Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a technique for improving the usability of a refrigerator.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: a refrigerator main body having therein a storage compartment capable of storing stored items; a container provided in the storage compartment and having an open front; a lid having a rotation shaft and configured to open and close an opening of the container by rotating about the rotation shaft as the container moves forward; and a bearing portion for rotatably receiving the rotation shaft while restricting movement of the rotation shaft in a front-rear direction. The lid is configured such that, when an operation by a user causes a posture or a position of the rotation shaft relative to the bearing portion to become a predetermined relationship, the restriction by the bearing portion on movement of the rotation shaft in the front-rear direction is released.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Some refrigerators are known that have containers for storing food such as meat and fish inside the refrigerator compartment. In Patent Document 1, the open part of the container is sealed with a lid to maintain the inside of the container at a predetermined temperature. In the conventional configuration, the lid is pushed up in conjunction with the action of pulling out the container, so that the lid does not obstruct the removal of food when the container is pulled out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-9172 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a configuration in which the lid is pushed up in conjunction with the action of pulling out the container, in order to access the inside of the container, it is necessary to pull out the container and open the lid. For this reason, with conventional configurations, it is difficult to access the inside of the container by moving the lid alone, and it is not possible to flexibly respond to the user's usage situation, so there is room for improvement in terms of improving the usability of the refrigerator.

[0005] Therefore, an object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a technique for improving the usability of a refrigerator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The refrigerator of the embodiment comprises a refrigerator body having a storage chamber inside which can store stored items, a container provided in the storage chamber and having an open front, a lid having a pivotal shaft and rotating around the pivotal shaft as the container moves forward to open and close the opening of the container, and a bearing portion that rotatably supports the pivotal shaft while restricting movement of the pivotal shaft in the forward and backward directions, and when the user operates the lid, the attitude or position of the pivotal shaft relative to the bearing portion becomes a predetermined relationship, and the restriction on forward and backward movement of the pivotal shaft by the bearing portion is released. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a configuration around a refrigerating compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the positional relationship between a special compartment and an air outlet in a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A is a right side view showing a state in which an upper container is stored in a special compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a right side view showing a state in which the upper container is pulled out forward from the special compartment of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4( a ) is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow X5 in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the lid has rotated by more than a predetermined amount and the restriction on the forward and backward movement of the rotation shaft by the bearing portion has been released, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the lid has been stored below the ceiling board, in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the lid is removed from the holder in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment, showing the flow of cool air into the upper container when the lid is closing the opening of the upper container. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment taken along line X9-X9 of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the flow of cool air into an upper container when the lid is in a retracted state in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 1A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment, showing the flow of cool air into an upper container when the lid is closed, and FIG. 1B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment, showing the flow of cool air into an upper container when the lid is closed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, several embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, substantially the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. Furthermore, in each drawing, for the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component may be enlarged as necessary, and the dimensional ratios between each component may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

[0009] (First embodiment) First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1 , refrigerator 1 is configured with multiple storage compartments inside refrigerator body 10, which is a vertically long rectangular box with an open front. Refrigerator body 10 constitutes the main body of refrigerator 1. Inside each wall of refrigerator body 10, insulation materials such as rigid foam urethane, which is an example of a foam insulation material, and vacuum insulation panels, which are an example of an insulation member, are provided. In the following description, the open side of refrigerator body 10 is referred to as the front side of refrigerator 1, and the side opposite the opening is referred to as the rear side of refrigerator 1. Furthermore, the up-down direction of refrigerator 1 is the vertical direction relative to the direction of gravity when refrigerator 1 is placed on the floor in the orientation shown in FIG. 1 . The left-right direction when refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the left-right direction, or width direction, of refrigerator 1, and the front-to-back direction of refrigerator 1 is referred to as the depth direction of refrigerator 1.

[0010] Refrigerator body 10 is divided into multiple storage compartments for storing items. Refrigerator 1 has, as storage compartments, for example, a refrigerator compartment 11, a vegetable compartment 12, an ice-making compartment 13, a small freezer compartment 14, and a freezer compartment 15. Refrigerator compartment 11 and vegetable compartment 12 are all storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range and are cooled to a temperature of, for example, about 1 to 5°C. Refrigerator compartment 11 is located on the top shelf of refrigerator body 10. Vegetable compartment 12 is located below refrigerator compartment 11. Ice-making compartment 13, small freezer compartment 14, and freezer compartment 15 are storage compartments in the freezing temperature range and are cooled to a temperature of, for example, -18°C or below. Ice-making compartment 13 and small freezer compartment 14 are located below vegetable compartment 12, side by side. Freezer compartment 15 is located below ice-making compartment 13 and small freezer compartment 14, i.e., on the bottom shelf of refrigerator body 10.

