refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator that prevents the vacuum insulation material attached to the side panels of the outer casing from peeling off. [Solution] The refrigerator of the present invention comprises an outer box having side panels and a back panel, an inner box located inside the outer box, foamed insulation material injected between the outer box and the inner box from an inlet formed in the back panel, vacuum insulation material attached to the inside of the side panel and having a thin-thick portion formed on the back side where the inside of the box is thinner, and refrigerant piping arranged between the side panel and the thin-thick portion, wherein the entire forward projection of the inlet is located on the inner box side of the position of the back side end of the thin-thick portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator in which a recess 22 for accommodating a heat dissipation pipe 20 is provided at the back end of a vacuum heat insulating material 21 attached to a side plate 11 of an outer box 19 (FIG. 4 of the document). Further, in Patent Document 1, an injection port 16 for injecting a foam heat insulating material stock solution is located outside a rising portion 12b of a back plate 12 of the outer box 19 (FIG. 5 of the document).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a refrigerator structure in which a heat dissipation pipe 20 is placed on the side panel 11, a vacuum insulation material 21 is placed inside the heat dissipation pipe, and a recess 22 is provided to avoid the heat dissipation pipe 20. By providing a recess 22 in the vacuum insulation material 21, the vacuum insulation material 21 is prevented from creating indentations on the heat dissipation pipe 20. However, an air gap is created between the heat dissipation pipe 20 placed in the recess 22 and the vacuum insulation material 21. If this air gap is blocked by foam insulation material 17, the trapped air gap will contract and expand with the outside temperature, and if it becomes larger than the strength of the side panel 11, it will cause unevenness in the exterior of the refrigerator. In addition, if foam insulation material 17 flows into the recess 22, there is a risk that the vacuum insulation material 21 will peel off. Therefore, a structure is needed to prevent the foamed insulation material 17 from entering the recess 22 at the back edge of the vacuum insulation material 21. However, Patent Document 1 does not clarify the positional relationship between the recess 22 at the back edge of the vacuum insulation material 21 and the injection port 16. If the recess 22 is facing the injection port 16, the raw foamed insulation material may flow directly into the recess 22, causing excessive foaming and potentially leading to the vacuum insulation material 21 peeling off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In view of the aforementioned problems, the refrigerator of the present invention comprises an outer box having side panels and a back panel, an inner box located inside the outer box, foamed insulation material injected between the outer box and the inner box from an inlet formed in the back panel, vacuum insulation material attached to the inside of the side panel and having a thin portion formed on the back side where the inside of the box is thinner, and refrigerant piping arranged between the side panel and the thin portion, wherein the entire forward projection of the inlet is located on the inner box side than the position of the back end of the thin portion. Furthermore, the vacuum insulation material on the side used in the refrigerator of the present invention has a structure in which the thin portion at the back end is provided on the inner box side and the thin portion presses against the refrigerant piping, so that the space between the refrigerant piping and the vacuum insulation material is reduced, the air layer is less likely to contract and expand, and the impact on the appearance of the refrigerator is suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] A front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of BB (comparative example). [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view (comparative example) further indicating the position of the nozzle. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of BB (an example). [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view further showing the position of the nozzle (example). [Figure 7A] A cross-sectional view showing the state of the thin section when vacuum insulation material is applied. [Figure 7B] A cross-sectional view showing the state of the thin section when the first smoothing roller is pressed against it. [Figure 7C] A cross-sectional view showing the state of the thin section when the second smoothing roller is pressed against it. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the left and right directions refer to the left and right when viewed from the front by the user.

[0008] First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a front view of the refrigerator according to this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 has storage compartments in the following order from top to bottom: a refrigerator compartment 2, an ice-making compartment 3 and an upper freezer compartment 4, a lower freezer compartment 5 and a vegetable compartment 6. The front openings of each compartment are provided with insulated doors that open and close these openings. The arrangement of each storage compartment is not limited to this.

[0009] The insulated door consists of a rotating refrigerator compartment door 2a, 2b that rotates around a hinge (not shown), a pull-out ice maker compartment door 3a, an upper freezer compartment door 4a, a lower freezer compartment door 5a, and a vegetable compartment door 6a.

[0010] The insulated casing of refrigerator 1 comprises an outer casing 7 made of steel plate and an inner casing 8 made of synthetic resin. Foamed insulation material 13, such as rigid polyurethane foam, is provided in the space formed by the outer casing 7 and the inner casing 8 to insulate each storage compartment inside the insulated casing from the outside. The outer casing 7 is composed of a top panel 7a, left and right side panels 7b and 7c (omitted in Figures 1 and 2), a back panel 7d, and a bottom panel 7e. For example, the top panel 7a and the side panels 7b and 7c are formed integrally by bending, while the back panel 7d and bottom panel 7e are attached to the top panel 7a and side panels 7b and 7c afterwards to integrate them. In addition, vacuum insulation material 9 is attached to the inside of the side panels 7b and 7c and the back panel 7d.

