insulating partition wall 30 is provided so that the air inside the refrigerator 1 does not leak to the outside of the cabinet through the gaps between the doors 3a, 4a, and 5a, and so that the air outside the cabinet does not enter each storage compartment. Incidentally, in the present embodiment, an electric heater (not shown) for heating the vegetable compartment 6 is provided at the lower part of the heat-insulating partition wall 29 so that the vegetable compartment 6 does not become excessively low in temperature.

[0014] The refrigerator doors 2a and 2b are provided with a plurality of door pockets 33a, 33b, and 33c on the inner side of the cabinet. The lowermost door pocket 33c is sometimes referred to as a door basket. Also, inside the refrigerator 2, it is partitioned into a plurality of storage spaces by a plurality of shelves (shelves 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d) with different heights. Further, a lower space 35 is formed in the region from the bottom surface of the refrigerator 2 to the lowermost shelf 34d.

[0015] Since the lower space 35 is an area where articles (foodstuffs) are stored with at least the front upper side open, cold air will directly reach it. However, since the cold air supplied to the lower space 35 is relatively warm air generated by the R evaporator 14a, which is a dedicated cooler for the refrigerator 2, a decrease in the humidity inside the lower space 35 is suppressed to a certain extent. Also, since the lower space 35 is adjacent to the ice-making chamber 3 and the upper freezer 4, the inside can become particularly low in temperature, around -1 to +1°C, compared to the inside of the refrigerator 2. Therefore, foodstuffs such as ham, sashimi, and cheese, which prefer a high-humidity environment near 0°C, can be stored in the lower space 35. In this embodiment, an electric heater 57a for heating the door pocket 33c and an electric heater 57b for heating the lower space 35 are provided at the upper part of the heat insulation partition wall 28 so that the door pocket 33c and the lower space 35 do not become excessively low in temperature.

[0016] The ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezer 4, the lower freezer 5, and the vegetable chamber 6 are each provided with an ice-making chamber container 3b (not shown), an upper freezer container 4b, a lower freezer container 5b, and a vegetable chamber container 6b that are pulled out integrally with the doors 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6a.

[0017] The R evaporator 14a for refrigeration is housed in the R evaporator chamber 8a. The R evaporator chamber 8a is formed by an R air duct component 19 (rear panel) provided at the substantially rear part of the refrigerating chamber 2 and the inner box 10b. The air in the R evaporator chamber 8a that has become low temperature through heat exchange with the R evaporator 14a is blown into the refrigerating chamber 2 from the refrigerating chamber outlets 11a, 11b provided in the R air duct component 19 via the refrigerating chamber air duct 11 by the R fan 9a, which is a refrigeration fan provided above the R evaporator 14a, to cool the inside of the refrigerating chamber 2. The air blown into the refrigerating chamber 2 returns from the refrigerating chamber return ports 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d provided in the R air duct component 19 to the R evaporator chamber 8a and is cooled again by the R evaporator 14a.

[0018] The refrigerating chamber outlet 11a is provided at a height above the shelf 34a, and the refrigerating chamber outlet 11b is provided at a height between the shelves 34a and 34b. The refrigerating chamber return ports 15a, 15b, 15d are provided at a height between the shelf 34d and the heat insulation partition wall 28, and the refrigerating chamber return port 15c is provided at a height between the shelves 34c and 34d. As described above, since the shelves 34a, 34b, 34c2 can have their heights changed, for example, the refrigerating chamber outlet 11a may be located below the shelf 34a, or the refrigerating chamber return port 15c may be located above the shelf 34c2. In any case, since the refrigerating chamber outlets 11a, 11b are mainly provided in the upper part of the refrigerating chamber 2 and the refrigerating chamber return ports 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d are mainly provided in the lower part of the refrigerating chamber 2, the cold air blown into the upper part of the refrigerating chamber 2 flows downward. Therefore, even if warm items such as pots are placed in the lower space 35, the air whose temperature has risen due to these items returns to the R evaporator 14a from the refrigerating chamber return ports 15a, 15b, 15d at the rear of the lower space 35. That is, it is possible to suppress a situation where the air whose temperature has risen hits the items in the periphery of the lower space 35 (for example, above the lowermost shelf 34d or inside the door pocket 33c) and warms them.

[0019] In the description of this embodiment, although the refrigerator return ports 15a, 15b, 15c, and 15d are provided in the R air duct component 19, it is not limited thereto. For example, a refrigerator return port may be provided in the heat insulation partition wall 28, and at least a part of the refrigerator return port may be located behind the back surface portion 60 of the chilled cover 100.

[0020] The F evaporator 14b, which is the second cooler for freezing, is housed in the F evaporator chamber 8b. The F evaporator chamber 8b is constituted by an F air duct component 20 provided at substantially the back of the freezer compartment 7 and the inner box 10b. The air in the F evaporator chamber 8b that has become low temperature by heat exchange with the F evaporator 14b is blown into the freezer compartment 7 from the freezer compartment outlet 12a provided in the F air duct component 20 through the freezer compartment air duct 12 by the F fan 9b, which is a freezing fan provided above the F evaporator 14b, to cool the inside of the freezer compartment 7. The air blown into the freezer compartment 7 returns from the freezer compartment return port 17 provided in the F air duct component 20 to the F evaporator chamber 8b and is cooled again by the F evaporator 14b.

