Doors and refrigerators

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigerator door that has a storage case that prevents the storage case from falling out unintentionally, and that can be easily removed when it is intentionally removed. [Solution] The refrigerator door 12 comprises a door body 20 and a storage case 32 that is detachable from the door body 20. The storage case 32 has a bottom portion 41, a front portion 42 provided substantially perpendicular to the bottom portion 41, and side portions 43 provided on the left and right sides of the front portion 42, respectively. Multiple ribs 45 are provided on the outer surface of the side portions 43, arranged in the front-to-back direction of the storage case. The door body 20 is provided with a space into which at least a portion of the ribs 45 fit when the storage case 20 is attached, and a protrusion 24 located above this space.

Description

Technical Field

[0002] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a door having a storage case for storing foods and the like, and a refrigerator provided with this door.

Background Art

[0002] A storage case (also called a storage pocket) for storing foods and the like is attached to the door of a refrigerator. The storage case is detachable from the door body.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a door shelf of a refrigerator having a case attached to a door body. This door shelf forms vertical embankments on both sides of an inner door panel constituting the door body, and provides locking protrusions on the inner walls of these embankments. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which side protrusions are provided on the inner walls of the embankments, and when the case is pushed up from below, the case can be prevented from coming off the inner door panel and falling off.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a user intentionally removes the storage case in order to clean the refrigerator or the like, there is a problem that it cannot be easily removed.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator door having a storage case that suppresses the storage case from falling off unintentionally and can be easily removed when intentionally removed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A door according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a door body and a storage case that is detachable from the door body. The storage case has a bottom surface, a front surface provided substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface, and side surfaces provided on the left and right sides of the front surface, respectively, and a plurality of ribs are provided on the outer surface of the side surfaces in the front-to-back direction of the storage case. The door body is provided with a space into which at least a portion of the ribs fit when the storage case is attached, and a protrusion located above the space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator door having a storage case that prevents the storage case from falling out unintentionally, and that can be easily removed when it is intentionally removed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the refrigerator door of a refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the refrigerator compartment with two storage cases removed from the door. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the refrigerator door with the two storage cases removed. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the exterior of the second storage case. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the exterior of the second storage case. [Figure 7] This is a side view showing the exterior of the second storage case. [Figure 8] This is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the side wall of the door body and the side portion of the second storage case attached to the side wall. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the door body and the second storage case attached to it. [Figure 10] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the door body and the second storage case attached thereto in a refrigerator according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the door body and the second storage case attached thereto in a refrigerator according to the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them will not be repeated.

[0011] <First Embodiment> (Overall configuration of the refrigerator) First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 shows the external appearance of the refrigerator 1. Figure 2 shows the external appearance of the insulated box 50 with the door removed from the refrigerator 1.

[0012] The exterior of the refrigerator 1 mainly consists of an insulated box 50, a freezer door 11, and a refrigerator door 12. The storage space of the refrigerator 1 is formed by this insulated box 50. The storage space formed by the insulated box 50 is divided into, for example, an upper freezer compartment and a lower refrigerator compartment by a partition that extends roughly horizontally within the storage space.

[0013] The freezer door 11 is the door to the freezer compartment located in the upper section of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator door 12 is the door to the refrigerator compartment located in the lower section of the refrigerator 1. In this embodiment, both the freezer door 11 and the refrigerator door 12 are hinged doors that open and close from either the left or right end.

[0014] (Door structure) Next, the configuration of the door provided in the refrigerator 1 will be described. The door provided in the refrigerator 1 is an example of the door according to the present invention. Hereinafter, the refrigerator door 12, which is one of the doors provided in the refrigerator 1, will be described. Note that the freezer door 11 provided in the refrigerator 1 is also an example of the door according to the present invention, and the same configuration as the refrigerator door 12 described later can be applied.

[0015] FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the refrigerator door 12. In FIG. 2, mainly the inside of the refrigerator door 12 is illustrated. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the two storage cases 31 and 32 on the upper stage side are removed from the refrigerator door 12. FIG. 4 shows the refrigerator door 12 in a state where the two storage cases 31 and 32 on the upper stage side are removed.

[0016] The refrigerator door 12 has a door body 20 and three storage cases. The three storage cases are called the first storage case 31, the second storage case 32, and the third storage case 33 in order from the upper stage side. The first storage case 31, the second storage case 32, and the third storage case 33 are all detachable from the door body 20.

