Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator which can inhibit occurrence of a cavity at a forming heat insulation material side of a door surface material while inhibiting deformation occurring in the door surface material.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment includes: a refrigerator body 2 having a storage room therein; and a door 42 provided at the refrigerator body 2. The door 42 includes: a door surface material 50 forming a front surface at the refrigerator outer side; a door inner panel 100 provided behind the door surface material 50 and forming a heat insulation space S with the door surface material 50; a foaming heat insulation material 130 which is foamed and fills the heat insulation space S; and a separation member 120 which separates the door surface material 50 from the foaming heat insulation material 130. The separation member 120 is provided at one portion of a front surface formation part 51 forming a front surface of the door 42 in the door surface material 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] A refrigerator door is made up of a door panel that forms the front surface on the outside of the refrigerator, an inner door panel that forms the rear surface on the inside of the refrigerator, and end members that form both the top and bottom ends of the door, and the insulating space formed inside is filled with foam insulating material.

[0003] In such doors, the door surface material is pulled toward the insulated space due to the thermal contraction of the foam insulation material. Therefore, if the door surface material is made of a material that is easily deformed, such as a metal plate such as a steel plate, the thermal contraction of the foam insulation material may cause the door surface material to dent, damaging the aesthetic appearance of the refrigerator.

[0004] In response to this, a technology has been proposed to suppress deformation of the door panel material by providing a separation member between the door panel material and the foam insulation material, thereby making it difficult for the thermal contraction force of the foam insulation material to be transmitted to the door panel material (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-44834 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, according to Patent Document 1, the door panel and the foam insulation are separate, so when the foam insulation undergoes thermal contraction, a cavity is created between the door panel and the foam insulation, and even a slight external force may cause the door panel to deform.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a refrigerator that can suppress deformation of the door panel material while suppressing the occurrence of cavities on the foam insulation side of the door panel material, and thus suppress deformation of the door panel material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is a refrigerator comprising a refrigerator body having a storage compartment therein and a door provided on the refrigerator body, wherein the door comprises a door panel forming the front surface on the exterior side of the refrigerator, a door inner panel provided behind the door panel and forming an insulating space between the door panel and the door panel, a foamed insulating material foam-filled into the insulating space, and a separating member separating the door panel and the foamed insulating material, the separating member being provided in a part of the front surface forming portion of the door panel that forms the front surface of the door. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Vertical cross section of a refrigerator [Figure 2] Front view of a refrigerator [Figure 3] A perspective view of the door from above and diagonally in front [Figure 4] A perspective view of the door from above and behind [Figure 5] Door cross section [Figure 6] Enlarged view of the main part of Figure 5 [Figure 7] A perspective view of the door panel from above and behind [Figure 8] Front view of the upper end member [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view of the left end portion of the upper end member, seen obliquely from below and in front; [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view of the right end portion of the upper end member as seen obliquely from below and in front; [Figure 11] Rear view of the door front with the separator and vacuum insulation attached [Figure 12] Enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the door in the refrigerator of Modification Example 1 [Figure 13] Enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the door in the refrigerator of Modification Example 2 [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the door front panel to which the separating member and the vacuum insulation material are attached in the refrigerator of Modification Example 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (1) Configuration of refrigerator 10 1 and 2 show a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment. A housing 11 of the refrigerator 10 has an outer box 12 that forms the outer shell of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 13 that is combined with the outer box 12, and an insulating section 14 between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13. The insulating section 14 is filled with an insulating material. The insulating material is sandwiched between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13.

[0012] The inside of the housing 11 is divided into upper and lower sections by a heat insulating partition wall 21. The area above the heat insulating partition wall 21 is a refrigerated space. The refrigerated space is maintained at a refrigeration temperature that is suitable for refrigerated storage. The area below the heat insulating partition wall 21 is a freezer space. The freezer space is maintained at a freezing temperature that is suitable for frozen storage.

[0013] The refrigerator and freezer compartments are each provided with a plurality of compartments for storing food, each of which has an opening at the front through which a user can put food in and take it out.

