refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator in which the amount of foam insulation material filled is reduced while ensuring the strength of the box body. [Solution] The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a box body having vacuum insulation material and foam insulation material filled by foaming in place between an outer box and an inner box, and on the top surface of the box body, behind the interior light of the inner box, there is a central area where the foam insulation material is not located on part of the underside of the vacuum insulation material, and the interior light, which is arranged on the top surface and located below the vacuum insulation material, straddles the vacuum insulation material in a front area forward of the central area, and the cord pulled out from the interior light on the top surface of the box body is pulled out from vertically below the vacuum insulation material and passes through a lateral area outside the vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material, in an area where the foam insulation material or intervening member is arranged.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] To meet the needs for space saving and large capacity, refrigerator technology is known that reduces the wall thickness and increases the internal volume. A refrigerator's energy-saving performance is mainly achieved by using two insulation materials in combination: vacuum insulation and foam insulation. Recently, refrigerators have been proposed that improve the coverage and thickness of the vacuum insulation, which has excellent insulation performance, and reduce the thickness of the foam insulation. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator in which the area of ​​the back insulation wall free of foam insulation is wider than the area of ​​the side insulation wall free of foam insulation (Claim 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6023941 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional refrigerator technologies for reducing the amount of foam insulation filling, such as Patent Document 1, are designed only for the back surface of the insulated box, and not for the side, top, or bottom surfaces of the insulated box. Therefore, the inventors have focused on the fact that by identifying areas where the foam insulation has little effect on the strength of the refrigerator, it is possible to reduce the amount of foam insulation filling even in these areas of the box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the refrigerator of the present invention comprises a box body having vacuum insulation material and foam insulation material filled by foaming in place between an outer box and an inner box, and on the top surface of the box body, behind the interior light of the inner box, a central area is located where the foam insulation material is not located on a part of the underside of the vacuum insulation material, and the interior light, which is arranged on the top surface and located below the vacuum insulation material, straddles the vacuum insulation material in a front area forward of the central area, and the cord pulled out from the interior light on the top surface of the box body is pulled out from vertically below the vacuum insulation material and passes through a lateral area outside the vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material, in an area where the foam insulation material or an intervening member is arranged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a heat-insulating box body in the refrigerator. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the analysis of the filling points required for strength depending on the amount of foam insulation filling. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] A top view of the refrigerator. [Figure 6] AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B-B in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC line in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] DD cross-sectional view of Figure 5. [Figure 10] A front view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing the vicinity of the interior light on the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment viewed from above, excluding the outer box, inner box, and vacuum insulation material. [Figure 13] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment as viewed from the front. [Figure 14]This is a plan view of the ceiling of a refrigerator compartment viewed from above, showing the vacuum insulation material, the interior light, and the wiring for the interior light through the view. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a heat-insulating partition that separates the lower freezer compartment from the vegetable compartment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the insulating partition section viewed from above. [Figure 17] 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow AA in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B--B in FIG. 16; [Figure 19] 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in FIG. 16. [Figure 20] 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows DD in FIG. 16. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heat insulating partition section as viewed from below. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the insulating partition section, viewed from above, with the upper case removed. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the dashed line portion F in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a ceiling part in a second embodiment. [Figure 25] Schematic cross-sectional view of a thermal insulation structure. [Figure 26] An illustration showing how the strength of the shelves is ensured. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

[0008] A refrigerator according to Example 1 will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a refrigerator 1.

[0009] <Basic structure of a refrigerator> As shown in FIG. 1 , refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment has storage compartments arranged in the following order from top to bottom: refrigerator compartment 2, ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6. Refrigerator 1 is equipped with doors that open and close the openings of each storage compartment. These doors are left and right rotating refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b that open and close the opening of refrigerator compartment 2, and drawer-type ice-making compartment door 3a, upper freezer compartment door 4a, lower freezer compartment door 5a, and vegetable compartment door 6a that open and close the openings of ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6, respectively. While this embodiment will be described using a refrigerator with six doors as an example, the present invention is not limited to six-door refrigerators. Each drawer-type door is provided with a storage container and a door-side rail extending forward and backward, which can slide, for example, on a rail on inner box 8 of refrigerator 1.

[0010] Refrigerator compartment 2 is a refrigerated storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of about 4°C. Ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5 are refrigerated storage compartments whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of about -18°C. Vegetable compartment 6 is a refrigerated storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of about 6°C, and is a refrigerated storage compartment that prevents food from drying out through indirect cooling.

[0011] The shelf ribs 13 arranged on both sides of the refrigerator compartment 2 have their front ends located away from the front end of the refrigerator 1 and extend rearward from there. Shelves on which food can be placed are placed on the shelf ribs 13, and in this embodiment, multiple shelves are lined up one above the other.

[0012] A cooler that cools the interior of each storage compartment is disposed behind the lower freezer compartment 5. Although not shown, the cooler, compressor, condenser, and capillary tube are connected to form a refrigeration cycle. A blower is disposed above the cooler to circulate the cold air cooled by the cooler, and an outlet is formed downstream of the blower to discharge the cold air into the storage compartment. Note that there may be multiple coolers, and their location is not limited to behind the lower freezer compartment 5, and they may also be disposed behind the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0013] Rail 21 is connected to a door-side rail (not shown) connected to the drawer-type door and supports the door. A container capable of storing food is attached to the door or the door-side rail and moves together with the door.

[0014] <Basic structure of the insulated box> Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the insulated box of the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the insulated box has a box-like shape and is made up of a top, bottom, both side surfaces, and a back surface, with the front surface being open. The insulated box also includes a metal outer box 7 (not shown in Fig. 2) and a synthetic resin inner box 8. The internal space of the insulated box formed by the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 is filled with foam insulation material 9 such as rigid urethane foam by a so-called foam-in-place method, thereby insulating the storage compartment from the outside.

[0015] The outer box 7 is configured in a box shape with a top panel and left and right side panels formed by bending a thin steel plate into a gate shape, a back panel made of a separate material, and a bottom panel made of a separate material. On the other hand, the inner box 8 is formed in a box shape by molding a synthetic resin plate. The top panel and the left and right side panels may be separate pieces.

[0016] The refrigerator compartment 2 is separated from the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper freezer compartment 4 by a heat-insulating partition 10 arranged as a substantially horizontal surface. The lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 are separated by a heat-insulating partition 11 arranged as a substantially horizontal surface. These heat-insulating partitions are provided in the sections that separate the storage compartments of different temperature ranges, and serve to prevent the refrigerator temperature compartment from becoming too cold due to the cold air from the freezer temperature compartment.