[0017] The outer shape of the door body 20 is mainly formed by a front member located on the front side of the refrigerator 1 and a back member 22 located on the inside of the cabinet. An insulating layer including a foamed insulating material is formed inside the door body 20. The front member is formed of, for example, a metal plate. The back member 22 is formed into a predetermined shape using, for example, a resin material.

[0018] In this specification, the side on which the back member 22 is disposed is called the back surface portion 20a of the refrigerator door 12 or the door body 20. And the wall portions provided on both the left and right sides of the back surface portion 20a are called the side walls 20b of the door body 20.

[0019] The first storage case 31, the second storage case 32, and the third storage case 33 are detachably attached to the back portion 20a of the door body 20. The first storage case 31, the second storage case 32, and the third storage case 33 are examples of storage cases according to the present invention. Below, the configuration of the second storage case 32 will be described in more detail, representing these storage cases. The other storage cases have a configuration that is generally similar to that of the second storage case 32.

[0020] Figures 5 to 7 show the external appearance of the second storage case 32. The second storage case 32 has a bottom section 41, a front section 42, and two side sections 43, 43. The names of the sections here are defined based on the position of each section when the second storage case 32 is attached to the door body 20.

[0021] The front portion 42 and the side portions 43 are provided substantially perpendicular to the bottom portion 41. The side portions 43 are provided on the left and right sides of the front portion, respectively. A curved surface portion 42a is provided between the front portion 42 and the side portions 43. That is, the curved surface portion 42a is located at the boundary between the front portion 42 and the side portions 43.

[0022] In this specification, based on the view of the refrigerator door 12 from the rear side 20a with the second storage case 32 attached to the door body 20, the front surface of the second storage case 32 located on the front side is referred to as the front surface 42. In the second storage case 32, the side with the front surface 42 is defined as the front side (front side) of the case, and the side opposite the front surface 42 is defined as the rear side (back side) of the case. Also, when viewing the second storage case 32 from the front surface 42 side, the side located on the left is referred to as the left side surface 43, and the side located on the right is referred to as the right side surface 43.

[0023] As described above, the second storage case 32 has a front portion 42 that is substantially perpendicular to the bottom portion 41 and two side portions 43, 43. However, the second storage case 32 does not have a surface perpendicular to the bottom portion 41 in a position opposite to the front portion 42. In other words, the second storage case 32 does not have a rear portion opposite to the front portion 42.

[0024] Multiple ribs 45 are provided on the outer surface of the side portion 43, arranged in the front-to-back direction of the second storage case 32. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, three ribs 45 are provided. The ribs 45 have a certain length in the vertical direction of the side portion 43 and are thin, plate-like members in the front-to-back direction of the side portion 43. The multiple ribs 45 are arranged in a positional relationship that is substantially parallel to each other.

[0025] The bottom surface 41 of the second storage case 32 is provided with a projection 47 that protrudes downward, approximately in the center of the left-right direction of the second storage case 32. A locking claw 48 is provided at the tip of the projection 47. The projection 47 fits into a recess 27 of the beam portion 25 provided on the back portion 20a of the door body 20. The locking claw 48 then locks into the recess 27. By providing such a locking claw 48, the second storage case 32 can be fixed more firmly to the door body 20. In one example, the shape of the locking claw 46 may be such that the rear side is inclined downward toward the front when viewed from the side (see Figure 7). This reduces the possibility of the locking claw hitting a component of the door body 20 when removing or installing the storage case.

[0026] Figures 8 and 9 show the configuration of the mounting points of the second storage case 32 to the door body 20. Specifically, they show the configuration around the side wall 20b of the door body 20 and the configuration around the left side portion 43 of the second storage case 32. Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32 attached to the side wall 20b of the door body 20. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional configuration when the door body 20 and the second storage case 32 are cut vertically (up and down) along the position of one of the ribs 45 provided on the side portion 43. Figure 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32 attached to the side wall 20b of the door body 20. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional configuration when the door body 20 and the second storage case 32 are cut horizontally (laterally) at the positions of multiple ribs 45 provided on the side portion 43.

[0027] As shown in Figure 8, the side wall 20b of the door body 20 is provided with a space 24s into which at least a portion of the rib 45 fits when the second storage case 32 is attached. A protrusion 24 is also provided above this space 24s.

[0028] For example, on the side wall 20b, the position where the second storage case 32 is attached is provided with, from top to bottom, a protrusion 24, a space 24s, a second protrusion 26, and a beam 25 (see Figure 8). That is, the space 24s is provided between the protrusion 24 and the second protrusion 26.

