storage

Abstract

To provide a storage facility that can suppress the deterioration of thermal insulation performance. [Solution] The storage container comprises an inner box having a storage chamber inside, and an outer box in which the inner box is housed. The lower part of the back of the outer box is provided with an outer box recess that is recessed toward the front of the outer box, and the outer box recess is provided with an opposing surface that is positioned opposite to the front of the outer box. The lower part of the back of the inner box is positioned opposite to the opposing surface, and the inner box is provided with a vacuum insulation material that extends from the bottom surface to the back of the inner box, covering at least a portion of both the bottom surface and the back of the inner box from the outer box side, with the upper end of the vacuum insulation material positioned above the upper end of the outer box recess.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a storage container.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator capable of improving heat insulation. The refrigerator of Patent Document 1 includes an inner member forming at least a part of the inner surface of the refrigerator, an outer member forming at least a part of the outer surface of the refrigerator, a first tip portion that is at least a part of the tip portion of the outer member, and a second tip portion that is at least a part of the tip portion of the inner member, a connection structure in which the first tip portion and the second tip portion are connected, and a heat insulation member disposed near the connection structure and containing aerogel, xerogel, or cryogel.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a storage container capable of suppressing a decrease in heat insulation performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The storage container in this disclosure includes an inner box provided with a storage chamber inside, and an outer box in which the inner box is housed. At the lower part of the back surface of the outer box, an outer box recess that is recessed toward the front side of the outer box is provided. In the outer box recess, a facing surface that is disposed facing the front surface of the outer box is provided. The lower part of the back surface of the inner box is disposed facing the facing surface. In the inner box, a vacuum heat insulation material that covers at least a part of each of the lower surface and the back surface of the inner box from the outer box side is provided from the lower surface to the back surface of the inner box, and the upper end portion of the vacuum heat insulation material is located above the upper end portion of the outer box recess.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to this disclosure, the deterioration of thermal insulation performance can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of this disclosure [Figure 2] Disassembled perspective view of a refrigerator [Figure 3] Perpendicular view of a refrigerator [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view in Plan IV of Figure 1 [Figure 5] Perspective view of the inner box [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view in Plan VI of Figure 5 [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view in Plan VII, Figure 5. [Figure 8] Perspective view of the inner box [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view in Plan IX, Figure 3 [Figure 10] Perspective view of the base plate and vacuum insulation material [Figure 11] Perspective view of the bottom plate and vacuum insulation material in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (Knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors conceived of this disclosure, there was a technology that improved the insulation performance of storage facilities such as refrigerators by combining foam insulation and vacuum insulation. For example, in some storage facilities, by layering foam insulation and vacuum insulation, the thickness of the foam insulation can be reduced, thereby increasing the volume of the storage chamber inside the storage facility.

[0009] However, the inventors discovered a problem in that depending on the placement of the vacuum insulation material, heat conduction may occur around the vacuum insulation material, potentially reducing the insulation performance of the storage facility. To solve this problem, the subject matter of this disclosure was established. Therefore, this disclosure provides a storage facility that can suppress the deterioration of thermal insulation performance.

[0010] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters or redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art. The attached drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) Embodiment 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In this description, unless otherwise specified, directions such as front, back, left, right, and up and down refer to the same directions relative to the storage unit 1 when it is installed and used on the installation surface. In each figure, the symbol LH indicates the left side of the storage unit 1 when it is installed and used, the symbol FR indicates the front of the storage unit 1, and the symbol UP indicates the top of the storage unit 1. In the installed state of the storage unit 1, the up and down direction coincides with the vertical direction, and the front, back, left, and right directions coincide with the horizontal direction. [1-1. Structure] [1-1-1. Storage Room Configuration]

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a storage unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the storage unit 1 is a refrigerator comprising an insulated box body 10 with an opening 14 on the front, a plurality of doors 16, 17, and 18 attached to the insulated box body 10, and a refrigerator that forms a refrigeration cycle. The storage unit 1 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, with its longitudinal direction extending along the vertical direction.

[0013] The heat insulation box body 10 is a box-shaped member that has heat insulation properties and forms the main body of the refrigerator 1. This heat insulation box body 10 includes an outer box 12 that opens at the front, an inner box 13 that is housed inside the outer box 12 and opens at the front, and a foamed heat insulation material 11 provided between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13.