[0011] The refrigerator 1 is equipped with a right-side refrigerator door 11a, a left-side refrigerator door 11b, a vegetable door 12a, an ice-making door 13a, a small freezer door 14a, and a freezer door 15a. Each of the doors 11a to 15a is formed by filling a heat insulating material inside a frame member made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin. The right-side refrigerator door 11a and the left-side refrigerator door 11b are, for example, hinged double doors that open and close the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 11. The right-side refrigerator door 11a functions as the right door, and the left-side refrigerator door 11b functions as the left door. The refrigerator 1 is not limited to a configuration equipped with double doors 11a and 11b, and may also be configured with a so-called single-door. Vegetable compartment door 12a, ice compartment door 13a, small freezer compartment door 14a, and freezer compartment door 15a are all drawer-type doors that open and close the front openings of vegetable compartment 12, ice compartment 13, small freezer compartment 14, and freezer compartment 15, respectively. Although not shown in detail, vegetable compartment 12, ice compartment 13, small freezer compartment 14, and freezer compartment 15 each have a container that can be taken in and out integrally with vegetable compartment door 12a, ice compartment door 13a, small freezer compartment door 14a, and freezer compartment door 15a, respectively.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, a partition wall 16 and multiple shelves 171, 172, and 173 are horizontally arranged within the refrigerator body 10. The partition wall 16 and shelves 171, 172, and 173 are made of, for example, synthetic resin, a material that does not have high thermal insulation. The partition wall 16 and shelves 171, 172, and 173 vertically separate the space in the refrigerated temperature range. The partition wall 16 vertically separates the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12 within the storage compartments 11 and 12 in the refrigerated temperature range without providing thermal insulation. Therefore, the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12 are thermally interconnected. The shelves 171, 172, and 173 are configured to allow storage items to be placed on them.

[0013] The refrigerator compartment 11 has a special compartment 18 serving as a storage compartment. The special compartment 18 is located, for example, at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 11, i.e., below the lowest shelf 173 among the multiple shelves 171, 172, and 173. The special compartment 18 is configured to be able to maintain a temperature range within the refrigerator compartment 11 that is different from the refrigeration temperature range, which is the temperature range of most of the refrigerator compartment 11. The special compartment 18 can be configured, for example, as a chilled compartment whose interior can be maintained in a so-called chilled temperature range of around 0°C, or as a switchable compartment whose interior temperature can be switched between a freezing temperature range and a chilled temperature range. In this embodiment, the special compartment 18 is cooled to, for example, about -2 to 3°C, i.e., the chilled temperature range.

[0014] The top surface of the special chamber 18 is formed by a ceiling panel 181. The ceiling panel 181 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin, a material that does not have high thermal insulation properties. The ceiling panel 181 is configured so that storage items can be placed on it. The bottom surface of the special chamber 18 is formed by a partition wall 16. An upper container 20 and a lower container 30 are provided inside the special chamber 18. The upper container 20 and the lower container 30 are configured in two levels, one above the other. A horizontal plate 33 is provided between the upper container 20 and the lower container 30. The horizontal plate 33 divides the interior of the special chamber 18 into a space where the upper container 20 is placed and a space where the lower container 30 is placed. The upper container 20 can be placed on the horizontal plate 33. The upper container 20 is located above the lower container 30. The upper container 20 corresponds to a container. The left-right width dimension of the container 20 is set to be approximately the same as the width dimension of the special chamber 18.

[0015] The lower container 30 is located below the upper container 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower container 30 has multiple containers 31, 32 divided into two in the left-right direction. The multiple containers 31, 32 are configured as a left container 31 and a right container lined up in the left-right direction. A dividing wall 34 is provided between the left container 31 and the right container 32. The dividing wall 34 extends between the partition wall 16 and the horizontal plate 33. A tank chamber 19 is provided on the left side of the left container 31. The tank chamber 19 is cooled to a temperature range different from that of the special chamber 18, and a tank (not shown) is disposed therein to supply water to the ice making chamber 13. The left container 31 and the tank chamber 19 are separated by a left wall 191. The left wall 191 extends between the partition wall 16 and the horizontal plate 33.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the refrigerator 1 includes a cooler 41, a blower 42, and a back member 43. The cooler 41 and the blower 42 are provided, for example, behind the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12, which are storage compartments in the refrigeration temperature range. The cooler 41 and the blower 42 generate cold air for cooling the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12, and supply the cold air into the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12. The cooler 41, together with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and the like (not shown), constitutes a well-known refrigeration cycle. The operation of the blower 42 is controlled by a control device (not shown).

