Refrigerator door and refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator door and a refrigerator that can improve design and convenience of a user.SOLUTION: A refrigerator door according to an embodiment comprises a door body for openably closing a storage chamber of a refrigerator body, a decorative panel provided on a front surface of the door body, a panel supporting body provided in the door body, and supporting the decorative panel, and a reinforcing member provided inside the panel supporting body, and in contact with a front part and a rear part of the panel supporting body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator door and a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] Further improvements in refrigerator design and user convenience are expected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-87099 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator door and a refrigerator that can improve design and user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A refrigerator door according to an embodiment includes a door main body that closes a storage compartment of a refrigerator main body in an openable and closable manner, a decorative panel provided on a front surface of the door main body, a panel support provided on the door main body and supporting the decorative panel, and a reinforcing member provided inside the panel support and in contact with a front portion and a rear portion of the panel support, the reinforcing member having a main plate arranged along a front-rear direction, a front piece arranged along a width direction from a front end of the main plate, and a rear piece arranged along the width direction from a rear end of the main plate on an opposite side to the front piece, and the front piece of the reinforcing member is disposed on an inner side of the front end of the main plate in the width direction. only The rear piece of the reinforcing member extends outward in the width direction from the rear end of the main plate, and an end of the rear piece is not positioned inward in the width direction from the main plate but positioned outward in the width direction from the main plate. In the panel support, a portion where the rear piece of the reinforcing member is located in the front-rear direction is located outward in the width direction from a portion where the front piece is located. It has a configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the refrigerator door according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the refrigerator door according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a refrigerator door according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the refrigerator door according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the refrigerator door according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, a refrigerator door and a refrigerator according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions are given the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of components may be omitted. In this specification, left and right are defined based on the direction in which the refrigerator is viewed from a user standing in front of the refrigerator. The side closer to the user standing in front of the refrigerator as viewed from the refrigerator is defined as the "front", and the farther side is defined as the "rear". In this specification, the "width direction" refers to the left and right direction as defined above. In this specification, the "front-rear direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the width direction as defined above and connecting the front and the rear. In this application, "A or B" is not limited to either A or B, but includes both A and B.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a front view showing a refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a side view of a refrigerator door 1 of the refrigerator 100 as viewed from the right side of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a revolving door 20 taken along line III-III in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 1. The refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator main body and a plurality of refrigerator doors 1. The refrigerator main body includes a housing 105 and, although not shown, a known compressor, a cooling mechanism, a blower, a temperature sensor, a control device, etc.

[0009] A plurality of storage compartments are provided inside the housing 105. The plurality of storage compartments include, for example, a first refrigerator compartment 101, a second refrigerator compartment 102, and a freezer compartment 103. In the embodiment, the first refrigerator compartment 101 is arranged at the top, the second refrigerator compartment 102 is arranged below the first refrigerator compartment 101, and the freezer compartment 103 is arranged below the second refrigerator compartment 102. The arrangement of the storage compartments is not limited to the above example, and for example, the arrangement of the second refrigerator compartment 102 and the freezer compartment 103 may be reversed. The storage compartments are provided with a storage shelf, a storage container, an ice-making water storage container, and the like.

[0010] The second refrigeration compartment 102 is used as a vegetable compartment. The second refrigeration compartment 102 is kept at a refrigeration temperature range suitable for storing vegetables, for example, at 1 to 5° C. The second refrigeration compartment 102 is not limited to a storage room with a storage environment suitable for vegetables, and may be a storage room set to a refrigeration temperature range equivalent to that of the first refrigeration compartment 101 and equipped with a refrigeration function.

[0011] Freezer compartment 103 is kept cold at a freezing temperature range, for example, at or below -10°C. Second refrigerator compartment 102 and freezer compartment 103 are configured so that the cold storage temperature can be arbitrarily switched from the freezing temperature range to the refrigerating temperature range. Therefore, the second refrigerator compartment can be used as a freezing compartment, and freezer compartment 103 can be used as a refrigerating compartment.

[0012] The housing 105 has, for example, an inner box, an outer box, and a heat insulating section. The inner box forms the inner surface of the housing 105, and the outer box forms the outer surface of the housing 105. Between the inner box and the outer box, a heat insulating section including a foamed heat insulating material such as urethane foam is provided. The housing 105 has heat insulating properties. The housing 105 has an opening on the front side of each storage chamber that allows food to be put in and taken out of each storage chamber.

[0013] Refrigerator 100 is provided with refrigerator door 1. Refrigerator door 1 is a member that closes an opening of a storage compartment in an openable and closable manner. Refrigerator door 1 is provided at the front part of housing 105. Refrigerator door 1 is, for example, a revolving door 20 and drawer doors 30 and 40.

