refrigerator

Abstract

The objective is to provide a refrigerator that allows for the storage of tall food items upright, even when stored on a shelf located below the drip tray, thereby enabling efficient use of the refrigerator compartment. [Solution] A refrigerator 1 comprising a refrigerator body 2, a roll-bond type cooler 27 provided in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21 of the refrigerator body 2, a dew tray 37 for receiving condensed water generated in the cooler 27, and a refrigerator that cools the inside of the refrigerator compartment 21 by natural convection of the cold air generated in the cooler 27, wherein a storage space 33 is provided next to the cooler 27, the dew tray 37 has a shelf portion 46, the shelf portion 46 of the dew tray 37 is placed in the storage space 33, a mounting portion 34 is provided below the shelf portion 46, and the shelf portion 46 is detachable from the dew tray 37.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shelf structure for improving the convenience of a storage space provided at the upper part of a refrigerating chamber in a refrigerator body.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as such a refrigerator, there are provided a plate-shaped cooler disposed offset to one side of the ceiling of a storage space (corresponding to the refrigerating chamber of the present invention), and a drip tray provided below the cooler, and a food placement shelf (corresponding to the shelf portion of the present invention) is provided on the surface of the drip tray on the other side of the storage space, and further, a wire shelf (corresponding to the placement portion of the present invention) is provided below it. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the case of such a refrigerator, since the space between the wire shelf provided below and the drip tray is narrow, when it is desired to store tall foods such as tall cans or bottles on the wire shelf, the foods have to be placed horizontally, and there is a problem that it is difficult to efficiently use the storage space. Also, even when trying to store on the food placement shelf of the drip tray, there is a problem that the height of the space between the ceiling of the storage space and the food placement shelf is insufficient for storage.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a refrigerator that can store tall foods in a standing state even when storing them on a shelf provided below the drip tray, and can efficiently use the refrigerating chamber.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The refrigerator according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a refrigerator body, a roll-bond type cooler provided in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator body, a dew tray for receiving condensed water generated in the cooler, and a refrigerator that cools the refrigerator compartment by natural convection of the cold air generated by the cooler, wherein the cooler is positioned to one side of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment, a storage space is provided on the other side of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment, the dew tray has a shelf, the shelf of the dew tray is placed in the storage space, a mounting portion is provided below the shelf, and the shelf is detachable from the dew tray.

[0007] Furthermore, the refrigerator according to claim 2 of the present invention is configured such that, in claim 1, an adjustment part is provided in the drip tray, the adjustment part is located in the storage space, a plurality of shelf support parts are provided on the adjustment part at different heights, and the shelf part is supported by any of these shelf support parts.

[0008] Furthermore, the refrigerator according to claim 3 of the present invention is provided in claim 2 with a storage section for housing the shelf section in the adjustment section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The refrigerator described in the present invention is configured as described above, so that the drip tray has the shelf portion, the shelf portion of the drip tray is placed in the storage space, the aforementioned storage portion is provided below the shelf portion, and the shelf portion is detachable from the drip tray. Therefore, when storing tall food items in the aforementioned storage portion, the shelf portion can be removed to increase the storage height of the aforementioned storage portion, so that tall food items can be stored upright, and the refrigerator compartment can be used efficiently.

[0010] Furthermore, the drip tray is provided with an adjustment section for adjusting the mounting height of the shelf, and multiple shelf support sections are provided on the adjustment section at different heights. The shelf is supported by any of these shelf support sections and is detachable. This allows the height of the shelf to be adjusted according to the height of the food stored in the storage section, thus enabling more efficient use of the refrigerator compartment.

[0011] Furthermore, by providing a storage section for the shelf section in the adjustment section, when the shelf section is not in use, there is no need to worry about where to put the shelf section, and loss can be prevented, thus improving convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a refrigerator showing a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the door in the open position with the drip tray shelf attached. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the door in the open position with the drip tray shelf removed. [Figure 4] This is the same A-A cross-section. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the drip tray. [Figure 6] This is a front view of the door when it is open, in a second embodiment of the present invention, with the shelf attached to the lower part of the drip tray adjustment section. [Figure 7] This is a front view with the door open, showing the shelf attached to the upper part of the drip tray adjustment section. [Figure 8] This is a front view with the door open, showing the shelf section attached to the storage compartment for the drip tray. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the BB. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of the CC (carbon cross-section). [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view of the DD. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of the drip tray. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. In the description of this embodiment, the lower left direction in FIG. 1 is defined as the front, the upper right direction as the rear, the lower right direction as the right, and the upper left direction as the left.

[0014] 1 is a refrigerator of the present invention. This refrigerator 1 is composed of a refrigerator body 2 and a door 3. The refrigerator body 2 and the door 3 are connected by a hinge 4, and by this hinge 4, the door 3 can be moved to open and close with respect to the refrigerator body 2.