[0017] The back member 43 is provided behind the storage compartments 11, 12 in the refrigerated temperature range, between the storage compartments 11, 12 and the refrigerator body 10. The front side of the back member 43 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and the rear side is made of a foam insulation material such as polystyrene foam. A cold air path 44 is formed between the back member 43 and the refrigerator body 10. The cold air path 44 is a passage for supplying the cold air generated by the cooler 41 into the storage compartments 11, 12. The cold air that flows into the cold air path 44 is supplied by the blower 42 and passes through the cold air path 44.

[0018] The rear member 43 has a plurality of air outlets 431 and air inlets 432. The air outlets 431 and air inlets 432 are formed through the rear member 43 in the thickness direction and connect the storage chamber 11 (in this case, the special chamber 18) to the cool air path 44. The air outlets 431 are each provided on the rear side of the special chamber 18. The air outlets 431 are intended to supply cool air flowing through the cool air path 44 into the special chamber 18. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the air outlets 431 include an upper air outlet 431a and a lower air outlet 431b. The upper air outlet 431a is located, for example, behind the upper container 20 and above the upper end of the rear wall of the upper container 20. A plurality of upper air outlets 431a can be provided, for example, at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. The configuration is not limited to a configuration in which a plurality of upper air outlets 431a are provided, and a single upper air outlet 431a may also be provided.

[0019] The lower outlet 431b is located, for example, behind the lower container 30 and above the upper end of the rear wall of the lower container 30. A plurality of lower outlets 431b are provided corresponding to the left container 31 and the right container 32. Only one lower outlet 431b may be provided in common to the left container 31 and the right container 32.

[0020] The intake port 432 is provided below the outlet port 431. The intake port 432 is provided to return moisture contained in the air and stored items that has been supplied into the special compartment 18 via the outlet port 431 and passed through the special compartment 18 to the cooler 41. The cold air generated by the cooler 41 flows through the cold air path 44 and flows out from the outlet port 431 into the special compartment 18. Then, the cold air that has cooled the special compartment 18 is returned to the cooler 41 from the intake port 432 together with moisture contained in the air and stored items in the special compartment 18.

[0021] Next, the special chamber 18 will be described in detail. The upper container 20 and the lower container 30 disposed inside the special chamber 18 are formed, for example, in the shape of containers with an open top. By pulling them forward from their positions in the special chamber 18, it is possible to put in and take out stored items through the openings on the top. In other words, the upper container 20 and the lower container 30 are configured to be able to be taken in and out of the special chamber 18 in the front-to-rear direction. For example, a user can move the upper container 20 in the front-to-rear direction by hooking their fingers on the lower end of the front wall 201 that forms the front surface of the upper container 20. Furthermore, the upper container 20 is formed with an opening at the top of the front wall 201. In other words, a portion of the front surface of the upper container 20 is open, in this case the upper side. Furthermore, a bulge 202a is formed on the side wall 202 that forms the side surface of the upper container 20, as shown in FIG. 4. The bulging portion 202a is formed by bulging upward in an arc shape from the front side to the rear side in the midway portion in the extension direction of the side wall portion 202. The upper container 20 may be configured so that the front wall portion 201 is provided with a handle portion into which the user can insert their fingers to operate the upper container 20.

[0022] The left container 31 and the right container 32 that make up the lower container 30 both have closed front faces. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the left container 31 and the right container 32 each have operating units 31a and 32a. The operating units 31a and 32a are provided at the upper ends of front wall portions 311 and 321 that make up the front faces of the containers 31 and 32. The operating units 31a and 32a are configured so that, for example, a user's fingers can be inserted from below. With the user's fingers inserted into the operating units 31a and 32a, the containers 31 and 32 can be moved in the forward and backward directions.

[0023] A lid 50 is provided between the front end of the upper container 20 and the ceiling plate 181. The lid 50 is detachably attached to a holder 60 attached to the ceiling plate 181. The lid 50 is configured to be rotatable around one end in a direction that opens the front opening of the upper container 20. One end of the lid 50 refers to the upper part of the lid 50 in a state in which the lid 50 closes the front opening of the upper container 20, and the other end of the lid 50 refers to the lower part of the lid 50 in a state in which the lid 50 closes the front opening of the upper container 20.

