refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can prevent cold air from escaping to the outside of the insulated box when pouring beer from the spout into a mug or similar container. [Solution] Between the insulated door 18 and the beer keg B1, plates 71 and 72 are placed to prevent cold air from the inside of the insulated box 11 from flowing out when the insulated door 18 is open. The dispenser outlet 82 is positioned between the plates 71 and the insulated door 18. This refrigerator allows beer to be dispensed from the dispenser of the beer server housed in the insulated box 11 when the insulated door 18 is open.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] A refrigerator equipped with a beer server is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). In the refrigerating compartment of the refrigerator, a beer server having a beer tank (beer barrel) is stored. The beer in the beer tank is cooled by the refrigerator and discharged from the discharge port.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 above, the pouring spout of the beer is provided protruding from the upper part of the refrigerator. Therefore, it is necessary to significantly change the design and manufacture the refrigerator for a normal refrigerator not equipped with a beer server. On the other hand, in the conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 2 above, it is possible to easily configure the refrigerator to be equipped with a beer server without significantly changing the design for a normal refrigerator not equipped with a beer server.

[0005] However, in the conventional refrigerator described in Patent Document 2 above, in order to pour the beer from the pouring spout into a jug or the like, it is necessary to open the heat insulation door of the refrigerator each time. Therefore, each time, the cold air in the refrigerating compartment flows out to the outside of the heat insulation box body due to the opening of the heat insulation door. The present disclosure aims to provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing the outflow of cold air to the outside of the heat insulation box body when pouring beer from the pouring spout into a jug or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator comprising an insulated box having an opening on the front side, and an insulated door provided to open and close the opening, wherein the insulated box, when the insulated door is closed, is capable of housing the entire beer server comprising a beer keg and a dispenser fixed to the beer keg and dispensing the beer from inside the beer keg, wherein a plate is placed between the insulated door and the beer keg to prevent cold air from the inside of the insulated box from flowing out to the outside when the insulated door is open, and the dispensing port of the dispenser is positioned between the plate and the insulated door, and the refrigerator is capable of dispensing the beer from the dispenser of the beer server housed in the insulated box when the insulated door is open.

[0007] In the refrigerator described in (1), when the insulated door of the refrigerator is opened to pour beer from the spout into a mug or the like, the board material can prevent cold air from escaping to the outside of the insulated box. Furthermore, since the entire beer server equipped with a dispenser can be housed inside the insulated box, the spout that makes up the dispenser's faucet can be cooled together with the beer keg. As a result, the spout can be kept hygienically cleaned only about once every two weeks, rather than once a day.

[0008] (2) The refrigerator according to (1), wherein a tray capable of accumulating the beer dispensed and dropped from the dispenser's outlet is positioned vertically below the dispenser's outlet.

[0009] According to refrigerator (2), it is possible to prevent beer that is dispensed from the dispenser's nozzle from falling into the inside of the refrigerator or onto the floor in front of the refrigerator.

[0010] (3) The refrigerator according to (2), wherein the tray is fitted into a recess formed in a shelf on which the beer kegs are placed inside the insulated box, and through holes are formed in the portion of the shelf on which the recess is formed.

[0011] According to the refrigerator in (3), it is possible to prevent beer that has fallen into the recess where the tray is placed and stored from accumulating in the recess.

[0012] (4) A tray capable of accommodating beer that has been dispensed and dropped from the dispenser's outlet is positioned vertically below the ends of the plate material on the rear and front sides of the insulated box body, as described in (1).

[0013] According to the refrigerator in (4), it is possible to prevent the beer that is dispensed from the outlet and falls from falling onto the inside of the insulated box or onto the floor in front of the refrigerator.

[0014] (5) The refrigerator according to (1), wherein the plate material is made of transparent or translucent material, a display recess is formed on the surface of the plate material on the beer barrel side, and the surface of the plate material opposite the beer barrel side is made of a flat surface.

[0015] (6) The refrigerator according to (5), further comprising an illumination unit that irradiates light toward the display recess.

[0016] According to the refrigerators of (5) and (6), by illuminating the display recess with light from the lighting unit, the logo or text of the beer manufacturer can be displayed on the display recess with the irradiated light. In addition, on flat surfaces, if beer dispensed from the dispenser nozzle adheres to the surface, it can be smoothly flowed downwards on the flat surface.

[0017] (7) The refrigerator according to (1), wherein the dispenser is equipped with a gas supply unit, and a gap is formed between the upper part of the plate material and the upper part of the insulated box body, allowing an operator to insert their hand in order to adjust the amount of gas from the gas supply unit.

[0018] According to the refrigerator in (7), the amount of gas from the gas supply unit can be adjusted by inserting a hand through a gap to the rear and manually adjusting the amount of gas. Therefore, when manually adjusting the amount of gas, it is not necessary to remove the plate material from the insulated box, making it possible to easily adjust the amount of gas manually.

[0019] (8) The refrigerator according to (1), wherein a recess is formed on the upper part of the plate material into which the dispensing port of the dispenser can be inserted.

[0020] According to the refrigerator in (8), the dispenser's outlet can be positioned to protrude forward through the recess into the panel. Therefore, with the insulated door open and the panel attached to the insulated box, the lever can be operated to dispense beer from the beer server dispenser housed in the insulated box.