[0014] The inner box 13 is formed of a hard resin such as ABS, for example. In the heat insulation box body 10, the opening provided in the inner box 13 functions as the opening 14 of the heat insulation box body 10. The space inside the inner box 13 is cooled by a refrigerator and functions as a storage chamber 15 capable of freezing and refrigerating predetermined articles. This storage chamber 15 is partitioned into a plurality of spaces by partition portions. In the present embodiment, each space partitioned in this way functions as a refrigerating chamber, a freezing chamber, and a vegetable chamber in order from above to below, for example.

[0015] As described above, the opening 14 of the heat insulation box body 10 is closed by a plurality of doors 16, 17, and 18. These doors 16, 17, and 18 are all heat insulation doors provided with heat insulation members inside. In the refrigerator 1, the opening of the inner box 13 located in the refrigerating chamber is closed by a pair of doors 16. These doors 16 are double-opening doors that can be opened and closed by rotating along the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1. In the refrigerator 1, the openings of the inner box 13 located in the vegetable chamber and the freezing chamber are closed by doors 17 and 18, respectively. These doors 17 and 18 are drawer-type doors that can be opened and closed by sliding along the front-back direction of the refrigerator 1.

[0016] Between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13, a foamed heat insulation material 11, which is a filling material, is filled. As the foamed heat insulation material 11, a rigid urethane foam or the like, which is a material that can be foamed and filled, is used. The rigid urethane foam can be easily foamed, self-adheres to various materials, and has high airtightness. In the refrigerator 1, a rigid urethane foam is foamed and filled as the foamed heat insulation material 11 between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13, and self-adheres to the outer box 12 and the inner box 13. In addition, any insulating material that can be used to fill the storage room 1 may be used.

[0017] [1-1-2. Outer box composition] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the outer box 12. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the insulated box 10 from the rear side. In Figure 2, for the sake of explanation, the inner box 13 and the vacuum insulation material 60 are shown by dashed lines. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the outer box 12 comprises a pair of side panels 20 that form the left and right sides of the insulated box body 10, a bottom panel 21 that forms the bottom surface of the insulated box body 10, a back panel 22 that forms the back surface of the insulated box body 10, and a top panel 23 that forms the top surface of the insulated box body 10.

[0018] Each of the side panels 20 is a rectangular flat plate member in plan view. The side panels 20 are provided with flat side portions 28 that form the sides of the outer box 12. The side portion 28 has an outer surface 28A that faces outward from the insulated box 10 and an inner surface 28B that faces inward from the inner box 13. The side panels 20 are arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the side portion 28 extends along the vertical direction.

[0019] Each of the side panels 20 is provided with a flange portion 24 rising from the edge located at the front end of the side portion 28, a flange portion 25 rising from the edge located at the rear end of the side portion 28, and a flange portion 26 rising from the edge located at the lower end of the side portion 28. The flange portions 24, 25, and 26 all rise toward the other side panel 20 with a predetermined width dimension.

[0020] Each flange portion 24 located on the front side of the insulated box body 10 is connected to the edge of the opening of the inner box 13, forming the opening 14 of the insulated box body 10. These flange portions 24 function as contact surfaces to which sealing materials such as gaskets provided on the inner box 13 side of each door 16, 17, and 18 adhere.

[0021] The back panel 22 is a rectangular flat plate member in plan view. The back panel 22 is provided with a number of injection holes 27, which are through holes that penetrate in the thickness direction of the panel. When assembling the insulated box 10, foamed insulation material 11 is injected between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13 through these injection holes 27.

[0022] The bottom plate 21 is formed by bending a substantially rectangular plate-like member. The bottom plate 21 includes a bottom portion 30 located on the front end side of the bottom plate 21 and forming the bottom surface of the heat-insulating box body 10, an upright portion 32 rising upward from the rear end of the bottom portion 30, and an extension portion 34 extending rearward from the upper end of the upright portion 32.

[0023] The bottom plate 21 and the side plates 20 are connected to each other by fixing their respective edges located in the left-right direction on the bottom portion 30 and their respective flange portions 26 with fixing members such as screws. As a result, each of the side plates 20 is positioned upright from the left and right edges of the bottom portion 30.

[0024] The bottom plate 21 is provided with a handle portion 36 that can be gripped by a worker during the assembly process and transportation of the storage unit 1 or the insulated box body 10. The handle portion 36 is formed by recessing a predetermined part of the bottom portion 30 toward the inner box 13 side. The handle portion 36 is provided in the middle of the bottom portion 30 in the front-to-back direction, and in this embodiment, two handle portions 36 are provided side by side along the left-to-right direction of the bottom portion 30. The handle portion 36 corresponds to the "bottom recess" in this disclosure.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, when each of the side panels 20 is connected to the bottom portion 30, it extends behind the rear end of the bottom portion 30 in the front-to-back direction, covering the rear end of the extension portion 34 from both sides in the left-to-right direction. As a result, the corners of the outer box 12 formed by the bottom and back surfaces are provided with outer box recesses 3 that curve inward toward the inner box 13. The space inside the outer box recess 3 is surrounded by the upright portion 32, the extension portion 34, and the side panels 20, and functions as a machine room where various components of the refrigeration unit, such as heat exchangers, are housed.

