Refrigerator and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that enables a side surface vacuum heat insulation material to be disposed at a predetermined portion of a gap between outer box side surface plate and an inner box side surface plate, and a method for manufacturing the refrigerator.SOLUTION: In a refrigerator 10, a heat insulation material 17 includes a side surface vacuum heat insulation material 22 disposed between an inner box side surface plate 162 and an outer box side surface plate 152. The inner box side surface plate 162 includes a projecting portion 34 projecting toward an outer side in the width direction. A recessed portion 35 is formed by recessing a portion opposed to the projecting portion 34 of the side surface vacuum heat insulation material 22. In the height direction, a position recognition part 36 is provided on an inner box rear surface plate 161 of a portion corresponding to the projecting portion 34 of the inner box side surface plate 162.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a refrigerator provided with a vacuum insulation material as a heat insulating material and a manufacturing method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In a typical refrigerator, a storage compartment is formed inside an insulated box, and the front opening of this storage compartment is closed by an insulated door that can be opened and closed. The insulated box consists of an outer box made of steel plate, an inner box made of synthetic resin plate placed inside the outer box, and a thermal insulating material filled between the outer box and the inner box.

[0003] Urethane foam is generally used as the insulating material filled in the insulated box of a refrigerator. However, in order to further reduce the energy consumption of refrigerators, an insulating material with higher insulating properties than urethane foam is preferred.

[0004] Therefore, vacuum insulation materials are used as the insulation material built into the insulated box. Vacuum insulation materials are made by vacuum-packing fibrous inorganic materials such as glass wool, and have an insulating effect more than ten times that of urethane foam. By using vacuum insulation materials, the storage compartment can be well insulated from the outside, and the energy required for cooling operation of the refrigerator can be reduced.

[0005] Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe the configuration and manufacturing method of a refrigerator in which a side surface vacuum insulation material is disposed between an outer box side surface plate and an inner box side surface plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-106215 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-072000 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the refrigerator and the manufacturing method thereof according to the background art described above, there is room for improvement in the arrangement of the side vacuum insulation materials.

[0008] Specifically, because the gap between the side panels of the outer box and the inner box is narrow, it is not easy to arrange the side vacuum insulation material in a predetermined location in the gap.

[0009] In addition, the side panels of the inner box may have protrusions that protrude outward in the width direction. For example, if a control board or the like is attached to the side panel of the inner box, the part of the side panel where the control board is attached will protrude outward in the width direction. In this case, there is a possibility that the protrusions on the side panel of the inner box may interfere with the side vacuum insulation material.

[0010] Furthermore, when considering the manufacturing method, there is a possibility that in the process of inserting the side vacuum insulation material into the gap between the side panel of the outer box and the side panel of the inner box, the protruding portion of the side panel of the inner box will hinder the insertion of the side vacuum insulation material.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a refrigerator in which side vacuum insulation material can be arranged in a predetermined location in the gap between the side panel of the outer box and the side panel of the inner box, and a method for manufacturing the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an insulated box having a storage compartment formed therein, and an insulated door that closes an opening of the storage compartment, the insulated box having an outer box that forms an outer surface of the insulated box, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and a heat insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box, the outer box having an outer box rear panel that extends along the width direction of the insulated box and outer box side panels that extend along the depth direction of the insulated box, and the inner box having an inner box rear panel that extends along the width direction of the insulated box. and an inner box side panel extending along the depth direction of the insulated box body, the insulation material comprising a side vacuum insulation material arranged between the inner box side panel and the outer box side panel, the inner box side panel having a convex portion protruding outward in the width direction, the concave portion being formed by making the portion of the side vacuum insulation material facing the convex portion concave, and a position recognition portion being formed on the inner box rear panel in a portion in the height direction that corresponds to the convex portion of the inner box side panel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present invention, the position of the side surface vacuum insulation material can be accurately fixed. Specifically, since a convex portion is formed on the inner box side panel, a concave portion is formed on the side surface vacuum insulation material to suppress interference with the convex portion. In this embodiment, a position recognition portion is formed on the inner box rear panel in a portion of the height direction that corresponds to the convex portion of the inner box side panel. Therefore, even if it is difficult to visually recognize the convex portion of the inner box side panel during the refrigerator manufacturing process, the concave portion of the side surface vacuum insulation material can be aligned with the position recognition portion formed on the inner box rear panel. This allows the concave portion of the side surface vacuum insulation material to be aligned with the convex portion of the inner box side panel. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] 1 is a perspective view showing a storage compartment of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a bottom cross-sectional view showing the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an inner box and a side vacuum insulation material in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the inner box and side vacuum insulation material in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an inner box and a duct member in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a duct member in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an inner box and a control board case in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing an inner box and a control board case in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9A] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a heat-insulating box body in a portion where a control board is installed in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9B] 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a heat-insulating box body in a portion where a control board is installed in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view showing a step of incorporating an inner box into an outer box in a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a step of inserting a side vacuum insulation material between an inner box and an outer box in a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 12A] This is an oblique view showing a situation in which a position recognition unit is used in the process of inserting a side vacuum insulation material between the inner box and the outer box in a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12B]This is an oblique view showing an enlarged view of the position recognition portion during the process of inserting a side vacuum insulation material between the inner box and the outer box in the manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a step of assembling a rear panel of an outer box in a manufacturing method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention 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, and the front-rear direction refers to the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. In addition, when describing this embodiment, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. In the following description, the outside refers to the outside in the width direction (left-right direction) of the refrigerator 10, and the inside refers to the inside in the width direction (left-right direction) of the refrigerator 10.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator 10. As shown in FIG.

