Refrigerator

Abstract

To solve the problem that manufacturing costs of a heat insulation member mount up in a conventional refrigerator, and it is difficult to satisfy both of energy saving and manufacturing cost reduction of the refrigerator.SOLUTION: In a refrigerator 10 of the present invention, a vacuum heat insulation material 18C is susceptible to bending process along a shape of an inner box 17 of a freezer compartment 13 by using a first recess 31. A width W1 of the first recess 31 becomes wider than a width W4 of a corner part 35 of the inner box 17. As a result, because the vacuum heat insulation material 18C is disposed in contact with the inner box 17, a cover ratio by the vacuum heat insulation material 18C with respect to the freezer compartment 13 is enhanced to achieve energy saving of the refrigerator 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator that improves the bending workability of vacuum insulation materials during assembly of the refrigerator, increases the coverage rate of the vacuum insulation materials, and achieves energy savings of the refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional refrigerator. The refrigerator includes an insulated box used as a storage compartment and an insulated door that closes the front opening of the insulated box. The insulated box includes an outer box made of steel plate, an inner box made of synthetic resin, and an insulating material formed in the insulating space between the outer box and the inner box. The insulating material may be a metal insulating material or a foam insulating material.

[0003] The storage space of the insulated box is formed from the top to the bottom into a refrigerator compartment, ice maker compartment, upper freezer compartment, lower freezer compartment, and vegetable compartment. Electrical components that control the operation of the refrigerator are arranged above the top panel of the insulated box. A machine room that houses a compressor and other devices is formed behind the vegetable compartment in the depth direction of the insulated box. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-47155 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The insulating material is disposed, for example, in the insulating space between the vegetable compartment and the machine compartment. The metal insulating material is bent to conform to the shape of the inner box that defines the vegetable compartment and disposed in contact with the inner box. Meanwhile, the foam insulating material is filled into the insulating space so as to cover the metal insulating material.

[0006] Here, the metal insulation material includes a pair of steel plates, end pieces disposed along the outer peripheral edges of the steel plates, and a sealing material. The pair of steel plates are fixed by the end pieces so as to maintain a constant space between them. The sealing material seals the boundary between the end pieces and the steel plates, thereby maintaining the internal space in a reduced pressure state.

[0007] In conventional refrigerators, metal insulation is arranged along the bottom surface of the vegetable compartment, which provides good insulation between the vegetable compartment and the outside and reduces the energy required for cooling operation of the refrigerator. However, the metal insulation needs to be processed into a sheet metal according to the shape of the inner box of the vegetable compartment and assembled in the above-mentioned reduced pressure state, which makes it difficult to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0008] Furthermore, when the inner box has a complex shape, such as the vegetable compartment of the insulated box body located in front of the machine compartment, the metal insulation material also has a complex shape. The metal insulation material is pre-processed into a desired shape. When transporting the refrigerator to an assembly factory, multiple sheets of metal insulation material are stacked and packed. However, this increases the volume and weight during transportation, which creates the problem of increased transportation costs.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a refrigerator that improves the bending processability of vacuum insulation materials during assembly of the refrigerator, increases the coverage rate of the vacuum insulation materials, and achieves energy savings in the refrigerator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A first aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention includes an insulated box, a machine compartment, a first storage compartment formed in the insulated box and located depthwise forward of the machine compartment, and multiple vacuum insulation materials disposed in an insulated space between an inner box and an outer box of the insulated box. The inner box defining the first storage compartment has first and second side surfaces with which the first vacuum insulation material is disposed and a corner formed between the first and second side surfaces. The first vacuum insulation material disposed in the insulated space between the machine compartment and the first storage compartment has a first recess formed in the corner formation area on the surface side of the first vacuum insulation material, the first recess being wider than the corner when viewed from the side of the insulated box. This structure allows the vacuum insulation material to be easily folded using the first recess to conform to the shape of the inner box of the first storage compartment. The width of the first recess is wider than the width of the corner of the inner box. As a result, the vacuum insulation material is disposed in contact with the inner box, thereby increasing the coverage rate of the first storage compartment with the vacuum insulation material, thereby realizing energy saving in the refrigerator.

