Refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing leakage of defrost water into a storage chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 10 includes a freezing chamber 13, a cooling chamber 27 which is formed on the back side of the freezing chamber 13 and in which air is cooled by an evaporator 26, and a partition part 40 for partitioning the freezing chamber 13 and the cooling chamber 27. The partition 40 includes a partition body 41, a protrusion 42, and a return opening 43. The partition body portion 41 is a plate-shaped member disposed between the freezing chamber 13 and the cooling chamber 27. The protruding portion 42 is a portion that is continuous with the lower end of the partition body portion 41 and protrudes forward. The return opening portion 43 is an opening formed in the protruding portion 42 so that the air returning from the freezing chamber 13 to the cooling chamber 27 returns.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator in which a return port is disposed near an evaporator. [Background technology]

[0002] In a typical refrigerator, a storage compartment is formed inside an insulated box, and a front opening of the storage compartment is closed by an insulated door that can be opened and closed. The insulated box is composed of an outer box made of steel plate, an inner box made of synthetic resin plate placed inside the outer box, and insulating material filled between the outer box and the inner box. A cooling compartment is defined at the back of the storage compartment to cool the air blown into the storage compartment. An evaporator, a blower, and a defrost heater are disposed inside the cooling compartment. The evaporator cools the air inside the cooling compartment. The blower blows the cooled air toward each storage compartment. The defrost heater is disposed below the evaporator inside the cooling compartment and generates heat when energized to melt frost on the evaporator. Each storage compartment of the refrigerator is also formed with a return port through which the air cooled in the storage compartment returns to the cooling compartment. A refrigerator with such a configuration is described, for example, in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-100798 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the refrigerator according to the background art described above has room for improvement in terms of the structure of the return port.

[0005] Specifically, in a typical refrigerator, for example, a cooling compartment is formed at the rear of a freezer compartment, and an evaporator is installed inside the cooling compartment. Furthermore, during operation of the refrigerator, a defrosting process is performed to melt frost formed on the evaporator. In this process, unless some countermeasure is taken, there is a risk that defrosted water generated by the defrosting process may leak into the freezer compartment through the return port.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can prevent defrosted water from leaking into a storage compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator includes a storage compartment, a cooling compartment formed at a rear side of the storage compartment and in which air is cooled by an evaporator, and a partition separating the storage compartment from the cooling compartment, the partition having a compartment main body, a protrusion, and a return opening, the compartment main body being a plate-like member disposed between the storage compartment and the cooling compartment, the protrusion being continuous with a lower end of the compartment main body and protruding forward, and the return opening being an opening formed in the protrusion so that the air returning from the storage compartment to the cooling compartment returns. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the return opening protrudes toward the storage compartment beyond the partition, thereby preventing defrost water generated during a defrosting process from flowing into the storage compartment through the return opening.

[0008] In addition, in the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, a first inclined portion inclined downward toward the rear is formed at an upper end of the return opening. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, even if the defrost water moves downward using the inner surface of the protrusion, the inclined portion prevents the defrost water from moving toward the return opening.

[0009] In addition, the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it has a plurality of guide plates extending toward the storage compartment on the front side of the return opening, and rear ends of the guide plates are disposed forward of the rear surface of the protrusion. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the rear ends of the guide plates can be separated from the ends of the protrusion, and it is possible to prevent defrost water from flowing toward the storage compartment via the guide plates.

[0010] In addition, the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a second inclined portion inclined rearward toward the inside in the width direction is formed at a width direction end of the return opening. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, by forming the second inclined portion at the width direction end of the return opening, it is possible to prevent defrost water from entering the return opening from the width direction end side.