[0029] Furthermore, on the side wall 20b, a protrusion 24, a space 24s, and a beam 25 are provided in order from top to bottom at the position where the first storage case 31 is attached (see Figure 4). That is, the space 24s is provided between the protrusion 24 and the beam 25. When the first storage case 31 is attached to the door body 20, at least a portion of the rib 45 of the first storage case 31 is contained within this space 24s.

[0030] As shown in Figure 8, with the second storage case 32 attached to the door body 20, the rib 45 of the second storage case 32 fits into the space 24s provided in the side wall 20b of the door body 20. More specifically, the rib 45 is located on the upper side of the space 24s of the door body 20.

[0031] In this embodiment, the rib 45 has a roughly trapezoidal shape, narrowing towards the tip when viewed in a vertical cross-section (see Figure 8). The rib 45 has an upwardly sloping portion 45a and a downwardly sloping portion 45b. When the second storage case 32 is attached to the door body 20, the upwardly sloping portion 45a of the rib 45 is in contact with the lower end of the protrusion 24 of the door body 20.

[0032] This makes it less likely for the second storage case 32 to fall off the door body 20, for example, if an impact is applied to the storage case 32 from the bottom surface 41 side. In addition, since the multiple ribs 45 are arranged in the front-to-back direction of the second storage case 32, it is possible to make the upward sloping portions 45a of the multiple ribs 45 come into contact with the lower end of the protrusion 24. This prevents the second storage case 32 from swinging in the front-to-back direction when it is attached to the door body 20.

[0033] Furthermore, this configuration makes it easier to remove the rib 45 from the space 24s when removing the second storage case 32.

[0034] When a user removes the second storage case 32 from the door body 20, the side portion 43 is bent inward. In Figures 8 and 9, the direction of the bending of the side portion 43 at this time is indicated by arrow A. The side portion 43 of the second storage case 32 has a front portion 42 on the front side, but no rear portion on the rear side, so it tends to bend in the direction of arrow A with its front end portion 43A as the pivot point. Also, the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32 has a bottom portion 41 on the lower side, but no top portion on the rear side, so it tends to bend in the direction of arrow A with its lower end portion 43B as the pivot point.

[0035] By bending the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32 in the direction of arrow A, the rib 45 can be moved inward from the protrusion 24. By lifting the second storage case 32 upward while maintaining this state, the user can easily remove the second storage case 32. The side wall 20b of the door body 20 is located outside the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32, and under normal use, it is unlikely that a force will be continuously applied to the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32 in the direction of arrow A. In other words, the operation of applying force in two directions simultaneously, such as lifting the second storage case 32 upward while applying force in the direction of arrow A, is unlikely to occur accidentally. Therefore, the second storage case 32 can be easily removed when the user grasps the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32 and intentionally bends it in the direction of arrow A, but under normal use, the second storage case 32 is less likely to fall off the door body 20.

[0036] Furthermore, the upward inclined portion 45a provided at the upper end of the rib 45 is formed by connecting the base end portion 45c that contacts the outer surface of the side portion 43 and the tip portion 45d that protrudes outward from the side portion 43, and it is preferable that the inclination is set so that the distance from the lower end portion 43B to the tip portion 45d is shorter than the distance from the lower end portion 43B to the base end portion 45c. As a result, when the side portion 43 bends in the direction of arrow A, the upward inclined portion 45a of the rib 45 can move in the direction of arrow A without interfering with the lower end of the protrusion 24 of the door body 20, and the rib 45 can bend more smoothly. Therefore, when a user removes the second storage case 32, the rib 45 can be easily removed from the space 24s.

[0037] (Summary of the first embodiment) As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a refrigerator door 12. The refrigerator door 12 comprises a door body 20 and a storage case such as a second storage case 32 that is detachable from the door body 20. The second storage case 32 has a bottom surface 41, a front surface 42 provided substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface 41, and side surfaces 43 provided on the left and right sides of the front surface 42, respectively. Multiple ribs 45 are provided on the outer surface of the side surfaces 43, arranged in the front-to-back direction of the storage case. The door body 20 is provided with a space 24s into which at least a portion of the ribs 45 fits when the second storage case 32 is attached, and a protrusion 24 located above this space 24s.

[0038] With the above configuration, the ribs 45 of the storage case are inserted into the space 24s of the door body 20, which prevents the storage case from falling out unintentionally. In addition, the second storage case 32 does not have a surface perpendicular to the bottom surface 41 at the position opposite the front surface 42, so when a user intentionally removes the storage case, it is easy to bend the side surface 43 inward, and the ribs 45 can be removed from the space 24s relatively easily.