[0011] In addition, a second aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in that a second recess is formed on the back side of the first vacuum insulation material along the formation area of ​​the first recess. With this structure, the second recess is formed along the formation area of ​​the first recess on the back side of the vacuum insulation material, making it easier for the vacuum insulation material to maintain its flat shape after vacuum forming. As a result, the vacuum insulation material is prevented from becoming bulky during transportation, and transportation costs are reduced.

[0012] In a third aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the first vacuum insulation material is attached to the inner box with an adhesive member, and the adhesive member seals the gap between the first vacuum insulation material and the inner box around the entire outer periphery of the first vacuum insulation material. This structure prevents foam insulation material from entering and forming between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box, stabilizing product quality. As a result, the vacuum insulation material is arranged in contact with the inner box, increasing the coverage rate.

[0013] In addition, a fourth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention includes a second storage compartment formed on the top surface side of the insulated box body and a second vacuum insulation material disposed in the insulated space above the second storage compartment, wherein a third recess is formed on the back surface side of the second vacuum insulation material, the second vacuum insulation material is folded using the third recess, and the second vacuum insulation material is disposed in contact with the inner box above the second storage compartment. With this structure, in the second storage compartment as well, the vacuum insulation material is disposed in contact with the inner box, as in the first storage compartment, and the coverage rate is increased, thereby realizing energy savings in the refrigerator.

[0014] In a fifth aspect of the refrigerator of the present invention, the third recess is formed on the back side of the first vacuum insulation material, the first recess is formed on the front side of the second vacuum insulation material, and the second recess is formed on the back side of the second vacuum insulation material, and the first vacuum insulation material and the second vacuum insulation material have the same shape. This structure makes it possible to use the same first vacuum insulation material and the second vacuum insulation material, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] In the refrigerator of the present invention, the bending workability of the vacuum insulation material during assembly of the refrigerator is improved, the coverage rate of the vacuum insulation material is increased, and energy saving of the refrigerator is realized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a vacuum insulation material to be assembled into a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a vacuum insulator assembled in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a vacuum insulation material to be assembled into a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The refrigerator 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the up-down direction refers to the height direction of the refrigerator 10, the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the refrigerator 10 as viewed from the front, and the front-rear direction refers to the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. In addition, when describing this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as a general rule, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the external structure of a refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, as seen from the front side. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 3A is a perspective view illustrating a vacuum insulator installed in the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a vacuum insulator installed in the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment, taken along line AA in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4A is a perspective view illustrating an inner box 17 that defines the freezer compartment 13 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 4B is a perspective view illustrating a vacuum insulator 18C attached to the inner box 17 that defines the freezer compartment 13 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the insulation structure between the freezer compartment 13 and the machine compartment 22 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the vacuum insulator 18C attached to the inner box 17 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the insulation structure on the top side of the refrigerating compartment 12 of the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, refrigerator 10 includes an insulated box 11 and a storage compartment formed inside insulated box 11. From the upper side of insulated box 11, refrigerator compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13 are formed as the storage compartments. For ease of explanation, FIG. 1 shows the numbers of each storage compartment. Furthermore, the first storage compartment of the present invention corresponds to freezer compartment 13 of this embodiment, and the second storage compartment of the present invention corresponds to refrigerator compartment 12 of this embodiment. However, the design of the storage compartments can be changed as desired, and the present invention is not limited to the above correspondence.

[0020] The refrigeration compartment 12 is formed in the internal space on the top surface 11A (see FIG. 2) side of the insulated box body 11. The front opening 12A (see FIG. 2) of the refrigeration compartment 12 is closed by a first insulated door 14 which can be opened and closed freely. The first insulated door 14 is a single-wing revolving door, and the upper and lower ends on the left side of the page are rotatably supported by the insulated box body 11 via a hinge mechanism 52 (see FIG. 7).

[0021] Freezer compartment 13 is formed in the internal space on the bottom surface 11B (see FIG. 2) side of insulated box body 11. Front opening 13A (see FIG. 2) of freezer compartment 13 is closed by second insulated door 15, which can be opened and closed freely. Second insulated door 15 is a single-wing revolving door, and the upper and lower ends on the left side of the drawing are rotatably supported by insulated box body 11 via hinge mechanisms (not shown).

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the insulated box body 11 mainly includes an outer box 16 made of steel plate that forms the outer shape of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 17 made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 16, and a heat insulating material 18 arranged in an insulated space 19 between the outer box 16 and the inner box 17.