[0021] (9) The interior of the insulated box is divided by shelves on which the beer kegs are placed, and has at least an upper section and a lower section, each capable of accommodating the beer kegs, wherein the plate material has an upper plate material positioned between the insulated door and the shelves in the upper section, and a lower plate material positioned between the insulated door and the shelves in the lower section, the upper part of the lower plate material has a through-hole, the front end of the shelf is provided with a locking portion that is inserted into and locked in the through-hole, and the opening of the through-hole is formed in a rectangular shape, the refrigerator according to (1).

[0022] According to the refrigerator in (9), the locking part rubs against the upper part of the plate that forms the opening of the through-hole in the plate, thereby preventing wear on that part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a refrigerator that can prevent cold air from leaking out of the insulated box when pouring beer from the spout into a mug or the like. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0024] [Figure 1] The perspective view which shows the state which the heat insulation door of the refrigerator by embodiment of this indication opened. [Figure 2] The front view which shows the state which the heat insulation door of the refrigerator by embodiment of this indication opened. [Figure 3] It is sectional drawing along the line A-A of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] The upper perspective view which shows the beer server which is comprised by attaching the dispenser to the beer bottle and is stored in the refrigerator by embodiment of this indication. [Figure 5] The perspective view which shows the upper board material and lower board material of the refrigerator by embodiment of this indication, and an upper shelf and a lower shelf. [Figure 6] The perspective view which shows the upper shelf of the refrigerator by embodiment of this indication. [Figure 7] The perspective view which shows the support member fixed to the upper shelf of the refrigerator by embodiment of this indication. [Figure 8] The perspective view which shows the lower shelf of the refrigerator by embodiment of this indication. [Figure 9] The lower perspective view which shows the beer server which is comprised by attaching the dispenser to the beer bottle and is stored in the refrigerator by embodiment of this indication.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, the refrigerator of the embodiment of this indication is demonstrated, referring to drawings. In the following description, the left direction shown in FIG. 2 in the width direction of the refrigerator 1 is defined as left direction (L), and the opposite direction is defined as right direction (R). Also, the depth direction of the refrigerator 1 (the direction from the front to the back of the paper surface shown in FIG. 2) is defined as backward direction (Rr), and the opposite direction is defined as forward direction (Fr). Also, the upward direction shown in FIG. 2 in the height direction of the refrigerator 1 is defined as upward direction (Up), and the opposite direction is defined as downward direction (Dw).

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the refrigerator 1 has an insulated box body 11 with a storage compartment that opens to the front and has a refrigerator compartment 12, and an insulated door 18. The refrigerator 1 is divided into three sections: an upper section above the upper shelf 30, a middle section between the upper shelf 30 and the lower shelf 50 which is below the upper shelf 30, and a lower section below the lower shelf 50.

[0027] The insulated door 18 is a rotating door that can open to the right, centered on an axis located at the upper and lower front end of the right side of the insulated box body 11. The insulated door 18 can close the front opening of the storage compartment of the insulated box body 11. When the insulated door 18 is closed, the upper section of the insulated box body 11 houses the entire beer server, which consists of a beer keg B1 with a dispenser 80 attached. The middle section houses beer kegs B1 without the dispenser 80 attached, as well as sake bottles B2, beer bottles B3, B4, etc. The lower section houses a pull-out container 13 that can be pulled out and pushed back by moving it in the front-to-back direction so that its entire upper section opens forward. Beer mugs, etc., are stored in the container 13.

[0028] The insulated box 11 is constructed with a frame made of, for example, steel plate and a vacuum insulation material housed inside the frame. The vacuum insulation material is optional. Between the frame and the vacuum insulation material of the insulated box 11 that constitutes the lower section of the refrigerator 1, there is a machine room where the compressor is housed, and in the part of the insulated box 11 that constitutes the rear side of the refrigerator 1, there is a cooling chamber where the evaporator is housed.

[0029] The evaporator and compressor are connected to the expansion means and condenser via refrigerant piping. A blower 15 is installed at the top of the cooling chamber, at the rear of the insulated box 11. The blower 15 uses a centrifugal fan to blow the cold air from inside the cooling chamber, cooled by the evaporator, to the upper, middle, and lower sections of the refrigerator 1. Below the evaporator, a defrost heater (not shown) is installed to melt frost on the evaporator.

[0030] Next, we will explain the details of the configuration of each part. First, we will describe the beer keg B1 stored in the refrigerator 1. As shown in Figures 4 and 9, the beer keg B1 has a cylindrical shape overall. The peripheral edge of the bottom of the beer keg B1 has a peripheral edge B12 (see Figure 9) where the peripheral wall of the beer keg B1 extends cylindrically downward and protrudes below the bottom surface B11 of the beer keg B1.

[0031] A dispenser 80 is attached to the upper end of the beer keg B1. With the dispenser 80 attached, the beer keg B1 constitutes a beer server. The dispenser 80 has a main body 81, a discharge port 82, a lever 83, and a cylinder 84 which serves as a gas supply unit. The cylinder 84 is filled and sealed with gas such as carbon dioxide under high pressure. The cylinder 84 is connected to the main body 81 via a pressure reducing valve 841.

[0032] The cylinder 84 and pressure reducing valve 841 maintain the internal pressure of the beer keg B1, which is connected via the main body 81, at an appropriate pressure, and also have the function of pushing the beer from inside the beer keg B1 to the tap. The amount of gas from the cylinder 84 can be adjusted by manually adjusting the pressure reducing valve 841. The main body 81 is provided with a discharge port 82 and a lever 83 that constitute the tap. By manually operating the lever 83, the beer inside the beer keg B1 is discharged from the discharge port 82.