[0014] The refrigerating space is provided with a refrigerator compartment 20 and a vegetable compartment 22 as storage compartments from top to bottom. A plurality of storage shelves 24 are provided within the refrigerator compartment 20. The area around the storage shelves 24 within the refrigerator compartment 20 is maintained within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at 2 to 5°C. A chilled compartment 26 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 20. The chilled compartment 26 is a location within the refrigerator compartment 20 that is maintained at an especially low temperature, for example, at 0 to 3°C.

[0015] The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 20 is opened and closed by a pair of left and right refrigerator compartment doors 40, 41. These refrigerator compartment doors 40, 41 are pivotable doors that are rotatably supported by hinges (not shown) provided on both the left and right sides of the refrigerator body 2. One of the refrigerator compartment doors, 40, is provided with an operation panel 15. The operation panel 15 is where the user operates the refrigerator 10 and also displays necessary information to the user. A plurality of storage pockets 29 are attached to the interior surface of the refrigerator compartment door 40.

[0016] The vegetable compartment 22 is maintained at a refrigeration temperature range, for example, at 4 to 7° C. A drawer-type storage container is housed in the vegetable compartment 22. The front opening of the vegetable compartment 22 is opened and closed by a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 42.

[0017] An ice-making compartment (not shown) is provided on the upper left side of the freezer space. A small freezer compartment 27 is provided on the upper right side of the freezer space (to the right of the ice-making compartment). A freezer compartment 28 is provided below the ice-making compartment and small freezer compartment 27. Drawer-type storage containers are housed in the ice-making compartment, small freezer compartment 27, and freezer compartment 28, respectively. During normal operation, the interiors of the ice-making compartment, small freezer compartment 27, and freezer compartment 28 are maintained within the freezing temperature range, for example, at -20 to -18°C.

[0018] The front opening of the ice making compartment is opened and closed by a drawer-type ice making compartment door 43. The front opening of small freezer compartment 27 is opened and closed by a drawer-type small freezer compartment door 44. The front opening of freezer compartment 28 is opened and closed by a drawer-type freezer compartment door 45.

[0019] A first cooling compartment 35 is provided behind the refrigerated space. The first cooling compartment 35 is a space formed between the inner box 13 of the housing 11 and the wall 19 that forms the rear surface of the storage compartment. This first cooling compartment 35 is provided with a first cooler 30 that generates cold air and a first fan 32 that serves as a blower device that circulates the generated cold air. The cold air generated by the first cooler 30 passes through a duct 31 that extends upward from the first cooler 30 and is blown out into the refrigerated space, circulating within the refrigerated space. The cold air that has circulated within the refrigerated space returns to the location of the first cooler 30.

[0020] In addition, a second cooler 33 that generates cold air and a second fan 34 that serves as a blower for circulating the generated cold air are provided behind the freezer space. The cold air generated by the second cooler 33 is blown out into the freezer space, circulates in the freezer space, and then returns to the location of the second cooler 33.

[0021] A machine room 36 is provided at the lower rear of the refrigerator 10. A compressor 37, a condenser (not shown), and the like are housed in the machine room 36. The compressor 37, the condenser, the first cooler 30, the second cooler 33, and the like constitute a well-known refrigeration cycle device. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 37 flows alternately through the first cooler 30 and the second cooler 33, whereby cold air is generated alternately in the first cooler 30 and the second cooler 33.

[0022] (2) Door structure Next, the structure of the doors in this embodiment will be described. Refrigerator doors 40 and 41, vegetable compartment door 42, ice maker door 43, small freezer compartment door 44, and freezer compartment door 45 are different in size and shape, but have the same structure. Therefore, vegetable compartment door 42 (hereinafter simply referred to as "door 42") will be used as an example for the description.

[0023] In the following description, left and right, front and rear, and top and bottom are expressions when viewing the refrigerator 10 from the front. The center side of the door 42 in the left and right direction is referred to as the "inner side in the width direction." The end sides of the door 42 in the left and right direction are referred to as the "outer side in the width direction." The center side of the door 42 in the up and down direction is referred to as the "inner side in the door up and down direction." The end sides of the door 42 in the up and down direction are referred to as the "outer side in the door up and down direction."