[0014] A revolving door 20 is provided in first refrigerator compartment 101. A drawer 17 is provided in each of second refrigerator compartment 102 and freezer compartment 103. Drawer 17 constitutes a drawer-type storage section that is opened and closed so as to be movable in front-rear direction D within second refrigerator compartment 102 and freezer compartment 103. Drawer doors 30, 40 are front panels attached to the front of drawer 17.

[0015] A revolving door 20, which is a refrigerator door 1, will be described. The revolving door 20 is rotatably attached to the housing 105. The revolving door 20 is provided at an end of the housing 105 in the width direction W, and at the top and bottom of the first refrigerator compartment 101, with pivotal supports 106, 107. One end of the revolving door 20 in the width direction W is attached to the pivotal supports 106, 107, and the revolving door 20 is supported rotatably around the pivotal supports 106, 107. Although a single-wing revolving door 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1, a double-wing revolving door may be used. In the case of a double-wing revolving door, the left and right revolving doors may be the same size, or a pair of revolving doors with different dimensions in the width direction W may be used.

[0016] When revolving door 20 is in the closed position, it has a front surface facing a user standing in front of refrigerator 100, and a rear surface facing the inside of first refrigeration compartment 101. A decorative panel 62 is attached to the front surface. A plurality of storage pockets are provided on the rear surface.

[0017] The revolving door 20 includes a door body 21 and a decorative panel 62. The door body 21 is configured by attaching a rear surface material 22 to a frame portion 5. In this example, since the first refrigeration compartment 101 is covered by a single revolving door 20, the door body 21 has a size capable of closing the front opening of the first refrigeration compartment 101.

[0018] 2, a gasket 16 is attached to the outer edge of the back surface of the door body 21. The gasket 16 is configured to close the gap between the door body 21 and the inner wall of the first refrigerating compartment 101 when the revolving door 20 is in the closed state.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the frame 5. The frame 5 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and forms the framework of the door body 21. The frame 5 is formed into a rectangle by a main member 50 and a lower frame 52 fixed to a lower part of the main member 50. The main member 50 is integrally formed with an upper frame 51, a pair of vertical frames 53, and a reinforcing bar 54. The frame 5 is, for example, a molding material made of resin or steel plate. The frame 5 may be formed of a single member, or may be configured such that all or part of the vertical frames, horizontal frames, and reinforcing bars are formed of separate members and assembled.

[0020] FIG. 7 shows a horizontal cross section of the vertical frame 53. As shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7, the vertical frame 53 includes a side wall 531, a front wall 532, and a rear wall 533. The side wall 531 is arranged to extend in the front-rear direction D. The front wall 532 extends inward from the front end of the side portion 531 along the width direction W. The rear wall 533 extends inward from the rear end of the side portion 531 along the width direction W. In other words, the outer ends of the front wall 532 and the rear wall 533 are connected by the side wall 531. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end of the side wall 531 protrudes outward in the width direction W more than the front end. The outer end of the front wall 532 is located more inward in the width direction W than the outer end of the rear wall 533. The side wall 531 is formed with a flat surface 531a extending forward from an end of the rear wall 533, and an inclined surface 531b inclined inward from a middle part in the front-rear direction D toward the outer end of the front wall 532. A recess 4 recessed inward in the width direction W is formed at a connection part between the front end of the side wall 531 and the front wall 532. The recess 4 is recessed inward in the width direction W behind the front wall 532 further than the outer end 534 of the front wall 532.

[0021] The recess 4 has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that is recessed in an arc shape. The recess 4 may be formed to be recessed inward in the width direction W from the outer end 534 of the front wall 532.

[0022] The panel support portion 9 is formed integrally with the frame portion 5. The panel support portion 9 is formed at the front end portion of the frame portion 5. The panel support portion 9 is formed at the outer edge portion of the front walls 512, 522, 532 of the frame portion 5. As shown in FIG. 7, the panel support portion 9 is formed so as to protrude slightly forward from the outer end in the width direction W of the front wall 532 of the vertical frame 53. The panel support portion 9 is formed so as to protrude slightly forward from the upper end of the front wall 512 of the upper frame 51 and the lower end of the front wall 522 of the lower frame 52. The front wall 532 is an example of a front portion of the panel support portion. The rear wall 533 is an example of a rear portion of the panel support portion.

[0023] 4, a substantially right-angled inner corner 535 is formed between the rear surface of the front wall 532 of the vertical frame 53 and the back surface of the side wall 531 at the position of the recess 4. A substantially right-angled inner corner 536 is formed between the back surface of the rear wall 533 of the vertical frame 53 and the back surface of the flat surface 531a of the side wall 531.