[0033] The blower 15 has a semicircular shape in its lower portion when viewed from the front, and the cold air outlet of the blower 15 is formed by an opening in the lower portion. The cold air from the outlet is blown downwards from the lower portion, as shown by the arrows in Figure 2, etc., that is, in the vertically downward direction, the diagonally lower left direction, and the diagonally lower right direction.

[0034] The cold air blown from the outlet is directed in a direction different from the direction of the discharge port 82 of the dispenser 80 attached to the beer keg B1 placed on the upper shelf 30 and stored in the upper section. Instead, it is blown towards a position below the location of the discharge port 82 of the dispenser 80, so that the cold air does not directly hit the discharge port 82 of the dispenser 80.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the inner side walls of the insulated box 11 are provided with an upper shelf fixing portion 115 and a lower shelf fixing portion 116. The upper shelf fixing portion 115 and the lower shelf fixing portion 116 each have a rib shape extending in the front-rear direction and are integrally molded with the inner side walls of the insulated box 11. In addition, the rear wall of the inner wall of the insulated box 11 is provided with engaged portions (not shown) above the upper shelf fixing portion 115 and the lower shelf fixing portion 116.

[0036] The upper shelf 30 is fixed to the upper shelf fixing part 115 and the engaged part above the upper shelf fixing part 115, as described later. The lower shelf 50 is fixed to the lower shelf fixing part 116 and the engaged part above the lower shelf fixing part 116, as described later.

[0037] A beer server, consisting of a beer keg B1 with a dispenser 80 attached, is placed on the upper shelf 30. Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the upper shelf 30 has a mounting plate 31, side parts 32, a stopper 33, a tray 34, and a guide 35. The mounting plate 31 has a rectangular plate-shaped rear plate 311 with its longitudinal direction oriented in the left-right direction, and a front plate 312 that is one step higher than the rear plate 311.

[0038] Side portions 32 are provided at the left and right ends of the mounting plate portion 31. The side portions 32 provided at the left and right ends of the mounting plate portion 31 are configured to be symmetrical. Specifically, the side portions 32 are constructed by bending a metal plate to prevent bending when a beer server with a dispenser 80 attached to a beer keg B1 is placed on the mounting plate portion 31. The side portions 32 have a side plate 321, an upper plate 322, a front plate 323, and an engaging portion 324, and are configured to be highly rigid (strong).

[0039] On the left and right sides of the rectangular rear plate portion 311, rectangular side plates 321 are connected, extending upward from each of the respective sides. The side plates 321 extend from the rear edge of the rear plate portion 311 to the center of the front plate portion 312 in the front-to-back direction.

[0040] The entire front portion of the rear plate 311, which occupies more than half of the front-to-back portion, has multiple circular through-holes 313 formed at predetermined intervals, penetrating vertically. Cold air from the outlet of the blower 15 can pass through the through-holes 313, thereby circulating cold air from the upper section to the middle section of the refrigerator 1.

[0041] The top plate 322 has a rectangular shape that extends horizontally from the upper edge of the side plate 321, and extends from the rear edge to the front edge of the side plate 321. The front plate 323 has a plate shape that is perpendicular to the front edge of the side plate 321 and the front edge of the top plate 322. The width of the front plate 323 in the left-right direction is the same as the width of the top plate 322, and at the bottom of the front plate 323, the width of the front plate 323 in the left-right direction becomes shorter as it moves downwards, approaching the side plate 321.

[0042] The engaging portion 324 has a rectangular shape that extends upward from the rear edge of the upper plate 322. The right engaging portion 324 shown in Figure 6 extends from the left end to the right end in the left-right direction of the rear edge of the upper plate 322, and the left engaging portion 324 in Figure 6 extends from the right end to the left end in the left-right direction of the rear edge of the upper plate 322. With the engaging portion 324 engaged with the engaged portion (not shown) above the upper shelf fixing portion 115, the upper plate 322 is fixed to the upper shelf fixing portion 115 (see Figure 1) by screws 325. In this way, the upper shelf 30 is fixed to the insulated box 11.

[0043] A support member 36 is provided at the front end of the upper surface of the upper plate 322. The support member 36 is formed in a symmetrical shape and, as shown in Figure 7, has a rectangular plate-shaped base 361, a central bottom 362, a front peak 363, and a rear peak 364. The front peak 363 is integrally molded with the base 361 at its front end and extends from the end of the base 361 closer to the center of the heat-insulating box 11 to a predetermined position in the left-right direction, away from the center of the heat-insulating box 11. The front surface 3633 of the front peak 363 is composed of an inclined surface that rises upward toward the rear. The rear surface 3632 of the front peak 363 is composed of a plane that extends vertically. The upper end surface 3631 of the front peak 363 is composed of a rectangular plane.

[0044] The rear ridge portion 364 is integrally molded with the base portion 361 at the rear end of the base portion 361, and extends from the end near the center of the heat-insulating box body 11 to a predetermined position away from the center of the heat-insulating box body 11 at the rear end of the base portion 361 in the left-right direction. The rear surface 3643 of the rear ridge portion 364 is composed of an inclined surface that rises upward toward the front. The front surface 3642 of the rear ridge portion 364 is composed of a plane that extends vertically and is in a position parallel to the rear surface 3632 of the front ridge portion 363. The upper end surface 3641 of the rear ridge portion 364 is composed of a rectangular plane and is located higher than the upper end surface 3631 of the front ridge portion 363.

