Heat insulation box body, and refrigerator

Abstract

To enable a foam insulating material to be more easily filled into a heat insulation box body when injecting the foam heat insulating material into the heat insulation box body.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes a heat insulation box body 50, the heat insulation box body 50 including an inner box 70, an outer box 60, and a foam heat insulating material 52 arranged between the inner box 70 and the outer box 60. In an outside side wall 60c of the outer box 60, an opening 58 is formed. In an inside side wall 70b of the inner box 70, a linear groove 40 formed so that at least part of the rear end overlaps the opening 58 in backward view, is provided extending in the longitudinal direction. The linear groove 40 has a main linear groove 41 having a first side face 45, and an auxiliary linear groove 42 having a second side face 46 and an inclined face 47. The inclined face 47 of the auxiliary linear groove 42 has a portion extending frontward toward the inside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat-insulating box provided in a refrigerator or the like, and to a refrigerator provided with this heat-insulating box. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to insulate the refrigerator from the surroundings, an insulating box is provided to cover the outer periphery of the storage space. The insulating box is composed of an outer box, an inner box, and an insulating material filled between them. For example, a foam insulating material such as a rigid foam urethane insulating material is used as the insulating material.

[0003] In recent years, it has been proposed to place vacuum insulation material inside an insulated box in order to further improve thermal insulation performance. By using vacuum insulation material, thermal insulation performance can be improved and the thickness of the insulated box can be reduced. However, as the thickness of the insulated box is reduced, the space within the insulated box through which the foamed insulation material flows becomes narrower, making it more difficult for the foamed insulation material to flow. This can result in the formation of voids (gaps) that are not filled with the foamed insulation material after the insulation material has foamed.

[0004] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, in a refrigerator in which a side vacuum insulation panel and foam insulation material are provided on the side portion of the insulation space formed between the inner box and the outer box, a filler is provided behind the side vacuum insulation panel in a position that overlaps vertically with the injection hole for the foaming concentrate of the foam insulation material provided on the back of the outer box. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-45144 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, as the walls of insulating boxes become thinner, there is still a possibility that voids that are not filled with foam insulation material will occur.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that makes it easier to fill the foam insulation material inside the insulation box when injecting the foam insulation material into the insulation box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, an insulated box includes an inner box defining an interior space, an outer box spaced apart from the inner box outside the inner box, and foam insulation disposed between the inner box and the outer box. The inner box has an inner sidewall located on one side of the interior space in the width direction. The outer box has an outer sidewall located outboard of the inner sidewall in the width direction and facing the inner sidewall in the width direction via the foam insulation, and an outer rear wall connected to a rear end of the outer sidewall, located rearward of the interior space, and having an opening facing a space between the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall in the front-rear direction. The inner sidewall has a linear groove extending in the front-rear direction and formed so that at least a portion of its rear end overlaps with the opening in a rear view. The linear groove has a main linear groove, a second side surface connected to a first side surface located on one side of the main linear groove in the vertical direction and extending in the front-to-rear direction on the opposite side of the main linear groove, and an auxiliary linear groove having an inclined surface extending from the front end of the second side surface toward the first side surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, the insulating box can be more easily filled with the foam insulating material when the foam insulating material is injected. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a heat-insulating box according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the back side of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a foam insulating material is injected into the insulating box shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a part of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view showing the rear side of the side wall of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cross-sectional portion of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. 5, viewed from the rear outside. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part (around the injection port at the upper left) of the rear view of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part (around the injection port at the upper left) of the rear view of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. [Figure 10] 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the shelf board support portion shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the diameter of the injection nozzle for the foam insulation material and the dimensions of each part of the insulation box. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The names and functions of the components are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0012] (Overall configuration of the refrigerator) First, the overall configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, refrigerator 1 has refrigerator compartment 11 on the upper level, vegetable compartment 12 on the middle level, and freezer compartment 13 on the lower level. Refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with refrigerator compartment door 11a. Vegetable compartment 12 is provided with vegetable compartment door 12a. Freezer compartment 13 is provided with freezer compartment door 13a.