[0021] In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the vegetable compartment 6 is also cooled by the air that has been made low temperature by the F evaporator 14b. The air in the F evaporator chamber 8b that has become low temperature by the F evaporator 14b is blown into the vegetable compartment 6 by the F fan 9b through a vegetable compartment air duct (not shown) and a vegetable compartment damper (not shown) to cool the inside of the vegetable compartment 6. Although low temperature air generated by the F evaporator 14b is blown into the vegetable compartment 6, direct entry of low temperature air into the vegetable compartment container 6b for storing vegetables and the like is prevented to suppress drying of the vegetables. When the vegetable compartment 6 is at a low temperature, cooling of the vegetable compartment 6 is suppressed by closing the vegetable compartment damper. The air blown into the vegetable compartment 6 returns to the lower part of the F evaporator chamber 8b through the vegetable compartment return air duct 18 from the vegetable compartment return port 18a provided in the lower front of the heat insulation partition wall 29.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a defrost heater 21 for heating the F evaporator 14b is provided at the lower part of the F evaporator chamber 8b. The defrost heater 21 is, for example, an electric heater of 50W to 200W, and in this embodiment, it is a 150W radiant heater. The defrost water (melted water) generated during defrosting of the F evaporator 14b falls into the F trough 23b provided at the lower part of the F evaporator chamber 8b, and is discharged to the evaporation tray 32 provided above the compressor 24 through the F drain port 22b and the F drain pipe 27b. In addition, the defrost water generated during defrosting of the R evaporator 14a falls into the R trough 23a provided at the lower part of the R evaporator chamber 8a, and is discharged to the evaporation tray 32 provided in the machine room 39 through an R drain port (not shown) and an R drain pipe (not shown). The water discharged to the evaporation tray 32 is heated by the heat dissipation of the compressor 24 and the outdoor radiator 50a, etc., vaporized by the blowing of the machine room fan 38, etc., and discharged outside the refrigerator.

[0023] A refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 41, a freezer compartment temperature sensor 42, and a vegetable compartment temperature sensor 43 are respectively provided on the inner back side of the refrigerator compartment 2, the freezer compartment 7, and the vegetable compartment 6. A lower space temperature sensor 58 is provided below the lower space 35. An R evaporator temperature sensor 40a is provided above the R evaporator 14a, and an F evaporator temperature sensor 40b is provided above the F evaporator 14b. These sensors detect the temperatures of the refrigerator compartment 2, the freezer compartment 7, the vegetable compartment 6, the lower space 35, the R evaporator 14a, and the F evaporator 14b. In addition, an outdoor air temperature sensor 37a for detecting the temperature of the outdoor air (outdoor air of the refrigerator) and an outdoor air humidity sensor 37b for detecting the humidity are provided inside the door hinge cover 16 at the ceiling part of the refrigerator 1. As other sensors, door sensors (not shown) for detecting the opening and closing states of the doors 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6a are also provided.

[0024] In the machine room 39 of the refrigerator 1, a first control board 31a (first control unit) equipped with a CPU, a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, an interface circuit, etc., which are part of the control device, is arranged. Also, in the lower left rear of the refrigerating compartment 2 (within the rear projection of the space partitioned by the shelf 34c1, shelf 34d, the vertical partition 13 and the inner box 10b to be described later), a second control board 31b (second control unit) equipped with a CPU, a memory, an interface circuit, etc., is arranged. The first control board 31a or the second control board 31b is connected by electrical wiring (not shown) to an outside air temperature sensor 37a, an outside air humidity sensor 37b, a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 41, a freezing compartment temperature sensor 42, a vegetable compartment temperature sensor 43, a lower space temperature sensor 58, an R evaporator temperature sensor 40a, an F evaporator temperature sensor 40b, a door sensor, etc.

[0025] Also, in the first control board 31a and the second control board 31b, based on the output values of the respective sensors, the settings of the operation unit 26, the programs pre-recorded in the ROM, etc., control of the compressor 24, the R fan 9a, the F fan 9b, the machine room fan 38, the vegetable compartment damper, the electric heaters 57a, 57b, etc., is performed. The operation unit 26 is provided on the inner box 10b in the refrigerating compartment 2 (see Fig. 2), and can perform temperature adjustment of the refrigerating compartment 2, the freezing compartment 7, the vegetable compartment 6, and implementation instructions for additional functions, such as a rapid freezing function for enhancing the cooling capacity of the freezing compartment 7.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the refrigerator 1 includes a compressor 24, an outdoor radiator 50a which is a heat radiating means for radiating the refrigerant, a wall surface heat radiating pipe 50b, a dew prevention pipe 50c for suppressing dew condensation on the front surfaces of the heat insulating partition walls 27, 28, 29, 30, a first capillary tube 53a and a second capillary tube 53b which are decompression means for decompressing the refrigerant, and an R evaporator 14a and an F evaporator 14b for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the air in the compartment to absorb the heat in the compartment.

[0027] In addition, the refrigerator 1 includes a dryer 51 for removing moisture during the refrigeration cycle, gas-liquid separators 54a and 54b for preventing the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor 24, a three-way valve 52 for controlling the refrigerant flow path, a check valve 56, and a refrigerant confluence portion 55 for connecting the refrigerant flows. By connecting these with refrigerant pipes, a refrigeration cycle is configured.

[0028] Note that the refrigerator 1 uses 80 g of flammable refrigerant isobutane as the refrigerant. Further, the compressor 24 is provided with an inverter and can change the rotation speed. The three-way valve 52 has two outlets 52a and 52b, and is a member that can switch between a refrigeration operation in which the refrigerant flows to the outlet 52a side and a freezing operation in which the refrigerant flows to the outlet 52b side. Also, the three-way valve 52 can switch between a fully closed mode in which no refrigerant flows through either the outlet 52a or the outlet 52b, and a fully open mode in which refrigerant flows through both.

[0029] Also, the refrigerant in the refrigerator 1 flows as follows. That is, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 24 flows in the order of the outdoor heat exchanger 50a, the wall surface heat dissipation pipe 50b, the dew prevention pipe 50c, and the dryer 51, and reaches the three-way valve 52. The outlet 52a of the three-way valve 52 is connected to a first capillary tube 53a via a refrigerant pipe. The outlet 52b of the three-way valve 52 is connected to a second capillary tube 53b via a refrigerant pipe.