[0045] The central bottom portion 362 is formed by the flat bottom of a groove formed between the rear surface 3632 of the front ridge portion 363 and the front surface 3642 of the rear ridge portion 364. Since the upper end surface 3641 of the rear ridge portion 364 is higher than the upper end surface 3631 of the front ridge portion 363, the opening position of the groove, which opens upward, is higher at the far end of the groove than at the front end. In addition, the front surface 3633 of the front ridge portion 363 and the rear surface 3643 of the rear ridge portion 364 are inclined upward toward the opening of the groove. The upper plate material 71 is supported by the insertion and engagement of the left and right lower ends of the upper plate material 71, which will be described later, into the groove.

[0046] The portion of the base 361 adjacent to the central bottom 362 has a fixed portion 365 with a through hole formed therein. The support member 36 is fixed to the upper shelf 30 and the insulated box 11 by screwing a screw 325 through the through hole in the fixed portion 365, through the upper plate 322 of the upper shelf 30, and into the female thread of a screw hole formed in the upper shelf fixing portion 115 of the insulated box 11.

[0047] As shown in Figure 6, each stopper 33 has a wound portion 332 whose upper end is wound toward the rear and a plate-like portion 331 which is a portion below the wound portion, and a pair of them are provided on the upper surface of the rear of the rear plate portion 311. The rear plate portions 311 of the pair of stoppers 33 have a tapered positional relationship in which the distance between the pair of stoppers 33 in the left-right direction increases as they move toward the front. When a beer keg B1 is placed on the rear plate portion 311 of the pair of stoppers 33, the rear plate portions 311 of the pair of stoppers 33 abut against the outer circumferential surface of the lower peripheral edge portion B12 (see Figure 9) of the circumferential surface of the beer keg B1, thereby positioning the beer keg B1 in the rear direction, which is the depth direction of the insulated box 11.

[0048] The guide 35 protrudes from the upper surface of the rear plate portion 311 at the center of the rear plate portion 311 in the left-right direction, and extends in the front-to-back direction, which is the depth direction of the insulated box 11, from the portion in front of the rear end edge of the rear plate portion 311 to the portion behind the front end edge of the rear plate portion 311. In the front-to-back direction, the guide 35 has a length that allows it to fit between the inner surfaces of opposing peripheral edges B12 (see Figure 9) at the diameter position of the bottom of the beer barrel B1.

[0049] The guide 35 is fitted between the inner surfaces of opposing peripheral edges B12 (see Figure 9) at the diameter of the bottom of the beer keg B1. As a result, one end of the guide 35 in the longitudinal direction abuts against the inner surface of one of the opposing peripheral edges B12 at the diameter of the bottom of the beer keg B1, and the other end of the guide 35 in the longitudinal direction abuts against the inner surface of the other opposing peripheral edge B12 at the diameter of the bottom of the beer keg B1, thereby positioning the beer keg B1 in the longitudinal direction of the guide 35.

[0050] Guide 35 has an angular C-shape, with a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of Guide 35 that opens downwards, that is, toward the rear plate portion 311. The height of Guide 35 from the upper surface of the rear plate portion 311 is constant at the front of Guide 35, and the end of Guide 35 at the rear, which is the far end of the insulated box 11, has a downward-sloping portion 351 that becomes lower toward the far end.

[0051] The front panel 312 is located between the guide 35 and the insulated door 18. In the front panel 312, the width in the left-right direction is the same as the rear panel 311 at the rear of the front panel 312, and wider at the front of the front panel 312 than at the rear. A recess 314 is formed in the front panel 312 located between the guide 35 and the insulated door 18. The portion of the front panel 312 surrounding the recess 314 constitutes the opening of the recess 314, which opens upward. A through hole 315 is formed in the center of the front panel 312 of the upper shelf 30 where the recess 314 is formed, penetrating in the vertical direction. Hook-shaped lower panel hanging portions 3121 are provided at the left and right ends of the front end of the front panel 312, extending downward and bending towards the rear.

[0052] A tray 34 is fitted and positioned in the recess 314. The tray 34 is located vertically below the dispensing port 82 of the dispenser 80 and, as shown in Figure 6, has a main body 341 and a lid 342. The main body 341 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening at the top. The main body 341 is capable of containing the beer that is dispensed and falls from the dispensing port 82 of the dispenser 80.

[0053] The lid portion 342 has a rectangular plate shape and closes the upper opening of the main body portion 341. The lid portion 342 has a plurality of slits 343, which are through holes extending in the width direction of the rectangular plate-shaped lid portion 342, and a central through hole 344 located in the center. The upper surface of the lid portion 342, which constitutes the upper end of the tray, is located one step lower than the upper surface of the front plate portion 312, and therefore is located below the opening of the recess 314.

[0054] The lower shelf 50 is used to hold spare beer kegs B1, sake bottles B2, and large beer bottles B3 and B4, etc. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the lower shelf 50 has a mounting plate section 51 and side sections 52. The mounting plate section 51 has a rectangular plate shape with its longitudinal direction oriented in the left-right direction.

[0055] Side portions 52 are provided at the left and right ends of the mounting plate portion 51. The side portions 52 provided at the left and right ends of the mounting plate portion 51 are configured to be symmetrical. In detail, the side portion 52 has a side plate 521, an upper plate 522, a front plate 523, and an engaging portion 524. Rectangular side plates 521 are integrally molded and connected to the left and right sides of the rectangular mounting plate portion 51, extending upward from each of those sides. The side plates 521 extend from the rear end edge of the mounting plate portion 51 to the front end edge of the mounting plate portion 51.

