Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator improved in design while reducing a burden in assembling work.SOLUTION: The refrigerator includes a plurality of drawer doors. The upper surface parts of the plurality of drawer doors are respectively provided with handhold parts to be held by a user. The handle portion is formed by a groove portion formed by recessing the upper surface portion downward, and the groove portion has a front wall portion and a rear wall portion. Each of the plurality of drawer doors is provided with either a first handhold part in which a front wall part extends to a height of an upper part of a rear wall part or a second handhold part in which the front wall part is lower than the rear wall part as a handhold part. Among the drawer doors positioned above the lowermost stage of the plurality of drawer doors, the drawer door having the longest length dimension in the vertical direction has a second handhold part, and the drawer door having the shortest length dimension in the vertical direction has a first handhold part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A refrigerator has multiple storage compartments arranged vertically and multiple doors for opening and closing each storage compartment. Refrigerators are relatively large among home appliances and, as such, are conspicuous in the room in which they are installed. In recent years, users have become more conscious of the design of home appliances, and refrigerators have been developed that are not only user-friendly but also have ingenious designs, especially for doors that are easily visible to users. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-231974 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In particular, it is desirable for the front and rear positions to be aligned when doors are fitted together. Therefore, efforts are being made to improve the manufacturing precision of each door part and adjust the position during assembly. However, even within the range of manufacturing tolerances, misalignment of the front and rear positions may be noticeable to some users. In this case, there is a limit to how much manufacturing precision can be controlled, and adjustments during assembly may become an excessive burden.

[0005] Therefore, a refrigerator with improved design is provided while reducing the burden of assembly work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A refrigerator according to an embodiment includes a first door and another door disposed adjacent to and below the first door. The first door has, on a lower surface thereof, a first surface portion and a first recessed portion disposed forward of the first surface portion and recessed toward a vertical center of the first door. The other door has, on an upper surface thereof facing the lower surface portion, a second surface portion facing the first surface portion and a second recessed portion disposed forward of the second surface portion and recessed toward a vertical center of the other door. The rear end of the first recessed portion and the rear end of the second recessed portion are located on a single imaginary straight line extending in the vertical direction in a side view. The front end of the first surface portion and the front end of the second surface portion are located at different positions in the front-to-rear direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an appearance of an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a right side view showing an appearance of an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment taken along line II in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of an ice-making compartment door and a small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a right side view showing the appearance of a vegetable compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial side view showing a configuration near the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a further enlarged partial side view of the area within circle II in FIG. 6 for the example of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial side view of the area within circle III in FIG. 5 in the example of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] A diagram equivalent to Figure 8 showing a conventional refrigerator [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a partial side view (corresponding to FIG. 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration of the vicinity of the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a partial side view (corresponding to FIG. 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration of the vicinity of the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a partial side view (corresponding to FIG. 7) showing an enlarged view of the configuration of the vicinity of the joint between the vegetable compartment door and the small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a plan view (corresponding to FIG. 4) showing an outline of the configuration of an ice-making compartment door and a small freezer compartment door in an example of a refrigerator according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, refrigerators according to a plurality of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that substantially the same components in the respective embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0009] (First embodiment) First, a refrigerator 10 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9. Fig. 1 is a front view of the refrigerator 10. Fig. 2 is a right side view of the refrigerator 10. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 10 is configured to have multiple storage compartments inside a housing 11 that is a vertically long rectangular box with an open front. In the following description, the open side of the housing 11 will be referred to as the front side of the refrigerator 10, and the side opposite the opening will be referred to as the rear side of the refrigerator 10. Furthermore, the up-down direction of the refrigerator 10 is the vertical direction relative to the direction of gravity when the refrigerator 10 is placed on the floor in the orientation shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the left-right direction when the refrigerator 10 in Fig. 1 is viewed from the front will be referred to as the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

[0010] 1 and 2, refrigerator 10 is mainly composed of housing 11. Housing 11 is a rectangular box with an open front and thermal insulation. In this case, although not shown in detail, housing 11 is composed of, for example, a resin inner box and a metal outer box with a thermal insulating material provided between them.

[0011] Fig. 3 is a longitudinal right side view of refrigerator 10. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, housing 11 has a plurality of storage compartments for storing stored items, such as refrigerator compartment 12, vegetable compartment 13, ice making compartment 14, small freezer compartment 15, and freezer compartment 16. Refrigerator compartment 12 and vegetable compartment 13 are storage compartments in the refrigerator temperature range. Ice making compartment 14, small freezer compartment 15, and freezer compartment 16 are storage compartments in the freezer temperature range. Note that the internal configuration of housing 11 is not shown in Fig. 3.

[0012] In this embodiment, refrigerator compartment 12 is located at the top of housing 11. Vegetable compartment 13 is located below refrigerator compartment 12. Ice making compartment 14 and small freezer compartment 15 are located below vegetable compartment 13, side by side. Freezer compartment 16 is located below ice making compartment 14 and small freezer compartment 15, i.e., at the bottom of housing 11.