[0014] The refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is divided into an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section, and each storage space is provided. Partitions are provided between the storage spaces. More specifically, a first partition 54 is provided between the upper refrigerator compartment 11 and the middle vegetable compartment 12. Furthermore, a second partition 55 is provided between the middle vegetable compartment 12 and the lower freezer compartment 13. However, the arrangement of the storage spaces is not limited to this.

[0015] In this embodiment, the surface on which the door is provided is referred to as the front or front face of the refrigerator. Then, based on the front face, the respective faces of the refrigerator 1 are referred to as the top, side, back, and bottom faces based on the positions where the refrigerator 1 would be when installed in a normal state. Furthermore, the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 when placed on the installation surface is referred to as the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the insulated box 50, etc.). Furthermore, the front-to-back direction when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 1 when placed on the installation surface is referred to as the front-to-back direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the insulated box 50, etc.).

[0016] A refrigeration cycle is provided inside the refrigerator 1. The refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting a compressor 31, a condenser (not shown), an expander (not shown), and a cooler 32 via a refrigerant pipe (refrigerant flow path) through which a refrigerant flows.

[0017] A control unit (not shown) is also provided inside the refrigerator 1. This control unit controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle. That is, the control unit drives the compressor 31, thereby starting the operation of the refrigeration cycle and causing the refrigerant to circulate through the cycle. As shown in FIG. 1, the compressor 31 is disposed in a machine room 30 provided on the rear side of the bottom of the refrigerator 1.

[0018] The cooler 32 is disposed in a cooling compartment 35 provided on the rear side of the refrigerator 1. In addition to the cooler 32, the cooling compartment 35 is also provided with a cooling fan 33 and other components. The cooling fan 33 is provided to circulate air between the cooling compartment 35 and each storage space. The cooling compartment 35 is in communication with a cold air duct 38. The cold air duct 38 serves as a cold air passageway for supplying the cold air generated in the cooling compartment 35 to the refrigerator compartment 11 and other compartments.

[0019] (Configuration of the insulated box) The refrigerator 1 is provided with an insulating box 50 as an insulating structure for insulating each storage space from the surroundings. Fig. 2 shows the appearance of the insulating box 50 when viewed obliquely from the front side (frontage 50a side). Fig. 3 shows the appearance of the insulating box 50 when viewed from the rear side (back surface 60c side). The insulating box 50 is provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the refrigerator 1. The insulating box 50 is mainly composed of a top surface, side surfaces (side walls), a back surface, and a bottom surface. The front side of the insulating box 50 forms an open frontage 50a.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the insulating box body 50 mainly comprises an outer box 60, an inner box 70, a vacuum insulating material 51, a foam insulating material 52, and at least one partition (e.g., a first partition 54 and a second partition 55).

[0021] The inner box 70 forms the internal space of the insulated box body 50. The internal space of the insulated box body 50 formed by the inner box 70 is divided into multiple spaces by at least one partition. In this embodiment, two partitions, a first partition 54 and a second partition 55, are provided. The first partition 54 is disposed between the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12. The second partition 55 is disposed between the vegetable compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

[0022] The inner box 70 is mainly composed of a top surface, side surfaces 70b, a rear surface 70c, and a bottom surface 70e (see FIG. 2). The inner box 70 forms the inner walls of the storage spaces (e.g., the refrigerator compartment 11, the vegetable compartment 12, and the freezer compartment 13) and the rear wall of the cooling compartment 35. The side surfaces 70b of the inner box 70 are also called the inner side walls. The inner side walls are located on one side in the width direction (left-right direction) of the interior space of the refrigerator 1. The rear surface 70c of the inner box 70 is also called the inner rear wall. An inclined portion 70d is provided between the side surfaces 70b and the rear surface 70c of the inner box 70. That is, the inner side walls of the inner box 70 include a side wall main body 70b extending in the front-to-rear direction and an inclined portion 70d extending from the rear end of the side wall main body 70b toward the center.