[0011] In the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention, a continuous portion at the rear surface of the partition, where the lower end of the partition main body and the upper end of the protrusion are continuous, has an unrounded corner. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the unrounded corner of the continuous portion improves the drainage of defrost water at the continuous portion, and prevents the defrost water from entering toward the return opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the refrigerator of the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that can prevent defrost water from leaking into the storage compartment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a freezer compartment box of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4A] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a freezer compartment box of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] 1 is a cutaway perspective view showing a freezer compartment box of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a freezer compartment box of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing a compartment main body portion and the like of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is an exploded oblique view showing a compartment and the like of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention from the front. [Figure 8] An exploded oblique view showing the compartments and other parts of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention from the rear. [Figure 9] 1 is a rear view and cross-sectional view showing a compartment of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view showing a compartment of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention and its lower right end portion. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view showing a compartment of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention and its lower left end portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components will be generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, the terms up, down, front, back, left, and right will be used as appropriate, and left and right refer to the left and right when the refrigerator 10 is viewed from the front.

[0015] Here, an example of a storage compartment described in the claims is the freezer compartment described in the embodiment.

[0016] The external configuration of the refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the refrigerator 10.

[0017] Refrigerator 10 is a device that stores food, drinking water, etc. by cooling them to a refrigeration temperature range or a freezing temperature range. Refrigerator 10 mainly comprises an insulated box body 11 and an insulated door 15. Inside insulated box body 11, storage compartments are formed, from top to bottom, as a refrigeration compartment 12, a freezer compartment 13, and a vegetable compartment 14.

[0018] The insulating door 15 includes a first insulating door 151, a second insulating door 152, a third insulating door 153, and a fourth insulating door 154. The first insulating door 151 closes the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12. The second insulating door 152 and the third insulating door 153 close the front opening of the freezer compartment 13. The fourth insulating door 154 closes the front opening of the vegetable compartment 14. The right end of the first insulating door 151 is rotatably connected to the insulating box body 11. The second insulating door 152, the third insulating door 153, and the fourth insulating door 154 are provided so as to be retractable relative to the insulating box body 11. Here, the first insulating door 151 to the fourth insulating door 154 may be rotating doors or retractable doors.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the refrigerator 10. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along the AA cross-section line in Fig. 1. The AA cross-section is a cross-section including the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.

[0020] The insulated box body 11 of the refrigerator 10 is composed of an outer box 19 made of steel plate that forms the exterior shape of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 20 made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 19, and a heat insulating material 25 filled between the outer box 19 and the inner box 20. As the heat insulating material 25, either urethane foam or vacuum heat insulating material or a combination of both is used.

[0021] The inner box 20 has, from above, a refrigerator compartment box 21, a freezer compartment box 22, and a vegetable compartment box 23. The refrigerator compartment 12 is formed inside the refrigerator compartment box 21. The freezer compartment 13 is formed inside the freezer compartment box 22. The vegetable compartment 14 is formed inside the vegetable compartment box 23.

[0022] The first compartment wall 33 is a wall-like portion disposed between the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13. The first compartment wall 33 has a heat insulating material 25 filled between the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment inner box 21 and the top surface of the freezer compartment inner box 22. With this configuration, the first compartment wall 33 insulates the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 from each other.

[0023] The second partition wall 34 is a wall-like portion disposed between the freezer compartment 13 and the vegetable compartment 14. The second partition wall 34 has a heat insulating material 25 disposed between the bottom surface of the freezer compartment inner box 22 and the top surface of the vegetable compartment inner box 23. With this configuration, the second partition wall 34 insulates the freezer compartment 13 from the vegetable compartment 14.

[0024] A return air passage 24 is formed inside second partition wall 34. Return air passage 24 is an air tunnel connecting vegetable compartment 14 and cooling compartment 27. The front end portion of return air passage 24 opens toward vegetable compartment 14, and the rear end portion of return air passage 24 opens toward cooling compartment 27. Air returning from vegetable compartment 14 to cooling compartment 27 circulates through return air passage 24.