[0023] Foam insulation material 18A and vacuum insulation materials 18B and 18C are used as insulation material 18. For example, urethane foam is used as foam insulation material 18A. And, for example, vacuum insulation materials 18B and 18C are used, which are made by storing an aggregate of fibers such as glass in a bag and creating a vacuum inside the bag.

[0024] A cooling chamber 20 is defined behind the freezing chamber 13. A cooler 21 is disposed in the cooling chamber 20. A machine chamber 22 is defined behind the bottom of the insulated box 11, and a compressor 23 and other devices are disposed in the machine chamber 22. The cooler 21 and the compressor 23 are connected to an expansion means and a condenser (not shown) via refrigerant piping to form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. The components of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle are connected to each other via refrigerant piping (not shown).

[0025] By operating the refrigeration cycle, the air inside the cooling compartment 20 is cooled by the cooler 21. A blower 24 is disposed above the cooler 21 in the cooling compartment 20. The blower 24 is, for example, an axial flow blower or a centrifugal blower, and blows the cold air inside the cooling compartment 20 toward the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13. Then, the cold air is blown to each storage compartment through various air ducts 25, so that the refrigerator compartment 12 is in the refrigerator temperature range and the freezer compartment 13 is in the freezer temperature range.

[0026] A defrost heater 26 is disposed below the cooler 21 in the cooling chamber 20. As the refrigeration cycle operates, thick frost forms on the surface of the cooler 21. When this occurs, the control unit 53 (see FIG. 7) performs a defrosting operation by stopping the compressor 23 and energizing the defrost heater 26 to heat it, thereby melting and removing the frost. Note that an electric resistance heater, a sheath heater, a hot gas defroster, or the like may be used as the defrost heater 26.

[0027] FIG. 3A shows a vacuum insulation material 18C disposed on the bottom side of the freezer compartment 13 and the top side of the refrigerator compartment 12. As shown in the figure, the vacuum insulation material 18C has a shape after vacuum forming, and is handled as a flat plate during transportation. A first recess 31 is formed on the surface side of the vacuum insulation material 18C. The first recess 31 is formed with a constant width W1 across the width direction of the insulated box body 11 (left-right direction on the page). The first vacuum insulation material and second vacuum insulation material of the present invention correspond to the vacuum insulation material 18C of this embodiment. However, the design of the vacuum insulation material 18C can be changed as desired, and the present invention is not limited to the above correspondence.

[0028] A second recess 32 is formed on the back surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 18C. The second recess 32 is formed with a constant width W2 across the width direction of the heat insulating box 11. The second recess 32 is formed approximately parallel to the first recess 31. The width W2 of the second recess 32 is formed to be narrower than, for example, the width W1 of the first recess 31. A third recess 33 is formed on the back surface of the vacuum heat insulating material 18C. The third recess 33 is formed approximately parallel to the second recess 32 and with a constant width W3 across the width direction of the heat insulating box 11.

[0029] 3B, the vacuum insulation material 18C has a core material 34 formed from an aggregate of fibers such as glass, and an outer packaging material 35 that encases the core material 34. To improve the workability of folding the vacuum insulation material 18C by workers, a first recess 31 is formed on the surface side of the vacuum insulation material 18C by increasing the thickness of the core material 34. The first recess 31 is formed to align with the position of a corner portion 45 of the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13.

[0030] Meanwhile, as shown in the figure, the second recess 32 is formed on the back side of the vacuum insulation material 18C, approximately parallel to the first recess 31. The outer packaging material 35 is made of, for example, PE or PET, and after vacuum molding of the vacuum insulation material 18C, it shrinks a certain amount and becomes in close contact with the core material 34. At this time, if the areas of the outer packaging material 35 differ on the front and back sides of the vacuum insulation material 18C, a greater compressive force is applied to the side with the smaller area, which may cause the core material 34 to warp and bend.

[0031] Therefore, in this embodiment, a second recess 32 is formed on the back side of the vacuum insulation material 18C, making the areas of the outer packaging material 35 on the front and back sides of the vacuum insulation material 18C as equal as possible. This structure makes it difficult for the core material 34 to warp after vacuum molding of the vacuum insulation material 18C, making it easier for the vacuum insulation material 18C to maintain its approximately flat shape. As a result, when transporting the vacuum insulation material 18C, multiple vacuum insulation materials 18C are stacked and packaged, but this prevents the volume during transport from increasing and prevents an increase in transportation costs.

