refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can reduce failures of a vacuum heat insulation material and a heater.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes: an upper stage switching chamber 60 and a lower stage switching chamber 70 vertically adjacent to each other; and a rear partition part 16B disposed between the upper stage switching chamber 60 and the lower stage switching chamber 70. The rear partition part 16B includes a case for storing a vacuum heat insulation material V9 and a heater. The rear partition part 16B is fixed and the vacuum heat insulation material V9 and the heater are configured not to be able to be removed from the case unless fixation of the rear partition part 16B is released.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There has been proposed a refrigerator in which a partition member that divides a storage compartment is formed separately from the heat-insulating box (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-173187 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a refrigerator such as that described in Patent Document 1, if cold air leaks through a partition member into another storage compartment (for example, from a storage compartment in the freezing temperature range to a storage compartment in the refrigerating temperature range), there is a problem that it becomes difficult to maintain the storage compartment in the refrigerating temperature range.

[0005] The present invention is devised to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a refrigerator that can suppress leakage of cold air even when a partition member that is configured separately from the refrigerator body is used. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a refrigerator including a first storage compartment and a second storage compartment adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, the refrigerator including a partition member disposed between the first storage compartment and the second storage compartment, the partition member having a case for storing a vacuum insulation material, the case has a front partition portion disposed extending in the left-right direction at the front side of the partition member, the partition member having a flange portion at the front end of the case extending across the entire width of the partition member toward the front partition portion, the front partition portion having a step portion formed at a position where the flange portions overlap, and a lower flange portion against which the lower edge portion of the partition member abuts, The partition member is via a first screw at a position where the flange portion and the step portion overlap. To the front partition By tightening from above, It is fixed, the case is configured by fastening an upper case and a lower case with a second screw, the lower case has a screw insertion portion formed on an outer surface of a front side portion relative to a bottom surface of the lower case, through which the second screw is inserted, the screw insertion portion being located above a bottom surface of the lower case, the upper case has a fixing portion formed therein through which the second screw is screwed, the fixing portion being formed to extend downward from a bottom surface of the flange portion, The vacuum insulation material cannot be removed from the case of the refrigerator unless the fixed partition member is released. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator capable of suppressing leakage of cool air even when a partition member configured separately from the refrigerator body is used. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the inside of the refrigerator of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the interior of the refrigerator body. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of cool air. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a fan casing. [Figure 6] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of cool air throughout the refrigerator. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of a refrigerator. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an attached state of the heater cord. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rear partition portion from the rear side. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 12. [Figure 15] 13 is a schematic diagram showing the mounting structure of the back of the rear partition. FIG. [Figure 16] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the attached state of the front partition portion and the rear partition portion. FIG. [Figure 17] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a temporary fixing portion of the rear partition portion. FIG. [Figure 18]4 is a cross-sectional view showing a fastening structure between the rear partition and the inner box. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (the present embodiment) will be described. However, the present embodiment is not limited to the following content, and can be modified as desired within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the following description will be based on the direction shown in FIG. 1.

[0010] 1 is an external perspective view showing a refrigerator according to this embodiment. In the following, a six-door refrigerator 1 will be described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to refrigerators having other numbers of doors. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 has a refrigerator body 10 equipped with a refrigerator compartment 30, an ice-making compartment 40 (first storage compartment), a freezer compartment 50 (first storage compartment), an upper switchable compartment 60 (second storage compartment, first storage compartment, switchable compartment), and a lower switchable compartment 70 (second storage compartment, switchable compartment). The upper switchable compartment 60 is capable of switching the temperature zone from a refrigeration temperature zone (e.g., 1°C to 6°C) to a freezing temperature zone (e.g., about -20°C to -18°C). Similarly, the lower switchable compartment 70 is capable of switching the temperature zone from a refrigeration temperature zone to a freezing temperature zone. The refrigerator compartment 30 is set to a refrigeration temperature zone (e.g., 6°C). The ice-making compartment 40 and the freezer compartment 50 are set to a freezing temperature zone (e.g., about -20°C).

[0011] In addition, refrigerator 1 is provided with refrigerator compartment doors 2 and 3 for opening and closing refrigerator compartment 30, an ice-making compartment door 4 for opening and closing ice-making compartment 40, a freezer compartment door 5 for opening and closing freezer compartment 50, an upper switchable compartment door 6 for opening and closing upper switchable compartment 60, and a lower switchable compartment door 7 for opening and closing lower switchable compartment 70, on the front of refrigerator body 10.

[0012] The refrigerator compartment doors 2 and 3 are configured to be able to open like double doors. The ice-making compartment door 4, the freezer compartment door 5, the upper selectable compartment door 6, and the lower selectable compartment door 7 are configured to be able to be pulled out toward the front. The refrigerator compartment doors 2 and 3, the ice-making compartment door 4, the freezer compartment door 5, the upper selectable compartment door 6, and the lower selectable compartment door 7 are thermally insulated doors.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the inside of the refrigerator of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, refrigerator body 10 is a combination of inner box 11 and outer box 12, with foam insulation material or vacuum insulation material sandwiched between them to form an insulated box body. The foam insulation material is made of rigid urethane foam. This rigid urethane foam is formed by foaming a urethane foam stock solution (raw material liquid for foam insulation material) and then hardening it. Incidentally, an example of the urethane foam stock solution is a liquid obtained by mixing an isocyanate liquid with a liquid in which a blowing agent such as cyclopentane or water, and furthermore auxiliary agents such as a catalyst and a foam stabilizer are premixed with polyether polyol.

[0014] The outer box 12 is composed of a top plate 1a and left and right side plates 1b, 1c (see FIG. 1) formed by bending a thin steel plate into a gate shape, a back plate 1d made of a separate member, and a bottom plate 1e made of a separate member. A recess is provided at the rear of the top plate 1a, and a control board 13 is provided in this recess. The control board 13 controls the refrigerator 1 in an overall manner.

[0015] Vacuum insulation materials V1 and V2 are provided on the inner wall surfaces of the top plate 1a and the back plate 1d. Vacuum insulation material V3 is provided on the bottom side of the inner box 11. Vacuum insulation materials V7 and V8 (see FIG. 3) are provided on the inner wall surfaces of the left and right side plates 1b and 1c (see FIG. 1).

[0016] A vacuum insulation material V4 is provided on the refrigerator compartment doors 2 and 3. A vacuum insulation material V5 is provided on the upper selectable compartment door 6. A vacuum insulation material V6 is provided on the lower selectable compartment door 7.