[0024] 3 to 5, the door 42 includes a front door panel 50, a rear door inner panel 100, and upper and lower end members 60, 75, and the door panel 50, the door inner panel 100, and the upper and lower end members 60, 75 form a heat insulating space S. A structural body 110, a separating member 120, and a foam insulating material 130 are provided within the heat insulating space S of the door 42.

[0025] (3) Door surface material 50 The door panel 50 is formed by bending a metal plate such as a steel plate, and forms the left and right side edges of the front, side and back of the door 42.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the door panel 50 includes a substantially rectangular front forming portion 51 that forms the front surface of the door 42, a first end surface portion 52 that protrudes rearward from a first end edge (e.g., right end edge) 50a that is one end edge of the front forming portion 51, a first rear surface portion 53 that protrudes widthwise inward from a rear end edge (hereinafter, this edge may be referred to as the first rear end edge) 50b of the first end surface portion 52, a second end surface portion 56 that protrudes rearward from a second end edge (e.g., left end edge) 50c that faces the first end edge 50a of the front forming portion 51, and a second rear surface portion 57 that extends widthwise inward from a rear end edge (hereinafter, this edge may be referred to as the second rear end edge) 50d of the second end surface portion 56.

[0027] The front surface forming portion 51 may be flat, or may be curved, such as a curved surface whose cross section in the width direction is curved so as to bulge forward at the center in the width direction.

[0028] The door panel material 50 also includes a first mounting surface 55 that protrudes inward in the width direction from each end of the first end surface portion 52 that connects the front surface forming portion 51 and the first rear surface portion 53 (for example, from both the upper and lower ends of the first end surface portion 52), a second mounting surface 58 that protrudes inward in the width direction from each end of the second end surface portion 56 that connects the front surface forming portion 51 and the second rear surface portion 57 (for example, from both the upper and lower ends of the second end surface portion 56), and a third mounting surface 54 that protrudes rearward from each end edge other than the first end edge 50a and the second end edge 50c of the front surface forming portion 51 (for example, from both the upper and lower ends of the front surface forming portion 51).

[0029] The basic structure is the same for the upper end and the lower end of the door panel material 50. In other words, the first mounting surface 55, the second mounting surface 58, and the third mounting surface 54, as well as the first rear surface portion 53 and the second rear surface portion 57, are common to the upper end and the lower end of the door panel material 50. Therefore, only the upper end of the door panel material 50 will be described here, and the corresponding components of the lower end will be designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described in detail.

[0030] (4) Door inner panel 100 The door inner panel 100 is a molded product made of synthetic resin. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the door inner panel 100 forms the interior surface of the door 42. The peripheral edge of the door inner panel 100 is provided with bulging portions 101 that bulge rearward along the top, bottom, left, and right edges.

[0031] Additionally, an attachment portion 102 is provided on the peripheral edge of the door inner panel 100 so as to surround the outside of the bulge portion 101. A sealing member (not shown) called a gasket is attached to the attachment portion 102. The sealing member is provided at a position facing the peripheral edge of the front opening of the vegetable compartment 22 in the front-to-rear direction, and the magnetic force of a magnet disposed inside the sealing member causes it to adhere closely to the peripheral edge of the opening of the refrigerator body 2, thereby closing the gap between the door 42 and the front opening of the vegetable compartment 22.

[0032] (5) End members 60, 75 The upper and lower end members 60, 75 are molded parts made of synthetic resin. The upper end member 60 is joined to the upper ends of the door surface material 50 and the inner door panel 100 to form the upper end surface of the door 42. The lower end member 75 is joined to the lower ends of the door surface material 50 and the inner door panel 100 to form the lower end surface of the door 42. The upper and lower end members 60, 75 differ in size and shape, and also differ in that the end member 75 does not have a structure equivalent to a recess 61a, which will be described later, but otherwise have the same structure, so the upper end member 60 will be described here as an example.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5, 8 to 10, the end member 60 includes an outer surface portion 61, a first protrusion 62, a second protrusion 63, a third protrusion 64, and a rear wall 65.