[0023] Mainly the inner sidewall (side surface portion 70b) of inner box 70 has a partially raised portion that protrudes into the interior of the refrigerator. For example, a plurality of shelf support portions 21 are provided as such raised portions on the inner sidewall of the upper portion that forms the interior of refrigerator compartment 11. Shelf support portions 21 hold shelves (not shown) that divide the interior of refrigerator compartment 11. In this embodiment, a first shelf support portion 21a, a second shelf support portion 21b, and the like are provided in this order from the top of refrigerator compartment 11. The shelf support portions 21 are arranged symmetrically on the left side surface portion 70b and the right side surface portion 70b, respectively.

[0024] The shelf support portion 21 is configured by a linear groove 40 provided on the side surface portion 70b of the inner box 70 (see, for example, FIG. 10). The linear groove 40 extends in the front-to-rear direction, and is formed so that at least a portion of the rear end portion overlaps with the injection port 58 when viewed from the rear (see, for example, FIG. 8). Furthermore, at least a portion of the rear end portion of the linear groove 40 (specifically, the portion indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7) is provided on the inclined portion 70d of the inner side wall.

[0025] The outer box 60 forms the outer peripheral surface of the insulated box body 50. The outer box 60 is disposed outside the inner box 70 at a distance from the inner box 70. The outer box 60 is mainly composed of a top surface portion, a side surface portion 60b, a back surface portion 60c, and a bottom surface portion (see FIG. 3). The side surface portion 60b of the outer box 60 is also referred to as the outer sidewall. The side surface portion 60b of the outer box 60 is also referred to as the outer sidewall. The outer sidewall is located outboard of the inner sidewall (the side surface portion 70b of the inner box 70) in the width direction and faces the inner sidewall in the width direction via the foam insulation material 52. The back surface portion 60c of the outer box 60 is also referred to as the outer rear wall. The outer rear wall is connected to the rear end of the outer sidewall and is located at the rear of the interior space.

[0026] The rear surface 60c (i.e., the outer rear wall) of the outer box 60 is provided with injection ports 58 (openings) for injecting the insulating material (see FIG. 3). The injection ports 58 are open so as to face the space between the inner side wall and the outer side wall in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, two injection ports 58 are provided near the left end of the rear surface 60c and two injection ports 58 are provided near the right end of the rear surface 60c, for a total of four injection ports 58. However, the number of injection ports 58 is not limited to this.

[0027] In this embodiment, inclined portions 60d that slope forward and outward are provided on both left and right ends of the back surface portion 60c of the outer box 60. Each of the injection ports 58 is formed in the inclined portions 60d.

[0028] A space for arranging the machine room 30 is formed on the rear side of the bottom of the insulated box body 50. The machine room 30 is arranged outside the insulated box body 50. The machine room 30 is mainly defined by a bottom plate 62 that forms the bottom portion of the outer box 60.

[0029] Vacuum insulation material 51 and foam insulation material 52 are provided in the space between outer box 60 and inner box 70. Vacuum insulation material 51, also known as VIP, is a thin sheet-like or plate-like insulation material. Vacuum insulation material 51 is arranged, for example, on the side, top, bottom, and back of refrigerator 1. In FIG. 1, the vacuum insulation material arranged on the bottom of refrigerator 1 is not shown. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, vacuum insulation material 51 is arranged on the outer box 60 side within insulated box body 50.

[0030] The foam insulation material 52 can be formed of, for example, foamed polyurethane (also called rigid urethane foam). The foam insulation material 52 is also filled inside the second partition 55 that separates the vegetable compartment 12, which is a refrigerated storage space, from the freezer compartment 13, which is a freezer storage space. In this embodiment, the inside of the first partition 54 that separates the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12, which are both refrigerated storage spaces, is not filled with the foam insulation material 52. An insulation material different from the foam insulation material 52 may be placed inside the first partition 54. In another embodiment, the inside of the first partition 54 may also be filled with the foam insulation material 52.

[0031] The foam insulation material 52 is filled into the insulating box 50 by injecting a liquid foamed urethane material (also called a foam insulation material or insulating material) into the insulating box 50 through the injection port 58 and foaming the material inside the insulating box 50.