[0017] Moreover, refrigerator body 10 is provided with a heat-insulating partition device (heat-insulating partition member) 16 which insulatedly separates upper switchable chamber 60 from lower switchable chamber 70. Moreover, refrigerator body 10 is provided with a heat-insulating partition device (heat-insulating partition member) 17 which insulatedly separates ice-making chamber 40 and freezer chamber 50 from upper switchable chamber 60. Moreover, refrigerator body 10 is provided with a heat-insulating partition wall 18 which insulatedly separates refrigeration chamber 30 from ice-making chamber 40 and freezer chamber 50 into upper and lower chambers. Moreover, heat-insulating partition devices 16, 17 are provided with vacuum insulation materials (insulating materials) V9, V10, respectively.

[0018] The vacuum insulation materials V1 to V10 are not particularly limited in terms of material, but as an example, they are made of insulation material in which a core material such as porous glass wool is vacuum-packed in a laminate film, the inside is depressurized, and sealed. Since the gas thermal conductivity is approximately zero, they have excellent insulation performance.

[0019] In order to cool each of the ice-making compartment 40, the freezer compartment 50, the upper switchable compartment 60, and the lower switchable compartment 70 to a predetermined temperature, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a cooler 80A (EVP: evaporator) on the rear side of the upper switchable compartment 60 and the lower switchable compartment 70. This cooler 80A is provided on the projection of the heat-insulating partition device 16 when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front.

[0020] Cooler 80A also constitutes a refrigeration cycle by compressor 81, a condenser (not shown), and a capillary tube (not shown). A blower fan 90 is disposed above cooler 80A to circulate the cold air cooled by cooler 80A to each of ice-making compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, upper switchable compartment 60, and lower switchable compartment 70, thereby maintaining the air at a predetermined temperature.

[0021] Cooler 80A is disposed in cooler storage space 100 provided between the rear sides of ice-making compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, upper switchable compartment 60, and lower switchable compartment 70 and inner box 11. This cooler storage space 100 extends from directly above compressor 81 provided in machine chamber Q to the height position of blower fan 90.

[0022] A defrost heater 82 is provided below the cooler 80A in the cooler storage space 100. Drain water generated by the defrost heater 82 during defrosting temporarily falls into a gutter (not shown) and is collected in an evaporation dish (not shown) provided above the compressor 81 via a drain hole (not shown).

[0023] The air (cold air) cooled by the cooler 80A is supplied directly to the ice making compartment 40 and the freezer compartment 50 without passing through a damper member. The upper switchable compartment 60 is supplied with cold air through a direct cooling damper member 120 (see FIG. 4) and a damper section 141 (see FIG. 4) of an indirect cooling damper member 140 described later. The lower switchable compartment 70 is supplied with cold air through a direct cooling damper member 130 (see FIG. 4) and a damper section 142 (see FIG. 4) of an indirect cooling damper member 140 described later. Direct cooling is a method of cooling by directly supplying cold air to the stored food. Indirect cooling is a method of cooling by supplying cold air to the stored food without directly contacting the food in order to prevent the food from drying out.

[0024] In addition, the refrigerator 1 is provided with a cooler 80B (see FIG. 7) at the bottom of the rear side of the refrigerator compartment 30 in order to cool the refrigerator compartment 30 to a predetermined temperature. The cooler 80B configures a refrigeration cycle with a compressor 81, a condenser (not shown), and a capillary tube (not shown). In addition, a blower fan 91 (see FIG. 7) is provided above the cooler 80B to circulate the cold air cooled by the cooler 80B through the refrigerator compartment 30 and maintain the temperature at a predetermined level.

[0025] In the upper switchable chamber 60, for example, an upper storage container 61 (see FIG. 7) and a lower storage container 62 (see FIG. 7) are arranged one above the other. In the lower switchable chamber 70, for example, an upper storage container 71 (see FIG. 7) and a lower storage container 72 (see FIG. 7) are arranged one above the other. Note that the number of storage containers 61, 62, 71, 72 is not limited to this embodiment and can be changed as appropriate, and each may be one tier or three or more tiers.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a front view showing the interior of the refrigerator body, and Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of refrigerator 1 with doors 2 to 7 (see Fig. 1) and storage containers removed. As shown in Fig. 3, the refrigerator body 10 includes a rear heat insulating partition member 65 that constitutes the interior rear surface of the upper switchable compartment 60 and the lower switchable compartment 70. The lower end of the rear heat insulating partition member 65 is located above the inward protrusion of the machine compartment Q (see Fig. 2).

[0027] The rear insulating partition member 65 is provided with case members 112 and 113 at positions corresponding to the upper switchable chamber 60, and case members 114 and 115 at positions corresponding to the lower switchable chamber .

[0028] A plurality of outlets 63a, 63a, 63b, 63b from which cold air is discharged when the upper switchable chamber 60 is set to the freezing temperature zone are formed in the case member 112. The outlets 63a, 63a are arranged spaced apart on the left and right near the center of the upper part of the upper switchable chamber 60. The outlets 63b, 63b are arranged spaced apart on the left and right below the outlets 63a, 63a.

[0029] The outlet 63a is formed at a position where it can directly supply cool air into the upper storage container 61 (see FIG. 7), and the outlet 63b is formed at a position where it can directly supply cool air into the lower storage container 62 (see FIG. 7).

[0030] Case member 113 is formed with discharge port 63c through which cold air is discharged when upper switchable compartment 60 is set to the refrigeration temperature zone. Discharge port 63c is located to the side of discharge ports 63a and 63b (left side in FIG. 3). Discharge port 63c is configured to discharge cold air toward inner box 11 on the left side, as shown by the dashed arrow. This allows cold air to pass outside upper storage container 61 (see FIG. 7) and outside lower storage container 62 (see FIG. 7) (so as to indirectly cool food).

[0031] The case member 114 is formed with a plurality of discharge ports 73a, 73a, 73b, 73b through which cold air is discharged when the lower switchable chamber 70 is set to the freezing temperature zone. The discharge ports 73a, 73a are arranged spaced apart on the left and right in the upper portion of the lower switchable chamber 70. The discharge ports 73b, 73b are arranged spaced apart on the left and right below the discharge ports 73a, 73a.

[0032] The outlet 73a is formed at a position where it can directly supply cool air into the upper storage container 71 (see FIG. 7), and the outlet 73b is formed at a position where it can directly supply cool air into the lower storage container 72 (see FIG. 7).

[0033] Case member 115 is formed with discharge port 73c through which cold air is discharged when lower switchable compartment 70 is set to the refrigeration temperature zone. Discharge port 73c is located to the side of discharge port 73a (left side in FIG. 3). Discharge port 73c is configured to discharge cold air toward inner box 11 on the left side, as shown by the dashed arrow. This allows cold air to pass outside upper storage container 71 (see FIG. 7) and outside lower storage container 72 (see FIG. 7) (so as to indirectly cool food).