[0026] The bottom plate 21 and the back plate 22 are connected to each other by fixing the edge located at the rear end of the extension portion 34 and the lower end of the back plate 22 with a fixing member such as a screw. As a result, the back plate 22 is positioned upright from each of the edges located at the rear end of the extension portion 34.

[0027] Each of the side panels 20 and the back panel 22 are connected to each other by fixing them with a screw member or the like, with the flange portion 25 located at the rear end of each of the side panels 20 in contact with the edges located at both the left and right ends of the back panel 22.

[0028] The top panel 23 is formed by bending a roughly rectangular plate-like member. The top panel 23 includes a top surface portion 40 located on the front end side of the top panel 23 and forming the top surface of the insulated box body 10, an upright portion 42 extending downward from the rear end of the top surface portion 40, and an extension portion 44 extending rearward from the lower end of the upright portion 42.

[0029] The top surface 40 is provided with a storage hole 45, which is a through-hole that penetrates in the thickness direction of the plate. As shown in Figure 1, a storage body 48 that houses a control unit 46 equipped with electrical components such as a control board is housed in the storage hole 45.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bottom plate 21 and the back plate 22 are connected to each other by fixing the edge located at the rear end of the extension portion 44 and the lower end of the back plate 22 with a fixing member such as a screw. As a result, the back plate 22 is positioned to extend downward from the edge located at the rear end of the extension portion 44.

[0031] The top panel 23 and the side panels 20 are connected to each other via connecting members 50, with each of the edges located in the left-right direction on the top surface 40 and each of the flange portions 26 being connected. The connecting members 50 connect each of the edges located in the left-right direction on the top surface 40 and each of the flange portions 26. As a result, each of the side panels 20 is positioned extending downward from each of the left and right edges on the top surface 40.

[0032] The connecting member 50 comprises an elongated portion 52 having a length approximately the same as the length of the side located at the upper end of the side plate 20, and a covering flat portion 54 extending downward from the rear end of the elongated portion 52. The covering flat portion 54 forms a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0033] Each of the side panels 20, when connected to the top surface 40, extends behind the rear end of the top surface 40 in the front-to-back direction, and together with the covering flat surface 54, covers the rear end of the extension 44 from both sides in the left-to-right direction. As a result, in the outer box 12, a machine room recess 5 is provided at the corner formed by the top and back surfaces, recessing toward the inner box 13. The space inside the outer box recess 3 is surrounded by the upright portion 32, the extended portion 34, and the covering flat portion 54, and functions as a machine room where various pieces of equipment constituting the refrigeration unit, such as a compressor, are housed. As shown in Figure 1, the machine room recess 5 is covered by a cover member 49.

[0034] [1-1-3. Inner Box Composition] The inner box 13 is integrally molded from a resin material. As shown in Figure 2, the inner box 13 comprises a pair of side portions 80 that form the left and right sides of the inner box 13, a bottom portion 81 that forms the bottom surface of the inner box 13, a back portion 82 that forms the back surface of the inner box 13, and a top portion 83 that forms the top surface of the inner box 13.

[0035] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the plane IV in Figure 1, seen from the front. Plane IV is a plane that is perpendicular to the front-rear direction and intersects the rail unit 100. As shown in Figure 4, the bottom surface 81 of the inner box 13 is provided with a main bottom plate portion 84, a stepped surface portion 86, and a bottom recess portion 85. The bottom main plate portion 84 is formed in a substantially flat shape and forms substantially the entire bottom portion 81. The stepped surface portion 86 forms an upright surface that rises upward from both ends of the bottom main plate portion 84 in the left-right direction. The support surface portion 88 has one end that extends from the upper end of the stepped surface portion 86 in the left-right direction to the opposite side from the bottom main plate portion 84, and the other end is connected to the lower end of the side portion 80. As a result, the bottom surface portion 81 is provided with bottom recesses 85 at both ends in the left-right direction, which are recessed above the bottom main plate portion 84.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, rail units 100 are provided at both ends of the bottom surface 81 inside the inner box 13. Each of the rail units 100 is a member that connects the door 18 to the insulated box body 10 so that it can slide. The rail units 100 are formed as elongated units extending in the front-rear direction and are positioned closer to the front end of the bottom surface 81 than to the rear end.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, each rail unit 100 comprises a rail 102 that is placed on and fixed to the upper surface of the support surface 88, and a slider 104 that is held on the rail 102 so as to be slidable along the front-rear direction. The front end of each slider 104 is connected to the back surface of the door 18.