[0013] The refrigerator 10 is equipped with a left refrigerator compartment door 21, a right refrigerator compartment door 22, a vegetable compartment door 23, an ice maker compartment door 24, a small freezer compartment door 25, and a freezer compartment door 26. The left refrigerator compartment door 21 and the right refrigerator compartment door 22 are, for example, hinged double doors that open and close the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. The width of the left refrigerator compartment door 21 and the right refrigerator compartment door 22 may be the same or different. In this embodiment, the right refrigerator compartment door 22 is configured to be wider than the left refrigerator compartment door 21.

[0014] 1 to 3, refrigerator 10 is equipped with left hinge 191 and right hinge 192. Hinges 191, 192 are provided above and below the opening of refrigerator compartment 12, respectively, and rotatably support refrigerator compartment doors 21, 22. Vegetable compartment door 23, ice making compartment door 24, small freezer compartment door 25, and freezer compartment door 26 are all drawer-type doors that are connected to containers not shown in detail and open and close the front openings of vegetable compartment 13, ice making compartment 14, small freezer compartment 15, and freezer compartment 16, respectively.

[0015] 1 to 5, etc., doors 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 each have a door body 221, 231, 241, 251, 261, frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, 262, and plate members 223, 233, 243, 253, 263. In addition, left-side refrigerator compartment door 21 also has a door body, frame member, and plate member 223 (not shown).

[0016] The door body of door 22 (not shown) and each of door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261 are each formed in a roughly rectangular shape and constitute the main body of each of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. The frame portion of door 21 (not shown) and frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262 are formed in a frame shape and form the top, bottom, left, and right surfaces of each of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. Heat insulating members (not shown in detail) are arranged inside the door body of door 21 (not shown) and each of door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261 and frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262. The plate members 213, 223, 233, 243, 253, and 263 are formed in a generally rectangular plate shape and are attached to the frame portion of the door 21 (not shown) and the front surfaces of the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262, respectively.

[0017] The door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261 and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262 can be made of, for example, metal or resin materials. In this embodiment, the door bodies 221, 231, 241, 251, and 261 and the frame members 222, 232, 242, 252, and 262 are made of resin materials. Furthermore, the plate members 223, 223, 233, 243, 253, and 263 are made of, for example, glass plates. In other embodiments, the plate members 223, 223, 233, 243, 253, and 263 may be made of, for example, decorative panels made of synthetic resin or the like.

[0018] The doors 21, 21, 23, 24, 25, and 26 have lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a and upper surface portions 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b, respectively. The lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a form the lower surfaces of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. The upper surface portions 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b form the upper surfaces of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the bottom surfaces 21a, 22a of refrigerator compartment doors 21, 22 and the top surface 23b of vegetable compartment door 23 form surfaces that face each other. The bottom surface 23a of vegetable compartment door 23 and the top surfaces 24b, 25b of ice making compartment door 24 or small freezer compartment door 25 form surfaces that face each other. The bottom surfaces 24a, 25a of ice making compartment door 24 or small freezer compartment door 25 and the top surface 26b of freezer compartment door 26 form surfaces that face each other.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, at least one pair of two doors arranged vertically among the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 has a pair of recessed portions formed facing each other on the lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, and 25a and the upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b facing each other.

[0021] In this embodiment, the recessed portions are formed in the front portions of the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a and the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b, by recessing toward the center in the up-down direction of each door 23, 24, 25, 26. The recessed portions are realized as, for example, recessed portions 30 or groove portions 40. The recessed portions 30 are provided opposite the groove portions 40 and widen the insertion path of the user's fingers into the groove portions 40, making the insertion easier. The groove portions 40 are provided opposite or not opposite the recessed portions 30 to receive the user's fingers. The front wall portions 41 of the groove portions 40 can be grasped and operated by the user when pulling out or inserting each door 23, 24, 25, 26.

[0022] In this embodiment, the recesses 30 are formed in the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a. The grooves 40 are formed in the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b. The recesses 30 formed in the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a are referred to as recesses 303, 304, and 305, respectively. The grooves 40 formed in the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b may be referred to as grooves 404, 405, and 406, respectively. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the recesses 303, 304, and 305, they may be collectively referred to as recesses 30. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the grooves 404, 405, and 406, they may be collectively referred to as grooves 40.

[0023] Furthermore, at least one pair of two doors aligned vertically among the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 has a first surface portion 50 and a second surface portion 60 formed facing each other on the lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and the upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b. In this embodiment, the first surface portion 50 is provided on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a, and the second surface portion 60 is provided on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b.

[0024] The first surfaces 50 provided on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, and 25a are referred to as first surfaces 503, 504, and 505, respectively. The second surfaces 60 provided on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, and 26b are referred to as 604, 605, and 606, respectively. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the first surfaces 503, 504, and 505, they may be collectively referred to as first surfaces 50. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the second surfaces 604, 605, and 606, they may be collectively referred to as second surfaces 60.

[0025] The surface portions 50, 60 are located behind the recessed portions, i.e., the depressions 30 or grooves 40, on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a and the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b, respectively, and form a generally horizontal surface. The first surface portion 50 and the second surface portion 60 form surfaces that are generally parallel to each other. On the opposing lower surface portions 24a, 25a, 26a and upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b of two doors aligned vertically among the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, the recessed portions 30, 40 and the surface portions 50, 60 are arranged facing each other, respectively.