[0017] 1, refrigerator 10 has a refrigeration compartment 12 and a freezer compartment 13 formed as storage compartments inside a heat-insulating box 11. Refrigeration compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13 are separated by a heat-insulating partition wall 33.

[0018] An insulating door 21 is attached to the insulating box 11. Specifically, the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by a first insulating door 211, and the front opening of the freezer compartment 13 is closed by a second insulating door 212. The first insulating door 211 and the second insulating door 212 are, for example, rotary doors whose right ends are rotatably connected to the insulating box 11. Here, drawer-type doors may be adopted as the first insulating door 211 and the second insulating door 212. Here, there may be more than one insulating door 21. For example, three or more insulating doors 21 may be provided.

[0019] A cooling chamber 27 is defined behind the freezing chamber 13, and an evaporator 26 is housed in the cooling chamber 27. A machine chamber 14 is defined behind the bottom of the insulating box 11, and a compressor 29 is housed in the machine chamber 14. The evaporator 26 and the compressor 29 are connected to an expansion means and a condenser (not shown) via refrigerant piping, forming a vapor compression refrigeration cycle.

[0020] A blower 28 is disposed above the cooling compartment 27, and blows the air from the cooling compartment 27 cooled by the evaporator 26 into the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13. A damper 19 is installed in the air path to the refrigerator compartment 12. A control device (not shown) detects an internal temperature sensor (not shown) in the refrigerator compartment and controls the opening and closing of the damper 19. This adjusts the flow rate of air into the refrigerator compartment 12, maintaining a constant internal temperature in the refrigerator compartment 12. Therefore, the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled to a refrigerator temperature range. Furthermore, the air from the cooling compartment 27 is blown into the freezer compartment 13, thereby cooling the freezer compartment 13 to a freezing temperature range. The air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 is returned to the cooling compartment 27. In FIG. 1, the air flow is indicated by arrows. Further, below the evaporator 26, a defrosting heater 20 for melting frost formed on the evaporator 26 is disposed.

[0021] The insulated box body 11 has an outer box 15 made of steel plate that forms the exterior shape of the refrigerator 10, an upper inner box 16 made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 15, and insulating material 17 filled between the outer box 15 and the upper inner box 16. A lower inner box 18 is disposed inside the lower side of the outer box 15. The refrigerating compartment 12 is formed inside the upper inner box 16, and the freezing compartment 13 is formed inside the lower inner box 18.

[0022] The heat insulating material 17 is a combination of foam heat insulating material and vacuum heat insulating material. For example, foamed urethane is used as the foam heat insulating material. Vacuum heat insulating material is a material in which an aggregate of fibers such as glass wool is placed in a bag and the inside of the bag is evacuated. In this embodiment, the vacuum heat insulating materials used are side vacuum heat insulating material 22 and rear vacuum heat insulating material 25, which will be described later. In FIG. 1, the rear vacuum heat insulating material 25 is disposed near the rear surface of the insulated box body 11.