[0034] In addition, a return port 73d that returns the cool air discharged from the discharge ports 73a, 73b, and 73c to the cooler 80A (see FIG. 2) is formed in the rear heat insulating partition member 65. The return port 73d is formed on the opposite side of the discharge port 73a to the discharge port 73c (the right side in FIG. 3).

[0035] In addition, outlets 40a, 50a through which cold air is directly supplied into an ice making container (not shown) and a freezing container (not shown) are formed in ice making chamber 40 and freezing chamber 50, respectively. In addition, a return port 41a through which the cold air discharged from outlets 40a, 50a returns is formed on the rear surface of freezing chamber 50.

[0036] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the flow of cool air, and shows a schematic view of the device as seen from the back with the inner box 11 removed. 4, a blower fan 90 is provided above the cooler 80A. The blower fan 90 is configured by a centrifugal fan such as a turbo fan or a sirocco fan.

[0037] Moreover, a fan casing 111 that houses the blower fan 90 is provided above the cooler storage space 100. A circular opening 111s is formed in this fan casing 111 at a position facing the blower fan 90. Cool air is sucked in by the blower fan 90 through the opening 111s, and the cool air is discharged into the fan casing 111 from the circumferential direction.

[0038] Damper members 120, 130, and 140 are attached to the fan casing 111. The damper member 120 supplies cool air to the upper switchable chamber 60 (see FIG. 3) and is provided above the blower fan 90. The damper member 130 supplies cool air to the lower switchable chamber 70 (see FIG. 3) and is provided below the blower fan 90 and to the left of the cooler 80A (to the right in FIG. 4). The damper member 140 includes damper portions 141 and 142 and is provided to the left of the blower fan 90 (to the right in FIG. 4).

[0039] In addition, the damper member 120 is provided with a drive unit 123 that opens and closes the flapper. The damper member 130 is provided with a drive unit 133 that opens and closes the flapper. The damper member 140 is provided with a drive unit 133 that opens and closes the flapper of the damper unit 141 and that opens and closes the flapper of the damper unit 142.

[0040] Returning to Fig. 3, the case member 112 is disposed so as to cover the front of the damper member 120 (see Fig. 4), and is formed so as to protrude forward from the rear heat insulation partition member 65. The case member 113 is disposed so as to cover the front of the damper section 141 (see Fig. 4), and is formed so as to protrude forward from the rear heat insulation partition member 65.

[0041] The case member 114 is provided so as to cover the front of the damper member 130 (see FIG. 4), and is formed so as to protrude forward from the rear heat insulating partition member 65. The case member 115 is connected to a flow path 116 (see FIG. 4) extending from the damper section 142, and is formed so as to protrude forward from the rear heat insulating partition member 65.

[0042] 4, the cooler storage space 100 is formed with a return flow passage 41b that merges the cold air coming out of the return port 41a with the cold air coming out of the return port 73d. The return flow passage 41b is configured to flow vertically on the right side of the rear heat insulating partition member 65 (the left side in FIG. 4).

[0043] The cool air discharged from the discharge ports 63a and 63b (see FIG. 3) flows downward from the return port 63d to the cooler 80A, rises inside the cooler 80A, and is then sucked again into the blower fan 90. Similarly, the cool air discharged from the discharge port 63c (see FIG. 3) also passes through the cooler 80A from the return port 63d and is then sucked again into the blower fan 90.

[0044] Moreover, the cool air discharged from the discharge ports 73a and 73b (see FIG. 3) returns to the lower part of the cooler 80A from the return port 73d, rises inside the cooler 80A, and is again drawn into the blower fan 90. Similarly, the cool air discharged from the discharge port 73c (see FIG. 3) also returns to the return port 73d, passes through the cooler 80A, and is again drawn into the blower fan 90.

[0045] The cold air after cooling ice-making compartment 40 and freezer compartment 50 passes through return flow path 41b from return port 41a, and returns to cooler 80A through a flow path similar to the return flow path from return port 73d.

[0046] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a fan casing. 5, the fan casing 111 includes a flow path 111a that guides cool air toward the damper member 120 and a flow path 111b that guides cool air to the damper member 130. The fan casing 111 also includes a flow path 111c that guides cool air toward the damper portion 141 of the damper member 140 and a flow path 111d that guides cool air to the damper portion 142 of the damper member 140.

[0047] A damper member 120 is fitted into the end of flow path 111a via a sealing material (not shown). A damper member 130 is fitted into the end of flow path 111b via a sealing material (not shown). A damper section 141 is fitted into the end of flow path 111c via a sealing material (not shown). A damper section 142 is fitted into the end of flow path 111d via a sealing material (not shown).

[0048] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 4. In Fig. 6, the outer box 12, the heat insulating material between the inner box 11 and the outer box 12, the doors 4, 6, 7, and the storage containers 61, 62, 71, 72 are not shown. As shown in Fig. 6, refrigerator body 10 is provided with heat insulating partition device 17 that insulates ice-making compartment 40 and freezer compartment 50 (see Fig. 3) from upper switchable compartment 60. Refrigerator body 10 also is provided with heat insulating partition device 16 that insulates upper switchable compartment 60 from lower switchable compartment 70. Refrigerator body 10 also is provided with rear heat insulating partition member 65 that insulates upper switchable compartment 60 from blower fan 90 and cooler 80A.

[0049] The blower fan 90 is fixed to the rear heat insulating partition member 65 via a bracket 92. Note that the mounting means for the blower fan 90 is not limited to the means for fixing it to the rear heat insulating partition member 65, and the blower fan 90 may be fixed by providing a bracket on the cool air intake side of the fan casing 111.

[0050] The heat insulating partition devices 16, 17 are each configured to include vacuum heat insulating materials V9, V10. The rear heat insulating partition member 65 is configured to include expanded polystyrene foam (so-called polystyrene foam) 65t formed by molding.

[0051] In addition, as described above, the refrigerator body 10 is provided with vacuum insulation materials V7, V8 (see FIG. 3) on the left and right side surfaces of the upper switchable compartment 60. As described above, the upper switchable compartment door 6 that opens and closes the upper switchable compartment 60 is also provided with vacuum insulation material V5 (see FIG. 2). In this manner, the upper switchable compartment 60 is surrounded by vacuum insulation materials V5, V7, V8, V9, V10 on six sides, the front, left and right, and top and bottom. As a result, when the ice making compartment 40 and the freezer compartment 50 are set to the freezing temperature zone and the cooler 80A is disposed at the back, it is possible to set the upper switchable compartment 60 to the refrigeration temperature zone even under harsh conditions such as when the upper switchable compartment 60 is set to the refrigeration temperature zone.