[0026] In this embodiment, the recessed portions 30 and grooves 40 provided in the frame members 232, 242, 252, and 262 of the vegetable compartment door 23, the ice compartment door 24, the small freezer compartment door 25, and the freezer compartment door 26 are formed across the entire width of each door 23, 24, 25, and 26 in the left-right direction. FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the ice compartment door 24 and the small freezer compartment door 25. That is, the recessed portions 30 and grooves 40 provided in the vegetable compartment door 23, the ice compartment door 24, the small freezer compartment door 25, and the freezer compartment door 26 expose their internal spaces toward the outside in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. When a user observes the refrigerator 10 from the left or right side, the recessed portions 30 and grooves 40 provided in the vegetable compartment door 23, the ice compartment door 24, the small freezer compartment door 25, and the freezer compartment door 26 are visible.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the frame member (not shown) of refrigerator compartment door 21 and the frame member 222 of refrigerator compartment door 22 each have a groove 80. Groove 80 is formed by recessing a portion of the lower surface 21a, 22a of each door 21, 22 upward. A user can place their hand in groove 80 when rotating each door 21, 22 around hinges 191, 192 to open or close it. Groove 80 is provided in the center of the refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction, spanning a portion of the left-right width of each door 21, 22. Therefore, the space inside groove 80 provided in refrigerator compartment door 21, 22 is not exposed to the outside in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

[0028] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the frame member 232 of the vegetable compartment door 23 has a groove 90. The groove 90 is formed by recessing a portion of the upper surface 23b of the vegetable compartment door 23 downward. The groove 90 has a front wall 91, a rear wall 92, and a bottom 93. The groove 90 is formed across the entire width of the vegetable compartment door 23 in the left-right direction. In other words, the groove 90 exposes the internal space toward the outside in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. On the upper surface 23b of the vegetable compartment door 23, a surface 94 forming a horizontal surface is formed behind the rear wall 92.

[0029] The configuration of the recessed portion 30, the groove portion 40, and the surface portions 50 and 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area where the bottom surface portion 23a of the vegetable compartment door 23 and the top surface portion 25b of the small freezer compartment door 25 meet. FIG. 7 is a further enlarged view of the area inside circle II in FIG. 6. The recessed portion 30 opens forward and downward toward the opposing recessed portion 30, and has a wall portion 31. That is, the user can see the interior of the recessed portion 30 from the front. The wall portion 31 forms the inner surface of the recessed portion 30. The depth of the recessed portion 30 is set to increase toward the opposing groove portion 40. For example, in the case of the vegetable compartment door 23, the wall portion 31 is formed so that it is positioned further rearward as it extends downward. In this embodiment, the cross section of the wall portion 31 is formed to have a curved surface. For example, in this embodiment, the cross section of the wall portion 31 is formed to have a generally elliptical arc shape. In other embodiments, the wall 31 may be formed in a straight line with an angled cross section.

[0030] The groove 40 has a cross section formed in a U-shaped groove recessed downward. The groove 40 has a front wall 41, a rear wall 42, and a bottom 43. The front wall 41 forms the front surface of the groove 40. The rear wall 42 forms the rear surface of the groove 40. The bottom 43 forms the bottom surface of the groove shape of the groove 40 and connects the front wall 41 and the rear wall 42 to each other. The front wall 41 forms a surface that extends generally parallel to the door bodies 241, 251, and 261, i.e., a surface that is generally perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, or forms an inclined surface that slopes rearward as it approaches the bottom 43. In this embodiment, the front wall 41 forms an inclined surface that slopes slightly rearward as it approaches the bottom 43. The rear wall 42 forms an inclined surface that slopes slightly forward as it approaches the bottom 43. The rear wall portion 42 may form a surface that extends parallel to the door bodies 241, 251, 261, that is, a surface that is approximately perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0031] The front wall 41 overlaps in the front-to-rear direction with at least a portion of the space inside the groove 40. That is, the height position of the tip 411 of the front wall 41 is set to be the same as the height position of each of the face portions 50, 60, or to a position closer to the bottom 43 than the height position of each of the face portions 50, 60, i.e., lower in this case. Therefore, when a user looks at the front wall 41 from the front, at least a portion of the groove 40 is not visible.

[0032] In this embodiment, the height position of the tip 411 of the front wall 41 is set to be the same as the height position of the second surface 60. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the tip 411 of the front wall 41 is located on an imaginary line L2 extending in the front-to-rear direction on the same plane as the second surface 60. Therefore, the inside of the groove 40 of the small freezer door 25 cannot be seen in a front view. The same is true for the grooves 40 of the ice-making compartment door 24 and the freezer door 26. Note that, as shown in FIG. 5, the height position of the tip 911 of the front wall 91 of the groove 90 of the vegetable compartment door 23 is set lower than the height position of the surface 94. Therefore, a portion of the upper part of the rear wall 92 of the groove 90 is visible in a front view.

[0033] The pair of opposing recessed portions 30, 40 that are visible at least in a side view are set so that the rear end portions are positioned in the same front-to-rear direction. In this case, "set to be the same" means that they are the same by design, and includes a deviation of, for example, about ±2 mm forward or backward within the range of manufacturing tolerances.