[0024] The lid 50 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the width direction when viewed from the front. The front surface 501 of the lid 50 is made of, for example, synthetic resin or glass, and is configured to include a colorless and transparent member. The member that configures the front surface 501 of the lid 50 is not limited to being colorless and transparent, and may be colored and transparent or translucent, for example. A top wall 502 is connected to one end of the front surface 501 of the lid 50, and a bottom wall 503 is connected to the other end. The top wall 502 and the bottom wall 503 are formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The top wall 502 and the bottom wall 503 have, for example, the same outer shape. The top wall 502 and the bottom wall 503 may have different outer shapes.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4 and other figures, the lid 50 has a side plate 51, a pivot shaft 52, and an engagement portion 53. The side plate 51 constitutes the side surface of the lid 50 and is formed in a plate shape. The side plate 51 has a protrusion 511. The protrusion 511 is provided near the other end of the side plate 51 and extends toward the back side of the lid 50. The protrusion 511 is formed in, for example, a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the side.

[0026] The pivot shaft 52 is located near one end of the lid 50. The pivot shaft 52 is formed to protrude outward in the left-right direction from the side plate 51. The pivot shaft 52 is formed, for example, with a substantially D-shaped cross section. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5 , the outer circumferential surface of the pivot shaft 52 has a vertical surface 521 and a curved surface 522. The vertical surface 521 is formed as a surface that is substantially parallel to the front surface 501 of the lid 50. The curved surface 522 is formed as an arc-shaped surface. The engagement portion 53 is provided at a predetermined distance from the pivot shaft 52 in the extension direction of the lid 50. The engagement portion 53 is formed to protrude outward in the left-right direction from the side plate 51. The engagement portion 53 is, for example, a convex portion in the shape of a round boss. The engagement portion 53 has a smaller outer shape than the pivot shaft 52.

[0027] The holding portions 60 are provided at both ends of the ceiling plate 181 and extend along the front-rear direction of the ceiling plate 181. The holding portions 60 are not limited to being provided at the ends of the ceiling plate 181, but may be provided midway in the left-right direction of the ceiling plate 181. The holding portions 60 may also be provided on a member separate from the ceiling plate 181. The holding portions 60 detachably hold the lid 50. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the holding portion 60 has a bearing portion 61, a guide portion 62, and an open portion 63. The bearing portion 61, the guide portion 62, and the open portion 63 are generally formed in the shape of a groove cut out from the front end of the holding portion 60 toward the rear. The bearing portion 61, the guide portion 62, and the open portion 63 are connected from the front end of the holding portion 60 to the open portion 63, the bearing portion 61, and the guide portion 62, in that order.

[0028] The bearing portion 61 rotatably supports the pivot shaft 52 while restricting movement of the pivot shaft 52 of the lid 50 in the front-to-rear direction. The vertical dimension of the bearing portion 61 is formed to be greater than the length of the vertical surface 521 of the pivot shaft 52. The contact surface of the bearing portion 61 that comes into contact with the pivot shaft 52 can be configured to have a shape that corresponds to the outer circumferential surface of the pivot shaft 52. In this embodiment, the contact surface of the bearing portion 61 with the pivot shaft 52 is formed in a shape that corresponds to the curved surface 522 of the pivot shaft 52, that is, in an arc shape. The curvature of the contact surface is set to be approximately the same as or slightly gentler than the curved surface 522 of the pivot shaft 52. Furthermore, the length of the contact surface is set to be slightly shorter than the length of the curved surface 522 of the pivot shaft 52.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4( a), when the lid 50 closes the opening on the front of the upper container 20, i.e., when the upper container 20 is housed in the special chamber 18, and the upper container 20 is pulled forward as shown in FIG. 4( b), the protrusion 511 moves upward along the bulge 202a of the side wall 202 of the upper container 20, causing the lid 50 to pivot forward. At this time, the pivot 52 pivots within the area of ​​the bearing 61. In this way, the lid 50 pivots about the pivot 52 as the upper container 20 moves forward, thereby opening and closing the opening of the upper container 20. The state in which the lid 50 pivots about the pivot 52 to open and close the opening of the upper container 20 is the state in which the lid 50 is in use.