[0030] When the refrigerant is made to flow to the outlet 52a side of the three-way valve 52, the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 52a flows in the order of the first capillary tube 53a, the R evaporator 14a, the gas-liquid separator 54a, and the refrigerant confluence portion 55, and then returns to the compressor 24. As the refrigerant that has become low-pressure and low-temperature in the first capillary tube 53a flows through the R evaporator 14a, the R evaporator 14a becomes low-temperature, and the air in the R evaporator chamber 8a (see FIG. 2) can be cooled. By blowing this air into the refrigerating chamber 2, the refrigerating chamber 2 is cooled.

[0031] On the other hand, when the refrigerant flows through the three-way valve 52 toward the outlet 52b, the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet 52b flows in the order of the second capillary tube 53b, the F evaporator 14b, the gas-liquid separator 54b, the check valve 56, and the refrigerant confluence part 55, and then returns to the compressor 24. The check valve 56 is arranged so that the refrigerant flows from the gas-liquid separator 54b toward the refrigerant confluence part 55 and does not flow from the refrigerant confluence part 55 toward the gas-liquid separator 54b. As the refrigerant that has become low-pressure and low-temperature in the second capillary tube 53b flows through the F evaporator 14b, the F evaporator 14b becomes low-temperature, and the air in the F evaporator chamber 8b (see FIG. 2) can be cooled. By blowing this air into the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezing chamber 4, the lower freezing chamber 5, and the vegetable chamber 6, the ice-making chamber 3, the upper freezing chamber 4, the lower freezing chamber 5, and the vegetable chamber 6 are cooled.

[0032] Next, the details of the lower space 35 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. FIG. 5 is a front view of the refrigerator with the refrigerator doors 2a and 2b, the ice-making chamber door 3a, and the upper freezing chamber door 4a removed as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the vicinity of the lower space as seen from the right, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the vicinity of the lower space as seen from the left. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 5 (an enlarged perspective view of the left side of the lower space).

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the shelf 34c is composed of a left shelf 34c1 and a right shelf 34c2, and a vertical partition 13 extending vertically from between the shelf 34c1 and the shelf 34c2 toward the shelf 34d is also provided. The shelves 34a, 34b, and 34c2 can have their heights changed, while the heights of the shelves 34c1 and 34d are fixed. The lower space 35 is formed on the right side of the water supply tank 36. The water supply tank 36 is connected to the automatic ice-making device in the ice-making chamber 3 by a water supply pipe (not shown), and the water stored in the water supply tank 36 is supplied to the automatic ice-making device as needed. Also, the wiring and connectors leading to the second control board 31b are housed in the space behind the water supply tank 36.

[0034] When the refrigerator doors 2a and 2b are closed, in a front view of the refrigerator compartment 2, the lower space 35 straddles the rear projection plane of the refrigerator door 2a (left door) and the rear projection plane of the refrigerator door 2b (right door). Since the front of such a wide lower space 35 is open, the user can take in and out the items in the lower space 35 just by opening one of the refrigerator doors. Further, when the front of the lower space 35 is open, the cold air flowing into the refrigerator compartment 2 from the refrigerator outlets 11a and 11b easily flows into the lower space 35 via the door pocket or the like. As a result, even if warm items such as a pot are placed in the lower space 35, the items can be quickly cooled.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the lower space 35 has a rear portion 60 arranged from the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment 2 to the lower surface of the lowermost shelf 34d, a bottom portion 70 covering at least a part of the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment 2, and side portions (left side portion 80, right side portion 90) connecting the rear portion 60 and the bottom portion 70 and arranged on the left and right, and is provided with a chilled cover 100 that is at least open in the front and above. The upper part of the chilled cover 100 may not be open.

[0036] The rear portion 60 serves to support the lowermost shelf 34d and also serves to cover the wiring leading to the second control board 31b so that it is not visible to the user. Further, a plurality (three in this embodiment) of ventilation holes 101 (see FIG. 5) are formed at the upper edge of the rear portion 60, and a part of the cold air flowing into the lower space 35 passes through the ventilation holes 101 and reaches the R evaporator chamber 8a via the refrigerator return ports 15a, 15b, and 15d.

[0037] The bottom portion 70 is a portion on which items are placed, and the front end position thereof is substantially the same as the front end position of the lowermost shelf 34d. However, if the front end position of the bottom portion 70 is behind the rear end position of the door pocket 33c when the refrigerator doors 2a and 2b are closed, it may exceed the front end position of the shelf 34d. The user can prevent interference between the item and the door pocket 33c by placing the item so as not to protrude beyond the front end position of the bottom portion 70.

[0038] The left side face 80 faces the water supply tank 36 on the back side, has substantially the same height as the upper end of the back face 60 from the rear side to the front side, and covers the left side of the lower space 35. Also, since the front side of the left side face 80 has an inclination 84 that slopes left (outward) more forward, when the user opens the left refrigerator door 2a, it is easier to take items in and out of the lower space 35 (see Fig. 19). Further, since the front end position of the left side face 80 is on the rear side of the front end positions of the lowermost shelf 34d and the bottom face 70, it is easier for the user to take items in and out. The right side face 90 faces the inner box 10b on the back side, but has a smaller area compared to the left side face 80. That is, on the right side of the lower space 35, except for the joint part with the back face 60, the joint part with the bottom face 70, and the corner part between them, the inner box 10b is in an exposed state. Also, there is a gap between the right side face 90 and the inner box 10b, and this gap serves as a return path for cold air. In the case of a refrigerator where the water supply tank 36 is arranged on the right side, the relationship between the left side face 80 and the right side face 90 is reversed from the above. Also, in the case of a refrigerator where the water supply tank 36 is not arranged in the region from the bottom face of the refrigerator compartment 2 to the lowermost shelf 34d, the lower space 35 is provided over substantially the entire width of this region, and the left side of the lower space 35 may have the same shape (with the inner box 10b exposed) as the right side face 90.