[0034] In each of the doors 23, 24, and 25, a ridge 32 is provided between the wall 31 of the recess 30 and the first surface 50. The ridge 32 connects the rear end of the wall 31 and the front end of the first surface 50. The ridge 32 forms a curved surface that is convex toward the front and away from the vertical center of each of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26. In this embodiment, the ridge 32 forms a curved surface that is convex toward the downward and forward direction. A first curvature change point P1 is located at the rear end of the wall 31. That is, at the boundary between the recess 30 and the ridge 32, i.e., at the rear end of the wall 31, the contour line of the lower surface 23a, 24a, and 25a in a side view changes from an upward convex curve or straight line to a downward convex curve. In this embodiment, at the boundary between the recess 30 and the ridge 32, that is, at the rear end of the wall 31, the contour of the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a in side view changes from an upwardly convex curve to a downwardly convex curve.

[0035] In each of the doors 24, 25, and 26, a ridge 44 is provided between the rear wall 42 of the groove 40 and the second surface 60. The ridge 44 connects the rear end of the rear wall 42 to the front end of the second surface 60. The ridge 44 connects the end (in this case the upper end) of the rear wall 42 of each of the doors 24, 25, and 26 to the front end of the second surface 60. The ridge 44 forms a curved surface that is convex toward the front and in a direction away from the center in the vertical direction of each of the doors 24, 25, and 26. In this embodiment, the ridge 44 formed on the upper surface 24b, 25b, and 26b forms a curved surface that is convex toward the top and the front.

[0036] A second curvature change point P2 is located at the opening-side end of the rear wall portion 42. That is, at the boundary between the groove portion 40 and the ridge portion 44 formed in the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b, i.e., at the upper end of the rear wall portion 42, the contour line of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b in side view changes from a downward convex or straight line to an upward convex line. In this embodiment, at the boundary between the groove portion 40 and the ridge portion 44, i.e., at the upper end of the rear wall portion 42, the contour line of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b in side view changes from a straight line to an upward convex curve.

[0037] A pair of opposing recessed portions, for example, a recess 30 and a groove 40 facing each other, are set so that the positions of their rear ends in the front-to-rear direction are aligned. That is, the rear ends of the opposing recess 30 and groove 40 overlap in the vertical direction. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a pair of opposing recess 30 and groove 40 are set so that the position of the first curvature change point P1 and the position of the second curvature change point P2 overlap in the vertical direction. The first curvature change point P1 and the second curvature change point P2 are located on the same imaginary straight line L1 extending in the vertical direction. Note that the same configuration may be adopted even when grooves 40 face each other.

[0038] As a result, the rear end of the recess 30 is positioned on the vertical extension of the rear wall 42 of the opposing groove 40. Therefore, when a user observes the refrigerator 10 from the side, the recess 30 and the groove 40 appear to be aligned, and the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 lined up vertically appear to be neatly aligned, giving a sophisticated impression.

[0039] Furthermore, in at least one pair of opposing lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b, the front-rear direction position of the front end of the first surface portion 50 is set to be different from the front-rear direction position of the front end of the second surface portion 60. In this embodiment, in the combination of lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b in which the recessed portion 30 and the groove portion 40 are visible at least in a side view, the front-rear direction position of the front end of the first surface portion 50 is set to be different from the front-rear direction position of the front end of the second surface portion 60. As a result, even if one or both of the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 arranged vertically are slightly misaligned in the front-rear direction within the range of manufacturing tolerances, the misalignment is less likely to be perceived by the user due to an optical illusion.

[0040] In this embodiment, the front-rear direction position of the second surface portion 60 located on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b is set forward of the front-rear direction position of the first surface portion 50 located on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a. Note that in other embodiments, the front-rear direction position of the first surface portion 50 located on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b may be set rearward of the front-rear direction position of the second surface portion 60 located on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a.

[0041] In at least one pair of opposing lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b, the radius of curvature of ridge portion 32 and the radius of curvature of ridge portion 44 are set to be different. In this embodiment, in the combination of lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a and upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b where recessed portion 30 and groove portion 40 are visible at least in a side view, the first radius of curvature R1 of ridge portion 32 and the second radius of curvature R2 of ridge portion 44 are set to be different. As a result, even if one or both of doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 lined up vertically are slightly misaligned in the front-to-rear direction within the range of manufacturing tolerances, the misalignment is difficult to perceive due to an optical illusion.

[0042] In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portions 44 located on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b is set to be larger than the radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portions 32 located on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a. For example, the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portions 44 can be set within a range of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm. The radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portions 32 can be set within a range of 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm. In other embodiments, the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portions 44 located on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b can be set to be smaller than the radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portions 32 located on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, in each of the drawer-type doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, the position of the upper end surface of each of the plate members 233, 243, 253, and 263 is set lower than the position of the upper surface portions 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b. Furthermore, in each of the doors 24, 25, and 26, the height position of the upper end surface of each of the plate members 243, 253, and 263 can be set between the upper end and the lower end of the ridge portion 44 or below the ridge portion 44. In this embodiment, in each of the doors 24, 25, and 26, the height position of the upper end surface of each of the plate members 243, 253, and 263 is set between the upper end and the lower end of the ridge portion 44. At least a part of the rear portion of the upper end surface of each of the plate members 233, 243, 253, and 263 of each of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 is covered from above by the front end portions of the frame members 232, 242, 252, and 262.