[0038] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the inner box 13 from the rear. In Figure 5, the vacuum insulation material 130 is omitted. As shown in Figure 5, the inner box 13 is provided with reinforcing members 106 at the lower end of the inner box 13 to reinforce both ends. The reinforcing members 106 are members that reinforce the support surface portion 88 to which the rail unit 100 is attached. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the reinforcing members 106 are formed by bending a long plate-like member such as sheet metal so that it is approximately L-shaped in cross-sectional view in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The reinforcing members 106 are attached to the corner formed by the support surface portion 88 and the lower end of the side portion 80, and cover the support surface portion 88 and the lower end of the side portion 80 from the outside of the inner box 13. The reinforcing members 106 extend along the front-rear direction and are positioned closer to the front end side than the rear end side of the bottom surface portion 81.

[0039] At the portion of the reinforcing member 106 that covers the support surface portion 88, a projection 108 is provided at the end portion approaching the bottom main plate portion 84, formed by bending the end portion downward. The projection 108 is provided along the entire longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member 106. The tip of the projection 108 is located above the bottom main plate portion 84. In other words, the provision of the bottom recess 85 positions the projection 108 above the bottom main plate portion 84. The reinforcing member 106 is reinforced by the provision of the projection 108.

[0040] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the plane VI in Figure 5, viewed from the left. Plane VI is a plane that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and intersects the connector retaining rib 98. As shown in Figure 5, the lower end of the inner box 13 is provided with an inner box recess 89 that is recessed from the rear side toward the front side. In the inner box 13, the rear portion 82 includes a rear main plate portion 90 that forms the upper end of the rear of the inner box 13, an extension portion 92 that extends forward from the lower end of the rear main plate portion 90, and an opposing surface portion 94 that extends downward from the front end of the extension portion.

[0041] The rear section 82 is positioned opposite the plane of the rear panel 22 when the inner box 13 is housed in the outer box 12. The extension portion 92 forms a plane substantially parallel to the bottom portion 81 and is positioned opposite the plane of the extension portion 34 when the inner box 13 is placed in the outer box 12. The lower end of the opposing surface portion 94 is connected to the rear end of the bottom surface portion 81. As a result, the opposing surface portion 94 forms an upright surface that rises from the bottom surface portion 81, and this upright surface is substantially parallel to the back plate 22 and the upright portion 32.

[0042] The extension portion 92 and the opposing surface portion 94 are provided across the entire left-right direction of the back portion 82, and their provision provides the inner box 13 with an inner box recess 89. The provision of the inner box recess 89 allows the inner box 13 to be positioned at a predetermined distance from the upright portion 32 and the extension portion 34 when it is placed in the outer box 12.

[0043] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the opposing surface portion 94 has an outer surface 94A facing the outside of the inner box 13, and the opposing surface portion 94 is provided with an equipment storage portion 91 formed by a predetermined portion of the outer surface 94A being recessed toward the inside of the inner box 13. In this embodiment, the equipment storage portion 91 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and is positioned closer to the lower part than the upper part of the opposing surface portion 94 in a plan view of the opposing surface portion 94. The equipment storage portion 91 faces the outside of the inner box 13 and has a storage portion bottom surface 91A.

[0044] Inside the device housing section 91 is a heater 120, which is a heating device that heats the inside of the inner box 13. The heater 120 comprises a linear heating element 122 that generates heat when electricity is passed through it, and connectors 124 provided at both ends of the heating element 122, to which wiring 126 that supplies power to the heating element 122 is connected.

[0045] Inside the device housing section 91, a heating element retaining rib 96 and a connector retaining rib 98 are provided. The heating element retaining rib 96 and the connector retaining rib 98 are formed to be of a height such that they do not protrude outside the device housing section 91, and are positioned to stand upright from the bottom surface 91A of the housing section towards the rear.

[0046] The heating element holding rib 96 is formed to be elongated and have a predetermined length, extending substantially over the entire bottom surface 91A of the storage section. The heating element holding rib 96 is provided with a pair of claw-shaped clamping pieces 97 at its tip. The heating wire 122 is routed and held inside the device storage section 91 by being clamped by the clamping pieces 97 along its entire longitudinal direction.