[0023] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing refrigeration compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13 as storage compartments of refrigerator 10. FIG.

[0024] An upper inner box 16 is disposed on the upper side inside the insulated box body 11, and a lower inner box 18 is disposed on the lower side. A refrigerator compartment 12 is formed inside the upper inner box 16, and a freezer compartment 13 is formed inside the lower inner box 18. A duct member 37, which will be described later, is disposed on the rear surface of the upper inner box 16.

[0025] The upper inner box 16 has an inner box rear panel 161, inner box side panels 162, inner box top panel 163, and inner box bottom panel 164. A control board 39 is disposed on the inner box side panel 162, which is the side of the upper inner box 16. The control board 39 has a display, touch panel, switches, etc., which are not shown here. By operating the control board 39, the user can adjust the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12, lighting conditions, etc. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the control board 39 is configured to protrude outward in the width direction.

[0026] The control board 39 is installed inside the refrigerator compartment 12, but is not installed inside the freezer compartment 13. The reason for installing the control board 39 in the refrigerator compartment 12 is that the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 is within the refrigerator temperature range, and operating parts such as switches arranged on the control board 39 will not freeze. On the other hand, the temperature inside the freezer compartment 13 is within the freezer temperature range, and a drawer-type storage container is arranged therein. Therefore, the freezer compartment 13 is not necessarily an ideal environment for installing the control board 39.

[0027] Fig. 2B is a bottom cross-sectional view showing refrigerator 10. Fig. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA cross-sectional line in Fig. 2A. The AA cross-sectional line is a plane including the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

[0028] The outer box 15 has an outer box rear panel 151 extending along the width direction of the insulated box body 11, and outer box side panels 152 extending along the depth direction of the insulated box body 11. The outer box side panels 152 extend forward from both end portions of the outer box rear panel 151 in the left-right direction.

[0029] The upper inner box 16 has an inner box rear panel 161 extending along the width direction of the insulated box body 11, and inner box side panels 162 extending along the depth direction of the insulated box body 11. The inner box side panels 162 extend forward from both ends of the inner box rear panel 161 in the left-right direction.

[0030] A rear vacuum insulation material 25 is disposed on the front surface of the outer box rear panel 151, and a side vacuum insulation material 22 is in close contact with the outer surface of the inner box side panel 162 in the width direction.

[0031] In the space 43 between the inner box side panel 162 and the outer box side panel 152, the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is arranged so as to be in approximate contact with the inner box side panel 162. The side surface vacuum insulation material 22 extends from near the front end of the inner box side panel 162 to near the rear end of the inner box side panel 162 and is in approximate contact with the outer surface of the inner box side panel 162.

[0032] In the space 43 between the inner box side panel 162 and the outer box side panel 152, the outer portion of the side vacuum insulation material 22 in the width direction is filled with foam insulation material 23.

[0033] The rear vacuum insulation material 25 is disposed on the inner surface of the outer box rear panel 151 and is spaced apart from the inner box rear panel 161. The space between the rear vacuum insulation material 25 and the inner box rear panel 161 is filled with foam insulation material 23.

[0034] A spacer 30 is fixed to the front end of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22, and the spacer 30 is arranged between the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 and the outer box side panel 152. This allows the front end of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 to be pressed against the inner box side panel 162. This prevents the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 from accidentally moving when the foam insulation material 23 is foam-filled during the manufacturing process.

[0035] 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of refrigerator 10. Here, outer box 15, upper inner box 16, lower inner box 18, side vacuum insulation material 22, rear vacuum insulation material 25, and outer box rear panel 151 are shown exploded in the front-to-rear direction.

[0036] The outer box 15 has an outer box rear panel 151, outer box side panels 152, and outer box top panel 153. Here, the outer box rear panel 151 is shown isolated at the rear.

[0037] A convex portion 34 is disposed on the inner box side panel 162 of the upper inner box 16. The convex portion 34 is a portion of the inner box side panel 162 that partially protrudes toward the left, that is, outward in the width direction. The convex portion 34 is, for example, a control board case 341. The control board case 341 is a portion that protrudes toward the left, that is, outward in the width direction, to accommodate the control board 39 described above. As will be described later, even if the control board case 341 is configured to protrude toward the left, that is, outward in the width direction, from the inner box side panel 162, a concave portion 35 is formed in the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 at a portion facing the control board case 341. This prevents the control board case 341 from interfering with the side surface vacuum insulation material 22.