[0052] In addition, in the upper switchable compartment 60 of the refrigerator body 10, an opening 63e communicating with a return port 63d to the cooler 80A is formed on the back side of the heat insulating partition device 16 constituting the bottom surface. This opening 63e is formed long and narrow along the left-right direction.

[0053] In addition, in the refrigerator body 10, a rail member 11a is formed on the left side surface of the upper switchable compartment 60 to support the upper storage container 61 (see FIG. 7) so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. A slide member (not shown) that holds the lower storage container 62 (see FIG. 7) is provided on the upper switchable compartment door 6 (see FIG. 2), and this slide member is slidably supported by a rail member 11b provided in the upper switchable compartment 60. A rail member of a similar configuration is also provided on the right side surface of the upper switchable compartment 60.

[0054] In addition, in the refrigerator body 10, a rail member 11c that supports the upper storage container 71 (see FIG. 7) so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction is formed on the left side surface of the lower switchable compartment 70. A slide member (not shown) that holds the lower storage container 72 (see FIG. 2) is provided on the lower switchable compartment door 7 (see FIG. 2), and this slide member is slidably supported by a rail member 11d provided in the lower switchable compartment 70. A rail member of a similar configuration is also provided on the right side surface of the lower switchable compartment 70.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of cool air throughout the refrigerator. 7, in the refrigeration compartment 30 of the refrigerator 1, cold air generated by a cooler 80B provided exclusively for the refrigeration compartment 30 is drawn into a blower fan 91 and discharged from a plurality of outlets (not shown) provided on the rear side of the refrigeration compartment 30. After cooling the food, the cold air returns to the cooler 80B from a return port (not shown) provided at the bottom of the refrigeration compartment 30.

[0056] In ice-making compartment 40 and freezer compartment 50 of refrigerator 1, cold air generated by cooler 80A is discharged by blower fan 90 from outlet 40a (see FIG. 3) provided in ice-making compartment 40 and outlet 50a (see FIG. 3) provided in freezer compartment 50. Then, the air after cooling the food is sucked into return port 41a provided on the rear side of freezer compartment 50 and returns to cooler 80A through return flow path 41b. In this way, cold air generated by cooler 80A is constantly sent to ice-making compartment 40 and freezer compartment 50.

[0057] When the upper switchable chamber 60 is set to the freezing temperature range, the damper member 120 is opened. In this case, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A passes through the damper member 120. The cold air is then supplied directly to the food in the upper storage container 61 from the discharge port 63a provided in the upper switchable chamber 60, and is also supplied directly to the food in the lower storage container 62 from the discharge port 63b.

[0058] Furthermore, when the upper switchable chamber 60 is set to the refrigeration temperature zone, the damper portion 141 of the damper member 140 is opened. In this case, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A passes through the damper portion 141. Then, the cold air flows from the discharge port 63c provided in the upper switchable chamber 60 to the outside of the upper storage container 61 and the outside of the lower storage container 62, thereby indirectly cooling the food. This makes it possible to prevent the food in the upper storage container 61 and the lower storage container 62 from drying out.

[0059] When lower switchable chamber 70 is set to the freezing temperature range, cold air generated by cooler 80A passes through damper member 130. Then, cold air is directly supplied to food in upper storage container 71 from outlet 73a provided in lower switchable chamber 70, and is directly supplied to food in lower storage container 72 from outlet 73b.

[0060] Furthermore, when the lower switchable chamber 70 is set to the refrigeration temperature zone, the damper portion 142 of the damper member 140 is opened. In this case, the cold air generated by the cooler 80A passes through the damper portion 142 and the flow path 116 (see FIG. 4). Then, the cold air flows from the discharge port 73c provided in the lower switchable chamber 70 to the outside of the upper storage container 71 and the outside of the lower storage container 72, thereby indirectly cooling the food. This makes it possible to prevent the food in the upper storage container 71 and the lower storage container 72 from drying out.

[0061] In this way, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the upper switchable compartment 60 can be set to the refrigeration temperature zone and the lower switchable compartment 70 can be set to the freezing temperature zone. Also, in the refrigerator 1, the upper switchable compartment 60 can be set to the freezing temperature zone and the lower switchable compartment 70 can be set to the refrigeration temperature zone. Also, in the refrigerator 1, both the upper switchable compartment 60 and the lower switchable compartment 70 can be set to the freezing temperature zone. Also, in the refrigerator 1, both the upper switchable compartment 60 and the lower switchable compartment 70 can be set to the refrigeration temperature zone.

[0062] Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the inside of the refrigerator, with the doors 2 to 7 (see Fig. 1) and the storage containers 61, 62, 71, and 72 (see Fig. 7) of the refrigerator 1 removed. As shown in Fig. 8, refrigerator 1 divides refrigerator body 10 into upper and lower switchable compartments 60 and 70 by thermally insulated partition device 16. Also, refrigerator 1 divides refrigerator body 10 into ice-making compartment 40, upper switchable compartment 50, and upper switchable compartment 60 by thermally insulated partition device 17. Refrigerator 1 divides refrigerator body 10 into upper and lower compartments 30, ice-making compartment 40, and upper switchable compartment 50 by thermally insulated partition wall 18.

[0063] The heat-insulating partition device 16 has a front partition part 16A arranged across the left and right inner boxes 11, and a rear partition part 16B (partition member) arranged over the entire back side of the front partition part 16A. The heat-insulating partition device 17 has a front partition part 17A arranged across the left and right inner boxes 11, and a rear partition part 17B arranged over the entire back side of the front partition part 17A. A vertical partition part 19 is provided between the heat-insulating partition device 17 and the heat-insulating partition wall 18, vertically bridging the interior and dividing the interior into an ice-making compartment 40 and a freezer compartment 50.

[0064] Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the rear partition part 16B of the heat-insulating partition device 16 that separates the upper switchable chamber 60 and the lower switchable chamber 70. 9, the rear partition section 16B is configured to include a synthetic resin case 160 consisting of a lower case (inner case) 161 and an upper case (outer case) 162, a vacuum insulation material V9, heaters He1 and He2, and a sealing material 164. Note that the rear partition section 17B of the heat-insulating partition device 17 has a similar basic configuration to the rear partition section 16B, so the following description will be given taking the rear partition section 16B as an example.

[0065] The lower case 161 is configured to have a rectangular bottom surface portion 161s and side surface portions 161a rising from the outer peripheral edges of the four sides of the bottom surface portion 161s. The lower case 161 also has locking claws 161b formed at multiple locations on the outer surface of the side surface portion 161a (only one side surface portion 161a is shown in FIG. 9). The lower case 161 also has screw insertion portions 161d, 161d through which screws (fastening portions) 168, 168 are inserted when the lower case 161 is screwed to the upper case 162.