[0030] The guide portion 62 is connected to the bearing portion 61 and extends rearward. The guide portion 62 extends substantially parallel to the ceiling panel 181. That is, the guide portion 62 extends, for example, substantially horizontally. The length of the guide portion 62 is set to be longer than the distance between the rotation shaft 52 of the lid 50 and the engagement portion 53. In a side view, the dimension of the guide portion 62 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction is set to be shorter than the length of the vertical surface 521 of the rotation shaft 52 and larger than the maximum dimension between the vertical surface 521 and the curved surface 522 of the rotation shaft 52. The guide portion 62 is configured to sandwich the rotation shaft 52 in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the dimension of the guide portion 62 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the engagement portion 53. Furthermore, the dimension of the guide portion 62 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction is set to be smaller than the dimension of the bearing portion 61 in the up-down direction.

[0031] The guide portion 62 guides the pivot shaft 52 when the attitude or position of the pivot shaft 52 is in a predetermined relationship with respect to the bearing portion 61. That is, when the attitude or position of the pivot shaft 52 is in a predetermined relationship with respect to the bearing portion 61 in response to an operation from the user, the restriction on the forward / backward movement of the pivot shaft 52 by the bearing portion 61 is released. The operation from the user includes an operation on the upper container 20 and an operation on the lid 50. The predetermined relationship also includes a relationship when the lid 50 is rotated a predetermined amount or more with the pivot shaft 52 positioned within the area of ​​the bearing portion 61, and a relationship when the bearing portion 61 and the pivot shaft 52 are not in contact with each other. Examples of a state in which the bearing portion 61 and the pivot shaft 52 are not in contact with each other include, for example, moving the pivot shaft 52 upward or left / right from a state in which the bearing portion 61 and the pivot shaft 52 are in contact with each other.

[0032] The open portion 63 is formed between the front end of the holding portion 60 and the bearing portion 61. As shown in FIG. 5 , the open portion 63 extends, for example, from the bearing portion 61 toward the front end of the holding portion 60 at an incline. That is, the open portion 63 extends at an incline relative to the guide portion 62. In a side view, a dimension D1 of the open portion 63 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction is set to be larger than a maximum dimension S1 between the vertical surface 521 and the curved surface 522 of the pivot shaft 52. The open portion 63 is configured to sandwich the pivot shaft 52 in the up-down direction. The dimension of the open portion 63 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the engagement portion 53. Furthermore, the lower rear end of the open portion 63 is located higher than the rear end of the bearing portion 61. In other words, the front end of the bearing portion 61 is located higher than the rear end of the bearing portion 61. This prevents the rotation shaft 52 from unintentionally coming off the bearing portion 61 when the bearing portion 61 receives the rotation shaft 52 .

[0033] In this embodiment, as shown by the two-dot dashed line in Figure 6(a), when the lid 50 is rotated by a predetermined amount from a state in which the opening on the front of the upper container 20 is closed to a position in which the front surface 501 of the lid 50 is approximately parallel to the upper surface of the ceiling board 181, for example, by a user, the restriction on the movement of the rotation shaft 52 in the front-rear direction by the bearing portion 61 can be released. Note that, in order to release the restriction on the movement of the rotation shaft 52 in the front-rear direction by the bearing portion 61, the lid 50 needs to be opened to a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle means an angle at which the vertical dimension of the rotation shaft 52 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

[0034] Once the restriction on the forward / backward movement of the pivot shaft 52 by the bearing portion 61 is released, the pivot shaft 52 moves upward by lifting the lid 50, and the pivot shaft 52 disengages from the bearing portion 61, allowing the guide portion 62 to move forward / backward. When the user pushes the lid 50 rearward from this state, the pivot shaft 52 moves toward the guide portion 62. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6( b), the engaging portion 53, in addition to the pivot shaft 52, is inserted into the guide portion 62. That is, when the pivot shaft 52 is moved along the guide portion 62, the engaging portion 53 is inserted into the guide portion 62. When the pivot shaft 52 and the engaging portion 53 are inserted into the guide portion 62 and contact the lower surface that forms part of the guide portion 62 from above, the lid 50 is stored below the ceiling panel 181 while being supported by the guide portion 62 by the pivot shaft 52 and the engaging portion 53. Hereinafter, the state in which the lid 50 is stored below the ceiling board 181 may be referred to as the stored state of the lid 50. In the stored state of the lid 50, the lid 50 is supported by the holding portion 60 through two-point support of the rotation shaft 52 and the engagement portion 53. Furthermore, in the stored state of the lid 50, the lid 50 is positioned rearward of the front end portion of the holding portion 60. In other words, the length in the front-to-rear direction of the combined bearing portion 61, guide portion 62, and open portion 63 is long enough to hold the lid 50 in the stored state.