[0032] (Method of manufacturing a heat-insulating box) Next, a description will be given of a manufacturing method of the heat-insulating box 50. Fig. 4 shows how a urethane foam material is poured into the heat-insulating box 50.

[0033] First, components such as vacuum insulation material 51 and heat dissipation pipes (not shown) are attached to predetermined positions on the inner surface of each surface (specifically, the top surface, side surface 60b, and back surface 60c) of outer box 60. Also, components such as an internal electrical unit and various wiring are attached to predetermined positions on inner box 70.

[0034] Next, each surface of the outer box 60 is attached so as to cover the outer periphery of the inner box 70. In this way, the outer shape of the heat-insulating box body 50 is formed.

[0035] Thereafter, with the back portion 60c of the insulating box 50 facing up, liquid urethane foam material is injected through the injection port 58 formed in the back portion 60c. At this time, an injection nozzle 91 of an injection device for insulating material is inserted into the injection port 58 (see FIG. 4). The urethane foam material discharged from the injection nozzle 91 into the insulating box 50 expands in the space between the outer box 60 and the inner box 70 from the front side (the side of the front opening 50a) to the back side, filling the space while increasing in volume. The expanded insulating material then hardens.

[0036] In other words, when insulating material is injected through each injection port 58 with the back portion 60c of the insulated box body 50 facing up, the insulating material flows down due to gravity through the side and top portions of the insulated box body 50 toward the front portion 50a located at the bottom.

[0037] In recent years, there has been a demand for thinner side walls of the insulating box 50 in refrigerators in order to ensure a larger interior space. As the thickness of the side walls of the insulating box 50 becomes thinner, the space within the side walls through which the insulating material flows becomes narrower, making it more difficult for the insulating material to flow. If vacuum insulation material 51 is provided inside the insulating box 50, the space through which the insulating material flows becomes even narrower.

[0038] As a result, the insulating material may not be injected smoothly into the opening side of the insulated box 50, and partial foaming may begin in various places on the wall surface inside the insulated box 50. Later, when the insulating material is filled from the front side of the insulated box 50 while foaming, the foaming may interfere with these partially foamed parts, preventing the air from escaping smoothly and creating air pockets, which may result in areas where the insulating material cannot be filled.

[0039] Therefore, in this embodiment, the position of injection port 58 is specified to be a predetermined location. Specifically, when the insulated box body 50 is viewed from the rear, the opening of injection port 58 is positioned to correspond to one of the shelf board supports 21 formed on the side surface 70b of the inner box 70.

[0040] This allows a larger space for the insulating material to enter on the back side of the insulating box 50 (i.e., the side closer to the injection nozzle 91), reducing the number of areas that could hinder the flow of the insulating material.

[0041] (Regarding the shape of the linear grooves) Furthermore, in this embodiment, the shape of the linear grooves 40 forming the shelf support portions 21 is specified to allow the thin-walled insulating box to be filled with the foam insulating material more smoothly. This point will be explained below.

[0042] Fig. 5 shows the internal configuration of the right side wall portion when viewed from the front of the insulated box 50. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a horizontal cross section of the insulated box 50 at the position where the second shelf board support portion 21b is arranged. Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of a portion of the cross section of the insulated box 50 shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view of a portion of the insulated box 50 shown in Fig. 6 as seen from the rear outside.

[0043] 8 and 9 are enlarged views of the area around the upper left injection port 58 in the insulated box 50 shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 8, the area where the rear end (rear portion (portion including the main linear grooves 41 and the auxiliary linear grooves 42)) of the linear grooves 40 overlaps with the opening of the injection port 58 is indicated by a dashed line frame. Also, in FIG. 8, the area where the front portion (portion formed only by the main linear grooves 41) of the linear grooves 40 overlaps with the opening of the injection port 58 is indicated by a dashed line frame. In FIG. 9, the portion of the bottom surface 41a of the main linear groove 41 located at the rear end portion is indicated as A, and the portion of the bottom surface 42a of the auxiliary linear grooves 42 located at the rear end portion is indicated as B. FIG. 10 shows an enlarged view of the rear portion of the second shelf support portion 21b.