[0017] Furthermore, in addition to the foam insulation material 9, vacuum insulation material 12 (not shown in FIG. 2) with a lower thermal conductivity than the foam insulation material 9 is installed between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8, thereby improving insulation performance without reducing the food storage capacity. Here, to ensure gas barrier properties, the vacuum insulation material 12 is constructed by wrapping a core material such as glass wool in an outer packaging material formed of a metal layer such as aluminum. The vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the inner wall surfaces of the outer box 7, i.e., the inner wall surfaces of the top panel, side panels, back panel, and bottom panel, using adhesive such as double-sided tape or hot melt on part or all of the vacuum insulation material 12.

[0018] Although foamed-in-place foam insulation 9 has inferior thermal conductivity to vacuum insulation 12, its adhesive strength allows the inner box 8 and outer box 7 to be integrated, making it useful for improving the strength of the insulated box. The method for injecting the urethane insulation material that becomes foam insulation 9 when foaming in place is to place the refrigerator 1 face down so that its back is facing vertically upward, and inject the material into the space between the inner box 8 and outer box 7 through, for example, four injection ports provided on the back of the outer box 7 of the refrigerator 1. The injected urethane insulation material drips into the front end of the side of the insulated box, where it begins to foam, runs up the side, and wraps around to the back, filling and solidifying.

[0019] In other words, the foam insulation material 9 is basically injected and foamed between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, and is fixed to the inner box 8 to ensure the strength of the refrigerator. However, in this embodiment, the foam insulation material 9 is not filled or only lightly filled in areas that have little impact on strength (partial urethane-free). Specifically, in this embodiment, the urethane flow thickness (the gap between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 12; the flowable thickness) is reduced to, for example, less than 6 mm throughout the entire area or entire periphery of the partially urethane-free area. This allows for intentionally creating areas with no or only a small amount of urethane filling, rather than unintentional urethane non-filling (voids) due to dimensional variations in the vacuum insulation material 12, thereby reducing the amount of urethane insulation material injected throughout the refrigerator 1. The connection between the thick flow thickness area (e.g., areas 8 mm or more) where the foam insulation material 9 is filled and the thin area where the urethane is not or only a small amount is achieved by, for example, tapering the inner box 8 toward the outer box 7, so that the flow thickness changes continuously. This avoids the concentration of stress caused by loads due to sudden changes in rigidity. It also reduces pressure loss in the air duct in areas where cold air flows. On the other hand, for example, if the inner box 8 is connected in a stepped manner, the internal volume of the storage chamber can be maximized and the flow thickness can be secured, reducing the risk of the urethane not being filled at the connection point.

[0020] The material embedded between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 together with the foam insulation material 9 is not limited to the vacuum insulation material 12, but may be any material with a thermal conductivity λ lower than that of the foam insulation material 9. For example, the vacuum insulation material 12 described in each embodiment may be replaced with a thermal insulation structure 30 as shown in FIG. 25. The thermal insulation structure 30 comprises a first plate 31a and a second plate 31b, each made of a stainless steel plate, PCM steel plate, glass plate, or the like, with a thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 mm, stacked together to form an internal space 32. The outer peripheries of the first plate 31a and the second plate 31b are joined by welding, adhesive, or the like to form a joint 33. A plurality of spherical spacer members 34 made of glass, ceramic, or the like are disposed in the internal space 32, and the height of the internal space 32 is approximately 2 to 5 mm. The internal space 32 is evacuated through an exhaust port 35 provided in either the first plate 31a or the second plate 31b and sealed with a cap 36. In this way, by creating a vacuum atmosphere in the internal space 32 of the heat insulating structure 30, the thermal conductivity λ can be made smaller than that of the foamed heat insulating material 9.

[0021] <Partially urethane-free overview> Figure 3 is a diagram showing the filling points necessary for strength, based on an analysis. Foam insulation material 9 is filled and solidified in the insulated space formed by inner box 8, outer box 7, or vacuum insulation material 12, etc., to ensure the strength of the refrigerator, but it does not contribute equally to the structure in all spaces. Figure 3 shows the results of determining the urethane parts that contribute to the rigidity required of the refrigerator using an optimization technique based on the density method. As a prerequisite for the refrigerator to function, a condition is imposed in which a load is applied to the shelves placed on shelf ribs 13 and rails 21 that support the drawer-type storage containers.

[0022] Based on the result of filling the entire insulation space, the diagram shows the most effective urethane injection space when urethane is injected at 10%, 30%, and 70% (from left to right). The spaces that require less filling are mainly the front end (opening) of the side wall and the center of the front and rear, and it is shown that these areas contribute significantly to rigidity. As the filling volume increases, the filling expands from near the front opening to the rear and connects to the center of the side wall. However, it does not expand to the rear of the side wall or the bottom, top, and back unless the filling volume increases, indicating that the urethane's contribution to rigidity in these insulation spaces is small. Even in the center of the side wall, it can be seen that the area above the top shelf rib 13 and below the bottom rail 21 also contributes relatively little.

[0023] The reason why the front edge of the side is important is that refrigerator 1 is roughly rectangular parallelepiped and has an opening on the front, so it is necessary to ensure rigidity on the sides that form the open surface, especially the long sides. The need for rigidity on the shorter sides (front edges of the top and bottom) is relatively low. Also, if the refrigerator is equipped with hinge parts 22 that support the revolving door, it is necessary to fill urethane near hinge parts 22 as well to increase rigidity. Therefore, it is preferable to fill the entire top and bottom areas of the front edge of the side with urethane.

[0024] The front opening, i.e., the front end of the insulated box, particularly along the long sides extending vertically, and the areas where the shelf ribs 13 and rails 21 are located in the center of the front and rear sides, also contribute significantly to the strength of these areas. The reason these areas are important in terms of strength is that the rigidity near the shelf ribs 13 and rails 21 on the sides, which support the weight of food placed on shelves or in containers, is necessary to support the food load. In this regard, if there are other areas that support the shelves, the amount of urethane in these areas can be reduced. For example, if the shelf support is located somewhere on the back, this can be replaced by filling more urethane in the area that supports the shelf on the back instead of the side.

[0025] Based on the analysis results, the flow thickness of the foam insulation material 9 at the front end of the insulated box (refrigerator 1) of this embodiment, the shelf ribs 13, and rails 21 of the side wall were increased. Specifically, the front end of the side wall is provided with foam insulation material 9 (front end insulation material 91) that is filled with a large flow thickness across the entire top and bottom of the refrigerator 1. Figure 3 shows the position of the front end insulation material, denoted by the symbol 91'. This allows the front end, which is important for strength, to be filled with foam insulation material 9 while omitting to fill the rear end of the side wall with foam insulation material 9. Regarding the side wall, the area from the front end to a position a predetermined distance rearward is referred to as the front end side (opening side), and the area from this point rearward is referred to as the rear end side. The flow thickness at the front end side is greater than that at the rear end side. The boundary between the front end and rear end may vary depending on the vertical position of the side wall, but is, for example, at the rear end of the front end insulation material 91 or further rearward.