[0056] The entire front portion of the mounting plate 51, which occupies about half of the front-to-back portion, has multiple circular through-holes 513 formed at predetermined intervals that penetrate vertically. Cold air from the outlet of the blower 15 can pass through the through-holes 513, thereby allowing cold air to circulate from the middle section to the lower section of the refrigerator 1.

[0057] The top plate 522 has a rectangular shape that extends horizontally from the upper edge of the side plate 521, and extends from the rear edge to the front edge of the side plate 521. The front plate 523 has a plate shape that is perpendicular to the front edge of the side plate 521 and the front edge of the top plate 522, and a magnet (not shown) is fixed to it. The width of the front plate 523 in the left-right direction is the same as the width of the top plate 522.

[0058] The engaging portion 524 has a rectangular shape that extends upward from the rear edge of the upper plate 522. The right engaging portion 524 shown in Figure 8 extends from the left end to the right end in the left-right direction of the rear edge of the upper plate 522, and the left engaging portion 524 shown in Figure 8 extends from the right end to the left end in the left-right direction of the rear edge of the upper plate 522. With the engaging portion 524 engaged with an engaged portion (not shown) located below the upper shelf fixing portion 115, the upper plate 522 is fixed to the lower shelf fixing portion 116 by screws. In this way, the lower shelf 50 is fixed to the insulated box 11.

[0059] As shown in Figure 5, the upper panel 71 is composed of a rectangular resin plate-like member. More specifically, the lower part of the upper panel 71 is shorter in width in the left-right direction than the upper part of the upper panel 71. Therefore, a pair of stepped sections are formed on the left and right sides of the boundary between the upper and lower parts of the upper panel 71, which are recessed one step inward in the left-right direction.

[0060] The upper plate 71 is supported by the support member 35 by the grooves formed between the front surface 3642 of the rear mountain portion 364 of the support member 36, where each of the left and right stepped portions is inserted and engaged. As a result, the upper plate 71 is positioned between the insulated door 18 and the beer keg B1 that is placed on the upper shelf 30 and constitutes the beer server, preventing the cold air inside the upper part of the insulated box 11 from flowing out to the outside when the insulated door 18 is open.

[0061] The position of the upper plate 71, as positioned in this manner, is such that the rear of the tray 34 is located vertically below the rear and front surfaces of the upper plate 71, which are the ends of the upper plate 71 on the rear and front sides of the insulated box 11. This allows the beer dispensed from the dispenser 80's outlet 82 and dropped into the tray 34.

[0062] A recess 711 is formed in the upper part of the upper plate material 71. The recess 711 is formed at the center of the upper part of the upper plate material 71 in the left-right direction, has a semicircular shape at its lower end, and its upper part extends upward, opening upward at the upper end of the upper plate material 71. The discharge port 82 of the dispenser 80 can be inserted into the recess 711, and it is possible to make the discharge port 82 protrude from the back to the front of the upper plate material 71 through the recess 711.

[0063] In this way, by causing the discharge port 82 to protrude from the back to the front of the upper plate material 71 through the recess 711, the discharge port 82 of the dispenser 80 is positioned between the upper plate material 71 and the insulated door 18. This allows beer to be dispensed from the dispenser 80 of the beer server housed in the insulated box 11 when the insulated door 18 is open.

[0064] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a gap is formed between the upper end of the upper plate 71 and the inner surface (bottom surface) of the upper wall that constitutes the upper part of the insulated box 11. A worker can insert their hand into the gap and adjust the amount of gas from the cylinder 84 by manually adjusting the pressure reducing valve 841.

[0065] The front surface of the upper plate 71 is made of a smooth, mirror-like flat surface without any irregularities. When beer dispensed from the dispenser 80's outlet 82 adheres to the front surface of the upper plate 71, it flows down along the smooth, mirror-like flat surface and is collected in the tray 34.

[0066] The rear surface of the upper panel 71 is made of a roughened surface, similar to the surface of frosted glass. Therefore, the upper panel 71 is semi-transparent. The roughened surface forms a display recess. The inner surface of the insulated box 11 is equipped with an illumination unit (not shown) that irradiates light onto the roughened surface. The illumination unit has an LED light source or the like, and can display the logo or text of a beer manufacturer on the roughened surface.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, the lower plate 72 is made up of a rectangular resin plate-like member. More specifically, the left and right central parts of the lower plate 72 in the vertical direction have arc-shaped recesses 721 formed therein. As a result, the width of the lower plate 72 in the left and right central parts in the vertical direction is partially shorter than that of other parts, making it easy to insert a hand into this part and remove the lower plate 72.

[0068] Rectangular through-holes 722 are formed at both the left and right ends of the upper end of the lower shelf board 72. Metal parts (not shown) are fixed to both the left and right ends of the lower end of the lower shelf board 72. The lower shelf board hanging part 3121, which serves as a locking part for the upper shelf 30, is inserted into the through-holes 722 and locked in place, so that the lower shelf board 72 is hung (suspended) from the lower shelf board hanging part 3121 behind the front edge of the upper shelf 30. In this state, both the left and right ends of the lower end of the lower shelf board 72 are attracted to magnets fixed to the front plate 523 by metal parts (not shown), and contact the front plate 523 of the lower shelf 50 via the magnets.

[0069] As a result, the lower shelf board 72 is positioned between the insulated door 18 and the middle section, which is the space between the upper shelf 30 and the lower shelf 50, and between the insulated door 18 and the lower shelf 50, in front of the upper shelf board 71. With this arrangement, the lower shelf board 72 prevents cold air from the inside of the middle section of the insulated box body 11 from flowing out to the outside when the insulated door 18 is open.