[0039] Also, the chilled cover 100 is formed of a single resin for the back face 60, the bottom face 70, and the side faces. Here, since warm items such as pots may be placed on the bottom face 70, it is desirable to use a resin with a high softening point temperature (for example, 50°C or higher), such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) resin, PP (polypropylene) resin, or PS (polystyrene) resin. Further, it is desirable that the vertical dimension of the lower space 35 be 15 cm or more so that pots of more diverse sizes can be placed.

[0040] Next, the configuration of the chilled cover 100 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8D. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the chilled cover as seen from the upper left front, FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the chilled cover as seen from the upper right front, FIG. 8C is a perspective view of the chilled cover as seen from the upper left rear, and FIG. 8D is a perspective view of the chilled cover as seen from the lower left rear.

[0041] Since the back surface portion 60 has a slight inclination toward the rear as it goes upward, even if the weight of the articles placed on the shelf 34d is large and the shelf 34d sinks, the back surface portion 60 will not be deformed so as to fall forward, and the storage of articles in the lower space 35 is not hindered. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the upper end of the back surface portion 60 has a plurality (three in this embodiment) of ventilation guide portions 61 that are long in the left-right direction. Since the upper end of the ventilation guide portion 61 is at a position that is one step lower than the upper ends of the other back surface portions 60, a notch is formed at the upper end of the back surface portion 60. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, when the chilled cover 100 is attached to the refrigerator compartment 2, the notch formed as the ventilation guide portion 61 serves to form a ventilation port 101 that allows cold air to pass from the front to the rear of the chilled cover 100. Since the ventilation port 101 is at the upper end of the back surface portion 60, it is difficult to be seen as it is hidden by the shelf 34d from the user. Note that since the inclination of the ventilation guide portion 61 is steeper than the inclination of the other back surface portions 60, a gap can be ensured above the ventilation guide portion 61 even when articles are stacked high in the lower space 35.

[0042] Here, when the back surface portion 60 is deformed so as to fall backward, if the upper end of the back surface portion 60, including the upper end of the ventilation guide portion 61, comes into contact with the R air passage component 19 or the like, the ventilation with the return air openings in the refrigerator compartment (mainly the return air openings 15a and 15b) within the rear projection of the chilled cover 100 will be hindered. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D, a plurality (four in this embodiment) of back ribs 62 that project rearward are provided at the portion of the upper end of the back surface portion 60 where there is no ventilation guide portion 61, so as to easily ensure a gap between the upper end of the ventilation guide portion 61 and the R air passage component 19 or the like.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 8D, the bottom surface portion 70 is provided with a first bottom rib 71 and a second bottom rib as ribs that protrude downward to reinforce the bottom surface portion 70. The first bottom rib 71 is a plurality of ribs extending in the front-rear direction, and its lower end abuts against the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 2 (the recess 28a formed on the upper surface of the heat insulation partition wall 28 shown in Fig. 12) when the chilled cover 100 (bottom surface portion 70) receives a load, and supports the load received from the chilled cover 100. The first bottom rib 71 also serves to transfer the cold heat in the ice making chamber 3 and the upper freezing chamber 4 and the heat of the electric heater 57b to the lower space 35. Further, the first bottom rib 71 may be separated from the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 2 (recess 28a). Thereby, when the recess 28a swells due to the pressure generated when the heat insulating partition wall 28 is filled with the foam heat insulating material, the separation can suppress the deflection and upward push of the bottom surface portion 70 caused by the swelling. The second bottom rib 72 is a plurality of ribs extending in the left-right direction, and has a smaller vertical dimension than the first bottom rib 71. This is because if the vertical dimension of the second bottom rib 72 is increased, the bottom surface portion 70 is likely to warp during resin molding shrinkage. In particular, since the front side of the bottom surface portion 70 is the most likely place to warp, a reinforcing metal 59 extending in the left-right direction is attached to the lower surface of the bottom surface portion 70 and in front of the front end of the first bottom rib 71. However, when the warping of the bottom surface portion 70 during resin molding is small, the reinforcing metal 59 is not essential.

[0044] Also, as shown in Fig. 8D, bottom surface fitting portions (left and right front bottom fitting portions 75a and left and right rear bottom fitting portions 75b) are formed in the vicinity of the square on the lower surface of the bottom surface portion 70. When fixing the chilled cover 100 to the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 2, the chilled cover 100 is slid left and right, and the bottom surface fitting portion is fitted into fitting portions of the partition (left and right front partition fitting portions 28b1 and left and right rear partition fitting portions 28b2 shown in Fig. 12) formed in the recess 28a of the heat insulation partition wall 28.

[0045] Furthermore, in a portion of the lower surface of the bottom surface portion 70 where the first bottom rib 71 and the second bottom rib 72 are not provided, a lower space temperature sensor 58 for detecting the temperature of the lower space and wiring for connecting the sensor and the second control board 31b are installed. Since the lower end of the lower space temperature sensor 58 is above the lower end of the first bottom rib 71, even when the chilled cover 100 is fixed to the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 2, the lower space temperature sensor 58 is separated from the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 2. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the heat in the ice making chamber 3 and the upper refrigerating chamber 4 and the heat of the electric heater 57b from affecting the lower space temperature sensor. Also, by installing the lower space temperature sensor 58 behind the rearmost second bottom rib 72, the wiring from the second control board 31b located behind the refrigerating chamber 2 can be shortened. Here, the chilled cover 100 (bottom surface portion 70) is fixed so as not to move relative to the refrigerating chamber 2, and since the position of the lower space temperature sensor 58 does not fluctuate, the way of wiring does not become complicated.