[0015] Also, recessed-shaped handles 5, 5 are provided on the upper part of the door 3. Using this handle 5, the door 3 is opened and closed.

[0016] The refrigerator body 2 is composed of an outer cover 6, an inner cover 7, and a heat insulating material 8 filled in the space surrounded by the outer cover 6 and the inner cover 7. The outer cover 6 is composed of a main body upper cover 9, a main body lower cover 10, a main body rear cover 11, and a main body bottom cover 12. The inner cover 7 is made of synthetic resin, and the main body upper cover 9, the main body lower cover 10, the main body rear cover 11, and the main body bottom cover 12 are made of a thin metal plate such as a steel plate.

[0017] The inner cover 7 is composed of an upper inner wall 13, an upper rear inner wall 14, a left inner wall 15, a right inner wall 16, a middle bottom inner wall 17, a lower rear inner wall 18, and a bottom inner wall 19. Near the upper end of the lower rear inner wall 18, a middle shelf member 20 is attached, and the height of the upper surface of the middle shelf member 20 and the middle bottom inner wall 17 is substantially the same.

[0018] The flat surface portion composed of the middle shelf member 20 and the middle bottom inner wall 17 becomes the middle-stage placement portion 34 in the refrigerating chamber 21, and foods and the like as objects to be cooled can be placed thereon.

[0019] The door 3 consists of an upper door cover 22, a lower door cover 23, a front door cover 24, a rear door cover 25, and an insulating material filled in the space enclosed by the upper door cover 22, the lower door cover 23, the front door cover 24, and the rear door cover 25. The front door cover 24 is made of a thin metal plate such as a steel plate, and the upper door cover 22, the lower door cover 23, and the rear door cover 25 are made of synthetic resin.

[0020] When the door 3 is closed, the space enclosed by the inner cover 7 and the rear door cover 25 of the door 3 is the refrigerator compartment 21.

[0021] A gasket 26 is attached to the rear door cover 25. This gasket 26 is made of an elastic material. When the door 3 is closed, the gasket 26 is in close contact with the front surface of the inner cover 7, preventing air from the refrigerator compartment 21 from leaking to the outside.

[0022] A cooler 27 is positioned in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21. This cooler 27 is a roll-bond type with a refrigerant passage between two metal plates. The cooler 27 is positioned towards the right side of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21.

[0023] Furthermore, the cooler 27 is composed of a horizontally mounted cooling section 28, a connecting section 29 extending vertically from the cooling section 28, and a mounting section 30 extending horizontally from the connecting section 29, and has a U-shape. The aforementioned refrigerant passage is provided in the cooling section 28.

[0024] The cooler 27 is fixed to the upper right side of the refrigerator compartment 21 by having the right end of the cooling section 28 attached to the right inner wall 16 and the mounting section 30 attached to a fixing member 32 fixed to the upper inner wall 13. The upper left side of the refrigerator compartment 21 becomes the storage space 33.

[0025] A cooling device (not shown) is located at the lower rear of the refrigerator body 2. The refrigerant passage of the cooling unit 28 and the aforementioned cooling device are connected by a refrigerant pipe 35 so that the refrigerant circulates.

[0026] Therefore, when the aforementioned cooling device is activated, the cooling unit 28 is cooled via the refrigerant pipe 35. The air surrounding the cooling unit 28 is then cooled, and this cooled air flows downward, causing natural convection and cooling the entire inside of the refrigerator compartment 21. In the present invention, the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 21 is controlled to be approximately 3°C.

[0027] Furthermore, a space 36 is provided above the cooling unit 28. This space 36 is intended to prevent condensation from forming on the upper surface of the main body upper cover 9 due to the cold air from the cooling unit 28.

[0028] A dew tray 37 is detachably attached to the lower part of the cooler 27.

[0029] The drip tray 37 has a left insertion portion 38 and a right insertion portion 39 on both its left and right sides. Furthermore, the left insertion portion 38 and the right insertion portion 39 have a left end surface portion 40 and a right end surface portion 41 on their rear sides, respectively.

[0030] Furthermore, the left inner wall 15 and the right inner wall 16 of the inner cover 7 are provided with a left support portion 42 and a right support portion 43. These left support portion 42 and right support portion 43 have a U-shaped groove. In addition, the left support portion 42 and the right support portion 43 each have a left stop portion 44 and a right stop portion 45 on their rear sides.

[0031] When installing the drip tray 37, the left insertion part 38 is inserted into the left support part 42, and the right insertion part 39 is inserted into the right support part 43. Since the left support part 42 and the right support part 43 have a U-shaped groove, the vertical position of the drip tray 37 is determined.