[0011] Furthermore, the refrigerator 1 is equipped with coolers for cooling each storage compartment to a predetermined temperature range. In this embodiment, a first cooler 11a is provided for cooling the refrigerator compartment 2, and a second cooler 11b is provided for cooling the ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, the lower freezer compartment 5, and the vegetable compartment 6, but the number of coolers and the storage compartments to be cooled are not limited to these. A compressor 12 for compressing the refrigerant, a heat dissipation means (condenser and heat dissipation pipe, not shown) for dissipating heat from the refrigerant sent from the compressor 12, a pressure reducing means (capillary tube, not shown) for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant sent from the heat dissipation means, and a cooler (evaporator) for which the refrigerant sent from the pressure reducing means evaporates and cools the air, are connected to constitute a refrigeration cycle. In addition, since the compressor 12 and condenser, which are located at the lower rear of the insulated box, are components that generate a lot of heat, vacuum insulation material is also placed on the inside of the bottom plate 7e to prevent heat from entering the interior of the box.

[0012] (Comparative example) Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1 (comparative example) of BB. However, in Figure 3, the vacuum insulation material 9 and heat dissipation pipes 10 attached to the inside of the back panel 7d are omitted. As shown in Figure 3, heat dissipation pipes 10 (refrigerant piping) are fixed to the inside of the left side panel 7b and the right side panel 7c at three locations: the front, the center, and the rear. Therefore, the side of the vacuum insulation material 9 facing the side panel 7b or side panel 7c has a shape that avoids the heat dissipation pipes 10. The positional relationship between the right side panel 7c, the vacuum insulation material 9, and the heat dissipation pipes 10 will be explained below.

[0013] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, conventional refrigerators have a thin section at the back edge of the vacuum insulation material 9, where the side panel 7c side forms a groove (recess). However, the groove on the side panel 7c side needs to take into account dimensional variations that occur when manufacturing the vacuum insulation material 9, variations in attachment that occur when attaching the vacuum insulation material 9 to the side panel 7d, and variations when attaching the heat dissipation pipe 10. Furthermore, when the heat dissipation pipe 10 is placed in the groove, the groove height needs to be greater than the height of the heat dissipation pipe 10. When creating a groove in the vacuum insulation material 9, there are methods such as press forming and roller press forming, but when a groove is formed in the vacuum insulation material 9, there is rebound (springback) from the core material, so it tends to be larger than the dimensions of the heat dissipation pipe 10, and the space enclosed by the heat dissipation pipe 10, groove and side panel 7c tends to be large. For this reason, after the foamed insulation material is filled from the inlet 14 and foams up, a large amount of air tends to remain in that space. Here, the residual air undergoes a pressure change due to temperature fluctuations. When it becomes negative relative to atmospheric pressure, it causes the side panel 7c to deform into a concave shape, and conversely, when it becomes positive relative to atmospheric pressure, it causes the side panel 7c to deform into a convex shape. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to discharge the air by installing a gas vent pipe in this space and connecting it to the outside, such as the machine room.

[0014] In contrast, the refrigerator in the comparative example has thin sections 9t at the back and front ends of the vacuum insulation material 9, with the inner box 8 side forming a groove. These thin sections 9t are formed by pressing a portion of the vacuum insulation material 9 with a roller to create an indentation. Then, hot melt rubber adhesive is applied to the surface of the vacuum insulation material 9 and it is attached to the side panel 7c. When the vacuum insulation material 9 is attached, the thin section 9t deforms so that it slopes toward the inner box 8 side from the base to the heat dissipation pipe 10, and the thin section 9t rides up on the heat dissipation pipe 10. As a result, the space enclosed by the heat dissipation pipe 10, the slope of the thin section 9t, and the side panel 7c becomes relatively small. Consequently, the amount of air remaining in this space is reduced, and deformation of the side panel 7c is suppressed, making it possible to maintain a good appearance for the refrigerator. In addition, by applying hot melt adhesive to the side panel 7c and the heat dissipation pipe 10 side of the thin section 9t, the adhesion is further enhanced, and the intrusion of urethane into the groove can be suppressed. Because the recess disclosed in Patent Document 1 is recessed, it cannot be applied using a roll coater that applies hot melt adhesive, and it becomes necessary to apply it in a separate process (spiral or bead application using a nozzle). Also, the position of the injection port 14 for injecting the foamed insulation material is important to prevent the foamed insulation material 9 from entering the thin-thick section 9t. Part of the front projection of the injection port 14 for the foamed insulation material overlaps with the position of the back edge of the thin-thick section 9t formed on the back side. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, when the foamed insulation material is injected from the nozzle 15 which is inserted with a slight inclination relative to the injection port 14, the foamed insulation material tends to reach the side plate 7c side from the thin-thick section 9t. This is because the foamed insulation material used in refrigerators is foamed and becomes an insulating material by mixing two liquids (for example, polyol and isocyanate), but the foaming liquid that comes out of the nozzle 15 is in liquid form, so it tends to enter the thin-thick section 9t, and if it enters in liquid form, it will foam inside the thin-thick section 9t. If a large amount of foamed insulation material is placed between the thin section 9t and the side panel 7c, its fluidity will decrease, creating voids and consequently reducing the insulation performance. Furthermore, the vacuum insulation material 9 may peel off, potentially detracting from the refrigerator's appearance.