[0044] The linear groove 40 is formed to extend in the front-rear direction on the side surface portion 70b (inner side wall) of the inner box 70. The linear groove 40 is formed so that at least a portion of the rear end overlaps the opening of the filler port 58 when viewed from the rear (see FIG. 8, etc.). In this embodiment, of the multiple linear grooves 40 provided on the side surface portion 70b of the inner box 70, the linear groove 40 on the lower side of the second shelf support portion 21b (i.e., the linear groove 40 having the auxiliary linear groove 42) is provided so as to correspond to the position of one of the filler ports 58. However, in another embodiment, either the linear groove 40 on the upper side of the second shelf support portion 21b or the linear groove 40 on the first shelf support portion 21a (i.e., the linear groove 40 without the auxiliary linear groove 42) may be provided so as to correspond to the position of one of the filler ports 58.

[0045] The linear groove 40 shown in FIG. 5 and other figures has a main linear groove 41 and an auxiliary linear groove 42. The auxiliary linear groove 42 is present only on the rear side of the linear groove 40. The auxiliary linear groove 42 is connected to a first side surface 45 located on one side (the lower side in this embodiment) of the main linear groove 41 in the up-down direction. The auxiliary linear groove 42 has a second side surface 46 located on the opposite side from the connection with the main linear groove 41 and extending in the front-to-rear direction, and an inclined surface 47 extending from the front end of the second side surface 46 toward the first side surface 45 (see FIG. 7). The main linear groove 41 has a bottom surface 41a. The auxiliary linear groove 42 has a bottom surface 42a.

[0046] 10, the side surface located below the linear groove 40 forms a surface that smoothly continues from the rear to the front from the second side surface 46 via the inclined surface 47 to the first side surface 45. The inclined surface 47 has a portion that extends forward and inward (see FIG. 10, etc.). That is, the front end portion of the auxiliary linear groove 42 extends toward the tip end toward the bottom surface 42a of the auxiliary linear groove 42.

[0047] As described above, the linear groove 40 has its front end located rearward of the front end of the main linear groove 41 and has auxiliary linear grooves 42 arranged along the main linear groove 41. The inclined surface 47 located at the front end of the auxiliary linear groove 42 extends forward toward the inside (i.e., toward the bottom surface of the linear groove 40). With this configuration, the foamed insulating material flowing through the auxiliary linear groove 42 flows outward along the inclined surface 47 (i.e., away from the bottom surface of the linear groove 40). This allows the foamed insulating material to smoothly flow toward the main linear groove 41, whose cross-sectional area is narrowed by the amount of the auxiliary linear groove 42. As a result, the linear groove 40, which has a relatively small volume within the insulated box 50, allows the foamed insulating material to flow more smoothly forward. This allows the foamed insulating material to be distributed throughout the relatively thin sidewalls of the insulated box 50. In FIG. 10 , the dashed arrows indicate the flow of the foamed insulating material from the auxiliary linear groove 42 to the main linear groove 41.

[0048] 6, the bottom surface 42a of the auxiliary linear groove 42 is located outward from the bottom surface 41a of the main linear groove 41. In FIG. 6, the positions of the bottom surfaces 42a and 41a are indicated by dashed lines. This means that the depth d1 of the main linear groove 41 is deeper than the depth d2 of the auxiliary linear groove 42 (see FIG. 10).

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7, at least a portion of the rear end of the linear groove 40 (the portion indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7) is provided on the inclined portion 70d of the inner side wall.

[0050] 7 and 10, the bottom surfaces of the rear ends of the linear grooves 40 extend toward the center toward the rear. More specifically, the rear ends of the bottom surfaces 41a of the main linear grooves 41 extend toward the center toward the rear. Furthermore, the rear ends of the bottom surfaces 42a of the auxiliary linear grooves 42 extend toward the center toward the rear.