[0066] The upper case 162 is configured to have a rectangular top surface portion 162s and side surface portions 162a that hang down from the outer peripheral edges of the four sides of the top surface portion 162s (extending toward the lower case 161). Furthermore, the upper case 162 has locking holes 162b formed in the outer surfaces of the side surface portions 162a to engage with the locking claws 161b.

[0067] Further, reinforcing ribs 162t are formed in a lattice pattern on the top surface of the upper case 162. The ribs 162t are formed in a line shape and protrude from the outer surface of the top surface portion 162s. The ribs 162t are formed in a straight line from one end to the other end of one of the opposing side surface portions 162a, and are formed in a straight line from one end to the other end of the other opposing side surface portion 162a. By forming the ribs 162t in a lattice pattern (two perpendicular directions) in this way, reliability can be improved (surface strength can be improved) compared to a case where ribs are formed in one direction.

[0068] Furthermore, a plurality of locking portions 162e that are locked to the inner box 11 are formed on both left and right ends of the upper case 162. The locking portions 162e are formed with protrusions 162f facing outward. Furthermore, screw fixing portions 162g are formed between the locking portions 162e on both left and right ends of the upper case 162. The screw fixing portions 162g have a plate portion 162h that extends upward from the top surface of the upper case 162 and a screw insertion hole 162i that is formed at the tip of the plate portion 162h.

[0069] The upper case 162 is formed with a flange 162m that protrudes toward the front partition 16A (see FIG. 8). The flange 162m is designed to be placed on the upper surface of the front partition 16A. The flange 162m is formed with screw fixing portions 162n at multiple locations (two locations in this embodiment) for fixing the upper case 162 to the front partition 16A with screws. The flange 162m is also formed with fixing portions 162o into which the screws 168 are screwed at positions corresponding to the screw insertion portions 161d described above.

[0070] The vacuum heat insulating material V9 has the same structure as the above-mentioned vacuum heat insulating materials V1 to V8, and is formed in a rectangular shape so that it can be housed in the lower case 161.

[0071] Furthermore, a sealant 164 is attached to the side of the vacuum insulation material V9. This sealant 164 is soft and is formed on the entire outer circumferential surface of the vacuum insulation material V9. By providing such a sealant 164, the gap between the lower case 161 and the outer circumferential surface of the vacuum insulation material V9 can be filled, and the vacuum insulation material V9 can be prevented from moving inside the lower case 161 and being damaged.

[0072] In the rear partition section 16B of such a heat-insulating partition device 16, the vacuum insulation material V9 is stored in the lower case 161, and then the upper case 162 is placed thereon. In this case, the side surface portion 162a of the upper case 162 is positioned outside the side surface portion 161a of the lower case 161. Therefore, when the upper case 162 is placed over the lower case 161, the side surface portion 162a does not come into contact with the vacuum insulation material V9, thereby preventing damage to the vacuum insulation material V9.

[0073] The heater He1 heats the upper switchable chamber 60 to control the temperature inside the chamber, and is disposed between the upper case 162 and the vacuum insulation material V9. The heater He1 includes a heat transfer wire h1 (heat transfer portion), an aluminum sheet s1 that covers the heat transfer wire h1, and a lead wire h2 (cord portion) that is connected to the heat transfer wire h1.

[0074] The heater He2 heats the lower switchable chamber 70 to control the temperature inside the chamber, and is disposed between the lower case 161 and the vacuum insulation material V9. The heater He2 includes a heat transfer wire h1 (heat transfer portion), an aluminum sheet s1 that covers the heat transfer wire h1, and a lead wire h2 (cord portion) that is connected to the heat transfer wire h1.

[0075] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the lower case. As shown in FIG. 10, the lower case 161 has a generally shaped recessed portion 161q formed in the bottom surface portion 161s. A heater He2 (see FIG. 9) is disposed in the recessed portion 161q. The lower case 161 also has a rear side surface portion 161a, which is partially formed in a convex shape toward the rear, as a convex side surface portion 161r. As a result, the space R1 in which the convex side surface portion 161r is formed is located further rearward than the region R2 in which the convex side surface portion 161r is not formed. The bottom surface 161u formed in the space R1 of the convex side surface portion 161r is set to be flush with the bottom surface of the recessed portion 161q.

[0076] The bottom surface 161u is provided with winding portions 169, 169 around which the lead wire h2 (see FIG. 9) is wound. One (left) winding portion 169 has a base portion 169a extending upward from the bottom surface 161u and a horizontal portion 169b extending leftward from the base portion 169a, and is formed in an L-shape. The other (right) winding portion 169 has the horizontal portion 169b facing in the opposite direction to the horizontal portion 169b of the other (left) winding portion 169.

[0077] In addition, an upwardly rising wall 170 is formed between the winding portions 169 on the bottom surface 161u. This rising wall 170 is located forward of the convex side surface portion 161r. A substantially semicircular cutout portion 170a is cut out at the upper portion of the rising wall 170. The upper end of the cutout portion 170a is formed at a height that coincides with the upper end of the convex side surface portion 161r.

[0078] Hooks 170b, 170b are formed on the left and right upper ends of the standing wall 170. The hooks 170b are in an upside-down J shape, with their tips facing inward (opposing sides) and narrowing the gap above the notch 170a. The hooks 170b, 170b are adapted to hook the lead wires h2 (see FIG. 9) of the heaters He1, He2 (see FIG. 9).

[0079] Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the heater cord attached state, in which the vacuum insulation material V9 is indicated by diagonal lines. As shown in FIG. 11, the lead wire h2 of the heater He2 (see FIG. 9) is drawn out from the rear of the lower case 161. Then, the lead wire h2 is drawn out from the vicinity of one (left) winding portion 169A (169), and then wound approximately 1 / 4 turn from the outside around one (left) winding portion 169A. Then, the lead wire h2 is extended to the other (right) winding portion 169B (169) and wound approximately half a turn from the outside. Then, the lead wire h2 returns to one winding portion 169A, winds approximately half a turn, and further winds approximately half a turn around the other winding portion 169B, and is inserted into the cutout portion 170a of the rising wall 170.

[0080] Incidentally, the lead wire h2 of the heater He2 needs to be connected outside the rear partition 16B. For this reason, there is a risk that an operator will pull the lead wire h2 in order to secure the projection dimension (pulling-out dimension) of the lead wire h2. In addition, the heater He2 has a crimping portion (not shown) for connecting the lead wire h2 and the heat transfer wire h1. If the winding portion 169 is not provided, and an operator pulls the lead wire h2 in order to secure the projection dimension, stress is applied to the lead wire h2, which may damage the crimping portion.