[0026] Specifically, as illustrated on the left side of Fig. 2, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, a portion of the side surface, an area 81 above the top shelf rib 13, and an area 84 below the bottom rail 21, have a reduced flow thickness and are not filled or only lightly filled with foam insulation 9. In addition, an area 82 extending from the top shelf rib 13 to the bottom rail 21, which is a front-to-back range from the front end insulation material 91 to the shelf rib 13 or rail 21, and an area 83 sandwiched between the shelf ribs 13 or rail 21 on the top and bottom, may also have a reduced flow thickness and be not filled or only lightly filled with foam insulation 9. Note that although the front end of area 83 is depicted in Fig. 2 as being rearward of the center between the shelf rib 13 or rail 21 on the front and back, it may also extend to the front end of the shelf rib 13 or rail 21.

[0027] The boundary between the front end side and the rear end side can be considered as follows, for example, in the case of the refrigerator 1 having the shelf ribs 13 / rails 21 as in this embodiment.

[0028] First, the vertical position at which the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 is provided can be in front of the front end of the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 or in the center of the front-to-back dimension of the shelf rib 13 / rail 21. Providing the position in front of the front end of the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 is preferable because it reduces the flow thickness in areas that have little impact on strength (areas other than the front end of the side surface, shelf rib 13, and rail 21). However, with a foam-in-place method in which urethane concentrate is injected from an injection port on the back of the refrigerator 1, the foaming path from the front end of the side surface to the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 is likely to be blocked, and voids are likely to occur in the shelf rib 13 / rail 21. In light of this, in this embodiment, the flow thickness of region 82 is made as large as that of the front-end insulation material.

[0029] On the other hand, if the center of the front-to-rear dimension of the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 is used as the boundary, the amount of urethane filling cannot be reduced forward of this point, but it is relatively easy to fill the shelf rib 13 / rail 21, which has a large impact on strength, with the foam insulation material 9. For this reason, for example, the flow thickness of region 83 may be reduced.

[0030] Second, the vertical range above the top shelf rib 13 / below the bottom rail 21 can be at or behind the rear end of the front end insulation material described above. In this embodiment, above the top shelf rib 13, a region 81 with reduced flow thickness is provided from the rear end of the front end insulation material 91 to approximately the rear end of the side surface. The rear end position of region 81 is not particularly limited. Further, below the lowest rail 21, a rectangular region 84 with a reduced flow thickness is provided near the rear end of the front end insulation material. The rear end of region 84 may be located further rearward than shown in FIG.

[0031] It is preferable that the regions 81-84 overlap the vacuum heat insulating material 12 in a front view of the side surface, and are located inside the edge of the vacuum heat insulating material 12.

[0032] Next, in the case of a refrigerator that does not have shelf ribs 13 and rails 21, the boundary between the front and rear ends can be, for example, at 1 / 3 or 1 / 2 of the front-to-back dimension from the front end to the back of the inner box.

[0033] Thus, on the side of refrigerator 1, the ratio of the area filled with foam insulation 9 with a larger flow thickness to the sum of the area filled with foam insulation 9 with a larger flow thickness (for example, the area where front end insulation 91 is provided) and the area filled with foam insulation 9 with a smaller flow thickness and not filled or with a small amount of flow thickness is higher on the front end side of the side than on the rear end side of the side. In FIG. 2, on the left side, the flow thickness can be reduced in each of areas 81-84, and the flow thickness is increased in the remaining areas. In this embodiment, the flow thickness is reduced in areas 81 and 84, and increased in the remaining areas. The right side can be configured in the same way as the left side.

[0034] In this way, the side of refrigerator 1 is provided with front end insulation material 91, and the projected surfaces of shelf ribs 13 and rails 21 are also filled with foam insulation material 9 (food-supporting insulation material) with a large urethane flow thickness. By filling at least the projected surfaces of shelf ribs 13 and rails 21 with foam insulation material 9, the important areas that can withstand the food load can be secured.

[0035] To foam food support insulation in place, for example, the urethane flow thickness can be increased over the entire area from the top shelf rib 13 to the bottom rail 21, so that the foam insulation 9 is filled in. Alternatively, the flow thickness can be reduced in the area sandwiched between the shelf ribs 13 and the rails 21, as in area 83, so that the foam insulation is not filled or is filled only lightly. This example uses the former. In the latter case, the food support insulation will be in a state of being eaten away, so to speak.

[0036] In the front-to-back direction of the side of refrigerator 1, foam insulation 9 may be filled between the front-end insulation and the food-support insulation, connecting them. Alternatively, the flow thickness may be reduced (e.g., by reducing the flow thickness in part or all of region 82) to leave no or only a small amount of foam insulation 9 in the space. Filling the space between front-end insulation 91 and the food-support insulation (e.g., region 82) with foam insulation 9 facilitates filling the food-support insulation in a foam-in-place process. By leaving no or only a small amount of foam insulation 9 in the space, the amount of urethane used can be reduced while minimizing the impact on the strength (rigidity) of refrigerator 1. When reducing the flow thickness in part of region 82, creating multiple regions with small flow thickness spaced apart above and below also ensures that regions with large flow thickness are also secured. This allows foam insulation 9 to flow easily through these regions, making it easier for the foam insulation 9 to be filled toward the rear. In other words, this is preferable because it prevents voids from forming in the area that would otherwise be food-support insulation.

[0037] Furthermore, if a separate component with higher rigidity than the solidified foam insulation 9 is attached to the area to be the food-supporting insulation to reinforce it, the need for foam filling in the area to be the food-supporting insulation can be eliminated or reduced. This allows for a reduction in the flow thickness of the entire area between the front-end insulation and the food-supporting insulation, such as area 82, and for the entire area overlapping with the shelf rib 13 and rail 21 by further expanding area 83. The shelf rib 13 and rail 21 are important only when considering supporting the food load; the front-end insulation is important for the structural strength of the inner and outer boxes. Therefore, it is acceptable to support the food load with reinforcement rather than foam insulation 9. Figure 26 is an illustration showing how shelf strength can be ensured by providing reinforcement 23 made of a resin or metal part between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation 12.

