refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator which enables improvement of the sound quality.SOLUTION: A refrigerator according to an embodiment has: a wall body provided with an outer surface material and a rear surface member and enclosing a storage chamber; a heat insulation material filling the interior of the wall body; an exciter which is attached to the outer surface material and outputs vibration based on an acoustic signal input thereto; and a shielding member disposed between the exciter and the heat insulation material. The exciter forms a space with the shielding member. In a thickness direction of the wall body, a clearance as seen in the thickness direction of the space is smaller than a first thickness of the heat insulation material filling a space between the shielding member and the rear surface member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] There are known refrigerators that are equipped with speakers and can output sound. However, there are cases where the sound quality of refrigerators is required to be improved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-58113 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of improving sound quality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A refrigerator according to an embodiment includes a wall having an exterior member and a rear member and surrounding a storage compartment, a heat insulating material filled inside the wall, a vibrator attached to the exterior member and outputting vibrations based on an input acoustic signal, and a blocking member disposed between the vibrator and the heat insulating material. The wall has a front panel located at the front of a door of the exterior member that closes the storage compartment in an openable and closable manner, and a frame that supports the front panel. The frame has a pair of vertical frames. The frame has a reinforcing rib that extends in the width direction, connects the pair of vertical frames to each other, and is embedded in the heat insulating material. The vibrator is attached to the reinforcing rib and is supported by the reinforcing rib. From the frame The front plate is vibrated via the vibration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator taken along line F2-F2 in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the left refrigerator compartment door taken along line F5-F5 in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the left refrigerator compartment door taken along line F6-F6 in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of F7 of the left refrigerator compartment door shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an upper wall of a modified refrigerator, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of F8 of the upper wall shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a frame of a left refrigerator compartment door of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, 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 denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, duplicate descriptions of those components may be omitted.

[0008] 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. In addition, the side closer to the user standing in front of the refrigerator as viewed from the refrigerator is defined as the "front", and the side further away is defined as the "rear". In this specification, the "width direction" means the left-right direction in the above definition. In this specification, the "depth direction" means the front-rear direction in the above definition. In the drawings, the +X direction is the right direction, the -X direction is the left direction, the +Y direction is the rear direction, the -Y direction is the front direction, the +Z direction is the up direction, and the -Z direction is the down direction.

[0009] (First embodiment) [Overall configuration of refrigerator] A refrigerator 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 7. First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described. However, the refrigerator 1 does not need to have all of the components described below, and some components may be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view showing refrigerator 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F2-F2 of refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, refrigerator 1 includes a wall body having a housing 10 and a door 11. Refrigerator 1 includes, for example, housing 10, a plurality of doors 11, a plurality of shelves 12, a plurality of containers 13, a flow path forming part 14, a cooling unit 15, a control board 16, and a vibrator 30 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In this embodiment, refrigerator body 5 is formed by the above-mentioned components other than the plurality of doors 11.

[0011] The housing 10 includes, for example, an inner box 10a, an outer box 10b, and a foamed insulation material 10c (insulation material). The inner box 10a is a member forming the inner surface of the housing 10, and is made of, for example, synthetic resin. The outer box 10b is a member forming the outer surface of the housing 10, and is made of, for example, metal. The outer box 10b is formed to be slightly larger than the inner box 10a, and is disposed outside the inner box 10a. The foamed insulation material 10c is a foamed insulation material such as urethane foam, and is filled between the inner box 10a and the outer box 10b. This provides the housing 10 with thermal insulation properties.

[0012] The housing 10 has an upper wall 21, a lower wall 22, left and right side walls 23, 24, and a rear wall 25. The upper wall 21 and the lower wall 22 extend substantially horizontally. The left and right side walls 23, 24 rise upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 22 and connect to the left and right ends of the upper wall 21. The rear wall 25 rises upward from the rear end of the lower wall 22 and connects to the rear end of the upper wall 21.

[0013] A plurality of storage compartments 27 are provided inside the housing 10. The plurality of storage compartments 27 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 27A, a vegetable compartment 27B, an ice-making compartment 27C, a small freezer compartment 27D, and a main freezer compartment 27E. In this embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 27A is arranged at the top, the vegetable compartment 27B is arranged below the refrigerator compartment 27A, the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D are arranged below the vegetable compartment 27B, and the main freezer compartment 27E is arranged below the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D. However, the arrangement of the storage compartments 27 is not limited to the above example, and for example, the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D may be arranged below the refrigerator compartment 27A, the main freezer compartment 27E may be arranged below the ice-making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D, and the vegetable compartment 27B may be arranged below the main freezer compartment 27E. The housing 10 has an opening on the front side of each storage chamber 27 that allows food ingredients to be put in and taken out of each storage chamber 27.