[0047] The connector retaining ribs 98 are provided at both ends of the heating element retaining ribs 96. In this disclosure, the connector retaining ribs 98 approach either one end in the left-right direction in a plan view of the device housing 91, and approach the upper side rather than the lower side. The connector retaining ribs 98 are provided with a pair of claw-shaped clamping pieces 99 at their tips. The connector 124 is held inside the device housing 91 by being clamped by the clamping pieces 99 along its entire longitudinal direction.

[0048] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cross-section in plane VII of Figure 5, viewed from the left. Plane VII is a plane that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and intersects the wiring storage section 93. As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the opposing surface portion 94 is provided with a wiring storage portion 93, which houses the wiring 126 connected to the connector 124. This storage portion is formed by a predetermined location on the outer surface 94A being recessed toward the interior side of the inner box 13. In this embodiment, the wiring storage portion 93 is formed to approach one end in the left-right direction and extend vertically in a plan view of the device storage portion 91. The upper end of the wiring storage portion 93 extends to a position continuous with the extension portion 92, and the lower end extends to a position continuous with the device storage portion 91. In this embodiment, the lower end of the wiring storage portion 93 is positioned adjacent to the connector holding rib 98.

[0049] The wiring 126 connected to connector 124 extends from connector 124 and is routed along the upper surface of opposing surface 94 while housed inside wiring storage section 93. After this, the wiring 126 may be routed along, for example, one of the surfaces of inner box 13 and connected to control unit 46. The outer surface 94A is formed such that the area other than the device housing section 91 and the wiring housing section 93 is substantially flat.

[0050] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the inner box 13 from the rear. Figure 9 is a view of the cross-section of plan IX in Figure 8 from the left. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the inner box 13 is covered with vacuum insulation material 130 from the lower end of the back surface to the bottom surface. The vacuum insulation material 130 is formed by housing a core material and a gas adsorbent inside an outer covering material that plays a role in maintaining the degree of vacuum. The outer covering material may be, for example, one which is made by laminating a heat-sealed film as the innermost layer, a gas barrier film as an intermediate layer, and a surface protection film as the outermost layer.

[0051] Examples of gas adsorbents include chemical adsorbents such as calcium oxide and magnesium oxide, physical adsorbents such as zeolites, mixtures thereof, and gas adsorbent alloys such as BaLi4. Depending on the application of the vacuum insulation material 130, the gas adsorbent may be omitted. The core material used is one that can maintain its thickness against atmospheric pressure when sealed under reduced pressure, has a high porosity, and low solid thermal conductivity.

[0052] The vacuum insulation material 130 is formed entirely into a plate shape and is attached to the inner box 13 such that one side is in contact with the outer surface 94A and the bottom main plate portion 84. The vacuum insulation material 130 is positioned so that its upper end is close to the extension portion 92, covering substantially the entire opposing surface portion 94, and also covering at least a portion of the bottom main plate portion 84 through the corner formed by the bottom surface and back surface of the inner box 13. When viewed from the left and right directions, the vacuum insulation material 130 is attached to the inner box 13 in a state that is bent into a substantially L shape.

[0053] As shown in Figure 9, the vacuum insulation material 130 may be provided with a bending groove 131. The bending groove 131 is formed as a groove that is recessed from the surface of the vacuum insulation material 130 facing the inner box 13 toward the surface facing the outer box 12. The bending groove 131 is formed to extend linearly along the left-right direction when attached to the inner box 13. This allows the vacuum insulation material 130 to be easily bent when attached to the inner box 13. As a result, a wider area of ​​the vacuum insulation material 130 is in contact with the inner box 13 on the surface facing the inner box 13 when attached. Multiple bending grooves 131 may be provided according to the bending angle of the vacuum insulation material 130.

[0054] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the base plate 21 and the vacuum insulation material 130. In the storage unit 1, the vacuum insulation material 130 is placed between the inner box 13 and the outer box 12. As shown in Figure 10, when installed in the inner box 13, the vacuum insulation material 130 covers the bottom portion 30 and the upright portion 32 when viewed from above the bottom plate 21. More specifically, in the front-to-back direction, the front end of the vacuum insulation material 130 is positioned in front of each of the handle portions 36. As a result, each of the handle portions 36 is almost entirely covered by the vacuum insulation material 130 from the inner box 13 side. Therefore, condensation is suppressed at the handle portions 36 in the storage unit 1.

[0055] Multiple heat dissipation pipes 38 may be routed through the bottom plate 21. The heat dissipation pipes 38 are components that conduct heat generated from the machine room and the various equipment housed inside the machine room, and dissipate that heat to the outside of the storage unit 1 via the outer casing 12.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, the vacuum insulation material 130 is positioned in a location that does not overlap with the bottom recess 85 in a plan view in the left-right direction. This prevents the protrusion 108 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 130 in the storage compartment 1.