[0032] When the dew tray 37 is further inserted, the left end face portion 40 comes into contact with the left stop portion 44, and the right end face portion 41 comes into contact with the right stop portion 45, thereby determining its position in the front-to-back direction. In this way, the dew tray 37 can be detachably positioned at a predetermined location at the bottom of the cooler 27. The dew tray 37 is molded from synthetic resin.

[0033] A shelf 46 is detachably attached to the storage space 33 side of the drip tray 37.

[0034] The drip tray 37 is provided with a left shelf support 47 and a right shelf support 48 as shelf support parts, and the shelf part 46 is provided with a left supported part 49 and a right supported part 50. The shelf part 46 is attached to the drip tray 37 by inserting the shelf part 46 into the storage space 33 from the front and placing the left supported part 49 and the right supported part 50 on the left shelf support 47 and the right shelf support 48, respectively. The shelf part 46 is then attached by inserting it until the rear surface of the shelf part 46 abuts against the rear surfaces of the left shelf support 47 and the right shelf support 48. In this way, the shelf part 46 can be detachably attached to the drip tray 37. Then, objects to be cooled can be placed on the shelf part 46.

[0035] As described above, since the shelf 46 is detachable from the drip tray 37, when placing tall food items, such as tall cans or bottles, on the storage area 34, removing the shelf 46 from the drip tray 37 will open up the top of the storage area 34, making it possible to place cans or bottles upright.

[0036] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 12. Parts common to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0037] The cooler 27 is positioned in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21 of the refrigerator 1. The cooler 27 is positioned to the right of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21. The storage space 33 is located on the left side of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21.

[0038] A dew tray 61 is detachably attached to the lower part of the cooler 27.

[0039] The drip tray 61 has a left insertion portion 62 and a right insertion portion 63 on both its left and right sides. Furthermore, the left insertion portion 62 and the right insertion portion 63 have a left end surface portion 64 and a right end surface portion 65 on their rear sides, respectively.

[0040] Furthermore, the left inner wall 15 and the right inner wall 16 of the inner cover 7 are provided with a left support portion 42 and a right support portion 43. These left support portion 42 and right support portion 43 have a U-shaped groove. In addition, the left support portion 42 and the right support portion 43 each have a left stop portion 44 and a right stop portion 45 on their rear sides.

[0041] When installing the drip tray 61, the left insertion part 62 is inserted into the left support part 42, and the right insertion part 63 is inserted into the right support part 43. Since the left support part 42 and the right support part 43 have a U-shaped groove, the vertical position of the drip tray 37 is determined.

[0042] When the dew tray 61 is further inserted, the left end surface 64 comes into contact with the left stopper 44, and the right end surface 65 comes into contact with the right stopper 45, thereby determining its position in the front-to-back direction. In this way, the dew tray 61 can be detachably positioned at a predetermined location at the bottom of the cooler 27. The dew tray 61 is molded from synthetic resin.

[0043] The drip tray 61 is provided with an adjustment section 66, which is located in the storage space 33. The adjustment section 66 is composed of a left wall section 67, a right wall section 68, a ceiling section 69, and a rear wall section 70, and has a box-like shape with openings on the front and bottom sides.

[0044] On the inner wall side of the left wall section 67, a first left shelf support section 71 and a second left shelf support section 72 are provided at different heights to serve as shelf supports. Similarly, on the inner wall side of the right wall section 68, a first right shelf support section 73 and a second right shelf support section 74 are provided at different heights to serve as shelf supports.

[0045] Furthermore, the first left shelf support 71 and the first right shelf support 73 are provided at the same height in opposing positions, and similarly, the second left shelf support 72 and the second right shelf support 74 are provided at the same height in opposing positions.

[0046] Furthermore, the first left shelf support section 71 and the first right shelf support section 73 are provided near the lower surface of the adjustment section 66, and the second left shelf support section 72 and the second right shelf support section 74 are provided at a height near the center of the adjustment section 66.

[0047] The shelf section 46 is then detachably attached to the adjustment section 66.

[0048] The method for installing the shelf section 46 will now be explained. The shelf section 46 is provided with a left support section 49 and a right support section 50. When installing the shelf section 46 to the lower side of the adjustment section 66, the shelf section 46 is inserted into the adjustment section 66 from the front, the left support section 49 and the right support section 50 are placed on the first left shelf support section 71 and the first right shelf support section 73, respectively, and then the shelf section 46 is inserted further until its rear surface abuts against the rear wall section 70.

[0049] Similarly, when attaching the shelf portion 46 to the center of the adjustment portion 66, insert the shelf portion 46 into the adjustment portion 66 from the front, place the left supported portion 49 and the right supported portion 50 on the second left shelf support portion 72 and the second right shelf support portion 74, respectively, and then insert the shelf portion 46 until its rear surface abuts against the rear wall portion 70.