[0025] The abutment portion 35 is configured so that the second insulating door 152 and the third insulating door 153 abut against each other. Specifically, the lower end portion of the second insulating door 152 and the upper end portion of the third insulating door 153 abut against the abutment portion 35. The abutment portion 35 is disposed at the front end portion inside the freezer compartment 13. The abutment portion 35 is also disposed at approximately the center in the up-down direction inside the freezer compartment 13. The abutment portion 35 is a substantially rod-shaped member that extends from the left end portion to the right end portion of the freezer compartment inner box 22.

[0026] The cooling compartment 27 is a space formed behind the freezer compartment 13. The cooling compartment 27 and the freezer compartment 13 are separated by a partition 40 made of a resin plate. In the cooling compartment 27, from above, a blower 28, an evaporator 26, and a defrost heater 30 are arranged. The blower 28 blows air cooled by the evaporator 26 inside the cooling compartment 27 to the refrigerator compartment 12, the freezer compartment 13, and the vegetable compartment 14. The defrost heater 30 is a defrosting means arranged below the evaporator 26 inside the cooling compartment 27. The defrost heater 30 is, for example, an electric heater that generates heat when electricity is applied.

[0027] A machine room 16 is defined at the rear of the bottom of the insulating box 11, and a compressor 29 and other components are housed in the machine room 16. Inside the machine room 16, an evaporator tray 18 is located adjacent to the top of the compressor 29. Defrosted water generated by melting frost on the evaporator 26 is transferred to the evaporator tray 18 via a pipe (not shown).

[0028] The evaporator 26 and the compressor 29 are connected to an expansion means and a condenser (not shown) via refrigerant pipes (not shown) to form a refrigeration cycle 37. The compressor 29 compresses low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant vapor to a high-temperature, high-pressure state. The condenser (not shown) exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outside atmosphere, thereby removing heat from the refrigerant and condensing it. The expansion means (not shown) throttles and expands the refrigerant. The evaporator 26 exchanges heat between the air inside the cooling chamber 27 and the refrigerant, thereby cooling the air inside the cooling chamber 27. The refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle 37 is, for example, isobutane (R600a).

[0029] The air duct 111 is an air duct that extends upward from the cooling compartment 27. The air duct 111 is an air duct formed on the rear side of the refrigerator compartment 12, and is formed with multiple air outlets for blowing air into the refrigerator compartment 12. A damper 31 is interposed in the middle of the air duct 111. A control device (not shown) controls the opening and closing of the damper 31 based on the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12. This adjusts the flow of air into the refrigerator compartment 12, and keeps the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12 constant. The connecting air duct 112 is an air duct that connects the rear end of the bottom surface of the refrigerator compartment 12 with the vegetable compartment 14. The connecting air duct 112 is a duct that is embedded in the insulation material 25 on the rear side of the inner box 20.

[0030] The following describes the air flow when cooling each storage compartment in refrigerator 10. First, the air inside cooling compartment 27 blown by blower 28 is sent to refrigerator compartment 12 via air flow path 111. Here, if a chilled compartment is formed inside refrigerator compartment 12, air is supplied to the chilled compartment from air flow path 111. As a result, refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled to a refrigeration temperature range.

[0031] The air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 12 is sent to the vegetable compartment 14 via the connecting air duct 112. The air that has cooled the vegetable compartment 14 is returned to the cooling compartment 27 via the return air duct 24. As a result, the vegetable compartment 14 is cooled to a refrigeration temperature range that is higher than the room temperature of the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0032] A portion of the air blown by blower 28 is also supplied to freezing compartment 13. The air that has cooled freezing compartment 13 returns to cooling compartment 27 via return opening 43 formed at the rear end of the bottom surface of freezing compartment 13. This causes freezing compartment 13 to be cooled to the freezing temperature range.