[0057] [1-2. Assembly process of the storage facility] When the storage unit 1 is formed, first, the pair of side panels 20 forming each side of the outer box 12, the bottom panel 21, the back panel 22, and the top panel 23 are connected to each other. When the pair of side panels 20, the bottom panel 21, the back panel 22, and the top panel 23 are connected to each other to form the outer box 12, the inner box 13 is placed inside the outer box 12. As shown in Figure 9, a space S is provided between the inner box 13 and the outer box 12. Foamed insulation material 11 is foamed and filled into the space S between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13, and the insulation box body 10 is formed by self-adhesion between the outer box 12 and the inner box 13.

[0058] As shown in Figure 9, when the volume of the lower end of the inner box 13 is increased, the opposing surface portion 94 of the inner box 13 may be positioned closer to the upright portion 32 of the outer box 12. This reduces the gap between the opposing surface portion 94 and the upright portion 32, and thus reduces the thickness of the foamed insulation material 11 that is filled into the gap. In this embodiment, the lower end of the back surface of the inner box 13 and the bottom surface are covered with vacuum insulation material 130, thereby suppressing a decrease in the thermal insulation performance of the storage compartment 1.

[0059] As shown in Figure 9, the upper end of the vacuum insulation material 130 attached to the inner box 13 is positioned above the upper end of the upright portion 32. As a result, in the storage compartment 1, heat conduction that bypasses the vacuum insulation material 130 between the opposing surface portion 94 and the upright portion 32 is suppressed. Therefore, the deterioration of the insulation performance in the storage compartment 1 can be suppressed more reliably.

[0060] The storage compartment 1 is formed by attaching doors 16, 17, and 18 to the insulated box body 10 formed as described above. [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the storage unit 1 comprises an inner box 13 having a storage chamber inside, and an outer box 12 in which the inner box 13 is housed. The lower part of the back of the outer box 12 is provided with an outer box recess 3 that is recessed toward the front side of the outer box 12, and the outer box recess 3 is provided with an opposing surface that is positioned opposite to the front of the outer box 12, and the lower part of the back of the inner box 13 is positioned opposite to the opposing surface. The inner box 13 is provided with a vacuum insulation material 130 that extends from the bottom surface to the back of the inner box 13, covering at least a portion of the bottom surface and the back surface of the inner box 13 from the outer box 12 side, and the upper end of the vacuum insulation material 130 is located above the upper end of the outer box recess 3.

[0061] As a result, in the storage compartment 1, heat conduction that bypasses the vacuum insulation material 130 between the opposing surface portion 94 and the upright portion 32 is suppressed. Therefore, the deterioration of the insulation performance in the storage compartment 1 can be suppressed more reliably.

[0062] As in this embodiment, the inner box 13 is provided with reinforcing members 106 at both ends located in the left-right direction on its lower surface to reinforce the inner box 13. The reinforcing members 106 have protrusions 108 that project downward from the lower surface of the inner box 13, and the vacuum insulation material 130 may be positioned to avoid the protrusions 108. This prevents the protrusion 108 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 130 in the storage compartment 1.

[0063] As in this embodiment, the lower surface of the inner box 13 is provided with a bottom recess 85 that is recessed upward, and the protruding portion 108 may be provided inside the bottom recess 85. This prevents the protrusion 108 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 130 in the storage compartment 1.

[0064] As in this embodiment, the back of the inner box 13 is provided with a device storage section 91 that is recessed into the inner box 13 side and has a depth sufficient to accommodate a heater 120 for heating the inner box 13, and the device storage section 91 may be covered with a vacuum insulation material 130. This allows the vacuum insulation material 130 to be attached to the inner box 13 in storage container 1 while being in close contact with the outer surface 94A.

[0065] As in this embodiment, the back of the inner box 13 is provided with a wiring storage section 93 that is recessed into the inner box 13 side and has a depth sufficient to accommodate the wiring 126 connected to the heater 120, and the wiring storage section 93 may be covered with vacuum insulation material 130. This allows the vacuum insulation material 130 to be attached to the inner box 13 in storage container 1 while being in close contact with the outer surface 94A.

[0066] As in this embodiment, the heater 120 is provided with a connector 124 to which wiring 126 connected to the heater 120 is connected. The device housing 91 may also be provided with a connector retaining rib 98 recessed into the inner box 13 side with a depth dimension sufficient to accommodate the connector 124. This allows the vacuum insulation material 130 to be attached to the inner box 13 in storage container 1 while being in close contact with the outer surface 94A.