[0034] The outer surface portion 61 is a portion that constitutes the exterior side of the door 42, and is disposed on the outer side of the first mounting surface 55, the second mounting surface 58, and the third mounting surface 54 of the door panel 50 in the door vertical direction, and constitutes the upper surface side of the door 42. As shown in Figures 3 to 5 and 8 to 10, the outer surface portion 61 is formed with a recess 61a that is recessed downward and functions as a handle for the door 42.

[0035] The first protrusion 62 is a projection that protrudes outward in the width direction from a second internal wall 69 that rises from the left end of the outer surface portion 61 toward the center of the door in the vertical direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The first protrusion 62 is provided at a distance from the left end of the outer surface portion 61 toward the inside in the vertical direction of the door, and forms a first accommodation portion 66 that accommodates the first mounting surface 55 of the door face material 50 between the left end of the outer surface portion 61 and the first protrusion 62.

[0036] The second protrusion 63 is a ridge that protrudes to the right of the door to the same extent as the outer surface portion 61 and is provided continuously in the front-to-rear direction. The second protrusion 63 is provided at a distance from the right end of the outer surface portion 61 toward the inside in the door vertical direction, and forms a groove-shaped second accommodating portion 67 that extends in the front-to-rear direction between the second protrusion 63 and the right end of the outer surface portion 61. The second accommodating portion 67 accommodates the second mounting surface 58 of the door face material 50.

[0037] The third protrusion 64 is a ridge that protrudes forward of the door to the same extent as the outer surface portion 61 and is provided continuously in the left-right direction. The third protrusion 64 is provided at a distance from the front end of the outer surface portion 61 toward the inside in the door vertical direction, and forms a groove-shaped third accommodating portion 68 that extends in the left-right direction between the front end of the outer surface portion 61 and the third protrusion 64. The third mounting surface 54 of the door face material 50 is accommodated in the third accommodating portion 68.

[0038] The rear wall 65 is a flat projection that projects inward in the door vertical direction and extends left and right from the rear end of the outer surface portion 61. The rear wall 65 comes into contact with the surface of the inner door panel 100 on the door inner side.

[0039] In such an end member 60, the door panel 50 is attached by inserting the first mounting surface 55 of the door panel 50 into the first storage section 66, the second mounting surface 58 into the second storage section 67, and the third mounting surface 54 into the third storage section 68.

[0040] (6) Structure 110 The structure 110 is a member formed into a predetermined shape before being placed in the insulation space S, and is provided on the insulation space S side of the front surface forming portion 51 of the door panel 50. The structure 110 is preferably a flat plate-like member, and is preferably a member of a size that includes the central portion in the vertical and horizontal directions of the door on which the structure 110 is provided and occupies more than half of the area of ​​the front surface of the door. For example, a vacuum insulation material or an insulation material formed into a flat plate such as polystyrene foam or cardboard can be suitably used as the structure 110.

[0041] The structure 110 includes a fixed region 110a adhesively fixed to the front surface forming portion 51, and a separation region 110b adhesively fixed to the separation member 120 and separated from the front surface forming portion 51.

[0042] For example, the vertical center and lower part of the structure 110 are provided overlapping the front surface forming part 51 on the side of the heat insulating space S, and form a fixed region 110a that is directly fixed to the front surface forming part 51 by an adhesive such as an adhesive or double-sided tape. The adhesive region may be provided over the entire fixed region 110a or may be provided over only a part of the fixed region 110a.

[0043] Furthermore, the upper end of the structure 110 is provided overlapping the insulating space S side of the separation member 120, and is fixed to the separation member 120 with double-sided tape or adhesive. As will be described later, the separation member 120 is provided on the insulating space S side of the front surface forming part 51 in a state in which its position relative to the front surface forming part 51 can be changed, and therefore the upper end of the structure 110 fixed to the separation member 120 forms a separation region 110b that is separated from the front surface forming part 51.

[0044] (7) Separation member 120 The separating member 120 is a flat member made of metal or resin and is provided on a part of the front surface forming portion 51 of the door panel 50. The separating member 120 is not directly adhered to the front surface forming portion 51 with an adhesive or the like, but is provided along the insulating space S side of the front surface forming portion 51 in a state in which its position relative to the front surface forming portion 51 is changeable.