[0039] Therefore, a refrigerator 1 is obtained that has a refrigerator door 12 with a storage case that prevents the storage case from falling out unintentionally, and that can be easily removed when it is intentionally removed.

[0040] In this embodiment, the second storage case 32 is configured not to have a surface (rear section) perpendicular to the bottom surface 41 at a position opposite to the front surface 42. However, for example, it may be configured to have a surface (rear section) perpendicular to the bottom surface 41 at locations excluding both the left and right ends of the bottom surface 41, that is, the ends of the rear section are spaced apart from the side surfaces 43. In other words, it is possible to provide a rear section as long as it does not hinder the rear of the side surfaces 43 of the second storage case 32 from bending inward.

[0041] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described. Figure 10 shows the configuration of the door body 20 and the second storage case 32 attached thereto, which are provided in the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment. Specifically, it shows the configuration around the side wall 20b of the door body 20 and the configuration around the left side portion 43 of the second storage case 32.

[0042] Figure 10 shows the cross-sectional configuration when the door body 20 and the second storage case 32 are cut laterally (horizontally) at the positions where multiple ribs are provided on the side portion 43. In Figure 10, the protrusions 24 of the door body 20 located above each rib are also shown with dashed lines.

[0043] In this embodiment, three ribs 145, 245, and 345 are provided on the outer surface of the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32. Each rib has a certain length in the vertical direction of the side portion 43 and is a thin plate-like member in the front-rear direction of the side portion 43. The multiple ribs are arranged in a positional relationship that is substantially parallel to each other.

[0044] In the first embodiment, the shapes of each rib are almost the same, but in this embodiment, the shapes of each rib 145, 245, and 345 are different. Specifically, among the multiple ribs, the height (height from the outer surface of the side portion) of the rear rib 145, which is located on the rear side (back side) of the side portion 43, is higher than the height of the front rib 345, which is located on the front side (front side) of the side portion 43. Also, the height of the central rib 245, which is located between the rear rib 145 and the front rib 345, is intermediate in height between the rear rib 145 and the front rib 345.

[0045] In other words, the heights of the rear rib 145, the central rib 245, and the front rib 345 provided on the side portion 43 increase in proportion to the distance from the front end portion 43A of the side portion 43.

[0046] As described above, when the user removes the second storage case 32 from the door body 20, the side portion 43 is bent in the direction of arrow A. At this time, since the side portion 43 bends with the front end portion 43A as the pivot point, the amount of deflection L1 at the position of the rear rib 145 is greater than the amount of deflection L2 at the position of the front rib 345.

[0047] Therefore, by making the height of the front rib 345, which is closer to the front end 43A, smaller, it becomes easier to separate the rib from the protrusion 24 of the side wall 20b when removing the second storage case 32. Consequently, when the user removes the second storage case 32, each rib can be more easily pulled out of the space 24s.

[0048] Furthermore, by increasing the height of the rear rib 145, the second storage case 32 is less likely to fall off the door body 20 if it is subjected to an impact from the bottom surface 41 side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the storage case from falling off unintentionally.

[0049] <Third Embodiment> Next, a third embodiment will be described. Figure 11 shows the configuration of the door body 20 and the second storage case 32 attached thereto in the refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment. Specifically, it shows the configuration around the side wall 20b of the door body 20 and the configuration around the left side portion 43 of the second storage case 32.

[0050] Figure 11 shows the cross-sectional configuration when the door body 20 and the second storage case 32 are cut laterally (horizontally) at the positions where multiple ribs are provided on the side portion 43. In Figure 11, the protrusions 124 of the door body 20 located above each rib are also shown with dashed lines.

[0051] In this embodiment, similar to the second embodiment, three ribs 145, 245, and 345 are provided on the outer surface of the side portion 43 of the second storage case 32. Also similar to the second embodiment, the height (height from the outer surface of the side portion) of the three ribs, specifically the rear rib 145 located on the rear side (back side) of the side portion 43, is greater than the height of the front rib 345 located on the front side (front side) of the side portion 43. Furthermore, the height of the central rib 245, located between the rear rib 145 and the front rib 345, is intermediate in height between the rear rib 145 and the front rib 345.

[0052] In this embodiment, the shape of the protrusion 124 of the door body 20 differs from that of the embodiment described above. Specifically, the height of the protrusion 124 from the side wall 20b is higher on the front side than on the rear side when viewed from above. That is, the upper surface (tip surface) of the protrusion 124 is an inclined surface.