[0033] The defrosting process using the defrost heater 30 will now be described. As the evaporator 26 cools the air, frost forms on the surface of the evaporator 26. Thick frost impedes heat transfer between the evaporator 26 and the air and further impedes airflow within the cooling chamber 27. Therefore, a calculation control unit (not shown), such as a CPU, executes a defrosting process to melt the frost on the evaporator 26 after a certain period of time has passed or when the cooling efficiency falls below a certain level. In the defrosting process, the calculation control unit stops the compressor 29 and the blower 28 and energizes the defrost heater 30. The defrost heater 30 then generates heat and light, raising the temperature inside the cooling chamber 27 and melting the frost on the evaporator 26. The defrost water generated by the melting of the frost is collected in the evaporator pan 18 via the dew receiver 32 and evaporates in the evaporator pan 18 due to the heat generated by the operation of the compressor 29.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the freezer compartment box 22. As shown in FIG.

[0035] 3, as described above, the freezing chamber 13 is formed inside the freezing chamber inner box 22. Further, at the rear side of the freezing chamber inner box 22, the cooling chamber 27 shown in FIG.

[0036] The rear surface of freezer interior box 22 is composed of, from above, air blow partition 38, partition main body 41, and protrusion 42. Protrusion 42 is formed with guide plate 45 and return opening 43. These members that make up the rear surface of freezer interior box 22 will be described later with reference to Figure 4A and subsequent figures.

[0037] Fig. 4A is a side cross-sectional view showing the freezer compartment box 22. Fig. 4B is a cutaway perspective view showing the freezer compartment box 22.

[0038] 4A and 4B, as described above, freezing compartment 13 and cooling compartment 27 are separated by partition 40. Partition 40 has a partition main body 41, a protrusion 42, and a return opening 43. Furthermore, air blow partition 38 is attached to the upper portion of partition 40. Each member constituting partition 40 is a plate-shaped member made of synthetic resin such as PP (polypropylene).

[0039] The partition 40 is a plate-like member disposed between the freezing compartment 13 and the cooling compartment 27. The partition 40 is essentially a partition plate that separates the freezing compartment 13 and the cooling compartment 27 into front and rear sections. Furthermore, the partition 40 also serves as a support member that supports other members disposed between the freezing compartment 13 and the cooling compartment 27, specifically, the air blower partition 38, the blower 28, etc.

[0040] As will be described later, the air-blowing partition 38 is attached to the front surface of the upper portion of the partition 40. Therefore, the upper portion of the partition main body 41, together with the air-blowing partition 38, separates the freezing compartment 13 from the cooling compartment 27. On the other hand, the lower portion of the partition 40 basically separates the cooling compartment 27 from the freezing compartment 13 only by the partition main body 41. Therefore, during the defrosting process of defrosting the evaporator 26, there is a high risk that defrost water moving downward along the rear surface of the partition main body 41 will flow toward the freezing compartment 13. In this embodiment, the protrusion 42 and its surrounding area have a structure that suppresses the flow of defrost water toward the freezing compartment 13. This configuration will be described later with reference to FIG. 5 and subsequent figures.

[0041] The partition main body 41 is a member that occupies most of the partition 40 and forms a substantially flat surface.

[0042] The protrusion 42 is a portion that protrudes forward from the lower portion of the partition 40 .

[0043] The return opening 43 is an opening formed in the front surface of the protrusion 42 so that air returning from the freezing compartment 13 to the cooling compartment 27 can return. A plurality of guide plate portions 45 are formed in the return opening 43.

[0044] A dew receiving section 32 is disposed in the lower part of the cooling chamber 27 to receive defrost water generated when the evaporator 26 is melted. A light blocking plate 36 is disposed in front of the dew receiving section 32 to block light emitted from the defrost heater 30.

[0045] A sheet 51 is attached to the rear surface of the compartment main body 41. The sheet 51 is a sheet-like member made of PP or the like, with the rear side covered with aluminum foil. The sheet 51 is disposed between the evaporator 26 and the compartment main body 41, and is a member that insulates the two. The lower end of the sheet 51 is disposed above the upper end of the protrusion 42. In other words, the lower end of the sheet 51 is spaced apart from the upper end of the protrusion 42. This configuration makes it possible to prevent defrost water from entering the protrusion 42 and the return opening 43 through the gap between the sheet 51 and the compartment main body 41.