[0014] The openings of the multiple storage compartments 27 are openably and closably closed by multiple doors 11. The multiple doors 11 include, for example, left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa and 11Ab that close the opening of refrigerator compartment 27A, vegetable compartment door 11B that closes the opening of vegetable compartment 27B, ice making compartment door 11C that closes the opening of ice making compartment 27C, small freezer compartment door 11D that closes the opening of small freezer compartment 27D, and main freezer compartment door 11E that closes the opening of main freezer compartment 27E.

[0015] The left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa, 11Ab are, for example, double-door doors. The left and right refrigerator compartment doors 11Aa, 11Ab are rotatably supported by the housing 10 via hinges 10h. In this embodiment, the width of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab in the lateral direction is larger than the width of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa in the lateral direction.

[0016] On the other hand, the vegetable compartment door 11B, the ice compartment door 11C, the small freezer compartment door 11D, and the main freezer compartment door 11E are, for example, drawer-type doors. The vegetable compartment door 11B, the ice compartment door 11C, the small freezer compartment door 11D, and the main freezer compartment door 11E are supported by rails so as to be drawable relative to the housing 10.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 10 has first and second partitions 28, 29. The first and second partitions 28, 29 are, for example, partition walls that are approximately horizontal. The first partition 28 is located between the refrigerator compartment 27A and the vegetable compartment 27B, and separates the refrigerator compartment 27A from the vegetable compartment 27B. On the other hand, the second partition 29 is located between the vegetable compartment 27B and the ice making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D, and separates the vegetable compartment 27B from the ice making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D. Note that no partition wall is provided between the ice making compartment 27C and the small freezer compartment 27D and the main freezer compartment 27E.

[0018] A plurality of shelves 12 are arranged in the refrigerator compartment 27A. The multiple containers 13 include a refrigerator compartment container 13A (e.g., a chilled compartment container) arranged in the refrigerator compartment 27A, first and second vegetable compartment containers 13Ba, 13Bb arranged in the vegetable compartment 27B, an ice compartment container (not shown) arranged in the ice compartment 27C, a small freezer container 13D arranged in the small freezer compartment 27D, and first and second main freezer containers 13Ea, 13Eb arranged in the main freezer compartment 27E.

[0019] The flow path forming part 14 is disposed in the housing 10. The flow path forming part 14 includes, for example, a first duct part 14A and a second duct part 14B. The first duct part 14A is provided along the rear wall 25 of the housing 10 and extends in the vertical direction. The first duct part 14A forms a flow path that flows the cold air supplied from the cooling unit 15 to the refrigerator compartment 27A and the vegetable compartment 27B. The second duct part 14B is provided along the rear wall 25 of the housing 10 and extends in the vertical direction. The second duct part 14B forms a flow path that flows the cold air supplied from the cooling unit 15 to the ice making compartment 27C, the small freezer compartment 27D, and the main freezer compartment 27E.

[0020] The cooling unit 15 includes a first cooling unit 15A, a second cooling unit 15B, and a compressor 45. The first cooling unit 15A includes, for example, a first cooler 41 and a first fan 42 disposed in a flow path formed by the first duct part 14A. The second cooling unit 15B includes, for example, a second cooler 43 and a second fan 44 disposed in a flow path formed by the second duct part 14B.

[0021] Compressor 45 is provided, for example, in machine room 26 at the bottom of refrigerator 1. Compressor 45 compresses refrigerant gas used to cool storage room 27. The refrigerant gas compressed by compressor 45 is sent to first cooler 41 and second cooler 43 via a suction pipe or the like.

[0022] The control board 16 comprehensively controls the entire refrigerator 1. For example, the control board 16 controls the driving of the first fan 42, the second fan 44, the compressor 45, etc., based on the detection results of temperature sensors provided in the refrigerator compartment 27A, the main freezer compartment 27E, etc. The control board 16 is attached to the top wall 21 of the housing 10 together with the case 17, as shown in FIG.

[0023] [Configuration of left refrigerator door 11Aa] Fig. 3 is a front view of the internal structure of the left refrigerator door 11Aa as seen from the front. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. Although not shown in Fig. 4, as shown in Fig. 2, door containers 18A, 18B whose height positions can be changed and door container 19 fixed to the lower part are detachably attached to the rear side of the left refrigerator door 11Aa. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F5-F5 shown in Fig. 3.

[0024] The left refrigerator door 11Aa includes, for example, an outer casing member 50 and a gasket 55. The outer casing member 50 is formed in a box shape. In this specification, the term "box shape" also includes a flat box shape. The outer casing member 50 includes, for example, a frame body 51, a front panel 52 (outer surface material), and a rear surface member 53.