[0038] A position recognition portion 36 is formed on inner box rear panel 161. Position recognition portion 36 is a portion of inner box rear panel 161 that has a partially uneven shape. In the up-down direction, the position of position recognition portion 36 corresponds to control board case 341. This matter will be described later.

[0039] A concave portion 35 is formed in the side surface vacuum insulation material 22. The concave portion 35 is a portion where the right surface, which is the inner surface in the width direction of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22, is recessed toward the left, which is the outer surface in the width direction. As will be described later, the position of the concave portion 35 in the up-down direction corresponds to the convex portion 34 and the position recognition portion 36. The concave portion 35 can be easily formed by applying press processing or roll processing to the side surface vacuum insulation material 22.

[0040] In the vertical direction, the length L11 of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is shorter than the length L10 of the outer box 15. That is, the upper end of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is disposed below the upper end of the insulated box body 11. Furthermore, the lower end of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is disposed above the lower end of the insulated box body 11. With this configuration, the upper and lower ends of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 are spaced apart from the upper and lower ends of the insulated box body 11, thereby preventing contact between the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 and the insulated box body 11 and preventing damage to the side surface vacuum insulation material 22. On the other hand, adopting this configuration makes it difficult for the upper or lower end of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 to abut against the upper or lower end of the outer box 15 during the manufacturing process of the refrigerator 10. Therefore, such abutment makes it difficult to align the side surface vacuum insulation material 22. In this embodiment, as will be described later, by using the position recognition portion 36 as a reference, the convex portion 34 of the inner box side panel 162 and the concave portion 35 of the side vacuum insulation material 22 can be made to face each other.

[0041] Fig. 4A is an exploded perspective view showing the upper inner box 16 and the side surface vacuum heat insulating material 22. Fig. 4B is an exploded rear view showing the upper inner box 16 and the side surface vacuum heat insulating material 22.

[0042] 4A and 4B, a control board case 341 and a position recognition unit 36 ​​are formed in upper inner box 16. Here, control board case 341 is fitted into opening 38 formed in inner box side panel 162. This configuration will be described later.

[0043] The position recognition portion 36 is formed on the inner box rear panel 161 in a portion in the height direction that corresponds to the convex portion 34 of the inner box side panel 162. Specifically, the position recognition portion 36 is a portion of the inner box rear panel 161 of the upper inner box 16 that is partially concave or convex. The position recognition portion 36 is used in the manufacturing process to align the control board case 341 of the upper inner box 16 with the concave portion 35 of the side vacuum insulation material 22. The position recognition portion 36 can be formed simultaneously when the upper inner box 16 is formed by a vacuum forming method or the like. This makes it possible to form the position recognition portion 36 at low cost.

[0044] 4B, the position recognition portion 36 is an uneven portion having a longitudinal direction along the width direction of the insulating box 11, i.e., the left-right direction. Here, two position recognition portions 36 are formed on the inner box rear panel 161 of the upper inner box 16. In the vertical direction, the position of the upper position recognition portion 36 approximately coincides with the positions of the upper ends of the control board case 341 and the recessed portion 35. In addition, in the vertical direction, the position of the lower position recognition portion 36 approximately coincides with the positions of the lower ends of the control board case 341 and the recessed portion 35. Here, only one of the upper position recognition portion 36 and the lower position recognition portion 36 may be configured to coincide with the positions of the control board case 341 and the recessed portion 35.

[0045] The inner box rear panel 161 of the upper inner box 16 has a grid-like uneven portion formed thereon. That is, the inner box rear panel 161 has uneven portions formed along the up-down direction and along the left-right direction, and these are configured to intersect with each other. This configuration allows the inner box rear panel 161 to be reinforced. In this embodiment, the uneven portions extending along the left-right direction are used as the position recognition portion 36. On the other hand, the upper or lower end of the uneven portions extending along the up-down direction can also be used as the position recognition portion 36.

[0046] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the upper inner box 16 and the duct member 37. As shown in FIG.