[0046] The air blowing partition 38 is a plate-shaped member that is attached from the front to the upper portion of the partition main body 41. The air blowing partition 38 also serves as a member that covers the fan 28 from the front side.

[0047] Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing key parts of the freezer compartment box 22. The left side of Figure 5 shows the partition 40 and the lower part of the cooling compartment 27. The upper right part of Figure 5 shows the continuous part 47 and its vicinity. The lower right part of Figure 5 shows the first inclined part 44 and its vicinity.

[0048] As described above, the partition 40 has the partition main body 41 which is its upper part, and the protrusion 42 which is its lower part.

[0049] A protrusion 42 protrudes forward from the lower end of the compartment main body 41. By opening the protrusion 42, a return opening 43 is formed. Air returns from the freezing compartment 13 to the cooling compartment 27 via the return opening 43. In this embodiment, the return opening 43 is formed by opening the lower part of the protrusion 42, which protrudes forward beyond the compartment main body 41. With this configuration, the return opening 43 can be separated from the evaporator 26. Therefore, it is possible to prevent defrost water generated by defrosting the evaporator 26 from flowing toward the freezing compartment 13 via the return opening 43. Furthermore, by forming the protrusion 42, the fluidity of the air returning via the return opening 43 can be increased, enabling active heat exchange between the evaporator 26 and the air.

[0050] A plurality of guide plate portions 45 are formed on the front side of the return opening 43, extending toward the freezer compartment 13. A plurality of guide plate portions 45 are formed along the vertical direction. The guide plate portions 45 rectify the return air flowing from the freezer compartment 13 to the cooling compartment 27 via the guide plate portions 45. The upper and lower surfaces of the guide plate portions 45 are surfaces that are approximately parallel to the horizontal plane. This configuration makes it possible to prevent defrost water from entering the freezer compartment 13 via the upper surfaces of the guide plate portions 45, etc.

[0051] Here, the rear end of the guide plate portion 45 is disposed forward of the rear surface of the protrusion portion 42. That is, a gap is formed between the rear end of the guide plate portion 45 and the protrusion portion 42. In this manner, the rear end of the guide plate portion 45 can be separated from the lower end of the protrusion portion 42. Therefore, even if defrost water adheres to the rear surface of the protrusion portion 42, the defrost water will not reach the guide plate portion 45. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the defrost water from flowing out toward the freezer compartment 13 via the guide plate portion 45.

[0052] Referring to the upper right portion of FIG. 5 , the rear surface of the partition 40 has a continuous portion 47 where the lower end of the partition body 41 and the upper end of the protruding portion 42 are connected, which is an unrounded corner. When forming corners in typical resin molded products, the corners are rounded to improve moldability and to improve safety during manufacturing and use. However, if the continuous portion 47 of the partition 40 is rounded, defrost water adhering to the rear surface of the partition body 41 flows through the rounded continuous portion 47 toward the protruding portion 42. As a result, there is a risk of defrost water leaking through the protruding portion 42 toward the freezer compartment 13. In this embodiment, the continuous portion 47 is not rounded. That is, the continuous portion 47 is a sharp corner where the rear surface of the partition 40 and the rear surface of the protruding portion 42 intersect. In this way, even if the defrost water that has flowed down the rear surface of the partition main body 41 reaches the continuous portion 47, the surface tension acting on the defrost water causes the defrost water to drip downward in the continuous portion 47. Therefore, the defrost water is prevented from flowing down the rear surface of the partition 40 toward the protruding portion 42.