[0067] (Other embodiments) As described above, Embodiment 1 has been explained as an example of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to this and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted. Furthermore, it is possible to create new embodiments by combining the components described in Embodiments 1 and 2 above. Therefore, other embodiments are illustrated below.

[0068] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the modified bottom plate 21 and vacuum insulation material 130. In the embodiment described above, the front end of the vacuum insulation material 130 is positioned in front of each of the handle portions 36 in the front-rear direction. However, the design is not limited to this, and the front end of the vacuum insulation material 130 may be positioned in front of each of the handle portions 36 in the front-to-back direction. In other words, when viewed from above the bottom plate 21, each of the handle portions 36 does not necessarily have to be substantially covered by the vacuum insulation material 130.

[0069] In this case, each of the handle portions 36 may be covered with tape material 140 together with the heat dissipation pipe 38. The tape material 140 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum. As a result, heat from the heat dissipation pipe 38 is conducted to each of the handle portions 36 via the tape material 140. Therefore, condensation is suppressed in the handle portions 36 in the storage unit 1.

[0070] Multiple heat dissipation pipes 38 may be routed through the bottom plate 21. The heat dissipation pipes 38 are components that conduct heat generated from the machine room and the various equipment housed inside the machine room, and dissipate that heat to the outside of the storage unit 1 via the outer casing 12.

[0071] In the embodiment described above, the heating element 122 is held by the heating element holding rib 96, and the connector 124 is held by the connector holding rib 98. However, the invention is not limited to this, and grooves capable of housing the heating element 122 and the connector 124 may be provided on the bottom surface 91A of the storage section, and the heating element 122 and the connector 124 may be held in these grooves.

[0072] In the embodiment described above, the inner box 13 is provided with a device storage section 91 and a heater 120. However, it is not limited to this, and if the lower end of the inner box 13 is a refrigerator or freezer compartment, the device storage section 91 and the heater 120 may be omitted.

[0073] In the embodiment described above, the inner box 13 is provided with a heater 120 equipped with an electric heating element 122 as a heating device. However, the invention is not limited to this, and a refrigerant pipe through which a high-temperature refrigerant flows may also be routed into the device housing as a heating device.

[0074] In the above-described embodiment, the outer box 12 may be made of a hard resin such as ABS resin, not just metal. Furthermore, the outer box 12 and the inner box 13 may be made of a combination of metal and hard resin. Alternatively, for example, the insulated box 10 may be formed by combining insulated walls, which are created by forming plate-shaped members such as steel plates into a housing shape and filling the inside of the housing with foamed insulation material 11.

[0075] The embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and may be modified, replaced, added, or omitted within the scope of the claims or equivalents thereof.

[0076] The embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and may be modified, replaced, added, or omitted within the scope of the claims or equivalents thereof.

[0077] (Note) Based on the above description of embodiments, the following technologies are disclosed.

[0078] (Technical 1) A storage compartment comprising an inner box having a storage chamber inside, and an outer box in which the inner box is housed, wherein the lower part of the back of the outer box is provided with an outer box recess that is recessed toward the front of the outer box, the outer box recess is provided with an opposing surface that is positioned opposite to the front of the outer box, the lower part of the back of the inner box is positioned opposite to the opposing surface, and the inner box is provided with a vacuum insulation material that extends from the bottom surface to the back of the inner box and covers at least a portion of the bottom surface and the back of the inner box from the outer box side, and the upper end of the vacuum insulation material is positioned above the upper end of the outer box recess. This prevents heat from being conducted through the vacuum insulation material between the inner and outer boxes in the storage facility. As a result, the deterioration of the insulation performance in the storage facility can be more reliably suppressed.

[0079] (Technical 2) The storage container according to Technical 1, wherein the inner box is provided with reinforcing members at both ends located in the left-right direction on the lower surface, the reinforcing members have protrusions that project downward from the lower surface of the inner box, and the vacuum insulation material is positioned to avoid the protrusions. This prevents the protruding parts from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material in the storage area.

[0080] (Technology 3) The storage container according to Technology 2, wherein the lower surface of the inner box is provided with a recessed portion that is recessed upward, and the protruding portion is provided inside the recessed portion. This prevents the protruding parts from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material in the storage area.

[0081] (Technical 4) The storage container according to any one of Technical 1 to Technical 3, wherein the rear of the inner box is provided with a device storage compartment recessed to the inner box side with a depth dimension capable of housing a heating device for heating the inner box, and the device storage compartment is covered with the vacuum insulation material. This allows the vacuum insulation material to be attached to the inner box in a storage facility with the vacuum insulation material in close contact with the outer surface.