[0024] As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, a reinforcing member 7 is provided on the inside of the vertical frame 53. The reinforcing member 7 is a member that reinforces the strength of the frame portion 5. The revolving door 20 has a large area because it covers the first refrigerating compartment 101. The revolving door 20 rotates when opening and closing, and a load is applied because refrigerated goods are stored in the storage shelf. Therefore, the reinforcing member 7 is provided to reinforce the strength of the frame portion 5 while reducing the weight of the revolving door 20.

[0025] The reinforcing member 7 is a long member made of metal, such as a steel plate. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the reinforcing member 7 is composed of a main plate 74, a front piece 71, and a rear piece 72. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, the reinforcing member 7 has a substantially Z-shaped horizontal cross section. The front piece 71 and the rear piece 72 are perpendicular to the main plate 74 and extend in different directions. The dimension of the main plate 74 in the front-rear direction D is substantially equal to the distance between the front wall 532 and the rear wall 533 of the vertical frame 53. The reinforcing member 7 contacts the front wall 532 and the rear wall 533 of the vertical frame 53. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, the reinforcing member 7 is disposed in the vertical frame 53 so that the front end of the main plate 74 abuts against the inner corner 535 on the front wall 532 side of the side wall 531, and the outer end of the rear piece 72 is close to the inner corner 536 on the rear wall 533 side of the side wall 531. The front piece 71 of the reinforcing member 7 abuts against the front wall 532 of the vertical frame 53, and the rear piece 72 abuts against the rear wall 533.

[0026] The insulation material filling portion 58 is formed in the gap between the reinforcing member 7 and the vertical frame 53. As shown in FIG. 6, the main plate 74 is formed with insulation material filling holes 73. A plurality of insulation material filling holes 73 are formed at intervals in the vertical direction V. The insulation material is filled into the insulation material filling portion 58 through the insulation material filling holes 73. For example, the insulation material is a foam insulation material made of urethane or the like, which is filled into the insulation material filling portion 58 through the insulation material filling holes 73 and solidified. When the foam insulation material is filled into the insulation material filling portion 58, the insulation material is bonded to the vertical frame 53 and the reinforcing member 7, reinforcing the frame portion 5. Even if the reinforcing member 7 is made of a steel plate, the insulation performance of the revolving door 20 can be improved by filling it with insulation material.

[0027] If the insulation material filling hole 73 is formed as a plurality of through holes, the insulation material can be efficiently filled up to the upper and lower ends of the insulation material filling portion 58, and the insulation material in the insulation material filling portion 58 can be stably supported. The insulation material filling hole 73 is not limited to the form shown in Fig. 6 as long as it is formed penetrating the insulation material filling portion 58 so that the insulation material can be filled therein. For example, it may be a single through hole having a larger opening area than the insulation material filling hole 73 shown in Fig. 6.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 5, upper frame 51 is provided with an upper bearing portion 55 at its end in the width direction W. When the components of frame 5 are common for right-opening and left-opening cases, upper bearing portions 55 are provided at both ends of the upper frame in the width direction W. As shown in Figs. 4 and 8, lower frame 52 is provided with a lower bearing portion 56 at its end in the width direction W. Reinforcing member 7 is disposed outboard of upper bearing portion 55 and lower bearing portion 56 in the width direction W.

[0029] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the revolving door 20 as viewed from the lower frame 52 side. As shown in Fig. 8, the lower frame 52 is formed with a lower bearing portion 56 and a handle 57. The lower bearing portion 56 is formed at one end of the lower frame 52 in the width direction W, at a position corresponding to the pivot portions 106, 107. The handle 57 is formed in a groove shape recessed upward at the end opposite the lower bearing portion 56. The handle 57 has a size that allows a user to insert his or her finger into the groove to grip the revolving door 20 when opening or closing the revolving door 20.

[0030] Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the vicinity of the lower bearing portion 56. Figs. 10 and 11 show the lower bearing portion 56 as viewed from the rear of the revolving door 20, with the rear surface material 22 omitted. The lower bearing portion 56 includes a bearing 561, a screw fixing portion 562, and a guide wall 563. The screw fixing portion 562 is provided on the inside in the width direction W of the bearing 561. The guide wall 563 is a rectangular wall portion provided at a position surrounding the bearing 561 and the screw fixing portion 562. The guide wall 563 is formed by extending upward from the upper surface of the lower frame 52.