[0053] Referring to the lower right portion of FIG. 5 , a first inclined portion 44 is formed at the boundary between the upper end of the return opening 43 and the protruding portion 42. Specifically, the lower end of the protruding portion 42 forms the first inclined portion 44, which slopes downward toward the rear. The first inclined portion 44 protrudes rearward and downward from the rear surface of the protruding portion 42. The first inclined portion 44 also protrudes downward beyond the lower surface of the uppermost guide plate portion 45. This allows the distance L10 between the lower end of the first inclined portion 44 and the rear end of the guide plate portion 45 to be further increased. Therefore, even if defrost water moves downward along the rear surface of the protruding portion 42, the defrost water flows down the rear surface of the first inclined portion 44, drips downward from the rear lower end of the first inclined portion 44, and is stored in the dew receiving portion 32 shown in FIG. 5 . Therefore, the first inclined portion 44 can prevent defrost water from moving toward the return opening 43. As will be described later, the first inclined portion 44 is formed across the entire width of the return opening 43 .

[0054] Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the partitions 40 and the like of the refrigerator 10. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the partitions 40 and the like from the front. Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the partitions 40 and the like from the rear.

[0055] 6 to 8, the partition 40 is fitted with a second air outlet section 49, a sheet 51, and a dew receiving section 32. The second air outlet section 49 and the first air outlet section 48 are formed in front of the air blowing partition 38. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7, the sheet 51 is attached to the rear surface of the partition 40. The dew receiving section 32 is disposed below the partition 40.

[0056] 7 and 8, as described above, the partition 40 has a partition main body 41, a protrusion 42, and a return opening 43. The blower 28 is attached to the upper portion of the partition 40. The upper surface of the partition 40 is further opened to form an air-blowing opening 50. The air-blowing opening 50 is an opening for blowing a portion of the air blown by the blower 28 into the refrigerator compartment 12.

[0057] The air blowing partition 38 is a member that covers the upper portion of the partition 40 from the front. The air blowing partition 38 has a first air outlet section 48 and a second air outlet section 49. The first air outlet section 48 is an air outlet that is formed near the lower end of the air blowing partition 38 and protrudes forward. The first air outlet section 48 is formed across the entire width of the air blowing partition 38. The second air outlet sections 49 are air outlets that are formed near the upper end of the air blowing partition 38, at both the left end and the right end. A portion of the air blown by the blower 28 is blown into the freezer compartment 13 described above via the first air outlet section 48 and the second air outlet section 49.

[0058] As described above, the sheet 51 is a member that is attached to the rear surface of the partition main body 41. As shown in Fig. 8, the sheet 51 covers the rear surface of the partition main body 41, a portion where the protrusion 42 is not formed.

[0059] The dew receiving portion 32 is a generally funnel-shaped member disposed below the partition portion 40. Defrost water generated when the evaporator 26 is defrosted is temporarily stored in the dew receiving portion 32. Thereafter, the defrost water is transferred to the evaporating dish 18 shown in FIG. 2 .

[0060] The first inclined portion 44 and the second inclined portion 46 formed around the protrusion 42 will be described with reference to Figures 9, 10, and 11. Figure 9 is a rear view of the partition 40 as seen from behind. Because Figure 9 is a rear view, the left and right sides in Figure 9 are reversed. In Figure 9, the entire partition 40 is shown in the upper part, a cross section of the right inclined portion 461 is shown in the lower right part, and a cross section of the left inclined portion 462 is shown in the lower left part. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the right inclined portion 461 of the partition 40 and its surrounding area. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the left inclined portion 462 of the partition 40 and its surrounding area.

[0061] 9, a protrusion 42 is formed at the bottom of the partition 40. As described above, the protrusion 42 is a portion that protrudes forward, and a return opening 43 is formed inside the protrusion 42. The return opening 43 is defined by a guide plate 45.

[0062] A first inclined portion 44 and a second inclined portion 46 are formed around the return opening 43. The second inclined portion 46 has a right inclined portion 461 and a left inclined portion 462. Here, the first inclined portion 44 is formed along the upper edge of the return opening 43. The right inclined portion 461 is formed along the right edge, which is the widthwise end, of the return opening 43. The left inclined portion 462 is formed along the left edge, which is the widthwise end, of the return opening 43. That is, the first inclined portion 44, the right inclined portion 461, and the left inclined portion 462 are formed at the boundary between the protrusion 42 and the return opening 43. With this configuration, the first inclined portion 44, the right inclined portion 461, and the left inclined portion 462 prevent defrost water generated during the defrosting process from entering the return opening 43. Therefore, the defrost water is prevented from entering the freezer compartment 13 through the return opening 43.