[0044] In this embodiment, the vertical cross-sectional shapes of the recessed portion 30 and the groove portion 40 are designed to be generally constant from the right end to the left end of each of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26. That is, in a plan view, the rear wall portion 42 of the groove portion 40 and the rear end portion of the recessed portion 30 form a straight line extending in the left-right direction. That is, the depth of the recessed portion 30 and the depth of the groove portion 40 are each set to be constant in the left-right direction.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the edge portion 32 and the radius of curvature R2 of the edge portion 44 are designed to be approximately constant from the right end to the left end of each of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26.

[0046] Next, the design processing applied to at least one of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 will be described. In this embodiment, the design processing is applied to at least the vegetable compartment door 23. In this case, the door 23 is subjected to so-called hot stamping, although details are not shown. Hot stamping, also known as foil stamping, is a technique in which foil is applied to a processed surface and then heated and pressurized to adhere and fix the foil to the processed surface for decoration. The foil is formed, for example, by vapor-depositing metal onto a thin resin film, and can impart a metallic luster to the processed surface. Therefore, when light hits the hot-stamped surface, the light is reflected, creating a luxurious effect. For example, the foil can be attached to the processed surface using a silicone roller.

[0047] Fig. 8 is an enlarged right side view showing the configuration inside circle III in Fig. 5 of vegetable compartment door 23. Vegetable compartment door 23 has a front surface portion 100, multiple (in this case two) curved surface portions 101, 102, and a top portion 103 at the front end portion (in this case tip portion 911) of the upper end portion of frame member 232. Of the two curved surface portions 101, 102, the curved surface portion located at the front is referred to as the first curved surface portion 101, and the curved surface portion located at the rear is referred to as the second curved surface portion 102.

[0048] The front surface portion 100 forms the front surface of the tip portion 911. The first curved surface portion 101 forms an upwardly convex curved surface, and connects the upper end of the front surface portion 100 to the front end of the second curved surface portion 102. The second curved surface portion 102 forms an upwardly convex curved surface, and connects the rear end of the first curved surface portion 101 to the front end of the apex portion 103. The apex portion 103 forms the upper end surface of the tip portion 911. In this embodiment, the apex portion 103 forms a horizontal surface.

[0049] The front surface 100 is generally perpendicular to the front-rear direction and forms a surface that slopes forward as it goes downward. In other embodiments, the front surface 100 may form a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The front surface 100 is located above the upper end of the plate member 233 and is exposed to the outside, in this case, towards the front of the refrigerator 10. The front surface 100 can be subjected to a design process. In this embodiment, the front surface 100 is subjected to a hot stamping process, although the details are not shown.

[0050] The radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface portion 101 is set to be larger than the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface portion 102. For example, the radius of curvature R3 can be set within a range of 20 times or less the radius of curvature R4. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface portion 101 is set to 2.0 mm, and the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface portion 102 is set to 0.2 mm. In other embodiments, the radius of curvature R3 of the first curved surface portion 101 can be set within a range of 0.2 mm to 2.0 mm. Furthermore, the radius of curvature R4 of the second curved surface portion 102 can be set within a range of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm.

[0051] 9, a step 200 may be provided between the upper end of the front surface 100 and the top 103, connecting the two in a stepped manner. In this case, the design may become linear and flat, and the light reflected by the hot-stamped front surface 100 may not spread to the top 103, potentially limiting the benefits of the light effect. Furthermore, depending on the location of the joint in the mold for the frame member 232, the hot-stamped foil may become caught in the burrs that appear at the joint, or the edges of the foil may become wavy rather than straight.

[0052] According to this embodiment, when door 23 is observed from above, the gloss due to the hot stamping of front surface portion 100, that is, the light reflected by front surface portion 100, is further diffused by the surface of first curved surface portion 101 having a large radius of curvature, thereby creating an even more luxurious design for refrigerator 10. Furthermore, when foil is attached with a silicone roller in the hot stamping process, the presence of first curved surface portion 101 and second curved surface portion 102 neatly finishes the edges of the foil, thereby preventing the foil from getting caught in burrs or the edges of the foil from becoming wavy.

[0053] A similar configuration in which multiple stages of curvature are set at the tip portions may be employed for the upper surface portions 21b, 22b, 24b, 25b, and 26b of the doors 21, 22, 24, 25, and 26. A similar configuration may also be employed for the lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a of the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. In particular, similar effects are achieved when it is assumed that the user will look down on the upper surface portions 21b, 22b, 24b, 25b, and 26b from above, or look up at the lower surface portions 21a, 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a from below.

[0054] Furthermore, the above configuration can be applied to any member that can be hot stamped, not just the doors 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25. For example, in the case of refrigerator 10, it can be applied to various resin members such as a container for the chilled compartment provided in refrigerator compartment 12, the frame of the shelf, pockets provided on the interior sides of refrigerator compartment doors 21 and 22, and a duct installed on the back surface of refrigerator compartment 12.