[0038] The top and bottom surfaces will be described in detail later, but as mentioned above, since the front end contributes more to strength, the flow thickness is made larger at the front end than at the rear end. In this embodiment, the top and bottom surfaces are not provided with shelf ribs or rails, so the boundary can be, for example, 1 / 3 or 1 / 2 of the front-to-rear dimension of the refrigerator 1 from the front end. The front ends of the top and / or bottom surfaces can also be filled with foam insulation 9, and in this case, it can be continuous with the front end insulation 91 on the side surfaces. In this embodiment, the front ends of the top and bottom surfaces are also filled with foam insulation 9, so the flow thickness is large over the entire front end of the insulated box, i.e., the rectangular area.

[0039] One way to reduce the urethane flow thickness is to recess the inner box 8 toward the outer box 7. This allows the internal volume of the storage compartment to be expanded. Because the vacuum insulation material 12 contributes much more to the insulation performance of the refrigerator 1 than the foam insulation material 9, from the perspective of expanding the internal volume and reducing the amount of urethane, it is preferable to reduce the flow thickness in areas where the flow thickness is small to the extent that the foam insulation material 9 is not filled. That is, when reducing the flow thickness in the area where the vacuum insulation material 12 is provided (the distance between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 where there are no structures such as the vacuum insulation material 12), when the vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the inner box 8, the distance between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the outer box 7 as the flow thickness can be, for example, 6 mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less. Furthermore, when the vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the outer box 7, the distance between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 can also be the same. On the other hand, in areas where the flow thickness is large, the distance between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 where there are no structures can be, for example, 8 mm or more, 10 mm or more, 12 mm or more, or 15 mm or more. Also, the flow thickness may be approximately the same as that of the front end insulation material 91.

[0040] From the viewpoint of reducing the weight of urethane, a means of reducing the flow thickness may be achieved by placing some kind of separate part between the inner box 8 and the outer box 7. Also, for example, when forming an unfilled or lightly filled area into a certain shape, it is not necessarily necessary to reduce the flow thickness of the contents of the shape; the flow thickness may be reduced only along the entire edge of the shape (i.e., a closed curve). In this case, the effect of expanding the internal volume is reduced, but the amount of urethane is reduced.

[0041] Additionally, the amount of foam insulation material 9 filled on the top, bottom and back surfaces of the refrigerator 1 is reduced in consideration of supporting and protecting the vacuum insulation material 12. This will be described later.

[0042] <Details of partial urethane-free> Next, the specific structure of each part of the insulated box of refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of inner box 8 of refrigerator 1, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of refrigerator 1 seen from above (however, the vacuum insulation material is seen through). Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 5, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 5, and Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 5.

[0043] <Ceiling> First, the structure of the top surface (ceiling portion) of the insulated box will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, foam insulation material 9 is continuously filled on the front and rear sides of the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling portion. Here, between the underside of the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, foam insulation material 9 is filled only in the front region from the front end to the interior light 14 and in the rear region from the rear end to the end of corner 20 (the rear upper slope connecting the back to the top surface), and foam insulation material 9 is not filled in the central region (between the front region and the rear region).

[0044] Meanwhile, foam insulation material 9 is continuously filled on the left and right sides of vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling portion, as shown in Figures 7 to 9. Here, between the underside of vacuum insulation material 12 and inner box 8, foam insulation material 9 is continuously filled from the left end to the right end in the front region as shown in Figure 7, but foam insulation material 9 is not filled from the left end to the right end in the central region as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0045] In this way, by making the central region (region 85) below the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling section as projected vertically partially urethane-free, the amount of urethane insulation injected can be reduced. Even with a partial urethane-free structure, foam insulation material 9 is present around the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling section (front, back, left, and right sides), and in particular, in the front and rear regions, the foam insulation material 9 supports the end of the vacuum insulation material 12 by gripping it from the bottom to the sides, preventing the vacuum insulation material 12 from falling off and preventing heat bridges. At the same time, by filling at least the area around the interior space 14 located near the urethane-free area with urethane insulation, the fixing strength of the components related to the interior light 14 can be ensured.

[0046] The same effect can be obtained by supporting the vacuum insulation material 12 in a gripping manner with the foam insulation material 9 in the left and right regions, so the gripping is not limited to the front and rear regions.

[0047] The partial urethane-free region (region 85) of the ceiling portion can be provided, for example, within the projection plane of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 and inside the edge of the vacuum heat insulating material 12, as in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9 , the width of the vacuum insulation material 12 disposed on the top surface of the inner box 8 is smaller than the width of the top surface of the inner box 8. Therefore, in the regions 9a between the left and right corners 8a of the top surface of the inner box 8 and the left and right ends of the vacuum insulation material 12, foam insulation material 9 is filled between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8. The thickness of the foam insulation material 9 in this region is equivalent to that of the vacuum insulation material 12. Because the thermal conductivity of the foam insulation material 9 is greater than that of the vacuum insulation material 12, this region has poor insulation performance. If the insulation performance is insufficient, the outer box 7 will be cooled by the refrigerator interior, and condensation will occur on the outer box 7 due to the temperature difference with the air outside the refrigerator, which is undesirable. In the refrigerator of this embodiment, the outer box 7 is prevented from being cooled by the heat of a hot gas pipe (not shown) installed between the outer box 7 and the foam insulation material 9, and the temperature difference between the outer box 7 and the air outside the refrigerator is small, preventing condensation from occurring. In this way, the top surface of the inner box 8 (vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material 12 and region 9a) is made to have a substantially flush shape, so that the internal volume can be expanded in areas other than the projection surface of the vacuum insulation material 12.

[0048] <Opening> Next, regarding the structure of the opening of the insulated box, as described above, the refrigerator 1 is placed with its back surface facing upward, and urethane insulation material is injected through, for example, four injection ports provided on the back surface toward the front of the refrigerator 1, which faces vertically downward. In this embodiment, the flow thickness is large on the front side (opening) of the refrigerator 1 not only across the entire top and bottom areas of the left and right sides, which correspond to the long sides, but also across the entire left and right areas of the top and bottom, which correspond to the short sides. This allows the foam insulation material 9 to be continuously filled around the entire periphery of the opening of the refrigerator 1 (insulated box). In this way, the front end insulation material can be filled.

[0049] <Shelf rib> Next, the structure of the portion of the insulating box where shelf ribs 13 are formed will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. On the side of refrigerator 1 above the top shelf rib 13, a recessed area (area 81) is formed where inner box 8 is recessed toward outer box 7, reducing the flow thickness. The recessed area (area 81) is not provided at the front end of the side (see Figure 7).