[0025] The frame body 51 is formed in a rectangular frame shape. The frame body 51 includes an upper side member 51a, a lower side member 51b, a left side member 51c, and a right side member 51d. The upper side member 51a is a plate-like member extending in the width direction and the depth direction, and forms the upper surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. The lower side member 51b is a plate-like member extending in the width direction and the depth direction, and forms the lower surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. The left side member 51c is a plate-like member extending in the vertical direction and the depth direction, and forms the left side surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. The right side member 51d is a plate-like member extending in the vertical direction and the depth direction, and forms the right side surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. The upper side member 51a, the lower side member 51b, the left side member 51c, and the right side member 51d are combined with each other to form the frame body 51. The frame 51 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin.

[0026] 4, reinforcing members 71 are arranged on both sides of the width direction of the frame body 51, extending in the vertical direction along the left side member 51c and the right side member 51d. Each reinforcing member 71 is a member that reinforces the strength of the frame body 51.

[0027] The reinforcing member 71 is, for example, a long member having a substantially U-shaped horizontal cross section. The reinforcing member 71 is a separate member from the left side member 51c and the right side member 51d. The reinforcing member 71 is, for example, a member made of metal or reinforced plastic. The reinforcing member 71 is attached to the inner surface of each of the left side member 51c and the right side member 51d. By providing the reinforcing member 71 extending in the vertical direction on the frame body 51, the strength of the frame body 51 can be increased without increasing the weight of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa.

[0028] Front panel 52 (outer surface material) is attached to frame 51 and is located at the front end of left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. Front panel 52 is a plate member that extends in the vertical and horizontal width directions, and forms the front surface of left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. Front panel 52 is, for example, a glass plate. However, front panel 52 is not limited to a glass plate, and may be made of an iron plate, synthetic resin, or other materials.

[0029] The rear member 53 is attached to the frame 51 from the side opposite to the front panel 52, and is located at the rear end of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. The rear member 53 forms the rear surface of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. The rear member 53 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin.

[0030] The rear member 53 has a rib 61 that protrudes rearward. The rib 61 protrudes from the rear member 53 toward the refrigerator compartment 27A (storage compartment) when the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa is in a state where it is closed relative to the housing 10. Note that in this specification, the term "rib" is used for the sake of convenience of explanation, and broadly refers to a portion that protrudes rearward from the rear member 53, and is not limited to a specific shape or function.

[0031] The rib 61 is formed, for example, in a ring shape that is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the frame body 51. In this specification, the term "ring" is not limited to a completely continuous circumference, but also includes a case where a portion of the circumference is interrupted by a notch or the like.

[0032] The gasket 55 is attached to the rear member 53. More specifically, the rear member 53 has a throat 63 (see Figs. 5 and 7) which is a recess recessed toward the inside of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. For example, the throat 63 is formed in an annular shape surrounding the outer periphery of the rib 61. The gasket 55 is attached to the throat 63 by being inserted into the throat 63 provided in the rear member 53 of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab. In this way, the gasket 55 is fixed to the rear member 53.

[0033] Here, the configurations of the right refrigerator door 11Ab, the vegetable door 11B, the ice-making door 11C, the small freezer door 11D, and the main freezer door 11E are the same as the configuration of the left refrigerator door 11Aa described above. That is, the configurations of the right refrigerator door 11Ab, the vegetable door 11B, the ice-making door 11C, the small freezer door 11D, and the main freezer door 11E can be obtained by replacing "left refrigerator door 11Aa" with "right refrigerator door 11Ab," "vegetable door 11B," "ice-making door 11C," "small freezer door 11D," or "main freezer door 11E" in the description of the left refrigerator door 11Aa described above.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F6-F6 shown in FIG. Next, the internal structure of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa will be described. A vibrator 30 and a foam insulation material 80 are arranged inside the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa.

[0035] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the range F7 shown in FIG. The vibrator 30 is attached to the front plate 52 inside the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. The vibrator 30 outputs vibration based on a supplied acoustic signal (including a voice signal). The vibrator 30 vibrates the front plate 52. The acoustic signal is supplied to the vibrator 30 via an electric signal line (not shown) connected to the control board 16 shown in FIG. 2. The vibrator 30 has a vibration plate 31 and a vibration member 32.

[0036] The vibration plate 31 is formed in a rectangular plate shape and is a member that vibrates a vibration target. As shown in Fig. 5, the vibration plate 31 is provided in contact with approximately the center of the rear surface 52a (surface on the rear side) of the front plate 52. The vibration plate 31 is attached to the front plate 52 by screws, adhesive tape, or the like.

[0037] The vibration member 32 generates a drive signal based on the supplied acoustic signal and vibrates the vibration plate 31. The vibration member 32 generates vibrations using an acoustic vibration member, such as a voice coil or a piezoelectric element. The generated vibrations are transmitted to the rear surface 52a of the front plate 52 via the vibration plate 31.