[0046] Also, as shown in FIG. 8D, a third bottom rib 73 that protrudes downward and extends forward is formed near the center in the left - right direction of the rear edge of the bottom surface portion 70 (a location corresponding to the left - right direction position of the vertical partition 13). Similar to the first bottom rib 71, the lower end of the third bottom rib 73 abuts against the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber 2 when the chilled cover 100 (bottom surface portion 70) receives a load, and supports the load received from the chilled cover 100. In particular, it can directly receive the load applied through the vertical partition 13. Since the third bottom rib 73 is arranged so as to at least partially overlap the rear projection of the lower space temperature sensor 58, the mounting stability of the lower space temperature sensor 58 is also enhanced.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 8B and the like, the upper edge of the left side surface 80 is thinner at the front side and thicker at the rear side to facilitate the insertion and removal of articles. The thickly formed portion has a high effect of preventing the warping (inward collapse) of the resin-molded left side surface 80 and has improved strength to receive the load from the shelf 34d. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the front side of the upper edge of the left side surface 80 is fitted into the locking portion 34d1 formed on the lower surface of the shelf 34d, thereby restricting the position in the left-right direction. On the other hand, a claw 81 is provided at the front lower portion of the left side surface 80 (see FIG. 8A). As shown in FIG. 10, when the claw 81 abuts against the recess 28a formed on the upper surface of the heat insulating partition wall 28, the position in the left-right direction is restricted by the side wall of the recess 28a.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8A and the like, a plurality of first side ribs 82 extending in the front-rear direction and a plurality of second side ribs 83 extending in the vertical direction are formed on the left surface (back side) of the left side surface 80. The first side rib 82 has a larger protruding dimension to the left than the second side rib 83 and serves to restrict the position of the opposing water supply tank 36. The second side rib 83 serves to increase the strength of receiving the load from the shelf 34d.

[0049] The right side surface 90 is smaller in area compared to the left side surface 80, but wall surfaces are formed at the joint portion with the back side surface 60, the joint portion with the bottom side surface 70, and the corner portion between these. These wall surfaces suppress the warping during the resin molding of the chilled cover 100. In particular, the joint portion with the bottom side surface 70 also serves to prevent the liquid present in the lower space 35 from overflowing outside the chilled cover 100.

[0050] Next, the configuration of the return air path of the cold air in the refrigerating chamber 2 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is a front view showing the state where the chilled cover 100 is removed in FIG. 5, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E of FIG. 11 (a perspective view seen from the left front).

[0051] The R air duct component 19 is arranged in the region indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 11, in front of the inner box 10b located at the back of the refrigerator. The R air duct component 19 is formed with a return port 15a (the first return port of the refrigerating compartment) for the refrigerating compartment at the front of the bottom, a return port 15b (the second return port of the refrigerating compartment) for the refrigerating compartment at the front of the lower right, a return port 15c (the third return port of the refrigerating compartment) for the refrigerating compartment at the front of the upper right, and a return port 15d (the fourth return port of the refrigerating compartment, see Fig. 12) for the refrigerating compartment on the left side of the bottom. That is, the return port 15a of the refrigerating compartment is located at the rear bottom of the back surface portion 60 of the chilled cover 100, and the return port 15b of the refrigerating compartment is located at the rear upper right of the back surface portion 60 of the chilled cover 100. Further, the return port 15c of the refrigerating compartment is located at the rear upper right between the shelves 34c and 34d, and the return port 15d of the refrigerating compartment is located so as to face the rear space of the water supply tank 36.

[0052] Part of the cold air flowing into the refrigerating compartment 2 from the refrigerating compartment discharge ports 11a and 11b flows into the R air duct component 19 from the return port 15c of the refrigerating compartment above the shelf 34d and reaches the R evaporator chamber 8a. Further, another part of the cold air flowing into the refrigerating compartment 2 from the refrigerating compartment discharge ports 11a and 11b cools the lower space 35 and then reaches the rear of the chilled cover 100 from the ventilation port 101 or the gap between the right side surface portion 90 of the chilled cover 100 and the inner box 10b, etc., and flows into the R air duct component 19 from the return port 15a or the return port 15b of the refrigerating compartment and reaches the R evaporator chamber 8a. Still further, another part of the cold air flowing into the refrigerating compartment 2 from the refrigerating compartment discharge ports 11a and 11b passes around the water supply tank 36 on the left side of the lower space 35 and flows into the R air duct component 19 from the return port 15d and reaches the R evaporator chamber 8a.

[0053] Among the four regions (the hatched regions R1, R2, R3, and R4 in Fig. 11) of the R air duct component 19 that come into contact with the back ribs 62 of the chilled cover 100 described above, at least a part (specifically, R1, R3, and R4) is in the vicinity of a corner or a step and is a place with high rigidity. Therefore, the rear of the back surface portion 60 of the chilled cover 100 can be stably supported.

[0054] Next, the configuration of the front edge 76 of the bottom surface portion 70 of the chilled cover 100 will be described based on FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the lower front edge of the lower space, and FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lower front edge of the lower space.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the front edge 76 of the bottom surface portion 70 of the chilled cover 100 is inclined downward, and its tip has a distance D1 (for example, 3 mm) from the upper surface of the bottom surface (heat insulation partition wall 28) of the refrigerating chamber 2. For this reason, surface variations that may occur due to foaming of urethane or the like in the heat insulation partition wall 28 are less noticeable to the user. Further, on the lower surface of the bottom surface portion 70, a bottom surface fourth rib 74 extending downward is formed rearward of the front edge 76, and the tip of the bottom surface fourth rib 74 is in contact with the upper surface of the heat insulation partition wall 28. Since the tip of the front edge 76 and the tip of the bottom surface fourth rib 74 are provided independently, the liquid that has fallen along the front edge 76 is difficult to flow backward. However, if the distance D2 from the tip of the front edge 76 to the bottom surface fourth rib 74 is too long, the cleanability will deteriorate, so it is desirable to set it to about 8 mm.