[0035] Furthermore, when the user pulls the lid 50 forward while the restriction on the forward / rearward movement of the pivot shaft 52 by the bearing portion 61 can be released, the pivot shaft 52 moves toward the open portion 63, as indicated by the two-dot dashed line in FIG. 7 . When the pivot shaft 52 completely leaves the open portion 63, the lid 50 is removed from the holder 60. As described above, the open portion 63 extends obliquely upward from the bearing portion 61 toward the front end of the holder 60, preventing the pivot shaft 52 from accidentally detaching from the open portion 63. The lid 50 removed from the holder 60 may be used, for example, as a shelf for placing small bowls in the refrigerator compartment 11. The user can store the lid 50 below the ceiling panel 181 or remove it from the holder 60 with a series of operations on the lid 50 alone, without having to perform any operations on the upper container 20. The lid 50 can be switched from the use state to the storage state with either or both of the right door 11a and the left door 11b open. In other words, the lid 50 can be operated to open and close the opening on the front of the upper container 20 with either the right door 11a or the left door 11b open.

[0036] The refrigerator 1 includes an opposing plate 70. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the opposing plate 70 is disposed substantially horizontally within the special compartment 18. The opposing plate 70 extends opposite the ceiling plate 181 at a predetermined distance and vertically divides a portion of the special compartment 18. As shown in FIG. 9, the opposing plate 70 is supported by the ceiling plate 181 via a plurality of standing walls 71 attached to the ceiling plate 181. The standing walls 71 are located, for example, at both widthwise ends of the opposing plate 70 and extend in the vertical direction. The standing walls 71 connect the ceiling plate 181 and the opposing plate 70. The standing walls 71 are located outward in the left-right direction of the special compartment 18 relative to the upper air outlet 431a. The spacing between the standing walls 71 is set to be smaller than, for example, the width of the lid 50.

[0037] When the upper container 20 is disposed inside the special chamber 18, the opposing plate 70 is located above the upper container 20 and below the upper outlet 431a. Therefore, the ceiling plate 181, the opposing plate 70, and the plurality of standing walls 71 form a space 72 surrounding the upper outlet 431a. Both front and rear ends of the space 72 are open. The front end of the opposing plate 70 extends to a position forward of the rear end of the guide portion 62. The front end of the opposing plate 70 also extends to a position forward of the front ends of the standing walls 71.

[0038] A special room-side outlet 73 is formed between the ceiling plate 181 and the opposing plate 70 as a storage room-side outlet. The special room-side outlet 73 is positioned to face the upper outlet 431a and the opening on the front surface of the upper container 20. As shown by the black arrow A in Figure 8, the special room outlet 73 is intended to supply cool air that has flowed into the space 72 from the upper outlet 431a into the special room 18 when the lid 50 is closing the opening on the front surface of the upper container 20.

[0039] The opposing plate 70 has a plurality of through holes 701. The plurality of through holes 701 are formed through the opposing plate 70 in the thickness direction and are provided at predetermined intervals along the extension direction of the opposing plate 70. At least some of the plurality of through holes 701 face the upper container 20 when the upper container 20 is disposed inside the special chamber 18. A portion of the air that flows into the space 72 from the upper outlet 431a and toward the special chamber outlet 73 is supplied into the upper container 20 through the plurality of through holes 701, as indicated by dotted arrow B in FIG. 8 . This allows cool air to be introduced from above toward the upper container 20. Therefore, cool air can be supplied evenly into the upper container 20, thereby cooling the entire interior of the upper container 20.

[0040] Here, the special compartment-side outlet 73 is provided opposite the opening on the front surface of the upper container 20. For this reason, when the lid 50 leaves the opening on the front surface of the upper container 20 open, cool air tends to flow through the opening, which may make it difficult to maintain the interior of the special compartment 18 at a predetermined temperature range. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the lid 50 is in the stored state, the special compartment-side outlet 73 is blocked by the top wall 502 of the lid 50, as shown in FIG. 10 . In other words, the special compartment-side outlet 73 is blocked by a part of the lid 50 when the rotating shaft 52 is moved along the guide portion 62.

[0041] When the lid 50 is in the retracted state, the cool air that flows into the space 72 from the upper air outlet 431a is supplied into the special compartment 18 through the multiple through-holes 701, as shown by the black arrow C in Figure 10. In other words, when the lid 50 is in the retracted state, cool air is not supplied into the special compartment 18 from the special compartment air outlet 73. This prevents cool air from leaking out of the special compartment 18 when the lid 50 is in the retracted state, making it easier to maintain the interior of the special compartment 18 at a predetermined temperature range.