[0050] The urethane insulation injected through the injection port at the back of refrigerator 1 is foamed in situ with the back of refrigerator 1 facing vertically upward, as described above. For example, foaming of the urethane insulation begins in the area where the front-end insulation is to be formed, and then the urethane insulation is filled into the area with a larger flow thickness. As a result, foam insulation 9 is filled inside inner box 8 in the area from the top shelf rib 13 to the bottom rail, running up toward the back of refrigerator 1. In this way, food-supporting insulation is filled continuously throughout the entire area, starting from the area of ​​the front-end insulation.

[0051] On the other hand, the flow thickness is small for the side surfaces located above the top shelf rib 13 in FIG. 8 (above when refrigerator 1 is in use) and which do not contribute to supporting shelf ribs 13. In this embodiment, the flow thickness is small enough that the urethane cannot flow, so the urethane insulation does not rise at all from the front end of refrigerator 1.

[0052] <Ceiling panel> Fig. 10 is a diagram of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2 as seen from the front, and Fig. 11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing the vicinity of the interior light 14 on the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2. The interior light 14 is covered by a translucent cover member. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the cover member, but a transparent synthetic resin is preferable.

[0053] At the front of the ceiling, an interior light 14 is attached to the inner box 8, and as shown in Figure 11, foam insulation 9 is filled between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 12 to improve the support strength of the interior light 14. On the other hand, at the rear of the ceiling, the gap between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 is small (for example, less than 1 mm) and the inner box 8 is located high, so there is more space to store food on the top shelf. However, it is better to have even a small gap between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, rather than having them come into contact with each other, as a cushion when a user hits a can or the like against the ceiling.

[0054] In this way, the foam insulation material 9 is not filled in the area where the gap between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 is small, and therefore the inner box 8 is not fixed to the outer box 7 or the vacuum insulation material 12 via the foam insulation material 9. As a result, the inner box 8 sags under its own weight, which is undesirable from an appearance perspective. Therefore, in this embodiment, urethane insulation material is injected and foamed with a synthetic resin ceiling panel 16 attached below the urethane-free portion of the inner box 8, and the ceiling panel 16 forms part of the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0055] <Ceiling panel support structure> The ceiling panel 16 has an inclined surface 16a that extends downward on the front side, and is fastened to this inclined surface 16a by screws 17 from the outside of the inner box 8 to prevent them from falling off, making it difficult for users to see the presence of the screws 17. In addition, the heads of the screws 17 are ultimately covered with the foam insulation material 9, which not only prevents the screws 17 from loosening, but also prevents users from removing the screws 17 or the screws 17 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 12 and causing damage.

[0056] Furthermore, by making the front side of the ceiling panel 16 into an inclined surface 16a, the cold air discharged from the rear of the refrigerator compartment 2 is guided diagonally downward, making it easier to cool food in the door pocket. Also, compared to a step with no incline, this has the advantage of making it easier to put food in and take it out, and the advantage of making it easier for the urethane insulation to flow.

[0057] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the ceiling of refrigeration compartment 2 as viewed from above, excluding outer box 7, inner box 8, and vacuum insulation material 12, and Fig. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ceiling of refrigeration compartment 2 as viewed from the front. As shown in Fig. 12, a claw portion 16b is formed in the center in the left-right direction on the rear side of ceiling panel 16, and is engaged with inner box 8. This claw portion 16b is formed only on a portion of the left-right width of ceiling panel 16, which has a left-right width dimension similar to that of inner box 8, and therefore, the workability of assembling ceiling panel 16 is improved.

[0058] The left and right ends of the ceiling panel 16 are simply placed on ribs (not shown) extending in the front-to-rear direction from the side walls of the inner box 8, and are not constrained in the horizontal direction. In addition, the rear end of the ceiling panel 16 is only constrained in the up-and-down direction by the claws 16b. This prevents the ceiling panel 16 from thermally deforming due to changes in the ambient temperature or from sagging due to the foaming pressure of the foam insulation material 9 received through the inner box 8. Note that as long as either the left or right end or the front or rear end of the ceiling panel 16 is not constrained in the horizontal direction, the ceiling panel 16 may be supported in another manner.

[0059] Additionally, a first rib 16c extending in the front-to-rear direction at the center between the left and right sides and a second rib 16d extending in the front-to-rear direction at the center between the left and right sides are formed on the top surface of the ceiling panel 16, thereby increasing the rigidity of the ceiling panel 16. Note that multiple first ribs 16c and second ribs 16d may be formed. Additionally, multiple reinforcing pieces 16e extending in the left-to-right direction are formed side by side in the front-to-rear direction at both left and right ends of the ceiling panel 16, thereby preventing the ceiling panel 16 from deforming due to the foaming pressure of the foam insulation material 9 filled between the inner box 8 and outer box 7 that form the left and right side surfaces.

[0060] Here, the inner box 8 and the ceiling panel 16 are not glued together, and as shown in FIG. 13, a gap is formed between the inner box 8 and the ceiling panel 16, so that even if the inner box 8 sags to some extent, no load is placed on the ceiling panel 16. The first rib 16c and the second rib 16d also serve to prevent the entire surface of the inner box from coming into contact with the ceiling panel 16, even if the inner box sags. Furthermore, the ceiling panel 16 of this embodiment is molded with 10% or less by mass of glass filler, which reduces warping during molding. The material of the ceiling panel is not limited to synthetic resin, and it may be attached after urethane insulation is injected and foamed.

[0061] <Ceiling wiring> Figure 14 is a plan view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2 seen from above, with the vacuum insulation material 12, the interior light 14, and the wiring (cord 15) for the interior light 14 visible through the plan view. As shown in Figure 14, the cord 15 drawn from the interior light 14 passes along the side of the vacuum insulation material 12 to the rear, then descends along the rear side and is connected to a control board (not shown).

[0062] Here, as shown in FIG. 6 , foam insulation material 9 is not filled between the underside of the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling portion and the inner box 8, except in the front and rear regions. If cord 15 were placed in the portion not filled with foam insulation material 9, when the inner box 8 is pressed down with a jig from the side during foaming of the urethane insulation, the inner box 8 would be pressed against it, leaving marks from cord 15 or the vacuum insulation material 12 could be damaged by cord 15. For this reason, in this embodiment, cord 15 is placed in the portion filled with foam insulation material 9. In other words, wiring below the vacuum insulation material 12 in the vertical projection is limited to the front and rear regions where the foam insulation material 9 is present, and the wiring is continued in the portion of the vacuum insulation material 12 outside the vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material 12 where the foam insulation material 9 is present.