[0055] According to the present embodiment described above, the refrigerator 10 includes first doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and other doors 23, 24, 25, 26 arranged adjacent to and below the first doors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. The first doors 23, 24, 25 have, on their lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, first surface portions 50 and recessed portions 30 as first recessed portions that are provided forward of the first surface portions 50 and are recessed toward the center of the first doors 23, 24, 25 in the up-down direction. The other doors 24, 25, 26 have upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b facing the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, and each have a second surface 60 facing the first surface 50, and a groove 40 as a second recessed portion located forward of the second surface 60 and recessed toward the center of the other door 24, 25, 26 in the vertical direction. The rear end of the first recessed portion and the rear end of the second recessed portion are located on a single imaginary straight line L1 extending in the vertical direction in a side view. The position of the front end of the first surface 50 and the position of the front end of the second surface 60 are set to be different in the front-to-rear direction.

[0056] That is, the rear ends of a pair of opposing recessed portions 30, 40 of vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, 26 overlap in the vertical direction, but the pair of opposing surface portions 50, 60 are not designed symmetrically. As a result, even if the front-to-back positions of vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, 26 are slightly misaligned within the manufacturing tolerance range, the misalignment is difficult for a user to notice, and the alignment of doors 23, 24, 25, 26 appears to be aligned. This improves the aesthetic appearance of refrigerator 10. Furthermore, the burden of assembling doors 23, 24, 25, 26 during the manufacturing process is reduced, and the yield rate of refrigerators 10 is improved, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, one door 23, 24, 25 has a ridge portion 32 as a first ridge portion between a recessed portion 30 as a first concave portion and a first surface portion 50. The other doors 24, 25, 26 have a ridge portion 44 as a second ridge portion between a groove portion 40 as a second concave portion and a second surface portion 60 as a second surface portion. The ridge portions 32 and 44 each form a curved surface that is convex toward the front. The first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 32 is set to be different from the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 44.

[0058] That is, the opposing ridges 32 and 44 have different radii of curvature R1 and R2, which results in an asymmetric design of the pair of opposing surfaces 50 and 60. This maintains a sense of unity in the design as a whole, and also makes it more difficult to notice slight misalignments in the front and rear positions of the upper and lower doors 23, 24, 25, and 26.

[0059] Either the first concave portion or the second concave portion is a recess 30 that opens forward. The other of the first concave portion or the second concave portion is a groove 40 that has a front wall 41 that covers at least a portion of the first concave portion or the second concave portion in a front view.

[0060] According to this, grooves 40 into which fingers can be inserted and on which a user can place their fingers are provided on the upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b or the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, 26a of the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, respectively. Furthermore, recesses 30 are provided on the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, which are arranged facing each other, at positions facing the grooves 40. This ensures that when a user pulls out or pushes in the doors 23, 24, 25, 26, the recesses 30 ensure a wide path for the fingers, making it easier to insert the hand into the grooves 40. Furthermore, the presence of the front walls 41 makes it easier for the user to operate the doors 23, 24, 25, 26.

[0061] Here, when operating the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 of the storage compartments 13, 14, 15, 16 that are located from the center to the bottom in the vertical direction of the refrigerator 10, the user will have to reach out from above. Therefore, if the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 are designed to be operated from the bottom, there is a risk that the operating burden on the user will increase.

[0062] In contrast to this, according to this embodiment, the first recessed portion is a depression 30 that is provided in the lower surface 23a, 24a, 25a of one of the doors 23, 24, 25 and opens forward. The second recessed portion is a groove 40 that is provided in the upper surface 24b, 25b, 26b of the other doors 24, 25, 26 and has a front wall 41 that covers at least a part of the second recessed portion in a front view.

[0063] As a result, the portions that receive user operation are provided on the upper surfaces 23b, 24b, 25b, and 26b, rather than on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26. This makes it easier for users to open and close the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, improving user convenience.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the position of the front end of the second surface 60 is set further rearward than the position of the front end of the first surface 50. In other words, it can be expressed as if the corners of the ridge 44 between the second surface 60 and the groove 40 are cut away more than the corners of the ridge 32 between the first surface 50 and the recess 30.

[0065] When operating each of the doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, the user inserts his or her fingers into the groove 40 from the recess 30 side, that is, from above in this case, to grasp the front wall 41. Therefore, compared to when the ridge 44 is relatively angular, the user's fingers are less likely to come into contact with the groove 40 and feel uncomfortable.

[0066] According to this embodiment, the height position of the second surface portion 60 is set to be the same as or higher than the height position of the tip end portion 411 of the front wall portion 41.

[0067] Here, the closer the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a of the upper doors 23, 24, 25 are to the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, 26, the more effective the heat insulation between the doors. Therefore, by making the height of the first surface portion 50 of the lower doors 24, 25, 26 equal to or greater than the height of the tip end portion 411 of the front wall portion 41, the heat insulation effect can be improved.

[0068] More specifically, the height position of the second surface portion 60 is set to be the same as the height position of the tip end portion 411 of the front wall portion 41.