[0042] According to the embodiment described above, the refrigerator 1 includes a refrigerator body 10 having a special compartment 18 therein capable of storing items, an upper container 20, a lid 50, and a bearing portion 61. The upper container 20 is disposed within the special compartment 18 and has an open front surface. The lid 50 has a pivot shaft 52 and pivots about the pivot shaft 52 as the upper container 20 moves forward, thereby opening and closing the opening of the upper container 20. The bearing portion 61 rotatably supports the pivot shaft 52 while restricting movement of the pivot shaft 52 in the front-to-rear direction. When the user operates the lid 50, the posture or position of the pivot shaft 52 relative to the bearing portion 61 assumes a predetermined relationship, and thus the restriction on the front-to-rear movement of the pivot shaft 52 by the bearing portion 61 is released.

[0043] According to this, when the user operates the lid 50, the restriction on the forward and backward movement of the pivot shaft 52 by the bearing portion 61 is released, and the lid 50 can be moved. As a result, by moving the lid 50 according to the user's usage situation, it becomes easier to access the inside of the upper container 20. This improves the usability of the refrigerator 1.

[0044] Refrigerator 1 further includes guide portion 62. Guide portion 62 is connected to bearing portion 61 and extends rearward, and guides rotating shaft 52 when the attitude or position of rotating shaft 52 relative to bearing portion 61 is in a predetermined relationship. Lid 50 further includes engagement portion 53. Engagement portion 53 is inserted into guide portion 62 when rotating shaft 52 is moved along guide portion 62.

[0045] With the posture or position of the pivot 52 relative to the bearing 61 in a predetermined relationship, the lid 50 can be moved rearward along the guide 62 to bring the pivot 52 and the engagement portion 53 of the lid 50 into contact with the guide 62, thereby supporting the lid 50 relative to the guide 62. This ensures that the lid 50 is stored, making it easier for the user to access the inside of the upper container 20.

[0046] The refrigerator 1 also includes a ceiling panel 181, an opposing plate 70, and a special compartment-side air outlet 73. The ceiling panel 181 forms the top surface of the special compartment 18. The opposing plate 70 extends opposite the ceiling panel 181 at a predetermined distance, and defines a portion of the special compartment 18. The special compartment air outlet 73 is formed between the ceiling panel 181 and the opposing plate 70, and is intended to supply cool air into the special compartment 18. The special compartment-side air outlet 73 is blocked by a portion of the lid 50 when the rotating shaft 52 is moved along the guide portion 62.

[0047] According to this, by changing the attitude and position of the lid 50, it is possible to change the flow of cool air in the special compartment 18. This improves the versatility of the refrigerator 1 in use.

[0048] The opposing plate 70 has through holes 701 formed through the opposing plate 70 in the thickness direction. This allows cool air to be supplied into the special compartment 18 through the through holes 701. This makes it possible to efficiently maintain an appropriate temperature environment inside the special compartment 18.

[0049] The refrigerator 1 further includes doors 11a and 11b provided at the front of the refrigerator body 10. The doors 11a and 11b are double doors consisting of a right-side refrigerator compartment door 11a and a left-side refrigerator compartment door 11b. The lid 50 can be operated to open and close the opening of the upper container 20 with either the right-side refrigerator compartment door 11a or the left-side refrigerator compartment door 11b open. This allows the lid 50 to be moved with either the right-side refrigerator compartment door 11a or the left-side refrigerator compartment door 11b open, improving the usability of the refrigerator 1.

[0050] In the special compartment 18, a lower container 30 is placed below an upper container 20. The lower container 30 is divided into a left container 31 and a right container 32. The fronts of both the left container 31 and the right container 32 are closed. This allows the multiple containers 20, 31, 32 placed in the special compartment 18 to be used selectively, improving the usability of the refrigerator 1.

[0051] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11 . The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration related to the supply of cool air into the special compartment 18. Specifically, while the first embodiment has a configuration in which the multiple through-holes 701 in the opposing plate 70 are always open, the second embodiment differs in that the multiple through-holes 701 are openable and closable. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 1 includes an opening / closing member 90. The opening / closing member 90 is placed on the opposing plate 70. The opening / closing member 90 is formed, for example, of a substantially rectangular plate-like member. The opening / closing member 90 is biased forward by a biasing member 91. The biasing member 91 is formed, for example, of a coil spring, but is not limited to a coil spring. As shown in FIG. 11( a), for example, when the lid 50 closes the front opening of the upper container 20, the front end of the opening / closing member 90 extends to a position forward of the rear end of the guide portion 62.