[0032] Like vacuum insulation material 18C, vacuum insulation material 18B also has a core material 34 and an outer packaging material 35. Although not shown, vacuum insulation materials of the same size as vacuum insulation material 18B are also arranged on the left and right side surfaces in the width direction of insulated box body 11, and these vacuum insulation materials also have a core material 34 and an outer packaging material 35.

[0033] 4A shows the rear side of the insulated box 11, as viewed from the bottom surface 11B side of the inner box 17 of the insulated box 11. As shown in the figure, the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13 mainly has a first side surface 41 that forms the bottom surface of the freezer compartment 13, a second side surface 42 that forms the back surface of the freezer compartment 13, and a third side surface 43 and a fourth side surface 44 that form the left and right side surfaces in the width direction of the freezer compartment 13.

[0034] As described above, by arranging machine compartment 22 on the rear side in the depth direction of insulated box 11 relative to freezer compartment 13, second side surface 42 of inner box 17 has side surface 42A that rises in the height direction of insulated box 11 and side surface 42B that bends from the upper end of side surface 42A diagonally rearward in the depth direction of insulated box 11. In other words, second side surface 42 of inner box 17 has a bent shape in consideration of the space for machine compartment 22 in order to improve the volume ratio of freezer compartment 13.

[0035] Furthermore, in the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13, a corner portion 45 is formed between the first side surface 41 and the second side surface 42 across the width direction of the insulated box body 11. The corner portion 45 is formed to have a constant width W4 (see FIG. 5) when viewed from the side in the width direction of the insulated box body 11 (left-right direction on the paper).

[0036] When assembling refrigerator 10, a worker bends vacuum insulation material 18C from a flat plate shape to fit the shape of inner box 17, and attaches it to inner box 17. By increasing the contact area between vacuum insulation material 18C and inner box 17, or by minimizing the gap between vacuum insulation material 18C and inner box 17, the coverage rate of inner box 17 with vacuum insulation material 18C increases, and the insulating properties of freezer compartment 13 are improved.

[0037] Although not shown, the vacuum insulation material having the same length as the vacuum insulation material 18B is disposed on the left and right side surfaces in the width direction of the insulated box body 11. The third and fourth side surfaces 43, 44 of the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13 are in contact with the vacuum insulation material, thereby increasing the coverage rate of the inner box 17.

[0038] Therefore, in inner box 17 of freezer compartment 13, corner portion 45 is formed between first side surface 41 and second side surface 42, so that the boundary region between first side surface 41 and second side surface 42 has a shape that is gentler than a right angle. Then, as shown in Fig. 5, vacuum insulation material 18C can easily maintain contact with inner box 17 even at corner portion 45 of inner box 17.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4B, the worker bends the vacuum insulation material 18C to fit the shape of the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13, specifically, to fit the shapes of the first side 41, corner portion 45 and second side 42 of the inner box 17.

[0040] As shown in the figure, the vacuum insulation material 18C is bent forward in the depth direction using the first recess 31 to correspond to the corner portion 45 of the inner box 17. As described above, the width W1 of the first recess 31 is wider than the width W2 of the second recess 32, and the second recess 32 is formed inside the first recess 31, which makes it easier to bend the vacuum insulation material 18C to match the corner portion 45 of the inner box 17. In addition, the vacuum insulation material 18C is bent backward in the depth direction using the third recess 33 to correspond to the side surface 42B of the second side surface 42 of the inner box 17.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 5, the vacuum insulation material 18C is folded and then attached in contact with the first side surface 41, corner portions 45, and second side surface 42 of the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13. For ease of explanation, the adhesive member 46 (see Fig. 6) is omitted from the cross section shown in Fig. 5.

[0042] As shown in the figure, the width W1 of the first recess 31 of the vacuum insulation material 18C is formed wider than the width W4 of the corner portion 45 of the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13. With this structure, the bent portion of the vacuum insulation material 18C, indicated by the circle 47, is located outside the end of the corner portion 45. The vacuum insulation material 18C is arranged in a state where it can also come into contact with the corner portion 45 of the inner box 17.