[0069] By making the height position of the second surface portion 60 of the lower doors 24, 25, 26 the same as the height of the tip portion 411 of the front wall portion 41, the appearance of the refrigerator 10 when viewed from the front side or the side side can be made neater, giving a more sophisticated impression.

[0070] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In this embodiment, in a set of doors 23, 24, 25, 26 aligned in the vertical direction, a slope is formed on either or both of the following: between the recessed portions formed on the lower surfaces 23a, 24a, 25a of the upper doors 23, 24, 25 and the first surface 50; or between the recessed portions formed on the upper surfaces 24b, 25b, 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, 26 and the second surface 60. In this case, the slope is inclined so as to approach the center of each door 23, 24, 25, 26 in the vertical direction as it extends forward.

[0071] In this embodiment, a sloped surface 70 is formed between the groove 40 formed in the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b of the lower doors 24, 25, 26 and the second surface portion 60. The sloped surface 70 forms a surface that becomes lower toward the front, and connects the upper end of the rear wall portion 42 of the groove 40, i.e., the portion corresponding to the second curvature change point P2 in the first embodiment, to the front end of the second surface portion 60.

[0072] According to this embodiment, one of the first doors 23, 24, 25 and the other doors 24, 25, 26 (in this case the first doors 23, 24, 25) has a ridge portion 32 which is a curved surface that convex forward and connects the recessed portion 30 as the first recessed portion and the first surface portion 50, or the grooved portion 40 as the second recessed portion and the second surface portion 60. The other of the first doors 23, 24, 25 and the other doors 24, 25, 26 (in this case the doors 24, 25, 26) has a sloped portion 70 which connects the recessed portion 30 as the first recessed portion and the first surface portion 50, or the grooved portion 40 as the second recessed portion and the second surface portion 60.

[0073] That is, in this embodiment, by forming a sloped surface 70 on one of the doors 24, 25, 26, the design of the joints between the upper and lower doors 23, 24, 25, 26 is asymmetrical in the vertical direction. As a result, even if there is a slight misalignment in the front-to-back positions of the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 within the range of manufacturing tolerances, the front-to-back positions as a whole appear to be aligned. Therefore, the same effects as those of the above embodiment are achieved.

[0074] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. In this embodiment, either or both of the first radius of curvature R1 of ridge portion 32 and the second radius of curvature R2 of ridge portion 44 vary in the left-right direction of refrigerator 10. In this case, the difference between first radius of curvature R1 and second radius of curvature R2 is set to be larger toward the left-right ends of refrigerator 10 and smaller toward the center.

[0075] In this embodiment, the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 44 varies in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10. Specifically, the second radius of curvature R2 is set to be larger toward the outer side in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10 and smaller toward the center. The first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 32 does not vary in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

[0076] That is, according to this embodiment, the difference between the first radius of curvature R1 of ridge portion 32 as the first ridge portion and the second radius of curvature R2 of ridge portion 44 as the second ridge portion is set to be larger on the outside in the left-right direction of refrigerator 10 than on the center in the left-right direction of refrigerator 10.

[0077] According to this, the degree of asymmetry in the design of the vertically aligned doors 23, 24, 25, 26 increases toward the outer side of the refrigerator 10, which is directly visible to the user. This further enhances the above-mentioned effects.

[0078] In other embodiments, the first radius of curvature R1 of the edge 32 of the doors 23, 24, 25 may be set to be smaller on the outer side in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10 than at the center in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

[0079] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. In each of the above embodiments, the first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 44 of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b is set to be larger than the second radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 32 of the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a, but in this embodiment, the first radius of curvature R1 of the ridge portion 44 of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, 26b is set to be smaller than the radius of curvature R2 of the ridge portion 32 of the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, 25a.

[0080] In this case too, the first curvature change point P1', which is the connection point between the recess portion 30 and the ridge portion 32, and the second curvature change point P2', which is the connection point between the groove portion 40 and the ridge portion 44, are located on the same imaginary straight line L1' extending in the vertical direction.

[0081] This also makes it difficult for a user to notice the misalignment even if the front-to-back positions of doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 aligned vertically are slightly misaligned within the manufacturing tolerance range, and doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 appear aligned, improving the aesthetic appearance of refrigerator 10. Furthermore, this reduces the workload of assembling doors 23, 24, 25, and 26 in the manufacturing process and improves the yield rate of refrigerators 10, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0082] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In this embodiment, the shape of the vertical cross section of the recessed portion of the doors 23, 24, 25, 26 changes along the left-right direction of the refrigerator 10.

[0083] FIG. 13 shows a plan view of ice-making compartment door 24 and small freezer compartment door 25. In this case, the depth of groove 40 is shallower near the outer sides of refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction and deeper toward the center in the left-right direction. In other words, rear wall 42 is located further forward near the outer sides of refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction and further rearward near the center in the left-right direction of refrigerator 10. Therefore, rear wall 42 of groove 40 forms an arc in plan view, with the center portion facing rearward and convex. Note that in this case, the position of front wall 41 of groove 40 is set to be basically the same across the width of refrigerator 10 in the left-right direction.