[0063] However, if an intervening member such as a pre-foamed foam is placed between the cord 15 and the inner box 8, or if a space is provided on the inner box 8 side or on the vacuum insulation material 12 side to avoid the cord 15, it is possible to wire the cord 15 even in areas that are not filled with foam insulation material 9.

[0064] <Insulated partition> Next, the heat insulating partition 11 separating the lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 will be specifically described. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the insulating partition 11 separating the lower freezer compartment 5 (freezer temperature range compartment) from the vegetable compartment 6 (refrigerator temperature range compartment). As shown in FIG. 15, the insulating partition 11 is formed by combining an upper case 111 and a lower case 112. The insulating partition 11 further includes, from above, a vacuum insulation material 12 and a heater 113 within the space surrounded by the upper case 111 and the lower case 112. When the foam insulation material 9 is filled into the space between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8, the urethane insulation material is injected through the four injection ports provided on the back side of the insulating box body and flows into the insulating partition 11 through the urethane inlet ports 11a formed on the left and right front sides of the insulating partition 11. The urethane insulation material that flows into the insulating partition 11 flows around the vacuum insulation material 12 and is eventually fixed to the insulating box body together with the upper case 111 and the lower case 112.

[0065] <Upper case> Upper case 111 faces lower freezer compartment 5, and as shown in Fig. 15, has two upper surface recesses 111a on the left and right, which makes it possible to increase the internal volume of lower freezer compartment 5. The front side of upper surface recess 111a has a shallower bottom than the rear side, in correspondence with lower surface recess 112a (see Fig. 21) of lower case 112 and the front side of bent portion 12a (see Fig. 18) of vacuum insulation material 12 located above it. In addition, a bridge portion 111b is formed in the portion sandwiched between the left and right upper surface recesses 111a, and the bridge portion 111b is at the same height as the periphery of upper surface recess 111a.

[0066] Fig. 16 is a plan view of the heat insulating partition 11 as seen from above (the lower freezer compartment 5 side). Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 16, Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 16, Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 16, and Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 16.

[0067] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, a single vacuum heat insulating material 12 having a bent portion 12a is positioned below the upper case 111. The front-to-rear dimension of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is the same as or larger than the front-to-rear dimension of the top surface recess 111a, the left end of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is the same as or to the left of the left end of the left top surface recess 111a, and the right end of the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is the same as or to the right of the right end of the right top surface recess 111a. Here, the gap between the upper case 111 and the vacuum heat insulating material 12 is smaller (for example, less than 6 mm) below the portion where the top surface recess 111a is formed (see Figure 18) than below the bridging portion 111b, which is the portion between the two top surface recesses 111a (see Figure 17). Therefore, the urethane insulation material that flows into the interior of the insulating partition 11 from the urethane inlet 11a cannot flow into the space sandwiched between the portion where the upper surface recess 111a is formed and the vacuum insulation material 12, but flows into the space sandwiched between the portion where the upper surface recess 111a is not formed and the vacuum insulation material 12. In other words, the flow path of the urethane insulation material is as shown by dotted line E in Figure 16, flowing through the gaps that exist below and around each of the upper surface recesses 111a, and eventually hitting the bottom of the bridging portions 111b from the front and back.

[0068] In this way, the foam insulation material is filled from front to back below the bridge portion 111b of the upper case 111 near the center of the insulation partition 11. This reduces deflection of the upper case 111, increasing the rigidity of the insulation partition 11 and suppressing damage to the vacuum insulation material 12. Furthermore, the flow of urethane insulation material flowing in through the urethane inlet 11a is branched into multiple directions by the top surface recess 111a. The branched flows of urethane insulation material collide at some point (the final filling section) within the insulation partition 11, creating a risk of voids. However, by providing the bridge portion 111b, it is possible to create a flow of urethane insulation material flowing toward the front and rear ends below the bridge portion 111b. Because the urethane flowing from the front and rear ends below the bridge portion 111b collide, even if voids are generated, they can be contained within the area of ​​the bridge portion 111b. Furthermore, the vacuum insulation material 12 is present below the bridge portion 111b in a vertical projection. In other words, even if voids occur, the positions at which the voids occur can be limited within the area of ​​the vacuum insulation material 12, thereby minimizing the impact of the voids on the insulation performance of the heat-insulating partition wall. Note that, although this embodiment is configured such that the upper surface recesses 111a are arranged side by side on the left and right and the bridging portions 111b are formed in the front-to-back direction, a configuration in which the upper surface recesses 111a are arranged side by side on the top and bottom and the bridging portions 111b are formed in the left-to-right direction may also be used. Furthermore, the height of the bridging portions 111b is not limited to this embodiment as long as it is formed at least higher than the lower surface of the upper surface recesses 111a to ensure the inflow of urethane.

[0069] 17 and 18, foam insulation material 9 is filled on the front and rear sides of the vacuum insulation material 12, and foam insulation material 9 is also filled on the left and right sides of the vacuum insulation material 12, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. Meanwhile, a portion of the underside of the vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the lower case 112 with double-sided tape (not shown). For this reason, foam insulation material 9 is not generally filled between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the lower case 112. However, as shown in FIG. 20, a relatively large gap is created between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the lower case 112 below the front side of the bent portion 12a of the vacuum insulation material 12, except for the area of ​​the lower surface recess 112a formed on the front side of the lower case 112, so foam insulation material 9 is filled.

[0070] In this way, in this embodiment, the upper and lower surfaces of the vacuum insulation material 12 in the insulating partition 11 are partially urethane-free, which has the advantage of reducing the amount of foam insulation material 9 filled in the refrigerator 1 as a whole. Furthermore, since the front, rear, left and right sides of the vacuum insulation material 12 are filled with foam insulation material 9, the vacuum insulation material 12 is stably supported within the insulating partition 11, and the strength of the insulating partition 11 is ensured.

[0071] <Lower case> Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the heat insulating partition 11 as seen from below (from the side of the vegetable compartment 6). As indicated by the dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 21, there is a heater 113 above the lower case 112, and there is vacuum insulation material 12 above the heater 113. Although not shown, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is also structured so that a vegetable compartment cover that can be opened and closed on the top surface of the container in the vegetable compartment 6 can be installed. This vegetable compartment cover prevents the vegetables in the container from drying out by increasing the airtightness of the container, and is supported by vegetable compartment cover attachment portion 112b provided on lower case 112 of heat insulating partition portion 11.