[0047] Duct member 37 forms an air passage through which air that cools refrigerator compartment 12, which is a storage compartment, flows. That is, with reference to Fig. 1, duct member 37 is a member that constitutes a duct through which air that is blown toward refrigerator compartment 12 by rotation of blower 28 flows. Duct member 37 is disposed so as to abut against inner box rear panel 161 from the refrigerator compartment 12 side, thereby forming a duct through which air that is blown into refrigerator compartment 12 flows. Duct member 37 is composed of an insulating foam material such as polystyrene foam and a synthetic resin plate material that covers the insulating foam material from the front.

[0048] 6 is a perspective view showing duct member 37. Duct recess 371 is formed on the rear surface of duct member 37. Duct recess 371 is a portion where the rear surface of duct member 37 is recessed toward the front. Duct recess 371 functions as a duct through which air flows. Air blown through duct recess 371 passes through an opening (not shown) formed in duct member 37 and is blown into refrigeration compartment 12 described above.

[0049] Referring again to Figure 5, position recognition portion 36 is formed on inner box rear panel 161 in a portion where duct member 37 abuts. Here, the outer edge of duct member 37 in a portion where it abuts inner box rear panel 161 is shown by a dotted line. Position recognition portion 36 exists inside the area surrounded by the dotted line, which is the outer edge of duct member 37. With this configuration, uneven position recognition portion 36 is covered by duct member 37. Therefore, uneven position recognition portion 36 does not appear in refrigerator compartment 12, and the aesthetic appeal of the interior of refrigerator compartment 12 can be maintained.

[0050] 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the upper inner box 16 and the control board case 341. Here, the control board case 341 is shown separated from the inner box side panel 162 of the upper inner box 16. As shown in this figure, an opening 38 is formed by opening the inner box side panel 162 in a substantially rectangular shape. The control board case 341 is installed in the opening 38. The control board case 341 may be assembled to the opening 38 from the right side, which is inside the refrigerator, or from the left side, which is outside the refrigerator.

[0051] Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the upper inner box 16 and the control board case 341. Fig. 9A is a cross-sectional view showing the portion of the heat-insulating box 11 where the control board 39 is installed. Fig. 9B is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the portion of the heat-insulating box 11 where the control board 39 is installed. Figs. 9A and 9B are cross-sections taken along the BB section line in Fig. 8. The BB section is a cross-section that includes the up-down direction and the left-right direction.

[0052] 8 and 9A, the insulated box 11 in the portion where the control board 39 is disposed includes, from the right side (inside in the width direction), the control board 39, a control board case 341, an inner box side panel 162, side vacuum insulation material 22, foam insulation material 23, and an outer box side panel 152. A storage recess 342 recessed toward the left (outside in the width direction) is formed in the center of the control board case 341. When the storage recess 342 and the control board 39 are viewed from side to side, the size and shape of the storage recess 342 and the control board 39 are substantially identical. The control board 39 is stored in the storage recess 342 of the control board case 341. This configuration prevents the control board 39 from protruding toward the refrigerator compartment 12, i.e., the right side. This prevents the control board 39 from restricting the effective volume of the refrigerator compartment 12. Furthermore, the control board 39 is prevented from getting caught on the user's hand, etc.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 9B, the storage recess 342 of the control board case 341 is a protruding portion that protrudes toward the left, i.e., the widthwise outer side. Therefore, when the storage recess 342 of the control board case 341 is fitted into the opening 38 of the inner box side panel 162, the storage recess 342 protrudes toward the left from the inner box side panel 162. The protruding portion of the storage recess 342 is housed in the recessed portion 35 of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22. With this configuration, the storage recess 342 of the control board case 341 that protrudes toward the left side does not interfere with the side surface vacuum insulation material 22. Furthermore, the recessed portion 35 is formed only in correspondence with the protruding portion of the storage recess 342. Therefore, the thickness of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is sufficiently ensured except in the portion where the storage recess 342 protrudes. Therefore, the insulating effect of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is sufficiently achieved.

[0054] A method for manufacturing the refrigerator 10 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 10 and subsequent figures.

[0055] The manufacturing process of refrigerator 10 mainly includes the steps of preparing outer box 15, upper inner box 16, and side vacuum insulation material 22, inserting side vacuum insulation material 22 into space 43 between outer box side panel 152 and inner box side panel 162, and filling foam insulation material 23 into space 43 between outer box 15 and upper inner box 16.