[0056] Here, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is attached with a container 200 (free case) that can be placed in the lower space 35. The container 200 may be placed anywhere in the refrigerating chamber 2, two or more of the same containers may be placed, or it may not be placed anywhere. Hereinafter, the case where one container 200 is placed in the lower space 35 will be described as an example.

[0057] First, the structure of the container 200 itself will be described based on FIGS. 15 to 17. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the container seen from the upper right front, FIG. 16 is a side view of the container seen from the right, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the container seen from the lower right front. The container 200 is mainly formed by a wall surface and a bottom surface surrounding four sides, and has an open shape at the top. In this specification, among the two wall surfaces with a short width, the one with a smaller vertical dimension will be conveniently referred to as the front wall 201, and the one with a larger vertical dimension will be conveniently referred to as the rear wall 202. The upper ends of the two left and right wall surfaces with a long width have an inclination such that the front is lower than the rear.

[0058] The upper end portion of the wall surface forming the opening edge of the container 200 is thicker than other portions so that it is easy for the user to grasp. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, a convex portion 203 is formed near the square on the lower surface of the container 200. As shown in FIG. 22, the forward movement of this convex portion 203 is restricted by a raised portion 77 formed at the rear end of the inclination at the front edge 76 of the bottom surface portion 70 of the chilled cover 100. As a result, contact between the container 200 and the door pocket 33c or the articles stored in the door pocket 33c is prevented.

[0059] Next, an aspect when the container 200 is placed in the lower space 35 will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of the refrigerator compartment when the container is placed in the lower space, and FIG. 19 is a transverse sectional view of the refrigerator compartment when the container is placed in the lower space. Note that FIG. 18 shows a state in which the front wall 201 of the container 200 is placed so as to be located on the front side of the lower space 35.

[0060] The front-rear dimension of the container 200 is at least substantially the same as or less than the front-rear dimension of the lower space 35 (the bottom surface portion 70 of the chilled cover 100). Since the front wall 201 of the container 200 is lower than the rear wall 202, when placed as shown in FIG. 18, the user can take in and out the articles in the container 200 to some extent without pulling out the container 200. Further, since the upper ends of the left and right wall surfaces of the container 200 have an inclination with the front side being lower, it is difficult for the user's hand to contact the shelf 34d when the user grasps the front side of the container 200 and takes the container 200 in and out with respect to the lower space 35. Furthermore, even if the user pulls out the container 200 or tilts the container 200 so that the front side becomes higher to avoid the door pocket 33c, in order to make it difficult for the articles in the container 200 to fall over the rear wall 202, the height of the rear wall 202 of the container 200 is desirably 40% or more of the height of the lower space 35.

[0061] However, the upper end of the rear wall 202 of the container 200 is made lower than the lower end of the ventilation port 101 so as not to block the return path of the cold air passing through the ventilation port 101 and reaching the rear of the chilled cover 100. Also, the upper end of the rear wall 202 of the container 200 is made lower than the lower end of the refrigerator return port 15b to facilitate the return of cold air from the gap between the right side surface 90 of the chilled cover 100 and the inner box 10b to the refrigerator return port 15b. Further, as shown in FIG. 18, the height h of the container 200 (rear wall 202) is made smaller than the separation dimension H between the upper end of the lowermost door pocket 33c and the lower end of the door pocket 33b above it (preferably about one-third of H), so that the container 200 can easily pass between the two door pockets.

[0062] The lateral width (W1) of the container 200 is smaller than the lateral width (W2) of the opening (from 84a to 2b1) of the refrigerator compartment 2 formed when the refrigerator door 2a is open, as shown in FIG. 19, and is also smaller than the lateral width (W3) of the opening (from 2b1 to 90) of the refrigerator compartment 2 formed when the refrigerator door 2b is open. For this reason, the user can take the container 200 in and out of the lower space 35 by opening either the left or right refrigerator door. However, when the widths of the left and right refrigerator doors are significantly different, by making the lateral width of the container smaller than the lateral width of the opening of the refrigerator compartment 2 formed when the wider refrigerator door is open, it is possible to take the container 200 in and out when the wider refrigerator door is open. Since a water supply tank 36 is arranged on the left side of the lower space 35, when the user takes the container 200 in and out with only the refrigerator door 2a open, as shown in FIG. 19, it may be necessary to tilt the front of the container 200 to the left. However, as described above, since the front side of the left side surface 80 of the chilled cover 100 has an inclination 84 that turns more to the left toward the front, it is easy to tilt the front of the container 200 to the left, making it easier to take the container 200 in and out of the lower space 35.

[0063] Here, the positional relationship between the shelf 34d and the container 200 with respect to the door pocket 33c will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a placement state in which the front wall of the container 200 is located on the front side of the lower space 35, and FIG. 21 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a placement state in which the rear wall of the container 200 is located on the front side of the lower space 35.

[0064] First, when the refrigerator doors 2a and 2b are closed, as shown in FIG. 20, there is a gap S1 between the extension line of the rear wall of the door pocket 33c and the front end of the shelf 34d. Therefore, even if an article with a relatively large vertical dimension is stored in the door pocket 33c, it does not contact the shelf 34d. Also, although the upper end of the front wall 201 of the container 200 protrudes forward from the lower end, a gap S2 is secured with respect to the rear wall of the door pocket 33c. For this reason, the door pocket 33c and the articles stored in the door pocket 33c do not contact the container 200 and the articles stored in the container 200 even when the refrigerator door is closed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 21, when the rear wall 202 of the container 200 is placed so as to be located on the front side of the lower space 35, since the vertical dimension of the rear wall 202 is larger than that of the front wall 201, the upper end of the rear wall 202 of the container 200 may approach the door pocket 33c. However, even in such a case, by securing a gap S3 between the upper end of the rear wall 202 and the door pocket 33c, the container 200 can prevent contact with the door pocket 33c regardless of the orientation in which it is placed. In order to more reliably prevent contact between the container 200 and the door pocket 33c, it is desirable to make the gap S3 larger than the gap S1. In the present embodiment, the case where the container 200 is placed in the lower space 35 has been described as an example, but the container 200 can also be placed in other locations. For example, it can also be placed in the storage case in the lower freezer compartment 5 or the storage case in the vegetable compartment 6.