[0070] The front surface of the lower plate 72 is made up of a smooth, mirror-like flat surface without any irregularities. When beer dispensed from the dispenser 80's outlet 82 adheres to the front surface of the lower plate 72, it is configured to flow down along the smooth, mirror-like flat surface without any irregularities.

[0071] The rear surface of the lower panel 72 is made of a roughened surface, similar to the surface of frosted glass. Therefore, the lower panel 72 is semi-transparent. The roughened surface forms a display recess. The inner surface of the insulated box 11 is equipped with an illumination unit (not shown) that irradiates light onto the roughened surface. The illumination unit has an LED light source or the like, and can display the logo or text of a beer manufacturer on the roughened surface.

[0072] The refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment with the above configuration provides the following advantages. In the refrigerator 1, the insulated box 11, when the insulated door 18 is closed, can house the entire beer server, which includes a beer keg B1 and a dispenser 80 fixed to the beer keg B1 and dispensing beer from inside the beer keg B1. Between the insulated door 18 and the beer keg B1, an upper plate 71 and a lower plate 72 are arranged to prevent cold air from the inside of the insulated box 11 from flowing out when the insulated door 18 is open. The dispensing port 82 of the dispenser 80 is positioned between the upper plate 71 and the insulated door 18, and beer can be dispensed from the dispenser 80 of the beer server housed in the insulated box 11 when the insulated door 18 is open.

[0073] As a result, when the insulated door 18 of the refrigerator 1 is opened to pour beer from the spout 82 into a mug or the like, the upper and lower panels 71 and 72 can prevent cold air from flowing out of the insulated box 11. Furthermore, since the entire beer server, including the dispenser 80, can be housed inside the insulated box 11, the spout 82, which constitutes the tap of the dispenser 80, can be cooled together with the beer keg B1. Therefore, the spout 82 can be kept hygienically cleaned only about once every two weeks, rather than once a day.

[0074] A tray 34 capable of catching the beer dispensed and dropped from the dispenser 80's outlet 82 is positioned vertically below the dispenser 80's outlet 82. This prevents the beer dispensed and dropped from the dispenser 80's outlet 82 from falling into the inside of the refrigerator 1 or onto the floor in front of the refrigerator 1.

[0075] The tray 34 is fitted into a recess 314 formed in the upper shelf 30 on which the beer keg B1 is placed inside the insulated box 11, and a through hole 315 is formed in the portion of the upper shelf 30 where the recess 314 is located. This makes it possible to prevent beer that falls into the recess 314 where the tray 34 is placed and contained from accumulating in the recess 314.

[0076] A tray 34 capable of accommodating the beer dispensed from the dispenser 80's outlet 82 and falling is positioned vertically below the ends of the upper plate 71 on the rear and front sides of the insulated box 11, that is, vertically below the rear and front surfaces of the upper plate 71. This prevents the beer dispensed from the outlet 82 and falling along the upper plate 71 from falling into the interior of the insulated box 11 or onto the floor in front of the refrigerator 1.

[0077] The upper and lower panels 71 and 72 are made of translucent material. On the beer barrel B1 side, i.e., the rear surfaces of the upper and lower panels 71 and 72, a display recess is formed, which is made of a roughened surface. On the opposite side of the panels, i.e., the front surfaces of the upper and lower panels 71 and 72, a smooth, mirror-like flat surface is formed without any irregularities. The unit is equipped with an illumination section that shines light towards the display recess.

[0078] As a result, by irradiating the display recess with light from an illumination unit (not shown), the logo or text of the beer manufacturer can be displayed on the display recess, i.e., on the roughened surface, using the irradiated light. Furthermore, on a smooth, mirror-like flat surface without irregularities, if beer dispensed from the dispenser 80's outlet 82 adheres to the surface, it can be smoothly flowed downward along the mirror-like flat surface.

[0079] The dispenser 80 is equipped with a cylinder 84 as a gas supply unit, and a gap is formed between the upper part of the upper plate material 71 and the inner surface (bottom surface) of the upper wall that constitutes the upper part of the insulated box body 11. This allows the worker to insert their hand through the gap to the rear and manually adjust the pressure reducing valve 841 to adjust the amount of gas from the cylinder 84. Therefore, when manually adjusting the pressure reducing valve 841, it is not necessary to remove the upper plate material 71 from the insulated box body 11, making manual adjustment of the pressure reducing valve 841 easier.

[0080] A recess 711 is formed in the upper part of the upper plate 71, into which the dispensing port 82 of the dispenser 80 can be inserted. This makes it possible to position the dispensing port 82 of the dispenser 80 so that it protrudes forward from the upper plate 71 through the recess 711. Therefore, with the insulated door 18 open and the upper plate 71 attached to the insulated box 11, it is possible to dispense beer from the dispenser 80 of the beer server housed in the insulated box 11 by operating the lever 83.

[0081] The refrigerator 1 has a lower plate 72 positioned between the upper shelf 30 on which beer kegs B1 are placed and the insulated door 18 inside the insulated box 11. A through-hole 722 is formed in the upper part of the lower plate 72, and a locking part 3121 is provided at the front end of the upper shelf 30, which is inserted into and locked into the through-hole 722. The opening of the through-hole 722 is formed in a rectangular shape. This makes it possible to prevent wear on the upper part of the lower plate 72 that forms the opening of the through-hole 722 by preventing the locking part 3121 from rubbing against the upper part of the lower plate 72 when the through-hole 722 is hooked onto the locking part 3121.