[0052] The open / close member 90 has a plurality of through holes 901. The through holes 901 are formed to penetrate the open / close member 90 in the thickness direction and are provided at predetermined intervals along the extension direction of the open / close member 90. The diameter of the through holes 901 is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the through holes 701 of the opposing plate 70. As shown in FIG. 11( a), for example, when the lid 50 closes the opening on the front surface of the upper container 20, the plurality of through holes 901 are positioned so as not to overlap with the through holes 701 of the opposing plate 70.

[0053] When the lid 50 closes the opening on the front surface of the upper container 20, the through-holes 701 of the opposing plate 70 are covered from above by the opening / closing member 90. In other words, when the lid 50 closes the opening on the front surface of the upper container 20, the cool air supplied from the upper outlet 431a cannot pass through the through-holes 701 of the opposing plate 70. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the lid 50 closes the opening on the front surface of the upper container 20, the cool air supplied from the upper outlet 431a is supplied into the upper container 20 only from the special room outlet 73, as shown by the black arrow D in FIG. 11(a).

[0054] When the lid 50 is switched from the use state to the storage state, as the lid 50 moves rearward along the guide portion 62, the opening / closing member 90 is pushed by the top wall 502 of the lid 50, and the opening / closing member 90 moves rearward. Furthermore, when the lid 50 is in the storage state, the through-hole 901 of the opening / closing member 90 is set to overlap in the vertical direction with the through-hole 701 of the opposing plate 70, as shown in FIG. 11(b). Therefore, when the lid 50 is in the storage state, the through-hole 701 of the opposing plate 70 is in an open state. In other words, when the lid 50 is moved along the guide portion 62, the opening / closing member 90 comes into contact with the lid 50 and is pushed rearward, thereby opening the through-hole 701 of the opposing plate 70. When the lid 50 is in the stored state, the cool air supplied from the upper outlet 431a passes through the through-hole 901 of the opening / closing member 90 and the through-hole 701 of the opposing plate 70, as shown by the black arrow E in Figure 11(b), and is supplied into the upper container 20. In this way, the supply path of the cool air into the upper container 20 can be switched depending on the usage status of the lid 50.

[0055] According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved. Furthermore, when the lid 50 covers the opening of the upper container 20, the introduction of cold air into the special compartment 18 through the through-hole 701 is suppressed, while when the lid 50 is stored, cold air can be supplied into the special compartment 18 through the through-hole 701. This makes it possible to effectively switch the introduction of cold air into the special compartment 18 depending on the usage status of the lid 50.

[0056] The above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1...refrigerator, 18...special compartment (storage compartment), 10...refrigerator body, 20...upper container (container), 50...lid, 52...rotating shaft, 62...bearing part

Claims

1. a refrigerator body having a storage compartment therein capable of storing items; a container provided in the storage chamber and having an open front surface; a lid having a rotation shaft and rotating about the rotation shaft as the container moves forward to open and close the opening of the container; a bearing portion that rotatably receives the rotation shaft while restricting movement of the rotation shaft in the front-rear direction, When the user operates the lid, the posture or position of the pivot shaft relative to the bearing portion becomes a predetermined relationship, and the restriction of the pivot shaft by the bearing portion on the movement of the pivot shaft in the forward and backward directions is released. refrigerator.

2. a guide portion connected to the bearing portion and extending rearward, the guide portion guiding the rotation shaft when the attitude or position of the rotation shaft relative to the bearing portion is in the predetermined relationship; The cover further includes an engagement portion that is inserted into the guide portion when the rotation shaft is moved along the guide portion. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. a ceiling board that forms the top surface of the storage room; an opposing plate extending opposite the ceiling plate at a predetermined interval and partitioning a part of the storage chamber; a storage chamber side outlet formed between the ceiling plate and the opposing plate for supplying cool air into the storage chamber, the storage chamber side outlet is blocked by a part of the lid when the rotation shaft is moved along the guide portion; The refrigerator according to claim 2.

4. The opposing plate has a through hole formed through the opposing plate in a thickness direction. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

5. The opening and closing member is placed on the opposing plate and contacts the lid and is pushed rearward when the lid is moved along the guide portion, thereby opening the through hole. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

6. The refrigerator further includes a door provided at the front of the refrigerator body, The door is a double door consisting of a right door and a left door, The lid can be operated to open and close the opening of the container with either the right door or the left door open. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

7. The storage chamber has a lower container disposed below the container, The lower container is divided into a left container and a right container, The left and right containers are both closed at the front. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

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