[0056] 10 is a perspective view showing the process of assembling the upper inner box 16 and other components into the outer box 15. First, the upper inner box 16 is assembled inside the outer box 15. Here, the upper inner box 16 and the lower inner box 18 are assembled inside the outer box 15. Furthermore, a side vacuum insulation material 22 having a recessed portion 35 formed therein, as shown in FIG. 4A and other figures, is also prepared.

[0057] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the process of inserting the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 between the upper inner box 16 and the outer box 15. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the CC cut plane line in Fig. 10. The CC cut plane is a cross section that includes the left-right direction and the front-back direction.

[0058] Specifically, a space 43 is formed between the inner box side panel 162 of the upper inner box 16 and the outer box side panel 152 of the outer box 15. Refrigerant piping 31 is disposed on the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152. Refrigerant piping 31 is also attached to the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152 with aluminum tape 32.

[0059] The side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is inserted into the space 43 from the rear side. The side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is inserted into the space 43 with the side to which the spacer 30 is fixed facing forward. Here, the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 on the left side has the recessed portion 35 shown in Figure 4A etc. On the other hand, the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 on the right side does not have the recessed portion 35 formed.

[0060] Fig. 12A is a perspective view showing the use of the position recognition unit 36 ​​in the process of inserting the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 between the upper inner box 16 and the outer box 15. In Fig. 12A, the inner box side surface panel 162 and the control board case 341 are indicated by dotted lines. Also in Fig. 12A, both ends of the recessed portion 35 and the extension lines of both ends of the position recognition unit 36 ​​are indicated by dashed-dotted lines. Fig. 12B is an enlarged perspective view of the position recognition unit 36.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 12A , as described above, a space 43 is formed between the upper inner box 16, the lower inner box 18, and the outer box 15. The width of the space 43 in the left-right direction is, for example, several centimeters. On the other hand, the depth of the space 43 in the front-to-back direction is, for example, several tens of centimeters. Therefore, the depth of the space 43 can be 10 times or more its width. Therefore, the inside of the space 43 is a dimly lit environment. Furthermore, the control board case 341 is disposed at the back of the space 43. For this reason, the control board case 341 at the back of the space 43 has extremely poor visibility.

[0062] In this step, it is necessary to vertically align the positions of the control board case 341 and the recessed portion 35 of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22. However, as mentioned above, in the step of inserting the side surface vacuum insulation material 22, it is not easy for the worker to visually check the control board case 341, which is located at the back of the space 43.

[0063] Furthermore, in the vertical direction, both ends of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 are spaced apart from both ends of the outer box 15. Therefore, it is not easy to position the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 by abutting the ends of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 against the inner wall of the outer box 15. Furthermore, if the ends of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 are abutted against the inner wall of the outer box 15, the vacuum-packaged bag of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 may be damaged, and the airtightness of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 may be compromised.

[0064] For this reason, in this process, the position recognition portion 36 formed on the inner box side panel 162 of the upper inner box 16 is aligned with the recessed portion 35 of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 in the vertical direction. For example, referring to FIG. 12B, the lower edge of the position recognition portion 36 formed on the lower side is used as a reference. Then, referring to FIG. 12A, the lower edge of the position recognition portion 36 is aligned with the lower side edge of the recessed portion 35 shown in FIG. 12A in the vertical direction. As described above, the positions of the position recognition portion 36 and the control board case 341 coincide with each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, by aligning the position recognition portion 36 with the recessed portion 35, the recessed portion 35 of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 can be indirectly aligned with the control board case 341.

[0065] In this state, insert the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 all the way into the space 43. When this is done, the protruding portion of the control board case 341 is housed in the recessed portion 35 of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22. Therefore, the control board case 341 does not prevent the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 from being inserted.

[0066] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the process of assembling the outer box rear panel 151. Referring to Figure 13, after the process of inserting the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 is completed, the outer box rear panel 151 with the rear surface vacuum insulation material 25 attached is assembled into the rear end of the outer box side panel 152. Thereafter, the foam insulation material 23 described above is foam-filled between the upper inner box 16 and the outer box 15. As a result, as shown in Figure 2B, the space 43 is filled with insulation consisting of the side surface vacuum insulation material 22 and the foam insulation material 23.