[0053] Furthermore, the tip surfaces of the three ribs 145, 245, and 345 are also inclined to match the shape of the inclined surface of the protrusion 124.

[0054] This makes it easier to separate the ribs 145, 245, and 345 from the protrusions 124 of the side wall 20b when removing the second storage case 32 from the door body 20. Therefore, when the user removes the second storage case 32, each rib can be more easily pulled out of the space 24s.

[0055] As a modification of this embodiment, each rib 145, 245, and 345 may have substantially the same shape as in the first embodiment.

[0056] (summary) A door according to one aspect of the present invention (for example, a refrigerator door 12) comprises a door body (for example, a door body 20) and storage cases (for example, a first storage case 31, a second storage case 32) that are detachable from the door body. The storage cases have a bottom surface (for example, a bottom surface 41), a front surface (for example, a front surface 42) provided substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface, and side surfaces (for example, side surfaces 43) provided on the left and right sides of the front surface, respectively. A plurality of ribs (for example, ribs 45, 145, 245, 345) are provided on the outer surface of the side surfaces in the front-to-back direction of the storage cases. The door body is provided with a space (for example, a space 24s) into which at least a portion of the ribs fit when the storage cases are attached, and a protrusion (for example, a protrusion 24) located above the space.

[0057] In the door according to one aspect of the present invention described above (for example, a refrigerator door 12), the storage cases (for example, a first storage case 31, a second storage case 32) are attached to the door body (for example, a door body 20), and the ribs of the storage cases (for example, ribs 45, 145, 245, 345) are located above the space (for example, space 24s) of the door body.

[0058] In a door according to one aspect of the present invention described above (for example, a refrigerator door 12), the ribs (for example, ribs 45, 145, 245, 345) of the storage cases (for example, a first storage case 31, a second storage case 32) may have an inclined portion (for example, an upward inclined portion 45a) that contacts the lower end of the protrusion (for example, protrusion 24) of the door body (for example, the door body 20).

[0059] In a door according to one aspect of the present invention described above (for example, a refrigerator door 12), the height of the ribs (for example, ribs 45, 145, 245, 345) located on the rear side of the side portion (for example, side portion 43) may be greater than the height of the ribs (for example, ribs 45, 145) located on the front side of the side portion.

[0060] In a door according to one aspect of the present invention described above (for example, a refrigerator door 12), the bottom surface portion (for example, bottom surface portion 41) of the storage case (for example, a first storage case 31, a second storage case 32) is provided with a projection (for example, a projection 47) that protrudes downward approximately in the left-right direction of the storage case, and a locking claw (for example, a locking claw 48) may be provided at the tip of the projection.

[0061] A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention (for example, refrigerator 1) is equipped with a door according to one aspect of the present invention described above (for example, refrigerator compartment door 12).

[0062] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. Configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described herein are also included in the scope of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1: Refrigerator 12: Refrigerator door (door) 20: Door body 20a: Rear part (of the door itself) 20b: Side wall (of the door itself) 24: Convex part 24s: Space 25:Beam part 26: Second protrusion 27: Dent 31: First storage case 32: Second storage case 41: Bottom (of the storage case) 42: Front part (of the storage case) 43: Side (of the storage case) 45: Rib 45a: Upward inclined portion (of the rib) 47: Protrusion 48: Locking claw 145: Rear rib 245: Central Rib 345: Front rib

Claims

1. The door itself, A storage case that is detachable from the aforementioned door body and Equipped with, The storage case has a bottom surface, a front surface provided substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface, and side surfaces provided on the left and right sides of the front surface, respectively. Multiple ribs are provided on the outer surface of the aforementioned side portion, arranged in the front-to-back direction of the storage case. The door body is provided with a space into which at least a portion of the rib fits when the storage case is attached, and a protrusion located above the space. door.

2. With the storage case attached to the door body, the ribs of the storage case are located on the upper side of the space in the door body. The door according to claim 1.

3. The rib of the storage case has an inclined portion that contacts the lower end of the protrusion of the door body. The door according to claim 2.

4. Of the plurality of ribs, the height of the rib located on the rear side of the side portion is greater than the height of the rib located on the front side of the side portion. The door according to claim 1.

5. The bottom surface of the storage case is provided with a projection that protrudes downward, located approximately in the center of the left-right direction of the storage case. A locking claw is provided at the tip of the aforementioned projection. The door according to claim 1.

6. A refrigerator having a door as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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