[0031] 9, a door holding member 564 and a reinforcing plate 565 are provided below the lower frame 52. A bearing reinforcing member 566 is provided above the lower bearing portion 56. The reinforcing plate 565 is provided between the door holding member 564 and the lower frame 52.

[0032] The door holding member 564 is a molded part made of resin. The reinforcing plate 565 is a flat part made of steel plate. The door holding member 564 and the reinforcing plate 565 are formed with screw holes 564a, 565a and shaft insertion holes 564b, 565b, respectively. The door holding member 564 and the reinforcing plate 565 are fixed to the lower frame 52 with screws 569, and the shafts of the shaft supports 106, 107 are inserted into the shaft insertion holes 564b, 565b of the door holding member 564 and the reinforcing plate 565, respectively, so that the revolving door 20 is rotatably supported by the shaft supports 106, 107. The reinforcing plate 565 has a higher rigidity than the lower frame 52. The reinforcing plate 565 is a part for preventing the lower bearing part 56 from bending and for keeping it horizontal.

[0033] The bearing reinforcement member 566 is a steel plate-shaped member. The bearing reinforcement member 566 has a pair of engagement pieces 567, which are substantially L-shaped in front view and are arranged in parallel to each other with a space therebetween in the front-rear direction D. As shown in FIG. 10, the engagement piece 567 includes a horizontal portion 567a, a vertical portion 567b, and a grip portion 567c. The pair of horizontal portions 567a are arranged so as to be able to fit inside the guide wall 563. The pair of vertical portions 567b are provided so as to be able to be inserted into and locked in the gap between the bearing 561 and the inner surface of the vertical frame 53. A connection portion 567d extending in the front-rear direction D is formed between the pair of vertical portions 567b. The pair of grip portions 567c are provided on the upper portions of the pair of horizontal portions 567a.

[0034] During assembly, when an operator grasps the pair of gripping portions 567c and pinches them in a direction approaching each other, the pair of horizontal portions 567a bend and become insertable into the guide wall 563. As shown in Fig. 10, the horizontal portions 567a are inserted from above the guide wall 563. When the operator releases the gripping of the gripping portions 567c, the horizontal portions 567a return to their original positions and are press-fitted into the guide wall 563. The bearing reinforcing member 566 has its connecting portion 567d in contact with the inner surface of the side wall 531 of the vertical frame 53, and is fixed to the side wall 531 with a screw.

[0035] The bearing reinforcement member 566 has higher rigidity than the lower frame 52 and the vertical frame 53. The bearing reinforcement member 566 reinforces the connection state between the lower frame 52 and the vertical frame 53. When the revolving door 20 is fully opened, a load in the rotation direction is applied to the bearing 561, but the bearing reinforcement member 566 provides sufficient load resistance. In addition, even if the lower frame 52 is damaged due to aging caused by long-term use, for example, the connection state is maintained by the bearing reinforcement member 566, and the pivot support state of the revolving door 20 is maintained. The bearing reinforcement member 566 can be a common part whether the lower bearing part 56 is provided on the right side of the width direction W of the lower frame 52 or on the left side.

[0036] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the rear material 22 is a member that is attached to substantially the entire rear area of ​​the frame portion 5. The rear material 22 is attached inward in the width direction W from the rear end portion of the reinforcing member 7. The rear material 22 is a three-dimensional molded member made of a thermally insulating resin. As shown in Figure 2, the rear material 22 has a portion that protrudes rearward from the frame portion 5. The rear material 22 is inserted into the first refrigerator compartment 101 when the revolving door 20 is closed. The rear material 22 is formed with a shelf engagement portion 23 that engages with a storage shelf or a removable storage shelf.

[0037] The decorative panel 6 is attached to the panel support portion 9 to cover the front surface of the door body. The decorative panel 6 is made of a substantially flat decorative material. The decorative panel 6 is, for example, a thin plate made of glass, fiber-reinforced resin, ceramic, artificial marble, or the like. The decorative panel 6 is given a color, pattern, and surface treatment in consideration of the design of the refrigerator. As an example, a glass decorative panel is shown below.

[0038] The decorative panel 62 is fixed to the front surface of the frame portion 5 with an adhesive. The outer edge of the rear surface of the decorative panel 62 abuts against the panel support portion 9, and an adhesive is disposed between the rear surface of the decorative panel 62 and the front wall 532 to fix the decorative panel 62. The adhesive is not particularly limited as long as it is an adhesive material capable of fixing the decorative panel 62 to the front surface of the frame portion 5, such as a spread-type adhesive or an adhesive tape.