[0081] Therefore, in this embodiment, the lead wire h2 is wound around the winding portions 169, 169 in advance and pulled out to the outside, so that even if an operator pulls on the lead wire h2 and stress is applied to the lead wire h2, damage to the crimped portion can be prevented.

[0082] In order to improve the heat insulation, the vacuum insulation material V9 is disposed close to (as close as possible to) the side surface portion 161a of the lower case 161. In this embodiment, the lead wire h2 of the heater He2 is drawn out from the vicinity of the winding portion 169, so that the lead wire h2 can be drawn out without being pinched by the vacuum insulation material V9 and without the lead wire h2 being compressed by the vacuum insulation material V9.

[0083] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the rear partition as viewed from the rear side. Fig. 12 shows the rear partition 16B shown in Fig. 9 in an assembled state as viewed from the back side. As shown in FIG. 12, upper case 162 is formed with convex side surface portion 162r so as to cover the outer surface side of convex side surface portion 161r.

[0084] In addition, the side surface portion 162a on the rear side has locking holes 162b formed in multiple locations. Locking claws 161b formed on the side surface portion 161a on the rear side are inserted into and locked into these locking holes 162b. In addition, the convex side surface portion 162r also has multiple locking holes 162b formed therein, and locking claws 161b formed on the convex side surface portion 161r are inserted into and locked into these locking holes 162b.

[0085] Further, a bulging portion 172 that bulges rearward (in a direction away from the standing wall 170) is formed on the convex side surface portion 162r at a position facing the standing wall 170 (see FIG. 10). This bulging portion 172 has a cylindrical body 172a formed in a semi-cylindrical shape, an upper cover portion 172b that covers an upper portion of this cylindrical body 172a, and a protruding portion 172c that protrudes rearward from the lower end of the cylindrical body 172a.

[0086] 13 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the bulge 172 protrudes rearward beyond the rising wall 170. The protruding portion 172c is located below the lower end of the notch 170a and above the bottom surface 161s. The bulge 172 forms a downward passage R3. Below the protruding portion 172c, the lead wire h2 can be drawn rearward. In this manner, the rising wall 170 rising upward from the bottom surface 161s is formed, and the rising wall 170 forms a downward passage R3 by the bulge 172, so that the lead wire h2 can be drawn out in a downward state. This prevents water or other liquid W from entering the rear partition 16B even if it adheres to the upper surface of the rear partition 16B and flows rearward. This prevents water from adhering to electrical components in the rear partition 16B, causing the metal parts to corrode.

[0087] Fig. 14 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 12. Note that in Fig. 14, the heaters He1 and He2 are omitted from the illustration. 14, the lower case 161 and the upper case 162 are fixed together by using screws 168. That is, the screws 168 are inserted into the screw insertion portions 161d of the lower case 161 from below, and then screwed into the fixing portions 162o of the upper case 162.

[0088] Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the mounting structure of the rear end of the rear partition part, which is shown in a schematic manner for ease of understanding. 15, the rear partition 16B is attached to the rear heat insulating partition member 65 by fitting into the fitting recess 65a. The fitting recess 65a has an abutment surface 65a1 that faces the rear end surface of the rear partition 16B, a horizontal surface portion 65a2 that extends horizontally forward from the lower end of the abutment surface 65a1, and a tapered portion 65a3 that slopes upward from the upper end of the abutment surface 65a1 forward (from the back side to the front side and away from the rear partition 16B).

[0089] A sealant 66 is provided on the lower edge of the rear partition 16B to seal the gap between the horizontal surface 65a2 of the fitting recess 65a and the rear partition 16B. The sealant 66 prevents cold air from leaking, and is made of, for example, a polyurethane-based material that has flexibility.

[0090] When attaching the rear partition 16B to the rear heat insulating partition member 65, the rear partition 16B is inserted into the fitting recess 65a so that the rear partition 16B is parallel to the tapered portion 65a3 (inclined downward toward the back side) as shown by the two-dot chain line. Then, the rear partition 16B is rotated in the direction of the arrow to make the rear partition 16B horizontal, so that the seal material 66 is in close contact with the horizontal surface portion 65a2.

[0091] Incidentally, the sealing surface can also be brought into close contact in the depth direction. However, since the inner box 11 is made of urethane foam, when the rear heat insulating partition member 65 is attached to the inner box 1, the dimension in the depth direction may vary. Therefore, when sealing in the vertical direction, if the partition (rear partition part) is inserted horizontally, the sealing material may be turned over or damaged due to the fitting. Therefore, in this embodiment, by providing a tapered part 65a3 in the fitting recess 65a to be fitted, the sealing material 66 is inserted into the fitting recess 65a without coming into contact with the fitting recess 65a. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the inconvenience that the sealing material 66 comes into contact with the horizontal surface 65a2 and the sealing material 66 is turned over, and the reliability of the seal can be improved.

[0092] The rear partition portion 17B of the heat insulating partition device 17 is fitted and attached in a fitting recess 65b of the rear heat insulating partition member 65. This fitting recess 65b has an abutment surface portion 65b1 that faces the rear end surface of the rear partition portion 17B, a horizontal surface portion 65b2 that extends horizontally from the upper end of the abutment surface portion 65b1 toward the front, and a tapered portion 65b3 that slopes upward from the lower end of the abutment surface portion 65b1 toward the front (from the back side toward the front side and away from the rear partition portion 17B).

[0093] In addition, better sealing performance can be ensured by providing sealing materials (not shown) facing each other on both the left and right ends in the width direction of the rear end faces of the rear partition portions 16B, 17B and on both the left and right ends in the width direction of the abutment surfaces 65a1, 65b1 facing those rear end faces.

[0094] A seal material 67 is provided on the upper edge of the rear partition 17B to seal the gap between the horizontal surface portion 65b2 of the fitting recess 65b and the rear partition 17B.

[0095] Further, a screw fixing portion 68 is provided on the underside of the rear partition portion 17B to screw-fix the rear partition portion 17B to the rear surface of the rear heat insulating partition member 65. This screw fixing portion 68 is formed of a plate-shaped member, and has a screw hole (not shown) through which a screw 69 is inserted.

[0096] When attaching the rear partition 17B to the rear heat insulating partition member 65, the rear partition 17B is inserted into the fitting recess 65b so that the rear partition 17B is parallel to the tapered portion 65b3 (inclined upward toward the back side) as shown by the two-dot chain line. Then, the rear partition 17B is rotated in the direction of the arrow to make the rear partition 17B horizontal, so that the sealing material 67 is in close contact with the horizontal surface portion 65b2. At this time, it is possible to prevent the sealing material 67 from coming into contact with the horizontal surface 65b2 and becoming turned over, and it is possible to improve the reliability of the seal.