[0065] Next, the control of the electric heater 57b that heats the lower space 35 will be described with reference to FIG. 23. FIG. 23 is a graph showing the energization rate to be set for the electric heater for each temperature of the lower space. First, when the temperature detected by the lower space temperature sensor 58 is low, the second control unit increases the energization rate of the electric heater 57b to suppress excessive cooling of the lower space 35. On the other hand, when the temperature detected by the lower space temperature sensor 58 is high, the second control unit decreases the energization rate of the electric heater 57b to suppress overheating of the lower space 35.

[0066] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the lower space 35 is formed by the chilled cover 100 having the back surface portion 60, the bottom surface portion 70, the left side surface portion 80, and the right side surface portion 90, but the lower space 35 may be formed by a support member having only the back surface portion 60 that supports the lowermost shelf 34d. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the cooler for the refrigerating chamber is provided separately from the coolers for other storage chambers, but the cooler for the refrigerating chamber may cool a part of other storage chambers or may cool all the storage chambers with a single common cooler.

[0067] Also, a metal tray (not shown) may be provided on the bottom surface portion 70 of the resin-made chilled cover 100. By the radiative cooling of the metal tray, the temperature in the lower space 35 can be made uniform and the accuracy of temperature detection by the lower space temperature sensor 58 can be improved. Further, by providing the metal tray on the bottom surface portion 70, the heat from the electric heater 57b can be efficiently transmitted into the lower space 35. Further, by making the metal tray detachable, the cleanability in the lower space 35 can be improved. Note that the chilled cover 100 itself may be made of metal. For example, by making any one or all of the back surface portion 60, the bottom surface portion 70, the left side surface portion 80, and the right side surface portion 90 of metal, the effect of making the above-described temperature uniform can be further enhanced.

[0068] Furthermore, the foregoing embodiments have been described in detail for the purpose of explaining the present invention clearly, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, with respect to a part of the configuration of the foregoing embodiments, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations is possible.

[0069] This specification encompasses the following technical ideas. [Appendix 1-1] A refrigerator compartment having an opening at the front, One or more shelves arranged in the refrigerator compartment, A lower space formed in the region from the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment to the lowermost shelf among the shelves, A first cooler that generates cold air supplied to the refrigerator compartment, An outlet that discharges the cold air generated by the first cooler into the refrigerator compartment, A return port that returns the cold air in the refrigerator compartment to the first cooler, and includes, Further includes a freezer compartment adjacent to the lower part of the refrigerator compartment and / or the cold air generated by the first cooler is supplied only to the refrigerator compartment, The outlet is arranged only above the lowermost shelf, The lower space is a region where articles are stored with at least the front upper side open, All or part of the return port is arranged in the height range from the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment to the lowermost shelf of a refrigerator. [Appendix 1-2] In Appendix 1-1, The lower space is, A refrigerator having a softening point temperature of the bottom surface portion of 50°C or higher, And a vertical dimension of 15 cm or more. [Appendix 1-3] In Appendix 1-1 or Appendix 1-2, The lower space is formed of a support member that supports the lowermost shelf and is arranged across from the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment to the lower surface of the lowermost shelf of a refrigerator. [Appendix 1-4] In Appendix 1-3, The support member includes a back portion disposed from the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber to the lower surface of the lowermost shelf, a bottom portion covering at least a part of the bottom surface of the refrigerating chamber, and a side portion connecting the back portion and the bottom portion and disposed on at least one of the left and right sides, and is a refrigerator with a chilled cover that is at least open at the front and above. [Appendix 1-5] In Appendix 1-4, A water supply tank for storing water supplied to the ice making device is disposed on either the left or right side of the lower space. Among the left and right sides of the lower space, the side with the water supply tank is covered by the side portion, and the side without the water supply tank is a refrigerator in which the inner box partitioning the refrigerating chamber is exposed. [Appendix 1-6] In Appendix 1-5, The front side of the side portion has an inclination that extends outward toward the front in a refrigerator. [Appendix 1-7] In Appendix 1-4, There is a ventilation opening in the back portion for allowing cold air to pass toward the return port in a refrigerator. [Appendix 1-8] In Appendix 1-7, The ventilation opening is formed at a position lower than the upper ends of the other support members in a refrigerator. [Appendix 1-9] In Appendix 1-8, The back portion has an inclination that extends rearward toward the upper part, A rear rib protruding rearward is provided in a portion without a ventilation guide portion in a refrigerator. [Appendix 1-10] In Appendix 1-8, The back portion has an inclination that extends rearward toward the upper part, The ventilation guide portion has an inclination with a steeper gradient than the inclination of the back portion in a refrigerator. [Appendix 1-1] to [Appendix 1-10] solve the problem of quickly cooling an article while suppressing the warming of surrounding articles when a warm article is placed in the lowermost space of the refrigerating chamber. [Appendix 2-1] A refrigerating chamber having an opening at the front, A freezer compartment and / or a heater adjacent to the lower part of the refrigerator compartment, A support member covering at least a part of the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment, A temperature sensor attached to the support member, and having, The support member is fixed to the refrigerator compartment, The refrigerator in which the temperature sensor and the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment are separated. [Appendix 2-2] In Appendix 2-1, The support member has a bottom surface portion covering at least a part of the bottom surface, and a back surface portion arranged from the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment to the lower surface of the lowermost shelf, a refrigerator. [Appendix 2-3] In Appendix 2-2, Behind the refrigerator compartment, a control board is provided, The refrigerator in which the front of the wiring connecting the temperature sensor and the control board is covered by the back surface portion. [Appendix 2-4] In Appendix 2-2, The bottom surface portion has a plurality of first bottom ribs protruding downward and contacting the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment, The refrigerator in which the temperature sensor is attached between the plurality of first bottom ribs. [Appendix 2-5] In Appendix 2-4, The bottom surface portion further has a plurality of second bottom ribs protruding downward, The first bottom ribs extend in the front-rear direction, The second bottom ribs extend in the left-right direction, and the refrigerator having a smaller vertical dimension than the first bottom ribs. [Appendix 2-6] In Appendix 2-5, The bottom surface portion is a refrigerator to which a reinforcing metal extending in the left-right direction is attached on the front side of the front end of the first bottom rib. [Appendix 2-7] In Appendix 2-2, The front edge of the bottom surface portion is inclined downward, and the tip thereof is a refrigerator separated from the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment. [Appendix 2-1] to [Appendix 2-7] solve the problems of the influence of heat in different temperature zones on the temperature sensor.