[0015] (Examples) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1 (Example). As shown in FIG. 5, in the refrigerator according to the example, the inner box 8 sides at the back end and the front end of the vacuum heat insulating material 9 are recessed, so that the thin portion 9t is formed. Then, when the vacuum heat insulating material 9 is attached to the side plate 7c, the thin portion 9t is deformed so as to incline toward the inner box 8 side from the root portion to the heat radiation pipe 10, and the thin portion 9t is in a state of riding on the heat radiation pipe 10. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the vacuum heat insulating material (thin portion) at this time (when the vacuum heat insulating material is attached).

[0016] Next, in this example, the first smooth roller 16a is used to press the portion of the thin portion 9t extending toward the inner box side against the side plate 7c side, and deform it so as to be substantially flush with the inner box side of the center (non-thin portion) of the vacuum heat insulating material 9. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the vacuum heat insulating material (thin portion) at this time (when the first smooth roller is pressed).

[0017] Furthermore, in this example, the second smooth roller 16b is used to press the tips (the back side end and the front side end) of the thin portion 9t against the side plate 7c side, and deform it so that the thin portion 9t inclines toward the side plate 7c side from the heat radiation pipe 10 to the tip. FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the vacuum heat insulating material (thin portion) at this time (when the second smooth roller is pressed).

[0018] As shown in FIG. 7C, the thin portion 9t has a shape that inclines toward the inner box 8 side from the root portion to the heat radiation pipe 10 and further inclines toward the side plate 7c side from the heat radiation pipe 10 to the tip. Therefore, the gap between the back side end of the thin portion 9t and the side plate 7c becomes smaller than the outer diameter of the heat radiation pipe 10, and it becomes difficult for the foam heat insulating material to enter between the thin portion 9t and the side plate 7c.

[0019] In addition, in this embodiment, the back side end of the thick-thin portion 9t is bent toward the side panel 7c, so that as shown in FIG. 5, the entire forward projection of the injection port 14 is on the inner box 8 side from the position of the back side end of the thick-thin portion 9t. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, even when the foamed heat insulating material is injected from the nozzle 15 inserted with a slight inclination with respect to the injection port 14, the foamed heat insulating material flows toward the space between the vacuum heat insulating material 9 and the inner box 8. That is, since excessive foamed heat insulating material does not flow into the side panel 7c side from the thick-thin portion 9t, generation of voids can be suppressed and not only the heat insulating performance can be maintained, but also peeling of the vacuum heat insulating material 9 can be prevented.

[0020] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the space surrounded by the heat radiating pipe 10, the inclination of the thick-thin portion 9t, and the side panel 7c becomes relatively small, the amount of air remaining in the space decreases. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deformation of the side panel 7c without providing a gas vent pipe or the like in the space. Note that, unlike the front and rear heat radiating pipes 10, since relatively a lot of air may remain in the recess corresponding to the central heat radiating pipe 10, it is desirable to provide a gas vent pipe.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0021] 1... refrigerator, 2... refrigerating chamber, 2a, 2b... refrigerating chamber doors, 3... ice making chamber, 3a... ice making chamber door, 4... upper freezing chamber, 4a... upper freezing chamber door, 5... lower freezing chamber, 5a... lower freezing chamber door, 6... vegetable chamber, 6a... vegetable chamber door, 7... outer box, 7a... top panel, 7b, 7c... side panels, 7d... back panel, 7e... bottom panel, 8... inner box, 9... vacuum heat insulating material, 9t... thick-thin portion, 10... heat radiating pipe, 11a... first cooler, 11b... second cooler, 12... compressor, 13... foamed heat insulating material, 14... injection port, 15... nozzle, 16a... first smooth roller, 16b... second smooth roller

Claims

1. An outer box having side panels and a back panel, An inner box located inside the outer box, From the injection port formed in the back panel, the foamed insulation material is injected between the outer box and the inner box, A vacuum insulation material is attached to the inside of the aforementioned side panel, and a thin section is formed on the rear side where the inside of the chamber becomes thinner, The system comprises a refrigerant pipe disposed between the side plate and the thin portion, A refrigerator in which the entire forward projection of the aforementioned inlet is located on the inner box side of the position of the rear side edge of the thin portion.

2. In claim 1, A refrigerator in which the rear edge of the aforementioned thin section is bent toward the side panel.

3. In claim 1, A refrigerator in which the gap between the rear edge of the thin section and the side plate is smaller than the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe.

4. In claim 1, The aforementioned thin portion is formed by recessing the inner box side of the vacuum insulation material. A refrigerator in which the aforementioned thin portion is resting on the refrigerant piping.

5. In claim 1, The aforementioned thin portion has a part that slopes toward the inner box side from the base to the refrigerant piping, in a refrigerator.

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