[0045] The thickness of the separating member 120 can be set as desired, but if the separating member 120 is formed from the same steel plate as the door surface material 50, the thickness of the separating member 120 may be thinner than the thickness of the door surface material 50. The thickness of the steel plate that makes up the door surface material 50 is 0.35 mm to 0.55 mm, while the thickness of the separating member 120 can be set to 0.25 mm to 0.45 mm.

[0046] The separating member 120 may be of any size and provided at any position as long as it is provided along a part of the front surface forming portion 51 .

[0047] 5 and 6, it is preferable that at least a portion of the separating member 120 overlaps with a portion of the bulging portion 101 provided on the peripheral edge of the inner door panel 100 when viewed from the front. It is also more preferable that at least a portion of the separating member 120 overlaps with the bulging portion 101a on the upper surface side of the door 42 that has the recess 61a, i.e., the bulging portion 101a provided along the upper edge of the inner door panel 100.

[0048] As illustrated in Figure 10, the separation member 120 is preferably arranged to cover more than half of the area of ​​the front forming portion 51 of the door panel 50 in either the left-right direction or the up-down direction, more preferably more than 80%, and is preferably arranged to cover less than half of the area of ​​the front forming portion 51 in the other of the left-right direction and the up-down direction.

[0049] More preferably, the separation member 120 is arranged to cover more than half of the area of ​​the front surface forming portion 51 in the long side direction of the front surface forming portion 51 in the left-right and up-down directions, more preferably more than 80%, and is arranged to cover less than half of the area of ​​the front surface forming portion 51 in the short side direction.

[0050] In this embodiment, the separation member 120 is provided so as to cover more than half of the area of ​​the front surface forming portion 51 in the left-right direction, and so as to cover less than half of the area of ​​the front surface forming portion 51 in the up-down direction.

[0051] 10, the separating member 120 is preferably provided on at least a part of the boundary between the front surface forming portion 51 of the door panel 50 and the structure 110. In other words, the separating member 120 is preferably provided on at least a part of the periphery of the structure 110. In this embodiment, the separating member 120 is provided between the front surface forming portion 51 and the structure 110 so as to overlap with the upper edge of the structure 110 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0052] (8) Foam insulation 130 The foamed insulating material 130 is an insulating material such as urethane foam that is filled into the insulating space S by foaming a foaming liquid injected into the insulating space S and expanding by foaming.

[0053] Specifically, the foam insulation material 130 is filled in areas in the insulation space S where the structure 110 and the separating member 120 are not present, such as around the recess 61a provided in the upper end member 60, inside the bulge portion 101, and behind the structure 110 and the separating member 120, by placing the structure 110 and the separating member 120 on the insulation space S side of the front forming portion 51 and then injecting a foaming liquid into the insulation space S.

[0054] (9) Manufacturing method of door 42 Next, a method for manufacturing the door 42 will be described.

[0055] First, the worker places the separating member 120 at a position that overlaps with the bulging portion 101a provided along the upper edge of the inner door panel 100 when the completed door 42 is viewed from the front.

[0056] Then, an adhesive portion such as an adhesive or double-sided tape is provided on the structure 110, and the structure 110 is attached so as to straddle the separation member 120 and the front surface forming portion 51.

[0057] In other words, the structure 110 is positioned so that the upper end of the structure 110 overlaps the lower end of the separation member 120, and the vertical center and lower part of the structure 110 overlap the insulating space S side of the front forming part 51, and the structure 110 is fixed to the separating member 120 and the insulating space S side of the front forming part 51.

[0058] In this state, the vertical center and bottom of the structure 110 are directly fixed to the front surface forming part 51 by adhesive parts, but the separation member 120 is not directly fixed to the front surface forming part 51. Therefore, the upper end of the structure 110, which is provided on top of the separation member 120, is movable relative to the front surface forming part 51.

[0059] Next, the upper end member 60 and the lower end member 75 are attached to the door panel 50. This completes the assembled door 42, and the door panel 50 and the end members 60 and 75 form a space with an open back surface.