[0051] The bottom surface of the front portion located forward of the rear end of linear groove 40 is located, in rear view, outside the central end of the opening of injection port 58. In the example shown in Fig. 9, part A located at the rear end of bottom surface 41a of main linear groove 41 and part B located at the rear end of bottom surface 42a of auxiliary linear groove 42 are located outside position C of the central end of the opening of injection port 58.

[0052] This makes it possible to increase the overlapping area between the injection port 58 and the linear groove 40 at the rear end of the linear groove 40. That is, when viewed from the rear, the area of ​​the region where the rear end of the linear groove 40 and the opening of the injection port 58 overlap (the area of ​​the region surrounded by the dashed line frame in FIG. 8) can be made larger than the area of ​​the region where the front portion of the linear groove 40 and the opening of the injection port 58 overlap (the area of ​​the region surrounded by the dashed line frame in FIG. 8). This makes it possible to guide most of the foamed insulating material injected from the injection port 58 into the linear groove 40.

[0053] In this embodiment, when viewed from the rear, the area of ​​the region where the rear end of the main linear groove 41 overlaps with the opening of the injection port 58 is larger than the area of ​​the region where the front portion of the main linear groove 41 overlaps with the opening, and when viewed from the rear, the area of ​​the region where the rear end of the auxiliary linear groove 42 overlaps with the opening of the injection port 58 is larger than the area where the front portion of the auxiliary linear groove 42 overlaps with the opening.

[0054] It is possible to guide most of the foamed insulating material injected from the injection port 58 into the linear grooves 40, and to suppress the generation of turbulence when the foamed insulating material flows into the linear grooves 40. This allows the foamed insulating material to flow smoothly into the linear grooves 40, and as a result, the foamed insulating material can be injected efficiently even when the side walls of the insulating box body 50 are made thin.

[0055] (Regarding the thickness of the side walls of the insulated box and the thickness of the vacuum insulation material) In recent refrigerators, there is a demand for thinner side walls of the heat-insulating box 50 in order to ensure a larger interior space, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, the wall portions (for example, side walls) of the heat-insulating box 50 are made thinner.

[0056] FIG. 11 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration inside the side wall of the insulating box 50, and also shows the position of the injection nozzle 91 inserted into the injection port 58 when filling with the foam insulating material. The average thickness T1 of the side wall of the insulating box 50 according to this embodiment can be, for example, 25 mm or more and 30 mm or less. The thickness T2 of the vacuum insulating material 51 arranged on the side wall is approximately constant over the entire area of ​​the vacuum insulating material. In one example, the thickness T2 of the vacuum insulating material 51 is set to, for example, 15 mm or more and 25 mm or less.

[0057] On the other hand, thickness T3 of foam insulation material 52 varies in each portion depending on the external shape of insulated box body 50 (particularly the shape of inner box 70). When an attempt is made to thin the insulated box body, thickness T2 is greater than thickness T3 in more than half of the area where vacuum insulation material 51 is present in the side wall of insulated box body 50. Therefore, thickness T3 (also referred to as gap T3) of foam insulation material 52 in more than half of the area where vacuum insulation material 51 is present in the side wall of insulated box body 50 is set to, for example, 10 mm or less.

[0058] As described above, when filling the insulated box body 50 with foamed insulating material, an injection nozzle 91 for discharging the insulating material is attached to the injection port 58 provided on the back portion 60c of the insulated box body 50, and the insulating material is injected into the inside of the insulated box body 50 from the injection nozzle 91 (see Figure 4).

[0059] 11 shows, on the right side, an example of the positional relationship between injection nozzle 91 and the sidewall when thickness T1 is 30 mm or less and thickness T3 of foam insulation 52 is 10 mm or less. Also, on the left side, FIG. 11 shows, as a comparative example, the positional relationship between injection nozzle 91 and the sidewall when thickness T1 is 30 mm or more and thickness T3 of foam insulation 52 is 10 mm or more.

[0060] Here, the diameter of injection nozzle 91 inserted into injection port 58 is defined as φ1. φ1 is set, for example, to 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less (specifically, 18 mm). The opening diameter of injection port 58 is designed to be slightly larger than the diameter (φ1) of injection nozzle 91. For example, the opening diameter of injection port 58 is designed to be approximately 5 to 20 mm larger than the diameter φ1 of the injection nozzle.