[0043] As a result, in the process of forming the foam insulation material 18A after the process of attaching the vacuum insulation material 18C, the first recess 31 of the vacuum insulation material 18C is pressed toward the corner portion 45 by the foam insulation material 18A that has expanded in the insulation space 19. The vacuum insulation material 18C then comes into contact with the inner box 17 at the corner portion 45. Note that, although it depends on the ease with which the worker can bend the vacuum insulation material 18C, the contact area can be increased by making the depth of the first recess 31 shallower.

[0044] Additionally, the third recess 33 of the vacuum insulation material 18C is formed to match the position of the side surface 42B of the second side surface 42 of the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13. With this structure, the vacuum insulation material 18C is bent and arranged so that it can also come into contact with the second side surface 42 of the inner box 17. The vacuum insulation material 18C is also pressed against the first and second side surfaces 41, 42 of the inner box 17 from the back side of the vacuum insulation material 18C by the foam insulation material 18A, so that it comes into contact with them.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6, an operator uses an adhesive member 46 such as PE tape to attach the vacuum insulation material 18C to a desired position on the inner box 17 of the freezer compartment 13. The operator attaches the adhesive member 46 around at least the entire periphery of the outer peripheral edge 36 (see Figure 4B) of the vacuum insulation material 18C. In other words, the adhesive member 46 is attached to the inner box 17 and the vacuum insulation material 18C so as to close the gap between the outer peripheral edge 36 of the vacuum insulation material 18C and the inner box 17. Note that dotted line 48 indicates the position of the outer peripheral edge 36 of the vacuum insulation material 18C, and the hatched area indicates the area where the adhesive member 46 is attached.

[0046] Here, in the subsequent process of forming the foam insulation material 18A, liquid foaming material (not shown) is injected into the insulation space 19, and the liquid foaming material flows while foaming, thereby forming the foam insulation material 18A in the insulation space 19.

[0047] As shown by dotted line 48, the entire outer peripheral edge 36 of vacuum insulation material 18C is covered with adhesive member 46. In other words, the gap between outer peripheral edge 36 of vacuum insulation material 18C and inner box 17 is sealed with adhesive member 46, thereby preventing foam insulation material 18A from penetrating and forming between vacuum insulation material 18C and inner box 17, thereby stabilizing product quality.

[0048] Furthermore, adhesive member 46 is attached while pressing vacuum insulation material 18C against inner box 17. Foam insulation material 18A is formed by foaming so as to press vacuum insulation material 18C against inner box 17, thereby increasing the contact area between vacuum insulation material 18C and inner box 17. Even in areas where vacuum insulation material 18C and inner box 17 do not contact each other, vacuum insulation material 18C is pressed toward inner box 17 by foam insulation material 18A, and is thereby disposed near inner box 17.

[0049] 7, vacuum insulation material 18C is also arranged in insulating space 19 on the top surface side of inner box 17 that defines refrigeration compartment 12. Side surface 51 on the top surface side of inner box 17 is substantially flat and gently slopes toward the back of refrigeration compartment 12. A hinge mechanism 52 and a control unit 53 that controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle of refrigerator 10, the lighting of the interior light, etc. are arranged on the top surface 11A side of insulated box body 11.

[0050] For ease of explanation, the above-mentioned adhesive member 46 (see FIG. 6) and foam insulation material 18A are omitted from the cross section shown in Figure 7. Also on the refrigerator compartment 12 side, the gap between the outer peripheral end 36 of the vacuum insulation material 18C and the inner box 17 is blocked by the adhesive member 46, thereby preventing foam insulation material 18A from being formed between the vacuum insulation material 18C and the inner box 17.

[0051] As shown in the figure, the third recess 33 of the vacuum insulation material 18C is disposed on the top surface side of the refrigerator compartment 12 so that it is positioned forward in the depth direction. The vacuum insulation material 18C is slightly bent using the third recess 33 to follow the inclined shape of the side surface 51 of the inner box 17. Then, a worker attaches the vacuum insulation material 18C to the inner box 17 so that the vacuum insulation material 18C contacts the side surface 51 of the inner box 17. At this time, only the first recess 31 is formed on the surface side of the vacuum insulation material 18C, and the contact area between the vacuum insulation material 18C and the inner box 17 is increased.