[0072] The lower case 112 has, on its front side, a crisper cover mounting portion 112b and a bottom recess 112a arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the crisper cover mounting portion 112b. The bottom recess 112a protrudes upward rearward from the crisper cover mounting portion 112b, thereby regulating the position of the vacuum insulation material 12. This prevents the vacuum insulation material 12 from coming into contact with the crisper cover mounting portion 112b and being damaged. The rear surface of the bottom recess 112a facing the vacuum insulation material 12 is inclined surface 112c, which also prevents the vacuum insulation material 12 from being damaged by contact with the bottom recess 112a. Furthermore, because multiple bottom recesses 112a are arranged side by side in the left-right direction and are not continuously formed across the entire left-right direction, the urethane insulation material can easily flow in, thereby improving the support strength of the front side of the insulating partition 11.

[0073] The heater 113 heats the vegetable compartment 6 facing the insulating partition 11 (lower case 112) to maintain the interior of the vegetable compartment 6 at a predetermined temperature range, and is configured with a heat transfer wire, an aluminum sheet covering the heat transfer wire, and lead wires connected to the heat transfer wire, although not shown. The flat heater 113 used in this embodiment cannot form a bent portion 12a like the vacuum insulating material 12, so it is difficult to extend it forward to the inclined surface 112c of the lower surface recess 112a. However, because the vacuum insulating material 12 is located above the front area that the heater 113 cannot reach, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring.

[0074] In this embodiment, there is an area above the lower case 112 behind the underside recess 112a where the foam insulation material 9 is not filled, which may cause the lower case 112 to sag due to its own weight or sagging. However, the vegetable compartment 6 facing the lower case 112 contains a drawer-type container, and the underside of the insulating partition 11 is in a location that is difficult for users to see. Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of foam insulation material 9 filled is reduced while minimizing any adverse effects on the appearance.

[0075] As already mentioned, the heat insulating partition 11 of this embodiment has an upper surface recess 111a in the upper case 111 and a lower surface recess 112a in the lower case 112. Here, the temperature range of the lower freezer compartment 5, which the upper case 111 faces, is lower than that of the vegetable compartment 6, which the lower case 112 faces, so it is necessary to increase the circulation flow rate of the cold air. Therefore, by making the overall recess volume of the upper surface recess 111a larger than the overall recess volume of the lower surface recess 112a, it is possible to prioritize ensuring the air path dimensions of the cold air flowing through the bottom of the lower freezer compartment 5.

[0076] Temporary cord storage area FIG. 22 is a plan view of the insulating partition 11 without the upper case 111, as viewed from above (the lower freezer compartment 5 side), and FIG. 23 is an enlarged perspective view of the dashed line F in FIG. 22. Cords that pass through the insulating partition 11, such as the lead wires of the heater 113, must be placed in a predetermined position before the insulating partition 11 is assembled to the insulating box and the urethane insulating material is injected and foamed. Therefore, in this embodiment, to improve the workability when assembling the insulating partition 11 to the insulating box, a temporary cord storage section 11b is formed in the front side of the lower case 112 as a recessed space for temporarily storing cords. Once the insulating partition 11 is assembled, the temporarily stored cords are removed from the temporary cord storage section 11b and connected to a predetermined position, after which the urethane insulating material is injected and foamed.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 23, temporary cord storage section 11b is partitioned by inner wall 11b1, which prevents cords from coming into contact with vacuum insulation material 12 and being damaged, and outer wall 11b2, which prevents cords from slipping out. Multiple inner walls 11b1 are provided in the front-to-rear direction, with inner openings 11b3 formed between them, allowing urethane insulation to flow in through inner openings 11b3. A first outer opening 11b4 is formed behind outer wall 11b2, allowing cords to be drawn into temporary cord storage section 11b. A second outer opening 11b5 is formed in front of outer wall 11b2, facing inner opening 11b3, allowing urethane insulation injected through urethane inlet 11a into insulation partition 11 to easily pass through temporary cord storage section 11b. In addition, since urethane inlet 11a is formed not only at a position facing second outer opening 11b5 but also at a position facing first outer opening 11b4, urethane insulation material also flows in through first outer opening 11b4. In this way, since temporary cord storage section 11b is formed at a position facing urethane inlet 11a to insulation partition section 11, foam insulation material 9 is filled into the recessed space, ensuring insulation.

[0078] In addition, the inner wall 11b1 of the temporary cord storage section 11b also serves to regulate the position of the vacuum insulation material 12 so that the vacuum insulation material 12 does not block the urethane inlet 11a. Furthermore, although the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 extend upward from the lower case 112, it is desirable that they do not contact the upper case 111. This makes it possible to suppress heat conduction between storage compartments of different temperature ranges above and below the insulating partition section 11. Note that in this embodiment, the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 are formed on the lower case 112. However, even if the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 are formed on the upper case 111 and extend downward, heat conduction through the insulating partition section 11 can be suppressed by separating the lower ends of the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 from the lower case 112. [Example]

[0079] A refrigerator 1 according to Example 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 24. In this example, the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 12 are fixed together with adhesive 18 without providing a ceiling panel 16 as in Example 1.

[0080] As described above, in conventional refrigerators, the space between the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling and the inner box 8 is filled with foam insulation material 9, so that the inner box 8 is fixed to the vacuum insulation material 12. Therefore, even if the inner box 8 experiences its own weight or linear expansion at high temperatures, there is almost no sagging of the inner box 8. However, if foam insulation material 9 is not filled between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, the inner box 8 is likely to sag and sag. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24 , the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 are fixed together with an adhesive 18 such as hot melt, thereby preventing the inner box 8 from sagging. Note that the adhesive 18 used is preferably made of an elastically deformable material that can accommodate the sagging of the inner box 8.

[0081] Furthermore, adhesive 18 alone cannot accommodate the bending of inner box 8, which could result in separation between vacuum insulation material 12 and inner box 8. Furthermore, vacuum insulation material 12 has variations in thickness, warping, and surface irregularities, which inevitably means that the inner box 8 and adhesive 18 also have variations in thickness. Therefore, in this embodiment, a spacer 19 is provided between the outer box 7 and the vacuum insulation material 12 to absorb deflection of the inner box 8 and dimensional variations of each component and maintain a constant clearance between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8. The spacer 19 is an intervening member having a certain thickness and functions to bond the outer box 7 and the vacuum insulation material 12 together. For example, double-sided tape formed into a sheet from polyethylene or the like is used. Note that, as long as the thickness can be maintained, an adhesive such as hot melt may be used as the spacer 19. Furthermore, the spacer 19 does not need to be provided over the entire top surface of the vacuum insulation material 12; it is desirable to place it on at least a portion or all of the urethane-free area.