Explanation of Signs

[0070] 1…Refrigerator, 2…Refrigerating compartment, 3…Ice-making compartment, 4…Upper freezing compartment, 5…Lower freezing compartment, 6…Vegetable compartment, 8a…R evaporator chamber, 8b…F evaporator chamber, 9a…R fan, 9b…F fan, 10…Heat-insulating box body, 10a…Outer box, 10b…Inner box, 11…Refrigerating compartment air duct, 11a…Refrigerating compartment air outlet, 12…Freezing compartment air duct, 12a…Freezing compartment air outlet, 13…Vertical partition, 14a…R evaporator, 14b…F evaporator, 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d…Refrigerating compartment return port, 16…Door hinge cover, 17…Freezing compartment return port, 18…Vegetable compartment return air duct, 18a…Vegetable compartment return port, 19…R air duct component, 20…F air duct component, 21…Defrosting heater, 22b…F drain port, 23a…R drain pan, 23b…F drain pan, 24…Compressor, 25…Vacuum heat-insulating material, 26…Operation part, 27b…F drain pipe, 28, 29, 30…Heat-insulating partition wall, 28a…Recess, 28b1…Front fitting part of partition, 28b2…Rear fitting part of partition, 31a…First control board, 31b…Second control board, 32…Evaporation dish, 33a, 33b, 33c…Door pocket, 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d…Shelf, 34d1…Locking part, 35…Lower space, 36…Water supply tank, 37…, 38…Machine room fan, 39…Machine room, 40a…R evaporator temperature sensor, 40b…F evaporator temperature sensor, 41…Refrigerating compartment temperature sensor, 42…Freezing compartment temperature sensor, 43…Vegetable compartment temperature sensor, 50a…Outdoor radiator, 50b…Wall surface heat radiation pipe, 50c…Dew prevention pipe, 51…Dryer, 52…Three-way valve, 53a…First capillary tube, 53b…Second capillary tube, 54a, 54b…Gas-liquid separator, 55…Refrigerant confluence part, 56…Check valve, 57a, 57b…Electric heater, 58…Lower space temperature sensor, 59…Reinforcing metal, 60…Rear part, 61…Vent guiding part, 62…Rear rib, 70…Bottom part, 71…First bottom rib, 72…Second bottom rib, 73…Third bottom rib, 74…Fourth bottom rib, 75a…Front fitting part of bottom, 75b…Rear fitting part of bottom, 76…Front edge, 77…Raised part, 80…Left side part, 81…Claw, 82…First side rib, 83…Second side rib, 84…Inclination, 90…Right side part, 100…Chilled cover, 101…Vent, 200…Container, 201…Front wall, 202…Rear wall, 203…Convex part

Claims

1. A refrigerator compartment having an opening at the front, A left door for opening and closing the left side of the opening, A right door for opening and closing the right side of the opening, One or more shelves arranged in the refrigerator compartment, A lower space formed in the region from the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment to the lowermost shelf among the shelves, comprising: When the left door and the right door are closed, in a front view of the refrigerator compartment, the lower space straddles the rear projection plane of the left door and the rear projection plane of the right door. A refrigerator with an open front in front of the lower space.

2. In claim 1, Comprising a container that can be placed in the lower space, A refrigerator in which the lateral width of the container is smaller than the lateral width of the opening of the refrigerator compartment formed when the left door is open and / or smaller than the lateral width of the opening of the refrigerator compartment formed when the right door is open.

3. In claim 1, A container that can be placed in the lower space, A water supply tank for storing water to be supplied to an ice making device, comprising: A refrigerator in which one of the left and right sides of the lower space faces the water supply tank and the other faces an inner box partitioning the refrigerator compartment.

4. In claim 3, Comprising a side surface portion facing the water supply tank as one side surface of the lower space, A refrigerator in which the front side of the side surface portion has an inclination that extends outward more towards the front.

5. In claim 1, Comprising a container that can be placed in the lower space, The rear wall of the container is higher than the front wall, A refrigerator in which the height of the rear wall of the container is 40% or more of the height of the lower space.

6. In claim 1, A first cooler for generating cold air to be supplied to the refrigerator compartment, An outlet for discharging the cold air generated by the first cooler into the refrigerator compartment, A return port for returning the cold air in the refrigerator compartment to the first cooler, A container that can be placed in the lower space, Comprising a back surface portion as the back surface of the lower space, A refrigerator in which all or part of the return port is within the rear projection of the lower space.

7. In claim 6, There is a ventilation port on the back surface portion for allowing the cold air flowing towards the return port to pass through, A refrigerator in which the upper end of the rear wall of the container is lower than the lower end of the ventilation port.

8. In claim 6, A refrigerator in which the upper end of the rear wall of the container is lower than the lower end of the return port.

Images