[0052] Also, on the refrigerator compartment 12 side, as on the freezer compartment 13 side, the vacuum insulation material 18C is pressed from its back side by the foam insulation material 18A, thereby increasing the contact area between the vacuum insulation material 18C and the inner box 17. Also, even in the non-contact area between the vacuum insulation material 18C and the inner box 17, the vacuum insulation material 18C is pressed from its back side by the foam insulation material 18A, so that the vacuum insulation material 18C is disposed near the inner box 17.

[0053] This structure increases the coverage of the inner box 17 with the vacuum insulation material 18C, improving the heat insulating properties of the refrigerator compartment 12. In addition, as described above, the left and right side surfaces in the width direction of the inner box 17 of the refrigerator compartment 12 are also in contact with the vacuum insulation material, increasing the coverage of the inner box 17.

[0054] Furthermore, by using the vacuum heat insulating material 18C both on the bottom side of the freezer compartment 13 and on the top side of the refrigerator compartment 12, the purchasing cost of the vacuum heat insulating material 18C is reduced, and the manufacturing cost is also reduced.

[0055] In this embodiment, the case where the machine room 22 is disposed at the rear of the bottom of the insulated box 11 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the machine room 22 may be disposed at the rear of the top of the insulated box 11. Even in this case, the vacuum insulation material 18C is bent and disposed in accordance with the shape of the storage chamber formed in front of the machine room 22 of the insulated box 11, thereby increasing the coverage rate of the vacuum insulation material 18C and achieving the above-mentioned effects.

[0056] Furthermore, although the case where the foam insulation material 18C is used both on the bottom side of the freezer compartment 13 and on the top side of the refrigerator compartment 12 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the shape of the vacuum insulation material disposed on the top side of the refrigerator compartment 12 may be formed to match the shape of the side surface 51 of the inner box 17 that forms the top surface of the refrigerator compartment 12. In this case, by forming a recess in the vacuum insulation material to match the shape of the side surface 51, the contact area between the vacuum insulation material and the side surface 51 is further increased, and the coverage rate is improved, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effect. In addition, various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10. Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 11A Top 11B Bottom 12 Refrigerator 12A front opening 13 Freezer 13A Front opening 14 First Insulated Door 15 Second Insulated Door 16 outer box 17 Inner box 18. Insulation 18A Foam Insulation 18B Vacuum insulation material 18C Vacuum insulation material 19 Insulated space 20 Cooling room 21 Cooler 22 Machine room 23 Compressor 24 Blower 25 Wind path 26 Defrost heater 31 First recess 32 Second recess 33 Third Recess 34 Core material 35 Outer packaging material 36 Outer edge 41 First Aspect 42 The Second Aspect 43 The Third Aspect 44 The Fourth Aspect 45 Corner section 46 Adhesive material 51 Side 52 Hinge mechanism 53 Control Unit

Claims

1. A heat-insulating box body; The machine room and a first storage chamber formed in the insulating box, the first storage chamber being located on the front side of the insulating box in a depth direction relative to the machine room; a plurality of vacuum insulation materials disposed in an insulation space between the inner box and the outer box of the insulation box body; The inner box that partitions the first storage chamber has a first side surface and a second side surface with which the first vacuum insulation material of the vacuum insulation material is arranged in contact, and a corner portion formed between the first side surface and the second side surface, a first recessed portion disposed in a forming region of the corner portion is formed on a surface side of the first vacuum insulation material disposed in the insulation space between the machine chamber and the first storage chamber; The refrigerator, wherein the first recess is wider than the width of the corner portion of the insulating box in a side view.

2. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a second recess is formed on the rear surface of the first vacuum insulating material along the area where the first recess is formed.

3. The refrigerator described in claim 2, characterized in that the first vacuum insulation material is attached to the inner box with an adhesive material, and the gap between the first vacuum insulation material and the inner box is sealed by the adhesive material around the entire outer peripheral end of the first vacuum insulation material.

4. a second storage chamber formed on the top surface side of the heat-insulating box; a second vacuum insulation material disposed in the insulation space above the second storage chamber; A third recess is formed on the back surface side of the second vacuum insulation material, The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that the second vacuum insulation material is folded using the third recess, and the second vacuum insulation material is arranged in contact with the inner box above the second storage compartment.

5. The third recess is formed on the back surface side of the first vacuum insulation material, The first recess is formed on the front surface side of the second vacuum insulation material, and the second recess is formed on the back surface side of the second vacuum insulation material, 5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the first vacuum heat insulating material and the second vacuum heat insulating material have the same shape.

Images