[0082] Furthermore, since the inner box 8 and the foam insulation material 9 are more susceptible to deformation due to temperature than the vacuum insulation material 12, the vacuum insulation material 12 may be protected by covering the front, back, left and right sides with elastic members to prevent damage to the vacuum insulation material 12 due to deformation of the inner box 8, etc. In addition, in the vertical direction of the vacuum insulation material 12, spacers 19 act as cushions, filling the gaps between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 and preventing damage to the vacuum insulation material 12. [Example]

[0083] As described above, the refrigerators 1 according to Examples 1 and 2 have a partially urethane-free insulated box body, but the front side of the insulated box body is filled with foam insulation material 9 to maintain strength. That is, the gap between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the top, side, and bottom of the inner box 8 is wider in the front region and narrower in the central region. As a result, there are portions where the dimensions of the rear inner box 8 are wider than the dimensions of the front inner box 8. As a result, when mass-producing refrigerators 1 of the same model, even if multiple inner boxes 8 are stacked and stocked, one inner box 8 will abut against the narrow opening of the other inner box 8, making it difficult to fit them together. Therefore, in this example, at least the partially urethane-free region of the inner box 8, i.e., the region where the dimensions expand from the front end to the rear, is made deformable using a bellows structure or the like. As a result, when multiple inner boxes 8 are stacked, they can be stored by shrinking, and when foaming the urethane heat insulating material, they can be expanded by pressing them from the inside with a jig.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications are possible. For example, in Example 1, a ceiling panel 16 is provided below the inner box 8 in the ceiling portion. However, instead of providing the ceiling panel 16, the interior light cover may be extended rearward to cover the lower portion of the inner box 8. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are provided as examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0085] <Technical Ideas Contained in This Specification> This specification encompasses the following technical ideas.

[0086] [Appendix 1-1] A box body having a vacuum insulation material and a foam insulation material between an outer box and an inner box is provided, A refrigerator in which the foam insulation material is located on the front, back, left and right sides of the vacuum insulation material on the top surface of the box body, and the foam insulation material is not located on at least a portion of the underside of the vacuum insulation material.

[0087] [Appendix 1-2] In Appendix 1-1, The refrigerator has the foam insulation material located in the front and rear regions of the underside of the vacuum insulation material.

[0088] [Appendix 1-3] In Appendix 1-1, An interior light is provided on the ceiling surface, The refrigerator has wiring for the interior light provided in an area of ​​the underside of the vacuum insulation material where the foam insulation material is foam-filled.

[0089] [Appendix 1-4] In Appendix 1-1, A refrigerator in which a ceiling panel is provided below the inner box in an area where the foam insulation material is not located on the underside of the vacuum insulation material.

[0090] [Appendix 1-5] In Appendix 1-1, A refrigerator in which the inner box is fixed to the underside of the vacuum insulation material with an adhesive different from that used for the foam insulation material.

[0091] [Appendix 1-6] In Appendix 1-5, A refrigerator in which a spacer is provided between the upper surface of the vacuum insulation material and the outer box.

[0092] [Appendix 2-1] A storage chamber is formed with an opening at the front, and a foam insulation material is foam-filled in the area between the inner box and the outer box, and the vertical dimension is larger than the horizontal dimension. The left side surface and / or the right side surface of the box body are a front end insulation material in which the foam insulation material is continuously foam-filled in the vertical direction; The foam insulation has a region where the thickness of the foam insulation that can flow is smaller than the surrounding area, A refrigerator equipped with another insulating material having higher insulating performance than the foam insulating material.

[0093] [Appendix 2-2] In Appendix 2-1, In the region where the flowable thickness is small, the inner box has a recessed portion toward the outer box.

[0094] [Appendix 2-3] In Appendix 2-2, the left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails; The refrigerator is provided with the fluidly thin area above the shelf rib on the top shelf or below the rail on the bottom shelf.

[0095] [Appendix 2-4] In Appendix 2-2, the left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails; A refrigerator having a region of small flowable thickness in front of the front end of any of the shelf ribs or rails at the upper or lower positions where the shelf ribs or rails are provided.

[0096] [Appendix 2-5] In Appendix 2-2, the left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails; A total of multiple shelf ribs or rails are arranged vertically, The refrigerator is provided with the flowable area having a small thickness in an area sandwiched between the shelf ribs or the rails from above and below.

[0097] [Appendix 2-6] In Appendix 2-5, A refrigerator in which each of the shelf ribs or rails is reinforced.

[0098] [Appendix 2-7] In Appendix 2-2, the left side and the right side are provided with shelf ribs or rails; In the range from the front end of the shelf rib or the rail to the front end insulation material, the thickness of the foam insulation material that can flow is large, A refrigerator in which the shelf ribs or areas overlapping the rails are filled with foam insulation.

[0099] [Appendix 2-8] In Appendix 2-2, The left side surface and the right side surface are not provided with shelf ribs and rails, The refrigerator has a region with a small flowable thickness on the rear end side of a position that is 1 / 3 of the front-to-rear dimension from the front end of each of the left side surface and the right side surface to the back surface of the inner box.

[0100] [Appendix 2-9] In Appendix 2-2, A refrigerator in which the region having a small flowable thickness has a portion where the foam insulation material is not filled.

[0101] [Appendix 2-10] In Appendix 2-2, A refrigerator in which the region with a small flowable thickness is formed within the projected surface of the other insulating material and in an area inside the edge of the other insulating material.

[0102] [Appendix 2-11] In any one of Supplementary Notes 2-1 to 2-10, A refrigerator in which the front end of the top and / or bottom surfaces of the box body is filled with foam insulation material continuous with the front end insulation material. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1 refrigerator 2 Refrigerator 3 Ice making room 4 Upper freezer compartment 5 Lower freezer compartment 6 Vegetable compartment 7 Outer box 8 Inner box 9. Foam insulation 10,11 Insulated partition 11a Urethane inlet 11b Temporary cord storage area 111 Upper case 111a Upper surface recess 111b Bridge 112 Lower case 112a Bottom recess 113 Heater 12 Vacuum insulation material 13 Shelf rib 14 Interior light 15 Code 16 Ceiling Panel 17 screws 18 Adhesive 19 Spacer 21 Rail 22 Hinge part 23 Reinforcement

Claims

[Claim 1] A box body is provided having a vacuum insulation material and a foam insulation material filled by foaming in place between an outer box and an inner box, On the top surface of the box body, a central region is located behind the interior light of the inner box, where the foam insulation material is not located on a part of the underside of the vacuum insulation material, The interior light is disposed on the top surface and positioned below the vacuum insulation material, and is straddled over the vacuum insulation material in a front region forward of the central region, The cord pulled out from the interior light on the top surface of the box body of the refrigerator is pulled out from vertically below the vacuum insulation material and passes through a lateral area outside the vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material, in an area where the foam insulation material or intervening member is arranged.

Images