[0063] The cross section of the first inclined portion 44 is detailed as described with reference to Fig. 5. The first inclined portion 44 is formed on the upper side of the return opening 43, extending from the right end to the left end.

[0064] The right inclined portion 461 is formed on the right side of the return opening 43, extending from the upper end to near the lower end. The upper end of the right inclined portion 461 is continuous with the right end of the first inclined portion 44. Referring to the lower left diagram of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the right inclined portion 461 has an inclined surface that slopes rearward toward the left, which is the inner side in the width direction. With this configuration, the corner of the left rear end of the right inclined portion 461 is an acute angle. Therefore, defrost water attempting to enter the return opening 43 from the right side can be made to flow downward at the corner of the right inclined portion 461 due to the principle of surface tension. Therefore, the right inclined portion 461 can suppress the movement of defrost water toward the return opening 43.

[0065] The left inclined portion 462 has a configuration similar to that of the right inclined portion 461. Specifically, the left inclined portion 462 is formed on the left side of the return opening 43, from the upper end to near the lower end. The upper end of the left inclined portion 462 is continuous with the left end of the first inclined portion 44. Referring to the lower right diagram of FIG. 9 and FIG. 11, the left inclined portion 462 has an inclined surface that slopes rearward toward the right, which is the inner side in the width direction. With this configuration, the corner of the right rear end of the left inclined portion 462 is an acute angle. Therefore, defrost water attempting to enter the return opening 43 from the left side can flow downward at the corner of the left inclined portion 462 due to the principle of surface tension. As a result, the left inclined portion 462 can suppress the movement of defrost water toward the return opening 43.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10. Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 111 Air duct 112 Connection air duct 12 Refrigerator 13 Freezer 14 Vegetable compartment 15 Insulated Door 151 First Insulated Door 152 Second Insulated Door 153 Third Insulated Door 154 4th Insulated Door 16 Machine room 18 Evaporating dish 19 Outer box 20 Inner box 21 Refrigerated Indoor Box 22 Freezer Indoor Box 23 Vegetable storage box 24 Return Air Path 25 Insulation 26 Evaporator 27 Cooling room 28 Blower 29 Compressor 30 Defrost heater 31 Damper 32 Dew receiving part 33 First Compartment Wall 34 Second Compartment Wall 35 Contact part 36 Shade 37 Refrigeration Cycle 38 Ventilation compartment 40 Compartment 41 Compartment body 42 Protrusion 43 Return opening 44 1st slope part 45 Guide plate 46 2nd slope part 461 Right slope 462 Left slope 47 Continuous Section 48 1st outlet part 49 2nd outlet part 50 Ventilation opening 51 seats

Claims

1. A storage room and a cooling chamber formed at the rear side of the storage chamber in which air is cooled by an evaporator; a partition that separates the storage chamber and the cooling chamber, The partition has a partition body, a protrusion, and a return opening; the partition body is a plate-like member disposed between the storage chamber and the cooling chamber, The protruding portion is a portion that is continuous with the lower end of the partition main body portion and protrudes forward, The return opening is an opening formed in the protrusion so that the air returning from the storage compartment to the cooling compartment can return therethrough.

2. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a first inclined portion inclined downward toward the rear is formed at an upper end of the return opening.

3. a plurality of guide plate portions extending toward the storage chamber on the front side of the return opening, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a rear end of the guide plate portion is disposed forward of a rear surface of the protrusion portion.

4. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a second inclined portion inclined rearward toward the inside in the width direction is formed at an end portion in the width direction of the return opening.

5. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a continuous portion at the rear surface of the partition where the lower end of the partition body and the upper end of the protrusion are continuous is a corner that does not have a rounded edge.

Images