[0061] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the linear grooves 40 formed in the side surface 70b of the insulating box 50 are positioned so that substantially the entire area of ​​the rear end overlaps with the injection port 58 in a rear view. When the injection nozzle 91 is inserted into such an injection port 58, as shown in the example in Fig. 11, a large portion of the discharge port of the injection nozzle 91 overlaps with the area where the linear grooves 40 are formed on the rear end side of the inner box 70 in a rear view. That is, in the example in Fig. 11, the overlapping area between the discharge port and the linear grooves 40 is larger than in the comparative example, which has a thicker side wall. Furthermore, in the example, the injection nozzle 91 can be positioned farther away from the position where the vacuum insulation material 51 is arranged, compared to the comparative example.

[0062] For example, the position of injection port 58 on the upper side of insulating box 50 corresponds to the position of linear groove 40 of second shelf support portion 21b provided on side surface portion 70b. Specifically, injection port 58 is positioned so that its center is more inward than side surface portion 70b (see FIGS. 8 and 11). This ensures an injection path for the insulating material injected from injection nozzle 91 inserted into injection port 58, and allows linear groove 40 to serve as the main injection path for the insulating material.

[0063] This configuration prevents the liquid foaming insulation material from hitting the wall surfaces or vacuum insulation material inside the insulated box 50 when injected. This allows the material to flow to the front opening 50a without slowing down. Particularly when the thickness T3 (T1-T2) of the foaming insulation material 52 is narrow (i.e., when the distance (depth d1, d2) between the bottom surface of the linear groove 40 and the inner sidewall 70b is greater than the gap T3), limiting the amount of the insulation material injected directly into the gap T3 prevents the insulation material from adhering to the vacuum insulation material 51 or the sidewall 70b and initiating foaming. Furthermore, as described above, the linear groove 40 efficiently directs the insulation material toward the front opening 50a, allowing the foaming insulation material to be filled more smoothly into a thin-walled insulated box. This prevents a decrease in the fluidity of the injected insulation material, even in a thin-walled insulated box 50, making it easier to fill the insulated box with the foaming insulation material.

[0064] As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes an insulated box body 50. The insulated box body 50 includes an inner box 70, an outer box 60, and a foam insulation material 52 disposed between the inner box 70 and the outer box 60. An opening (inlet 58) is formed in the outer side wall (side surface portion 60b) of the outer box 60. A linear groove 40 extending in the front-rear direction is provided in the inner side wall (side surface portion 70b) of the inner box 70, and formed so that at least a portion of its rear end overlaps with the opening (inlet 58) in a rear view. The linear groove 40 includes a main linear groove 41 having a first side surface 45 and an auxiliary linear groove 42 connected to one side of the main linear groove 41 in the up-down direction. The auxiliary linear groove 42 includes a second side surface 46 located opposite the main linear groove 41 and extending in the front-rear direction, and an inclined surface 47 extending from the front end of the second side surface 46 toward the first side surface 45. The inclined surface 47 of the auxiliary linear groove 42 has a portion that extends forward and inward.

[0065] With the above configuration, most of the foamed insulating material injected through the injection port 58 can be guided into the linear grooves 40, and the foamed insulating material that has flowed through the auxiliary linear grooves 42 of the linear grooves 40 can be smoothly introduced into the main linear grooves 41. As a result, the linear grooves 40, which have a relatively small volume within the insulating box 50, allow the foamed insulating material to flow more smoothly forward. This allows the foamed insulating material to be distributed throughout the relatively thin side walls of the insulating box 50. In other words, when the foamed insulating material is injected, it is easier to fill the insulating box 50 with the foamed insulating material.