[0082] Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment with the above configuration, the insulated box 11, when the insulated door 18 is closed, is capable of housing the entire beer server, which includes a beer keg B1 and a dispenser 80 fixed to the beer keg B1 for dispensing beer from inside the beer keg B1. The insulated box 11 is equipped with an upper shelf 30 on which the beer keg B1 is placed, and the upper surface of the upper shelf 30 is equipped with a guide 35 extending in the depth direction of the insulated box 11 and a stopper 33 against which the beer keg B1 abuts, positioning the beer keg B1 in the depth direction of the insulated box 11.

[0083] The beer keg B1 is placed on the guide 35 and slides, being pushed to the rear, which allows it to move towards the stopper 33. When the beer keg B1 comes into contact with the stopper 33, it becomes possible to position the beer keg B1 in an appropriate position on the upper surface of the upper shelf 30, that is, in a position where the discharge port 82 of the dispenser 80 fixed to the beer keg B1 protrudes from the back to the front of the upper shelf 71 through the recess 711 of the upper shelf 71.

[0084] The peripheral edge B12 at the bottom of the beer barrel B1 protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the beer barrel B1, and the guide 35 protrudes from the upper surface of the upper plate 71 and has a length that allows it to be fitted between the peripheral edges at the diameter position of the bottom of the beer barrel B1.

[0085] As a result, the guide 35 fits between the inner surfaces of opposing peripheral edges B12 (see Figure 9) at the diameter of the bottom of the beer keg B1. This fitting causes one end of the guide 35 in the longitudinal direction to abut against the inner surface of one of the opposing peripheral edges B12 at the diameter of the bottom of the beer keg B1, and the other end of the guide 35 in the longitudinal direction to abut against the inner surface of the other opposing peripheral edge B12 at the diameter of the bottom of the beer keg B1. As a result, the beer keg B1 can be positioned along the longitudinal direction of the guide 35.

[0086] The end of the guide 35 at the rear of the insulated box 11 has a downward-sloping portion 351 that slopes downward toward the rear. This makes it possible to easily fit the guide 35 between the opposing peripheral edges B12 (see Figure 9) at the diameter position of the bottom of the beer keg B1 by placing the beer keg B1 on the guide 35 and pushing it backward to slide it.

[0087] A recess 314 is formed in the upper shelf 30 between the guide 35 and the insulated door 18. A tray 34 capable of holding the beer dispensed and dropped from the dispenser 80's outlet 82 is fitted into the recess 314, with the upper end of the tray 34 positioned below the opening of the recess 314.

[0088] As a result, when inserting or removing the beer keg B1 that makes up the beer server into or out of the insulated box 11 to place it on the upper shelf 30, the tray 34 does not protrude from the opening of the recess 314 of the tray 34, thus preventing the peripheral edge B12 of the beer keg B1 from colliding with the tray 34.

[0089] The portion of the upper shelf 30 where the recess 314 is formed between the guide 35 and the insulated door 18 is configured to be one step higher than the portion of the upper shelf 30 where the guide 35 is provided. This allows the lower part of the beer keg B1 to come into contact with the raised portion, enabling the positioning of the beer keg B1 placed on the tray 34 in the front-to-back direction, and preventing the beer keg B1 placed on the tray 34 from moving forward towards the insulated door 18.

[0090] The end of the upper shelf 30 at the rear of the insulated box 11 has an engaging portion 324 that engages with the insulated box 11. This prevents the upper shelf 30 from shifting position in the front-to-back direction and allows it to be fixed in place.

[0091] Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment with the above configuration, the insulated box 11, when the insulated door 18 is closed, can house the entire beer server, which includes a beer keg B1 and a dispenser 80 fixed to the beer keg B1 and dispensing beer from inside the beer keg B1. When the insulated door 18 is open, beer can be dispensed from the dispenser 80 of the beer server housed in the insulated box 11. The refrigerator 11 is equipped with a blower 15 located at the upper rear of the interior of the insulated box 11 for blowing cold air into the interior of the insulated box 11, and an upper shelf 30 located inside the insulated box 11 on which the beer keg B1 is placed. The blower 15 blows cold air towards a position below the dispensing port 82 of the dispenser 80 so that the cold air does not directly hit the dispensing port 82 of the dispenser 80.

[0092] This prevents cold air from directly hitting the outlet 82 that makes up the faucet, suppresses temperature fluctuations in the faucet, and prevents the outlet 82 that makes up the faucet from freezing even when the cooling temperature of the refrigerator 1 is set to a negative temperature.

[0093] A through-hole 313 is formed in the front of the upper shelf 30, extending vertically. This allows the cool air from the blower 15, located at the upper rear of the insulated box 11, to flow to the front of the insulated box 11 instead of accumulating at the rear, and further to flow through the through-hole 313 to the middle section and below. In addition, the air can be directed to flow below the upper shelf 30, where the temperature tends to rise when the insulated door 18 is opened and closed, allowing the front of the insulated box 11 to be sufficiently cooled.

[0094] The interior of the insulated box 11 is partitioned by an upper shelf 30 and a lower shelf 50 on which beer kegs B1 are placed, and has an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section on which beer kegs B1 can be stored. The upper section can store beer kegs B1 with dispensers 80 fixed to it, the middle section can store spare beer kegs B1, and the lower section can store beer mugs. As a result, the interior of the insulated box 11 is partitioned by the upper shelf 30 and the lower shelf 50, making it possible to store a complete set of equipment for drinking beer in a cooled state.