[0039] A foam insulation material is filled in the space between the frame portion 5, the rear surface material 22, and the decorative panel 62. The foam insulation material also contacts the rear surface of the decorative panel 62. The foam insulation material maintains the decorative panel 62 and the frame portion 5 in a stable fixed state.

[0040] The side of the decorative panel 62 is disposed flush with the outer peripheral edge of the front end of the frame portion 5. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7, in the width direction W, the lateral side 80 of the decorative panel 62 and the outer end 534 of the front wall 532 are disposed at the same position. Therefore, the side wall 531 of the frame portion 5 does not protrude outward from the end of the decorative panel 62 in the width direction W. The side wall 531 of the frame portion 5 is disposed flush with the lateral side 80 of the decorative panel 62 or on the inside in the width direction W. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper side 83 of the decorative panel 62 is disposed at a height approximately equal to the upper surface of the upper frame 51. The upper side 83 is disposed approximately flush with the upper surface of the upper frame 51.

[0041] FIG. 12 is a side view of the front part of the lower end of the revolving door 20. A locking claw 92 protruding forward is formed on the panel support part 9 of the lower frame 52. The amount of forward protrusion of the locking claw 92 is shorter than the thickness of the decorative panel 62. The rear end 82 of the lower side surface 84 of the decorative panel 62 is supported by abutting on the locking claw 92. The front end 81 of the lower side surface 84 is located forward of the locking claw 92. The rear end of the lower side surface 84 is covered by the locking claw 92, and the other front part is exposed to the outside. The exposed part of the lower side surface 84 is exposed from the front end 81 to the rear of the middle part in the front-rear direction D. In the width direction W, the locking claw 92 is provided in a range narrower than the lower side surface 84 of the decorative panel 62. Therefore, the corner part of the front end of the lower end of the decorative panel 62 in the width direction W is exposed. When an adult user stands in front of the refrigerator 100, the lower side surface 84 is lower than the user's eyes. Therefore, the locking claw 92 is difficult for a user to see. As a result, the entire lower side surface of the decorative panel 62 appears to be exposed.

[0042] At least the front ends 81 of the lateral side surfaces 80, upper side surface 83, and lower side surface 84 on both sides in the width direction W of the decorative panel 62 are exposed and supported by the frame portion 5. That is, the frame portion 5 is disposed on the same plane as or inside the side surfaces 80, 83 of the decorative panel 62, and the locking claws 92 support only the rear end 82 portion of the side surface 84 of the decorative panel 62. Therefore, the frame portion 5 is difficult for a user standing in front of the refrigerator compartment 101 to see, and a frameless appearance with only the decorative panel 62 exposed is obtained. As a result, the refrigerator door 1 has excellent design.

[0043] Since the recess 4 is formed in the side wall 531 of the frame 5, the decorative panel 62 appears to be separated from the side wall 531. As a result, the decorative panel 62 appears to be floating away from the frame 5. Therefore, the support body supporting the decorative panel 62 is difficult to see, and a frameless appearance is obtained. The revolving door 20 gives the visual effect of the decorative panel 62 floating away from the door.

[0044] Next, the drawer doors 30, 40 which are refrigerator doors 1 will be described. The drawer doors 30, 40 include a door main body 21 provided at the front of the drawer 17, and decorative panels 63, 64. Since the drawer doors 30, 40 of the second refrigerator compartment 102 and the freezer 103 have the same configuration, the drawer door 30 of the second refrigerator compartment 102 will be described, and the same reference numerals will be used for common parts. Figure 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the drawer door 30 in the front-rear direction D.

[0045] As shown in Figures 13 and 15, a handle 511 is formed on the upper frame 51. The handle 511 has a groove shape recessed downward between the middle part and the front end of the upper frame 51 in the front-rear direction D. The handle 511 is formed over the entire area in the width direction W of the drawer door 30, and opens into the side wall 531. This allows good access to the part where the user grips the drawer door 30. As both ends of the handle 511 open towards the side wall 531, dust that has entered the inside of the handle 511 can be easily removed, making the handle easy to clean.

[0046] The handle 511 has a generally U-shape in side view. That is, the handle 511 has a bottom surface 511a and a pair of vertical surfaces 511b, 511c that extend upward from the front and rear ends of the bottom surface 511a and face each other at a substantially right angle and an angle that is close to a right angle. The boundary portions between the bottom surface 511a and each of the vertical surfaces 511b, 511c are formed with small-diameter R surfaces. The handle 511 is formed with a linear rectangular recess.