[0060] After the door 42 is assembled in this manner, an operator injects a fluid foaming resin concentrate such as urethane foam through the opening on the back into the interior space of the door 42. The foaming resin concentrate expands as it foams and flows through the interior space of the door 42, and after filling the interior space of the door 42, it solidifies, completing the door 42.

[0061] The worker manufactures the other doors using the same process as that for vegetable compartment door 42. Then, the worker attaches each completed door and various devices to housing 11 to complete refrigerator 10.

[0062] (10) Effects In this embodiment, the separation member 120, which is not fixed to the front forming portion 51, is provided on the insulating space S side of the front forming portion 51, so even if thermal shrinkage occurs in the foam insulating material 130 filled in the insulating space S, the front forming portion 51 is less likely to be pulled toward the insulating space S, and deformation of the front forming portion 51 can be suppressed.

[0063] Moreover, because the separating member 120 is provided on a portion of the front surface forming portion 51, even if the separating member 120 is pulled rearward due to thermal contraction of the foam insulating material 130, it is unlikely that a cavity will form over a wide area between the separating member 120 and the front surface forming portion 51. Therefore, the front surface forming portion 51 is unlikely to deform even when subjected to an external force.

[0064] In this embodiment, when the structure 110 is provided with a fixed region 110a fixed to the front forming portion 51, even if the structure 110 is pulled toward the insulating space S due to thermal contraction of the foam insulating material 130, it is less likely that a large cavity will occur between the structure 110 and the front forming portion 51.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when at least a portion of the separating member 120 is arranged so as to overlap a portion of the bulge portion 101 provided on the peripheral portion of the door inner panel 100 when viewed from the front, the thermal contraction force of the foamed insulation material 130 is less likely to be transmitted to the front forming portion 51 in the vicinity of the bulge portion 101 where the foamed insulation material 130 is thick and the amount of thermal contraction is likely to be large, and deformation of the front forming portion 51 can be effectively suppressed.

[0066] In particular, in areas where the thickness of the foam insulation material changes significantly due to the recess 61a provided in the door 42, the thermal contraction force of the foam insulation material 130 is likely to change significantly, but by providing a separation member 120 so that it overlaps with the bulge portion 101a on the side having the recess 61a, deformation of the front forming portion 51 can be effectively suppressed.

[0067] (11) Variation Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

[0068] Any one of the multiple modified examples described below may be applied to the above embodiment, or any two or more of the modified examples described below may be applied in combination. In addition to the modified examples described below, various other modifications are possible.

[0069] (12) Change Example 1 12, a metal thin film 80 may be provided on the insulating space S side of a recess 61a provided in the outer surface 61 of the door 42. The metal thin film 80 is made of, for example, a metal foil tape with an adhesive portion provided on one side of a metal thin film made of aluminum or the like. The metal thin film 80 extends from the recess 61a toward the inside in the vertical direction of the door and covers an end 120a of the separating member 120.

[0070] In this modified example, when the structure 110 is made of vacuum insulation material, it is possible to prevent the separation member 120 from damaging the structure 110, and it is also possible to transfer heat from the front forming portion 51 that comes into contact with the air outside the cabinet to the recess 61a, thereby suppressing condensation in the recess 61a.

[0071] (13) Change Example 2 As shown in Fig. 13, a space-forming member 150 may be provided between the front surface forming portion 51 of the door panel 50 and the structure 110. The space-forming member 150 is made of a material with appropriate flexibility, such as soft polyurethane foam, rubber sponge, polyethylene foam, or acrylic foam, and is fixed to the structure 110 with adhesive, double-sided tape, or the like. The space-forming member 150 positions the structure 110 partially separated from the front surface forming portion 51, and forms a space between the structure 110 and the front surface forming portion 51 into which the foam insulating material 130 is filled.