[0097] In this manner, in this embodiment, the same effect as that of rear partition portion 16B can be obtained with rear partition portion 17B. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing sealing material 67 on the upper surface of rear partition portion 17B, even if liquid such as soup is spilled on rear partition portion 17B, the liquid does not flow beyond sealing material 67, so that it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering rear partition portion 17B.

[0098] In addition, the rear part of the rear partition part 17B is attached to the inner box 11 via the rear heat insulating partition member 65. Since the inner box 11 is made of foamed urethane as a heat insulating material, there is a possibility that misalignment may occur between the rear heat insulating partition member 65 and the rear partition part 17B. Therefore, even if the rear partition part 17B is provided with the sealing materials 66, 67, there is a possibility that cold air may leak due to the misalignment. Therefore, as described in FIG. 15, by providing the screw fixing part 68 on the rear partition part 17B and screw fixing the rear partition part 17B to the rear heat insulating partition member 65, the positional relationship between the rear partition part 17B and the fitting recess 65b of the rear heat insulating partition member 65 can be determined to a position where the crushing of the sealing material 67 can be maintained. In addition, by providing the screw fixing part 68 at three positions, the center, left and right, in the width direction (left and right direction), the sealing material 67 can be stably adhered in the width direction.

[0099] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the attached state of the front partition section and the rear partition section. As shown in FIG. 16, the rear partition 17B is formed by combining a lower case 161 and an upper case 162. A flange 161m is formed at the front end of the lower case 161, extending toward the front partition 17A. This flange 161m is formed to a position where it overlaps with the lower surface of the front partition 17A. A step 17b is formed in the front partition 17A at a position where the flange 161m overlaps in the vertical direction. In addition, an upper flange 17c is formed in the front partition 17A against which the upper edge of the rear partition 17B abuts. The rear partition 17B is fastened to the front partition 17A from below via a screw 180.

[0100] Further, a step portion 16b is formed in the front partition portion 16A at a position where the flange portion 162m of the rear partition portion 16B overlaps with the step portion 16b. Further, a lower flange portion 16c is formed in the front partition portion 16A against which the lower end edge portion of the rear partition portion 16B abuts. The rear partition portion 16B is fastened to the front partition portion 16A from above by a screw 181, in contrast to the rear partition portion 17B.

[0101] In this way, by fastening the rear partition part 16B to the front partition part 16A, the screws 168 used to fasten the lower case 161 and the upper case 162 of the rear partition part 16B are arranged in a position that cannot be seen from the outside (a position where the screws 168 cannot be removed). In other words, the lower case 161 and the upper case 162 cannot be disassembled until the screws 181 are removed. Therefore, the inside of the rear partition part 16B cannot be checked until the screws 181 are removed. In this way, by preventing the inside of the rear partition part 16B from being exposed inside the refrigerator and allowing it to be taken out of the refrigerator before disassembly, damage to the vacuum insulation material V9 and the heaters He1 and He2 can be reduced.

[0102] Although not shown, in the same manner as rear partition portion 16B, rear partition portion 17B has lower case 161 and upper case 162 fastened together via screws (not shown), and when rear partition portion 17B is fastened to front partition portion 17A, the fastening portion of the screws is positioned in a position that cannot be seen from the outside (the screws cannot be removed from the outside).

[0103] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the temporary fixing portion of the rear partition portion. 17, temporary fixing portions 190 for temporarily fixing rear partition portion 17B to inner box 11 are formed on the left and right sides of lower case 161. These temporary fixing portions 190 have elastically deformable elastic portion 190a and protrusions 190b formed at the tips of these elastic portions 190a so as to protrude toward inner box 11.

[0104] Ribs 11f against which the upper surfaces of both the left and right ends of rear partition portion 17B abut are formed on side surface 11s of inner box 11. Also, fitting recesses 11g into which the above-mentioned protrusions 190b fit are formed on side surface 11s of inner box 11. In this way, it is no longer necessary to support rear partition portion 17B by hand until it is fastened to front partition portion 17A, which makes it easier to fasten rear partition portion 17B to front partition portion 17A and reduces the burden on the worker.

[0105] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the fastening structure between the rear partition and the inner box. As shown in FIG. 18, the lower surfaces of both left and right ends of the rear partition portion 16B are supported by ribs 11e formed on the side surface 11s of the inner box 11.

[0106] The rear partition 16B has plate-shaped screw fixing portions 193 formed on both the left and right ends of the upper case 162. The screw fixing portions 193 are fastened to the side surface 11s of the inner box 11 via screws 194 (fastening portions).

[0107] The rear partition 17B has plate-shaped screw fixing portions 191 formed on both the left and right ends of the lower case 161. The screw fixing portions 191 are fastened to the side surface 11s of the inner box 11 via screws 192 (fastening portions).

[0108] As described above, refrigerator 1 of this embodiment includes ice making compartment 40, freezer compartment 50 (first storage compartment), and upper switchable compartment 60 (second storage compartment) adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, and rear partition 17B arranged between ice making compartment 40, freezer compartment 50, and upper switchable compartment 60. Rear partition 17B has vacuum insulation material V10 and case 160 that stores vacuum insulation material V10, and rear surface 65s of upper switchable compartment 60 is fastened to case 160 (see FIG. 15). This allows the positional relationship between case 160 and rear surface 65s to be set at approximately the same position. This allows the seal material 67 to be kept crushed when case 160 and rear surface 65s are fixed via seal material 67, improving the reliability of seal material 67.

[0109] This embodiment also includes an upper switchable chamber 60 (first storage section) and a lower switchable chamber 70 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, and a rear partition section 16B disposed between the upper switchable chamber 60 and the lower switchable chamber 70. The rear partition section 16B has a vacuum insulation material V9 and a case 160 that stores the vacuum insulation material V9, and a rear surface 65s of the lower switchable chamber 70 is fastened to the case 160 (see FIG. 15). With this, when the case 160 and the rear surface 65s are fixed via a sealing material 66, the crushing of the sealing material 66 can be maintained, and the reliability of the sealing material 66 can be improved.

[0110] In this embodiment, the rear surface 65s has a fitting recess 65b into which the rear portion of the rear partition 17B fits. The fitting recess 65b has a horizontal surface portion 65b2 that extends horizontally along the upper surface of the rear partition 17B, and a tapered portion 65b3 that slopes from the back side to the front side in a direction away from the rear partition 17B. With this, when the seal material 67 is provided on the upper surface of the case 160, when the rear partition 17B is inserted into the fitting recess 65b, the seal material 67 can be prevented from being turned over or damaged, and the reliability of the seal material 67 can be improved.