[0067] The above steps result in the formation of the insulated box 11 shown in Fig. 1. The first insulated door 211 and the second insulated door 212 shown in Fig. 1 are attached to the insulated box 11, and other components are then attached to the insulated box 11, thereby manufacturing the refrigerator 10.

[0068] According to this embodiment, the following main effects can be achieved.

[0069] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an insulated box having a storage compartment formed therein, and an insulated door that closes an opening of the storage compartment, the insulated box having an outer box that forms an outer surface of the insulated box, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and a heat insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box, the outer box having an outer box rear panel that extends along the width direction of the insulated box and outer box side panels that extend along the depth direction of the insulated box, and the inner box having an inner box rear panel that extends along the width direction of the insulated box. and an inner box side panel extending along the depth direction of the insulated box body, wherein the insulating material comprises a side vacuum insulating material disposed between the inner box side panel and the outer box side panel, the inner box side panel having a convex portion protruding outward in the width direction, the side vacuum insulating material having a concave portion facing the convex portion to form the concave portion, and a position recognition portion formed on the inner box rear panel in a portion of the inner box corresponding to the convex portion of the inner box side panel in the height direction. According to this embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator can accurately fix the position of the side vacuum insulating material. Specifically, since the convex portion is formed on the inner box side panel, the side vacuum insulating material has a concave portion to prevent interference with the convex portion. In this embodiment, the position recognition portion is formed on the inner box rear panel in a portion of the inner box corresponding to the convex portion of the inner box side panel in the height direction. Therefore, even if it is difficult to visually recognize the convex portions of the inner box side panels during the refrigerator manufacturing process, the concave portions of the side vacuum insulation material can be aligned with the position recognition portions formed on the inner box rear panel. Therefore, the concave portions of the side vacuum insulation material can be aligned with the convex portions of the inner box side panels.

[0070] In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the convex portion is a control board case. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, even if the control board case is configured to protrude outward in the width direction from the inner box side panel, a concave portion is formed in the side surface vacuum insulation material at a portion facing the control board case. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the control board case from interfering with the side surface vacuum insulation material.

[0071] In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the upper end of the side surface vacuum insulation material is disposed below the upper end of the insulated box body, and the lower end of the side surface vacuum insulation material is disposed above the lower end of the insulated box body. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower ends of the side surface vacuum insulation material are separated from the upper and lower ends of the insulated box body, thereby preventing contact between the side surface vacuum insulation material and the insulated box body and preventing damage to the side surface vacuum insulation material. Even in such a case, the side surface vacuum insulation material can be aligned using the position recognition unit as a reference so that the convex portion of the inner box side panel faces the concave portion of the side surface vacuum insulation material.

[0072] In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the position recognition portion is a portion of the rear panel of the inner box that is partially concave or convex. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, by configuring the position recognition portion as a portion of the rear panel of the inner box that is partially concave or convex, the position recognition portion can be formed simultaneously when the inner box is formed by a vacuum forming method or the like. Therefore, the position recognition portion can be formed at low cost.

[0073] In the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the position recognition unit has a longitudinal direction that is aligned with the width direction of the insulated box. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the position recognition unit has a longitudinal direction that is aligned with the width direction of the insulated box, alignment using the position recognition unit can be easily performed.

[0074] Furthermore, the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a duct member, the duct member being disposed so as to abut against the rear panel of the inner box from the storage compartment side, thereby forming an air passage through which air for cooling the storage compartment flows, and the position recognition portion being formed on the rear panel of the inner box at a portion where the duct member abuts. According to the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, the uneven position recognition portion is covered by the duct member. Therefore, the uneven position recognition portion does not appear in the storage compartment, thereby maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the storage compartment.

[0075] In addition, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of preparing an outer box having outer box side panels, an inner box having inner box side panels and inner box rear panel, and side surface vacuum insulation material, forming an insulated box body by placing the inner box inside the outer box, and then inserting the side surface vacuum insulation material into the space between the outer box side panels and the inner box side panels, and filling the space between the outer box and the inner box with foam insulation material, wherein the inner box side panels have a convex portion that protrudes outward in the width direction, and a position recognition portion is formed on the inner box rear panel in a portion corresponding to the convex portion of the inner box side panel in the height direction, and a concave portion is formed by making the portion of the side surface vacuum insulation material facing the convex portion concave, and in the step of inserting the side surface vacuum insulation material, the position recognition portion of the inner box rear panel and the concave portion of the side surface vacuum insulation material are aligned. According to the refrigerator manufacturing method of an embodiment of the present invention, even if it is difficult to visually see the convex portion of the inner box side panel, the concave portion of the side vacuum insulation material can be aligned with the position recognition portion formed on the inner box rear panel, thereby aligning the concave portion of the side vacuum insulation material with the convex portion of the inner box side panel.