[0095] In particular, storing a beer keg B1 at room temperature in refrigerator 1 takes about 10 hours to sufficiently cool the beer inside keg B1 from room temperature. However, since a spare beer keg B1 can be stored in refrigerator 1, when the beer in the beer keg B1 that makes up the upper beer server runs out, it can be immediately replaced with a spare beer keg B1 and chilled beer can be dispensed.

[0096] Between the insulated door 18 and the beer keg B1, an upper plate 71 and a lower plate 72 are detachably positioned to prevent cold air from escaping from inside the insulated box 11 when the insulated door 18 is open. This allows the upper plate 71 and lower plate 72 to be attached when the beer server is stored in the refrigerator 1, and to be removed as needed in other cases.

[0097] The upper shelf board 71 is supported by a support member 36 fixed to the upper shelf 30 and having a groove into which the lower part of the upper shelf board 71 is inserted. The opening of the groove is higher at the back than at the front. This allows the upper shelf board 71 to be reliably inserted into the groove of the support member 36 by first bringing the upper shelf board 71 into contact with the front surface 3642 of the rear ridge 364 that forms the opening of the groove and then moving it downwards.

[0098] The front surface 3633 of the support member 36 is inclined upward toward the opening of the groove. This allows the lower part of the upper plate 71 to be guided toward the opening of the support member 36 by moving the lower part of the upper plate 71 toward the rear from the front, bringing it into contact with the front surface 3633 of the support member 36, and sliding it backward and upward along the front surface 3633, thereby enabling the upper plate 71 to be easily inserted into the groove of the support member 36.

[0099] The support member 36 and the upper shelf 30 are fixed together by a screw 325 that passes through them, fixing the support member 36 to the upper shelf 30. The screw 325 engages with a hole formed in the upper shelf fixing part 115, which serves as a support part provided on the inner surface of the side wall constituting the inner surface of the heat-insulating box body 11, thereby positioning the support member 36. As a result, the upper shelf 30 and the support member 36 can be fixed to the upper shelf fixing part 115 by the screw 325, and the support member 36 can be fixed to the upper shelf 30.

[0100] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, the configuration of each part of the refrigerator and beer server, and the types and number of beer kegs, sake bottles, beer bottles, etc. stored therein are not limited to the configuration of each part of the refrigerator 1 and beer server, or the types and number of beer kegs B1, sake bottles B2, beer bottles B3, B4, etc. stored therein in this embodiment.

[0101] Specifically, for example, the upper panel 71 and the lower panel 72 were made of a semi-transparent material, but are not limited to this, and may be made of a transparent material. Also, for example, the front surface of the upper panel 71 was made of a smooth, mirror-like flat surface without irregularities, but are not limited to this. For example, the front surfaces of the upper panel and the lower panel may be made of a roughened surface, such as the surface of frosted glass, similar to the rear surfaces of the upper panel and the lower panel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1...Refrigerator 11...Insulated box 12...Refrigerator compartment 15...Blower 34...Tray 30...Upper shelf 33...Stopper 35...Guide 36...Support member 50...Lower shelf 71...Upper plate 72...Lower plate 80...Dispenser 82...Discharge port 84...Cylinder (gas supply unit) 115...Upper shelf fixing part 311...Rear plate 312...Front plate 313...Through hole 314...Recess 315...Through hole 324...Engaging part 325...Screw 351...Lowering part 711...Recess 722...Through hole in plate 3633...Front B1...Beer keg B12...Peripheral part

Claims

1. An insulated box having an opening on the front side, An insulated door is provided that can be opened and closed at the aforementioned opening, Equipped with, When the insulated door is closed, the insulated box is capable of housing the entire beer server, which includes a beer keg and a dispenser fixed to the beer keg for dispensing beer from inside the keg. Between the insulated door and the beer keg, a plate is placed to prevent the cold air inside the insulated box from escaping to the outside when the insulated door is open. The dispenser's outlet is positioned between the plate and the insulated door. A refrigerator capable of dispensing beer from the dispenser of the beer server housed in the insulated box, with the insulated door open.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a tray capable of accumulating the beer dispensed and dropped from the dispenser's outlet is positioned vertically below the dispenser's outlet.

3. The tray is fitted into a recess formed in the shelf on which the beer kegs are placed inside the insulated box, The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein a through hole is formed in the portion of the shelf where the recess is formed.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a tray capable of accommodating beer dispensed and dropped from the dispenser's outlet is arranged vertically below the ends of the plate material on the rear and front sides of the insulated box body.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the plate material is made of transparent or translucent material, a display recess is formed on the surface of the plate material on the beer barrel side, and the surface of the plate material opposite the beer barrel side is made of a flat surface.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, further comprising an illumination unit that irradiates light toward the display recess.

7. The dispenser includes a gas supply unit, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed between the upper part of the plate material and the upper part of the insulated box body, allowing an operator to insert their hand in order to adjust the amount of gas from the gas supply unit.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a recess is formed in the upper part of the plate material into which the dispensing port of the dispenser can be inserted.

9. The interior of the insulated box is divided by shelves on which the beer kegs are placed, and has at least an upper section and a lower section, each capable of accommodating the beer kegs. The aforementioned plate material is An upper board material is placed between the insulated door and the upper part of the shelf, It comprises a lower board material positioned between the insulated door and the lower shelf portion, A hole is formed through the plate material at the upper part of the lower plate material. The front end of the shelf is provided with a locking portion that is inserted into and locked into the through-hole in the plate material. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the through-hole in the plate material is formed in a rectangular shape.

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