[0047] In the refrigerator door 1, the support portion of the decorative panel 63 is difficult to see from the outside. In addition, at the upper end portion of the drawer door 30, the support portion between the handle 511 and the vertical surface and the decorative panel 63 has a thickness at the same level as that of the decorative panel 63. Therefore, the handle 511 has a substantially U-shape in side view, so that the decorative panel 63 of the drawer door 30 has a linear appearance. As shown in FIG. 15, a sense of unity between the decorative panel 63 and the handle 511 is obtained. In addition, the handle 511 is open at both ends of the width direction W of the drawer door 30, so that the user can easily see the handle.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 16, the frame 5 is integrally formed with a generally rectangular frame when viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 14, the side wall 531 of the frame 5 has a horizontal cross-sectional shape that is generally the same as that of the side wall 531 of the revolving door 20. The reinforcing member 7 is attached to the inside of the side wall 531 of the frame 5, as in the revolving door 20. A heat insulating material filling portion 58 is formed between the reinforcing member 7 and the side wall 531. The drawer door 30 is provided with a rear surface material 24 for the drawer at the rear of the frame 5. The rear surface material 24 can be inserted into the opening of the second refrigerator compartment 102. A gasket 16 is attached to the outer edge of the rear surface of the door body 21. The gasket 16 is configured to close the gap between the door body 21 and the inner wall of the second refrigerator compartment 102 when the drawer door 30 is closed.

[0049] The panel support part 9 of the drawer door 30 is provided in front of the handle 511. FIG. 17 is an enlarged side view of the upper part of the panel support part 9 of the drawer door 30. As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 17, a locking claw 93 is formed on the upper part of the panel support part 9, which protrudes slightly forward from the front wall 512 of the handle 511. The decorative panel 63 is a flat panel made of the same material as the decorative panel 62 of the revolving door 20. The amount of forward protrusion of the locking claw 93 is shorter than the thickness of the decorative panel 63. The rear end 82 of the upper side surface 83 of the decorative panel 63 abuts against the lower part of the locking claw 93. The front end 81 of the upper side surface 83 is located forward of the locking claw 93. The rear end 82 of the upper side surface 83 is covered by the locking claw 93, and the other front part is exposed to the outside. The exposed part of the upper side surface 83 is exposed from the front end 81 to the rear of the middle part in the front-rear direction D. In the width direction W, the locking claw 93 is provided in an area narrower than the upper side surface 83 of the decorative panel 63. Therefore, a corner portion at the front end in the width direction W of the upper end of the decorative panel 63 is exposed. Since the locking claw 93 is only slightly exposed at the rear part of the decorative panel 63, a visual effect is obtained in which the entire area of ​​the upper side surface 83 of the decorative panel 63 is exposed.

[0050] When opening the drawer door 30, the user inserts his / her hand into the groove of the handle 511 and pulls it towards himself / herself. Since the rear end 82 of the upper side surface 83 of the decorative panel 63 is covered by the locking claw 93, the user does not directly touch the rear end 82 of the upper side surface 83 of the decorative panel 63 when opening the drawer door 30. This makes it pleasant to the touch. In addition, since the parts that are frequently touched by the user are covered by the locking claw 93, the decorative panel 63 can be protected.

[0051] FIG. 18 is an enlarged side view of the lower part of the panel support part 9 of the drawer door 30. As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 18, a locking claw 94 is formed protruding forward from the lower end of the lower frame 52. The rear end 82 of the lower side surface 84 of the decorative panel 63 is supported by abutting on the locking claw 94. In FIG. 18, a gap is provided in consideration of the dimensional tolerance in manufacturing, but the locking claw 94 functions to lock the rear end 82 of the decorative panel 63. At least the front end 81 of the lower side surface 84 is exposed and separated from the locking claw 94. When an adult user stands in front of the refrigerator 100, the lower side surface 84 of the decorative panel 63 is sufficiently lower than the user's eyes and is difficult to see. Therefore, even if the locking claw 94 protrudes forward from the locking claw 92 of the revolving door 20, the locking claw 94 is difficult to see. Therefore, even if the locking claws 94 protrude close to the front end 81 of the decorative panel 63, the decorative panel 63 can have a unified appearance because it is frameless. In addition, it is possible to prevent the user's hands or stored items from coming into contact with the lower part of the decorative panel 63 when moving the drawer door 30, opening or closing the lower freezer compartment 103, putting in or taking out stored items, etc.

[0052] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the panel support part 9 is integrally formed with the frame part 5, but the configuration of the panel support part is not limited to this example. The panel support part only needs to be provided on the door main body, and for example, the frame part and the panel support part may be configured as separate members, and the panel support part may be fixed to the frame part.