[0111] In this embodiment, the rear surface 65s has a fitting recess 65a into which the rear portion of the rear partition 16B fits. The fitting recess 65a has a horizontal surface portion 65a2 that extends horizontally along the lower surface of the rear partition 16B, and a tapered portion 65a3 that slopes from the back side to the front side in a direction away from the rear partition 16B (see FIG. 15). With this, when the seal material 66 is provided on the lower surface of the case 160, when the rear partition 16B is inserted into the fitting recess 65a, the seal material 66 can be prevented from being turned over or damaged, and the reliability of the seal material 66 can be improved.

[0112] This embodiment also has a sealant 67 that seals the gap between rear partition 17B and fitting recess 65b, and sealant 67 is provided on the upper surface (see FIG. 15). With this, when liquid such as soup is spilled on rear partition 17B, the liquid can be prevented from flowing beyond sealant 67 and penetrating into rear partition 17B.

[0113] In this embodiment, the case 160 is fastened to the side surfaces 11s located on the left and right sides of the upper switchable chamber 60 (lower switchable chamber 70) (see FIG. 18). This ensures sealing between the case 160 and the side surfaces 11s.

[0114] This embodiment also has front partition 17A disposed extending in the left-right direction in front of rear partition 17B, and rear partition 17B is fastened to front partition 17A from below (see FIG. 16). This is effective when ice-making compartment 40 and freezer compartment 50 are disposed on the left and right sides above upper switchable compartment 60.

[0115] In this embodiment, rear partition portion 17B has temporary fixing portion 190 that temporarily fixes rear partition portion 17B to front partition portion 17A. This makes it possible to facilitate the fastening operation since there is no need to continue supporting rear partition portion 17B when rear partition portion 17B is lifted from below and fixed to front partition portion 17A.

[0116] In this embodiment, the upper case 162 and the lower case 161 of the case 160 are fastened together by screws 168. The screws 168 are formed in positions that cannot be seen from the outside when the case 160 is fastened to the front partitions 16A, 17A (see Figs. 14 and 16). This makes it impossible to disassemble the case 160 inside the refrigerator, thereby reducing damage to the vacuum insulation materials V9, V10 and the heaters He1, He2 inside the case 160.

[0117] In this embodiment, the upper and lower switchable compartments 60 and 70 are configured as switchable compartments that can be switched from a refrigeration temperature zone to a freezing temperature zone. The rear partition 16B includes heaters He1 and He2 that are arranged on top of the vacuum insulation material V9. The heaters He1 and He2 have a heat transfer wire h1 and a lead wire h2 that is connected to the heat transfer wire h1. Inside the rear partition 16B, winding parts 169 and 169 around which the lead wire h2 is wound are provided. According to this, by winding the lead wire h2 around the winding part 169 and then drawing it out to the outside of the rear partition 16B, it is possible to prevent excessive stress from acting on the crimping part that connects the heat transfer wire h1 and the lead wire h2, and to prevent the heaters He1 and He2 from being damaged.

[0118] In this embodiment, the rear partition 17B has a space R1 that protrudes outward. The winding portion 169 is located in the space R1 (see FIG. 10). This allows the vacuum insulation material V9 to be disposed close to the side surface 161a of the case 160, improving the insulation performance.

[0119] In addition, in this embodiment, the upper and lower switchable compartments 60 and 70 are configured as switchable compartments that can be switched from a refrigeration temperature zone to a freezing temperature zone. The heat-insulating partition device 16 that separates the upper and lower switchable compartments 60 and 70 has a cooler 80A that cools the upper and lower switchable compartments 60 and 70 arranged on the projection of the heat-insulating partition device 16 when viewed from the front. According to this, since the cooler 80A is the place that is cooled the most, by arranging the cooler 80A on the projection of the heat-insulating partition device 16, it is possible to prevent the upper and lower switchable compartments 60 and 70 from being cooled in a biased manner.

[0120] In addition, this embodiment is configured with expanded polystyrene foam (foamed insulating material) 65t that does not include vacuum insulating material. This allows for greater freedom in molding compared to vacuum insulating material, making it easier to arrange the air passage efficiently, and improving the freedom of the air passage.

[0121] Although the present embodiment has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present embodiment is not limited to the above content and includes various modified examples. In the above embodiment, the urethane-based seal materials 66 and 67 are used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this and a silicone-based material such as a highly expanded silicone foam may be used. By using such a highly expanded silicone foam, it is possible to improve the low-temperature characteristics and increase the airtightness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1. Refrigerator 10 Refrigerator body 11 Inner box 11s Side (side wall) 12 Outer box 15 Insulated Partition Wall 16,17 Insulated partition device 16A, 17A Front partition 16B, 17B Rear partition (partition member) 16b Step 16c Lower brim 30 Refrigerator 40 Ice Room (First Storage Room) 50 Freezer (first storage room) 60 Upper switching room (second storage room, first storage room) 65 Rear insulation partition material 65a, 65b Fitting recess 65a2,65b2 Horizontal part 65a3,65b3 Tapered part (slope part) 66,67 Sealing material 70 Lower storage room (second storage room) 80A cooler 90 Blower fan 160 cases 161 Lower case (case) 161d Screw insertion part 162 Upper case (case) 162m flange 162o Fixed part 168 Screw (fastening part, second screw) 169 Winding section 181 Screw (First Screw) He1, He2 heater h1 Heat transfer wire (heat transfer part) h2 Lead wire (cord part) R1 space V9, V10 Vacuum insulation material (insulation material)

Claims

1. A refrigerator having a first storage compartment and a second storage compartment adjacent to each other vertically, a partition member disposed between the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber, The partition member has a case for housing a vacuum insulation material, a front partition portion disposed on the front side of the partition member and extending in the left-right direction; the partition member has a flange portion at a front end of the case, the flange portion extending toward the front partition portion across the entire width of the partition member, the front partition portion has a step portion formed at a position where the flange portion overlaps, and a lower flange portion with which a lower end edge portion of the partition member abuts, the partition member is fixed to the front partition portion by being fastened from above with a first screw at a position where the flange portion and the step portion overlap, the case is configured by fastening an upper case and a lower case together with a second screw; a screw insertion portion through which the second screw is inserted is formed on an outer surface of a front side surface of the lower case relative to a bottom surface of the lower case, the screw insertion portion is located above a lower surface of the lower case, The upper case is formed with a fixing portion into which the second screw is screwed, The fixing portion is formed by extending downward from a lower surface of the flange portion, The vacuum insulation material cannot be removed from the case unless the partition member is released from its fixed state.

2. In the refrigerator according to claim 1, A refrigerator in which the fastening position by the second screw is located near the outside in the left-right direction of the fastening position by the first screw.

Images