[0072] The space forming member 150 can have any shape and size, but is preferably thicker than the separating member 120 and thinner than the structure 110. For example, the thickness of the separating member 120 can be 0.25 mm to 0.45 mm, the thickness of the structure 110 can be 5 mm to 30 mm, and the thickness of the space forming member 150 can be 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0073] 13 and 14, the space forming member 150 is preferably provided so that it overlaps the heat insulating space S side of the separating member 120. It is more preferable to arrange the space forming member 150 so that a portion of the space forming member 150 overlaps the separating member 120 and another portion overlaps the front surface forming part 51.

[0074] When the space forming member 150 is placed on top of the insulating space S side of the separating member 120, it is preferable to use adhesive or double-sided tape on the space forming member 150 at the location facing the separating member 120 to fix the space forming member 150 to the separating member 120.

[0075] When the space forming member 150 is provided overlapping both the separation member 120 and the front forming portion 51 so as to straddle the separation member 120 and the front forming portion 51, it is preferable to provide adhesive or double-sided tape at the locations of the space forming member 150 facing the separation member 120 and the front forming portion 51, and fix the space forming member 150 to the separation member 120 and the front forming portion 51.

[0076] In this modified example, the foam insulation material 130 is provided between the structure 110 and the front forming portion 51 by the space forming member 150, so that even if thermal shrinkage occurs in the foam insulation material 130, a large cavity is less likely to form between the structure 110 and the front forming portion 51, and therefore the front forming portion 51 is less likely to deform even when subjected to external force.

[0077] In this modified example, when the space forming member 150 is arranged so as to overlap the insulating space S side of the separating member 120, the foam insulating material 130 can be filled between the structure 110 and the front forming portion 51 in areas where thermal shrinkage of the foam insulating material 130 is likely to occur, thereby effectively suppressing the occurrence of cavities.

[0078] In this modified example, by fixing the space forming member 150 to the separating member 120, the separating member 120 can be held by the structure 110 via the space forming member 150, thereby improving the ease of assembly of the door 42.

[0079] In addition, in this modified example, by fixing the space forming member 150 to the front forming portion 51, the structure 110 does not move excessively away from the front forming portion 51 when filling with the foam insulation material 130, and the amount of foam insulation material that penetrates between the structure 110 and the front forming portion 51 can be appropriately controlled. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1...refrigerator, 2...refrigerator body, 10...refrigerator, 11...casing, 12...outer box, 13...inner box, 20...refrigerator compartment, 22...vegetable compartment, 27...small freezer compartment, 28...freezer compartment, 40...refrigerator compartment door, 41...refrigerator compartment door, 42...vegetable compartment door, 43...ice maker compartment door, 44...small freezer compartment door, 45...freezer compartment door, 50...door surface material, 51...front surface forming portion, 60...edge member, 75...edge member, 80...metal thin film body, 100...door inner panel, 101...bulge portion, 101a...bulge portion, 102...mounting portion, 110...structure, 110a...fixing region, 110b...separation region, 120...separation member, 130...foam insulation material, 150...space forming member, S...insulation space

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising a refrigerator body having a storage compartment therein and a door provided on the refrigerator body, The door includes a door surface material that forms a front surface on the outside of the cabinet, a door inner plate that is provided behind the door surface material and forms an insulating space between the door surface material and the door inner plate, a foam insulating material that is foam-filled in the insulating space, and a separating member that separates the door surface material and the foam insulating material. A refrigerator, wherein the separating member is provided in a part of a front surface forming portion of the door panel that forms the front surface of the door.

2. A structure is provided on the insulating space side of the door panel, The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the structure includes a separation region fixed to the separation member and separated from the door surface material, and a fixed region fixed to the door surface material.

3. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the inner door panel has a bulging portion bulging rearward, and the separating member is provided in front of the bulging portion.

4. A recess recessed into the heat insulating space is provided on at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the door, The refrigerator according to claim 3 , wherein the separating member is provided in front of the bulging portion provided on the surface portion of the upper surface portion or the lower surface portion that has the recess.

5. a recess recessed into the heat-insulating space on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the door, and a metal foil film attached to the heat-insulating space side of the recess, The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the metal foil film covers an end of the separating member.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a structure provided on the insulating space side of the door surface material; and a space forming member provided between the door surface material and the structure to form a space into which the foam insulating material is filled on the door surface material side of the structure.

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