[0066] (summary) An insulated box (e.g., insulated box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention includes an inner box (e.g., inner box 70) defining an interior space, an outer box (e.g., outer box 60) spaced from the inner box on the outside, and foam insulation (e.g., foam insulation 52) disposed between the inner and outer boxes. The inner box has an inner sidewall (e.g., side surface portion 70b) located on one side of the width direction of the interior space. The outer box has an outer sidewall (e.g., side surface portion 60b) located outward of the inner sidewall in the width direction and facing the inner sidewall in the width direction with the foam insulation interposed therebetween, and an outer rear wall (e.g., rear surface portion 60c) connected to the rear end of the outer sidewall, located at the rear of the interior space, and having an opening (e.g., injection port 58) facing the space between the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall in the front-to-rear direction. The inner sidewall has a linear groove (e.g., linear groove 40) extending in the front-rear direction and formed so that at least a portion of its rear end overlaps with the opening in a rear view. The linear groove has a main linear groove (e.g., main linear groove 41), a second side surface (e.g., second side surface 46) connected to a first side surface (e.g., first side surface 45) located on one side of the main linear groove in the up-down direction and extending in the front-rear direction on the opposite side from the main linear groove, and an auxiliary linear groove (e.g., auxiliary linear groove 42) having an inclined surface (e.g., inclined surface 47) extending from the front end of the second side surface toward the first side surface. The inclined surface has a portion extending forward toward the inside.

[0067] In the above-described insulated box (e.g., insulated box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention, the bottom surface (e.g., bottom surface 42a) of the auxiliary linear groove (e.g., auxiliary linear groove 42) may be located outside the bottom surface (e.g., bottom surface 41a) of the main linear groove (e.g., main linear groove 41).

[0068] In the above-described insulated box (e.g., insulated box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention, the rear end portion (e.g., bottom surface 41a) of the bottom surface of the main linear groove (e.g., main linear groove 41) may extend toward the center toward the rear.

[0069] In the above-described insulated box (e.g., insulated box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention, the rear end of the bottom surface (e.g., bottom surface 42a) of the auxiliary linear groove (e.g., auxiliary linear groove 42) may extend toward the center toward the rear.

[0070] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1). This refrigerator includes an insulating box (for example, insulating box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0071] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. Furthermore, configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described in this specification are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1: Refrigerator 21: Shelf support part 40: Linear groove 41: Main linear groove 41a: Bottom surface of main linear groove 42: Auxiliary linear groove 42a: Bottom surface of minor linear groove 45:1st side 46:Second side 47: Inclined surface 50: Insulated box 51: Vacuum insulation material 52: Foam insulation 58: Inlet 60: Outer box 60b: Side part of outer box (outer side wall) 60c: Back part of outer box (outer rear wall) 60d: Sloped part of outer box 70: Inner box 70b: Side part of inner box (inner side wall, side wall body) 70c: Back of the inner box 70d: Sloped part of inner box

Claims

1. The inner box that makes up the internal space, an outer box disposed outside the inner box at a distance from the inner box; A foam insulation material disposed between the inner box and the outer box; Equipped with The inner box has an inner side wall located on one side in the width direction of the internal space, The outer box is an outer sidewall located outward in the width direction from the inner sidewall and facing the inner sidewall in the width direction via the foam insulation; an outer rear wall connected to a rear end of the outer side wall, positioned at the rear of the interior space, and having an opening formed therein that faces a space between the inner side wall and the outer side wall in the front-to-rear direction; and the inner sidewall has a linear groove extending in the front-rear direction and formed such that at least a portion of a rear end thereof overlaps with the opening in a rear view, The linear groove is a main linear groove; an auxiliary linear groove connected to a first side surface located on one side of the main linear groove in the up-down direction and having a second side surface located on the opposite side of the main linear groove and extending in the front-to-rear direction; and an auxiliary linear groove having an inclined surface extending from a front end of the second side surface toward the first side surface; and The insulated box has a portion that extends forward and inward.

2. The heat-insulating box according to claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the auxiliary linear groove is positioned outside a bottom surface of the main linear groove.

3. The heat-insulating box according to claim 1 , wherein a rear end of the bottom surface of the main linear groove extends rearward toward the center.

4. The heat-insulating box according to claim 3 , wherein a rear end of the bottom surface of the auxiliary linear groove extends rearward toward the center.

5. A refrigerator comprising the heat-insulating box according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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