[0082] (Technical 5) The storage container according to Technical 4, wherein the rear of the inner box is provided with a wiring storage section recessed to the inner box side with a depth dimension capable of accommodating wiring connected to the heating device, and the wiring storage section is covered with the vacuum insulation material. This allows the vacuum insulation material to be attached to the inner box in a storage facility with the vacuum insulation material in close contact with the outer surface.

[0083] (Technical 6) The storage unit according to Technical 4 or Technical 5, wherein the heating device is provided with a connector to which wiring connected to the heating device is connected, and the device housing is provided with a connector holding part capable of holding the connector inside the device housing. This allows the vacuum insulation material to be attached to the inner box in a storage facility with the vacuum insulation material in close contact with the outer surface.

[0084] (Technical 7) The storage container according to any one of Technical 1 to Technical 6, wherein the lower surface of the outer box is provided with a lower recess that is recessed toward the inner box, and the lower recess is covered from the inner box side by the vacuum insulation material. As a result, each of the recesses on the bottom surface is almost entirely covered by vacuum insulation material from the inner box side. Therefore, condensation is suppressed in the recesses on the bottom surface of the storage area. [Industrial applicability]

[0085] As described above, the storage container according to this disclosure can be suitably used in refrigerators and the like, where the thickness dimension of the foamed insulation material can be shortened by increasing the capacity of the storage room. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 1 Storage 3. Outer box recess 5. Recess in the machine room 10 Insulated box 11. Foam insulation 12 Outer box 13 Inner box 14 Opening 15 Storage Room Doors 16, 17, and 18 20 Side plate 21 Bottom plate 22 Back plate 23 Top plate 24, 25, 26 Flange section 27 Injection hole 28 Side part 28A External surface 28B Inner surface 30 Bottom part 32, 42 Standing part 34, 44 Extension part 36 Handle 38 Heat dissipation pipes 40 Top section 45 storage holes 46 Control Unit 48 storage compartments 49 Cover component 50 Connecting members 52 Ulnar part 54 Covered flat surface 60 Vacuum insulation material 80 Side part 81 Bottom part 82 Back part 83 Top section 84 Bottom main plate 85 Bottom recess 86 Step surface section 88 Support surface section 89 Inner box recess 90 Rear main plate 91 Device storage section 91A Bottom of storage compartment 92 Extension part 93 Wiring storage section 94 Opposing surface part 94A External surface 96 Heating element holding rib 98 Connector Retaining Ribs 100 rail units 102 rails 104 Slider 106 Reinforcement member 108 Protrusion 120 Heater 122 Heating wire 124 connector 126 Wiring 130 Vacuum insulation material 140 Tape Material S space

Claims

1. An inner box with a storage compartment inside, The outer box in which the inner box is housed, Equipped with, The lower part of the back of the outer box is provided with an outer box recess that is recessed towards the front side of the outer box. The recess in the outer box is provided with an opposing surface that is positioned opposite to the front surface of the outer box. The lower part of the back of the inner box is positioned opposite the opposing surface, The inner box is provided with a vacuum insulation material that extends from the bottom surface to the back surface of the inner box, covering at least a portion of both the bottom surface and the back surface of the inner box from the outer box side. The upper end of the vacuum insulation material is located above the upper end of the recess in the outer box. Storage room.

2. The inner box is provided with reinforcing members at both ends located in the left-right direction on the lower surface, which reinforce the inner box. The reinforcing member has a protruding portion that extends downward from the lower surface of the inner box, The vacuum insulation material is positioned to avoid the protruding portion. The storage facility according to claim 1.

3. The lower surface of the inner box is provided with a stepped portion that is recessed upwards. The protruding portion is provided inside the stepped portion. The storage facility according to claim 2.

4. The rear of the inner box is provided with a device storage compartment that is recessed into the inner box side and has a depth sufficient to accommodate a heating device for heating the inner box. The device housing is covered by the vacuum insulation material. A storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The back of the inner box is provided with a wiring storage section recessed into the inner box side, with a depth sufficient to accommodate the wiring connected to the heating device. The wiring storage section is covered by the vacuum insulation material. The storage facility according to claim 4.

6. The heating device is provided with a connector to which wiring connected to the heating device is connected. The device housing is provided with a connector holding portion capable of holding the connector inside the device housing. The storage facility according to claim 4.

7. The lower surface of the outer box is provided with a lower recess that is recessed toward the inner box side. The aforementioned lower recess is covered from the inner box side by the vacuum insulation material. A storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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