[0053] Since at least the front end 81 of the side surfaces 80, 83, 84 of the decorative panels 62, 63, 64 are exposed, the frames supporting the decorative panel 63 of the revolving door 20 and the drawer doors 30, 40 are hardly visible from the outside, and the revolving door 20 and the drawer doors 30, 40 have a frameless appearance. As a result, the refrigerator 100 has a distinctive appearance in which the supporting frames are not visible.

[0054] In the embodiment, an example has been shown in which the locking claws are provided on the upper side surface 83 of the revolving door 20 provided on the upper part of the housing 105 and the lower side surface 84 of the drawer doors 30, 40 located below. It is not essential that the rear end 82 of the upper side surface 83 of the decorative panels 62, 63, 64 is covered by the locking claws 92, 93. For example, the upper side surface 83 of the refrigerator door provided on the upper part may also be configured such that the entire area of ​​the upper side surface 83 in the front-rear direction D is exposed, similarly to the lateral side surface 80, without using a locking claw.

[0055] In the embodiment, an example is shown in which three refrigerator doors 20, 30, 40 are provided for the first refrigerator compartment 101, the second refrigerator compartment 102, and the freezer compartment 103, but the refrigerator is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, a refrigerator 100A having six refrigerator doors 1A may be provided with any number of refrigerator doors according to the number and size of the storage compartments of the refrigerator. In the modified refrigerator 100A shown in FIG. 19, the first refrigerator compartment 101 is provided with double-opening revolving doors 201, 202. As shown in FIG. 20, the revolving doors 201, 202 are provided with handles 57 at the center in the width direction W and are pivotally supported at both ends in the width direction W. A small freezer compartment 109 and an ice storage compartment 108 are provided between the second refrigerator compartment 102 and the freezer compartment 103. The small freezer compartment 109 and the ice storage compartment 108 are provided with a drawer door 302 similar to the drawer door 30.

[0056] Since the refrigerator 100A is also provided with the refrigerator door 1A similar to the above embodiment, the support of the decorative panel 6 is not noticeable from the outside, and the decorative panel 6 of each of the doors 201, 202, 30, 302, 40 has a frameless appearance.

[0057] According to the embodiment, since the recess 4 is formed in the frame part 5, when the refrigerator door 1A is viewed from the front, the frame part 5 is not noticeable, and a visual effect is obtained in which the decorative panel 6 appears to be separated and floating from the frame part 5. As a result, the decorative panel 6 presents a frameless appearance, and a refrigerator door 1 with a distinctive appearance is obtained.

[0058] According to the embodiment, at least a part of the side surfaces 80, 83, 84 of the decorative panel 6 is exposed and supported by the panel support portion 9, so that the panel support portion 9 is difficult to see when the refrigerator door 1 is viewed from the front, the decorative panel 6 presents a frameless appearance, and a refrigerator door 1 with a distinctive appearance is obtained.

[0059] According to the above embodiment, since the door body 21, the frame 5, the decorative panel 6, and the reinforcing member 7 are provided, the strength of the frame 5 can be increased by the reinforcing member 7. The reinforcing member 7 is disposed in contact with the front and rear parts of the panel support. As a result, the reinforcing member 7 having a high reinforcing effect is provided on the frame 5, and a refrigerator door 1 having excellent load-bearing capacity can be provided.

[0060] According to the above embodiment, the reinforcing member 7 includes the main plate 74, the front piece 71, and the rear piece 72, and the front piece 71 and the rear piece 72 are members extending in different directions from the main plate 74, so that the frame portion 5 can be effectively reinforced. Specifically, the main plate 74 is arranged along the front-rear direction, the front piece 71 is arranged along the width direction from the front end of the main plate 74, and the rear piece 72 is arranged along the width direction from the rear end of the main plate 74 on the opposite side to the front piece 71. This configuration can increase the load resistance against the load applied to the frame portion 5 when the refrigerator door 1 is opened or closed. For example, in the case of the revolving door 20, since items are stored on a shelf provided on the rear surface material 22 of the revolving door 20, a load is applied to the rear surface material 22 side of the revolving door 20. In addition, when the revolving door 20 rotates, the first vertical frame 53 is pivotally supported by the pivotal support parts 106, 107, and the second vertical frame 53 on the opposite side to the pivotally supported first vertical frame 53 rotates at a position away from the pivotal support parts 106, 107. During rotation, a downward force is applied to the lower end side of the second vertical frame 53, and as a result, a load in the torsional direction is applied to the first vertical frame 53. In response to this, the main plate 74 is provided so as to contact the front and rear ends of the vertical frame 53, so that the vertical frame 53 can be prevented from bending. In addition, the front piece 71 is arranged to extend inward in the width direction, and the rear piece 72 is arranged to extend outward in the width direction, so that the main plate 74 is unlikely to bend in the width direction of the revolving door 20. Therefore, deformation of the frame part 5 of the revolving door 2 can be prevented. As a result, the revolving door 20 can be opened and closed smoothly.