[0084] Although not shown in detail, the depth of recessed portion 30 is also shallower near the outer sides in the left-right direction of refrigerator 10 and deeper toward the center in the left-right direction. In other words, the rear end of recessed portion 30 is located further forward near the outer sides in the left-right direction of refrigerator 10 and further rearward in the center in the left-right direction of refrigerator 10. Therefore, the rear end of recessed portion 30 forms an arc in a plan view, with the center portion facing rearward and convex.

[0085] According to the present embodiment described above, the depth in the front-to-rear direction of the recessed portions 30 and groove portions 40 as concave portions is set to be shallower toward the outer sides in the left-to-right direction of the refrigerator 10 and deeper toward the center.

[0086] Here, since it is considered that a user will normally operate roughly the center of doors 23, 24, 25, and 26, increasing the depth of central recess 30 and groove 40 makes it easier for the user to insert their fingers. This improves user operability. Also, when refrigerator 10 is viewed from the side, the depth of groove 40 is not too large, so the refrigerator has a neat appearance and gives a sophisticated impression.

[0087] In the above-described embodiments, the recesses 30 are provided on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b, and the grooves 40 are provided on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a. However, this is not limiting. In other embodiments, the grooves 40 may be provided on the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b, and the recesses 30 may be provided on the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a. In still other embodiments, the grooves 40 may be provided on both the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b and the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a. In this case, for example, the height of the tip of the front wall portion 41 of the groove 40 provided on at least one of the upper surface portions 24b, 25b, and 26b or the lower surface portions 23a, 24a, and 25a can be set closer to the bottom 43 than the surface portions 50 and 60. This makes it easier for the user to insert their fingers into the grooves 40, even if the grooves 40 are provided facing each other.

[0088] 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. The present embodiments and their modifications are intended to fall within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also intended to fall within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the accompanying claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10...refrigerator, 11...refrigerator body, 12...refrigerator compartment, 13...vegetable compartment, 14...ice maker compartment, 15...small freezer compartment, 16...freezer compartment, 21...left refrigerator compartment door (door), 22...right refrigerator compartment door (door), 23...vegetable compartment door (door), 24...ice maker compartment door (door), 25...small freezer compartment door (door), 26...freezer compartment door (door), 21a, 22a, 23a, 2 4a, 25a, 26a...lower surface part, 21b, 22b, 23b, 24b, 25b, 26b...upper surface part, 30...recessed part (concave shaped part), 32...ridge part (first ridge part), 40... Groove (concave shaped part), 41... Front wall, 411... Tip, 43... Rear wall, 44... Ridge (second ridge), 50... First surface, 60... Second surface, 70... Slope

Claims

1. A plurality of drawer doors are provided, and upper surfaces of the plurality of drawer doors are provided with handles on which a user can place their hands. The handle portion is formed by a groove portion formed by recessing the upper surface portion downward, and the groove portion has a front wall portion and a rear wall portion, Each of the plurality of drawer doors is provided with, as the handle portion, either a first handle portion in which the front wall portion extends to the height of an upper portion of the rear wall portion, or a second handle portion in which the front wall portion is lower than the rear wall portion, Among the drawer doors located above the lowest one of the plurality of drawer doors, the drawer door having the longest vertical length dimension has the second handle portion, and the drawer door having the shortest vertical length dimension has the first handle portion. refrigerator.

2. The plurality of drawer doors include: The first door and another door arranged adjacent to and below the one door, the other door having the first handle portion, The one door has, at its lower surface portion, a first surface portion and a first recessed portion provided forward of the first surface portion and recessed upward, The other door has, on an upper surface portion facing the lower surface portion, a second surface portion facing the first surface portion, and a second recessed portion provided forward of the second surface portion and recessed downward, the first door has a first edge portion between the first recessed portion and the first surface portion, the other door has a second edge portion between the second recessed portion and the second surface portion, the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion each form a curved surface that is convex forward, The radius of curvature of the second edge portion is set to be larger than the radius of curvature of the first edge portion. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. One of the one door and the other door has a curved surface that connects the first concave portion and the first surface portion or the second concave portion and the second surface portion and is convex toward the front, The other of the one door and the other door has a sloped surface portion connecting the first concave portion and the first surface portion or the second concave portion and the second surface portion. The refrigerator according to claim 2.

4. The position of the front end of the second surface portion is set rearward of the position of the front end of the first surface portion. The refrigerator according to claim 2.

5. The plurality of drawer doors include: The first door and another door arranged adjacent to and below the one door, the other door having the first handle portion, The one door has, at its lower surface portion, a first surface portion and a first recessed portion provided forward of the first surface portion and recessed upward, The other door has, on an upper surface portion facing the lower surface portion, a second surface portion facing the first surface portion, and a second recessed portion provided forward of the second surface portion and recessed downward, the first door has a first edge portion between the first recessed portion and the first surface portion, the other door has a second edge portion between the second recessed portion and the second surface portion, the first ridge portion and the second ridge portion each form a curved surface that is convex forward, a radius of curvature of the first edge portion is set to be different from a radius of curvature of the second edge portion; a difference between the radius of curvature of the first edge portion and the radius of curvature of the second edge portion is set to be larger at an outer side in the left-right direction of the refrigerator than at a central part in the left-right direction of the refrigerator, The refrigerator according to claim 1.

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