[0050] In this way, the shelf section 46 is detachably attached to the adjustment section 66. The attachment position of the shelf section 46 can be appropriately changed according to the height of the food to be placed on the storage section 34. For example, if the height of the food is from the placement surface of the storage section 34 to the bottom surface of the adjustment section 66, the shelf section 46 should be attached at the height of the first left shelf support section 71 and the first right shelf support section 73. Alternatively, if the height of the food is from the placement surface of the storage section 34 to the height of the second left shelf support section 72 and the second right shelf support section 74, the shelf section 46 should be attached to the second left shelf support section 72 and the second right shelf support section 74. In this way, food can be placed upright, and the shelf section 46 can also be used as a shelf.

[0051] Furthermore, a storage section 75 is provided on the upper side of the ceiling section 69 of the adjustment section 66. The storage section 75 is composed of a U-shaped storage wall section 76 that is open at the front. This storage wall section 76 is shaped to conform to the outer shape of the shelf section 46.

[0052] Then, by inserting the shelf 46 into the storage wall 76, the shelf 46 can be stored in the storage section 75.

[0053] As mentioned above, the mounting position of the shelf 46 is changed as appropriate according to the height of the food placed on the placement section 34. However, when placing food taller than the height of the second left shelf support section 72 and the second right shelf support section 74 from the placement surface of the placement section 34 on the placement section 34, the shelf 46 will need to be removed from the adjustment section 66. In such cases, the shelf 46 can be stored in the storage section 75. This eliminates the problem of where to put the shelf 46 and also prevents it from being lost.

[0054] As described above, in the refrigerator 1, which includes a refrigerator body 2, a roll-bond type cooler 27 provided in the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21 of the refrigerator body 2, a dew tray 37 for receiving condensed water generated in the cooler 27, and cools the inside of the refrigerator compartment 21 by natural convection of the cold air generated in the cooler 27, the cooler 27 is positioned to one side of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21, and the storage space 33 is provided on the other side of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment 21. The drip tray 37 has a shelf portion 46, the shelf portion 46 of the drip tray 37 is positioned in the storage space 33, the aforementioned storage portion 34 is provided below the shelf portion 46, and the shelf portion 46 is detachable from the drip tray 37. Therefore, when placing tall food items on the aforementioned storage portion 34, the shelf portion 46 can be removed from the drip tray 37, allowing tall food items to be placed upright on the aforementioned storage portion 34, thus enabling efficient use of the refrigerator compartment 21.

[0055] Furthermore, the drip tray 61 is provided with the adjustment section 66, which is located in the storage space 33, and the adjustment section 66 is provided with a plurality of shelf support sections 71, 72, 73, and 74 at different heights, and the shelf section 46 is supported by any of these shelf support sections 71, 72, 73, and 74. As a result, the height of the shelf section 46 can be changed, so that food can be placed upright in the storage section 34 described above, and the shelf section 46 can also be used as a shelf, allowing for more efficient use of the refrigerator compartment 21.

[0056] Furthermore, by providing the storage section 75 for housing the shelf section 46 in the adjustment section 66, when the shelf section 46 is removed from the adjustment section 66 for use, there is no need to worry about where to store the shelf section 46, and loss can be prevented, thus improving convenience.

[0057] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, in the second embodiment described above, the shelf support sections were provided at two heights: the first left shelf support section 71 and the first right shelf support section 73, and the second left shelf support section 72 and the second right shelf support section 74. However, the number of such sections may be increased to three or four.

[0058] Furthermore, although the storage compartment 75 is provided between the upper inner wall 13 and the ceiling portion 69 of the adjustment section 66, the storage compartment may also be provided between the left inner wall 15 and the left wall portion 67 of the adjustment section 66. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Refrigerator 2. Refrigerator unit 21 Refrigerator 27 Cooler 28 Cooling section 29 Connection part 30 Mounting part 33 Storage space 34 Mounting section 37,61 Dew pan 46 Shelf 66 Adjustment section 71 First left shelf support part (shelf support part) 72 Second left shelf support part (shelf support part) 73 First right shelf support part (shelf support part) 74 Second right shelf support part (shelf support part) 75 Storage compartment

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising a refrigerator body, a roll-bond type cooler installed at the top of the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator body, a dew tray for receiving condensed water generated in the cooler, and a refrigerator that cools the refrigerator compartment by natural convection of the cold air generated in the cooler, The cooler is positioned towards one side of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment, and a storage space is provided on the other side of the upper part of the refrigerator compartment. The drip tray has a shelf portion, and the shelf portion of the drip tray is placed in the storage space. A mounting section is provided below the shelf section. A refrigerator characterized in that the shelf portion is detachable from the drip tray.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that an adjustment part is provided in the drip tray, the adjustment part is located in the storage space, a plurality of shelf support parts are provided in the adjustment part at different heights, and the shelf part is supported by any of these shelf support parts.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that the adjustment section is provided with a storage section for storing the shelf section.

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