[0061] The frame 5 of the drawer doors 30,40 is also provided with the reinforcing member 7, so that the vertical frame 53 can be prevented from bending, as in the case of the revolving door 20. In the case of the drawer doors 30,40, the drawers 17 move in the front-to-back direction with items stored therein. When the drawer doors 30,40 are opened or closed, a downward force is applied to the center of the lower part of the drawer doors 30,40, so that a load is applied to the frame 5 of the drawer doors 30,40. In contrast, the reinforcing member 7 provided within the frame 5 makes it difficult for the vertical frame 53 to bend, and the shape of the drawer doors 30,40 is stably maintained. As a result, the drawer doors 30,40 can be opened and closed smoothly.

[0062] According to the embodiment, the reinforcing member 7 is attached to the side wall 531 of the frame 5 with a gap formed therebetween, and the reinforcing member 7 is formed with an insulation material filling hole 73 that allows insulation material to be filled into the insulation material filling portion 58, which is the gap. As a result, insulation material can be filled into the insulation material filling portion 58 after the reinforcing member 7 is attached to the frame 5, and assembly efficiency is good. When insulation material is filled into the insulation material filling portion 58 after the reinforcing member 7 is attached to the frame 5, the reinforcing member 7 is likely to come into close contact with the insulation material. As a result, the reinforcing member 7 is stably held relative to the frame 5.

[0063] According to the embodiment, the reinforcing member 7 is provided at the rear of the panel support 9 and is provided outside the gasket 16 in the width direction, so that the shape stability of the frame part 5 is maintained outside the gasket 16 of the refrigerator door 1. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a gap between the gasket 16 and the housing 105 due to deformation of the frame part 5. Since the insulating material is filled in the insulating material filling part 58 outside the reinforcing member 7 in the width direction, it is possible to improve the insulating performance outside compared to the gasket 16.

[0064] The refrigerators 100 and 100A according to the embodiment include the reinforcing member 7 and the refrigerator door 1 that has excellent shape stability, and therefore have the advantages of stable operation when opening and closing and excellent durability.

[0065] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims, as well as in the scope and spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1, 1A, 20, 30, 40, 201, 202, 302... refrigerator door, 6, 62, 63, 64... decorative panel, 7... reinforcing member, 9... panel support, 16... gasket, 21... door body, 71... front piece, 72... rear piece, 73... insulation material filling hole, 74... main plate, 80... side, 81... front end, 82... rear end, 83, 84... side, 100, 100A... refrigerator

Claims

1. A door body that closes a storage compartment of a refrigerator body in an openable and closable manner; A decorative panel provided on the front surface of the door body; A panel support member provided on the door body and supporting the decorative panel; a reinforcing member provided inside the panel support and in contact with a front and a rear of the panel support; The reinforcing member is A main plate arranged along the front-rear direction; A front piece arranged along the width direction from the front end of the main plate; A rear piece is arranged along the width direction from the rear end of the main plate on the opposite side to the front piece, The front piece of the reinforcing member extends only inward in the width direction from the front end of the main plate, The rear piece of the reinforcing member extends outward in the width direction from the rear end of the main plate, The end of the rear piece is located outside the main plate in the width direction without being located inside the main plate in the width direction, In the panel support, a portion where the rear piece of the reinforcing member is located in the front-to-rear direction is located widthwise outer than a portion where the front piece is located.

2. The side walls of the panel support that support the left and right side portions of the decorative panel have rear ends that protrude outward in the width direction beyond the front ends. The refrigerator door according to claim 1.

3. The side wall has a first portion extending forward from a rear end and a second portion inclined forward and inward, The main plate is provided with a hole penetrating the outer side and the inner side of the main plate at a position in the front-rear direction where the first portion and the second portion intersect. The refrigerator door according to claim 2.

4. The front piece of the reinforcing member abuts against the front portion of the panel support, The rear piece of the reinforcing member abuts against the rear portion of the panel support. The refrigerator door according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The reinforcing member is attached to the side surface of the panel support member with a gap formed therebetween, The reinforcing member has a heat insulating material filling hole formed therein, which allows a heat insulating material to be filled into the gap. The refrigerator door according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A gasket is provided at the rear of the panel support, In the width direction, the reinforcing member is provided outside the gasket. The refrigerator door according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A refrigerator body including a storage compartment; A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator door according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the refrigerator door being attached to the refrigerator body.

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