[0076] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0077] 4B and other figures, the shape of the position recognition unit 36 ​​is not limited to a rectangular shape having longitudinal directions on the left, right, and rear sides. For example, the shape of the position recognition unit 36 ​​may be a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a circle, an ellipse, or the like.

[0078] 3 and other drawings, components other than the control board case 341 may be employed as the convex portion 34. For example, various electrical devices such as a temperature sensor and a CPU may be employed as the convex portion 34. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10. Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 12 Refrigerator 13 Freezer 14 Machine room 15 outer box 151 Outer box rear plate 152 Outer box side panel 153 Outer box top plate 16 Upper inner box 161 Inner box rear plate 162 Inner box side panel 163 Inner box top plate 164 Inner box bottom plate 17. Insulation 18 Lower inner box 19 Damper 20 Defrost heater 21 Insulated Door 211 First Insulated Door 212 Second Insulated Door 22 Vacuum insulation panel for sides 23 Foam insulation 25 Rear vacuum insulation panel 26 Evaporator 27 Cooling room 28 Blower 29 Compressor 30 spacer 31 Refrigerant piping 32 Aluminum tape 33 Insulated partition wall 34 Convex part 341 Control board case 342 Storage recess 35 Concave area 36 Position recognition part 37 Duct components 371 Duct recess 38 Opening 39 Control board 43 Space

Claims

1. The storage compartment includes a heat-insulating box body having a storage chamber formed therein, and a heat-insulating door that closes an opening of the storage chamber. The heat-insulating box includes an outer box that forms an outer surface of the heat-insulating box, an inner box that is disposed inside the outer box, and a heat insulating material that is disposed between the outer box and the inner box, The outer box has an outer box rear panel extending along the width direction of the insulating box body and an outer box side panel extending along the depth direction of the insulating box body, The inner box has an inner box rear panel extending along the width direction of the insulating box body and an inner box side panel extending along the depth direction of the insulating box body, The heat insulating material includes a side surface vacuum heat insulating material disposed between the inner box side surface plate and the outer box side surface plate, The inner box side panel is provided with a convex portion that protrudes outward in the width direction, The recessed portion is formed by forming a recessed portion of the side surface vacuum insulation material facing the protruding portion, A refrigerator characterized in that a position recognition portion is formed on the rear panel of the inner box at a portion in the height direction that corresponds to the convex portion of the side panel of the inner box.

2. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the convex portion is a control board case.

3. The upper end of the side surface vacuum insulation material is arranged below the upper end of the insulation box, 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the side vacuum insulation material is disposed above a lower end of the insulation box body.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the position recognition portion is a part of the rear panel of the inner box that is partially concave or convex.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the position recognition unit has a longitudinal direction aligned with a width direction of the insulating box body.

6. Further comprising a duct member, the duct member is disposed so as to abut against the rear panel of the inner box from the storage chamber side, thereby forming an air passage through which air for cooling the storage chamber flows; The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein the position recognition portion is formed on the rear panel of the inner box at a portion where the duct member abuts.

7. A step of preparing an outer box having an outer box side panel, an inner box having an inner box side panel and an inner box rear panel, and a side vacuum insulation material; After forming an insulating box by placing the inner box inside the outer box, inserting the side vacuum insulation material into the space between the outer box side panel and the inner box side panel; and filling the space between the outer box and the inner box with a foam insulation material, The inner box side panel is provided with a convex portion that protrudes outward in the width direction, a position recognition portion is formed on the rear panel of the inner box at a portion corresponding to the convex portion of the side panel of the inner box in the height direction; The recessed portion is formed by forming a recessed portion of the side surface vacuum insulation material facing the protruding portion, A method for manufacturing a refrigerator, characterized in that in the process of inserting the side vacuum insulation material, the position recognition portion of the rear panel of the inner box is aligned with the concave portion of the side vacuum insulation material.

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