[0038] The vibrator 30 vibrates the rear surface 52a of the front plate 52, thereby vibrating the entire front plate 52. As a result, sound is emitted from the surface of the front plate 52 as a sound emitting surface. Note that the vibrator 30 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be an appropriately selected one from among known vibrators.

[0039] The vibrator 30 is attached to the end in the left direction (-X direction) on the hinge 10h side (see FIG. 1). Since the vibrator 30 is disposed in a position close to the hinge 10h that supports the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, when the vibrator 30 vibrates the front panel 52, unintended vibration of the front panel 52 is easily suppressed.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the vibrator 30 is disposed inside a box-shaped case 33 (blocking member) provided on the rear surface 52a of the front panel 52.

[0041] The case 33 is cylindrical with a top and is formed into a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and includes a top wall 34, a side wall 35, and a flange portion 36. The flange portion 36 protrudes in the vertical and lateral directions from the open end of the side wall 35. The case 33 is attached to the front panel 52 via the flange portion 36 with screws, adhesive tape, or the like.

[0042] The case internal space S1 surrounded by the frame 51, the front panel 52, and the rear member 53 is filled with a foamed insulation material 80. The foamed insulation material 80 is a heat insulating material made of a foam such as urethane foam. The foamed insulation material 80 may be made of the same material as the foamed insulation material 10c provided inside the housing 10.

[0043] The vibrator 30 is provided surrounded by the foam insulation material 80. Specifically, the vibrator 30 is provided buried in the foam insulation material 80. Taking into consideration that the vibrator 30 will vibrate, a space that is not filled with the foam insulation material 80 is provided around the vibrator 30.

[0044] The entire case 33 is embedded in the foam insulation material 80. That is, the case 33 is disposed between the vibrator 30 and the foam insulation material 80. The vibrator 30 is disposed at a position separated from the case 33. That is, a gap S2 is formed between the upper surface 30a of the vibrator 30 and the top wall 34 of the case 33.

[0045] The thickness-wise distance D0 of the gap S2 is set to be smaller than the thickness D1 (first thickness) of the foam insulation material 80 filled between the case 33 and the rear member 53 in the thickness direction of the front panel 52.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 6, a panel unit 73 that houses a touch panel and is embedded in a foam insulation material 80 is provided inside the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. The thickness D1 is set to be smaller than a thickness D2 (second thickness) of the foam insulation material 80 that is filled between the panel unit 73 and the rear member 53 in the thickness direction of the door 11.

[0047] Next, the operation and function of the refrigerator 1 will be described. By detecting a touch operation on an operation panel (not shown) by the user, control board 16 changes, for example, the temperature of storage compartment 27 or the operating mode. Control board 16 generates a guide voice in accordance with the touch operation on the operation panel (not shown) by the user by vibrating front panel 52 with vibrator 30, using front panel 52 as a sound emitting surface. Because the guide voice is emitted from front panel 52 of left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, a user standing in front of left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa can easily hear the guide voice.

[0048] The sound generated from the front panel 52 as a sound emitting surface is not limited to a voice guide. If the refrigerator 1 has an Internet connection function, the control board 16 may generate, for example, the sound of a video or music from the front panel 52 as a sound emitting surface.

[0049] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the case 33 is disposed between the vibrator 30 and the foam insulation material 80. Therefore, by attaching the vibrator 30 to the front panel 52 of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, the entire left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa becomes a speaker, and it becomes possible to emit sound from the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. Furthermore, in the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the vibrator 30 is covered by the case 33, so that the vibrator 30 is not buried in the foam insulation material 80, and the vibration of the vibrator 30 is inhibited, so that the vibrator can fully function as a speaker. In other words, the vibration of the vibrator 30 is not suppressed by being buried in the foam insulation material 80, so that the sound quality as a speaker can be improved.

[0050] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the vibrator 30 forms a gap S2 with the case 33. This makes it possible to prevent the vibration of the vibrator 30 from being suppressed due to the vibrator 30 contacting the case 33 during vibration. Moreover, by providing the gap S2 with the vibrator 30 within the case 33, it is possible to prevent abnormal noise caused by the vibrator 30 slightly contacting the case 33 during vibration. Furthermore, according to the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the gap S2 is formed, so that it is possible to suppress heat generation from the vibrator 30. And, since the heat from the vibrator 30 is not directly transmitted to the case 33, it is possible to improve the heat insulating effect of the refrigerator.

[0051] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, reinforcing members 71 extending in the vertical direction are provided on both sides in the width direction of the door 11. As a result, warping or deformation of the front panel 52 may cause the vibrator 30 to come off the mounting portion (front panel 52) or may cause abnormal noise due to slight contact, so by providing the reinforcing members 71 on the door 11, deformation of the front panel 52 can be prevented.

[0052] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the distance D2 in the thickness direction of the door 11 of the gap S2 is smaller than the thickness D1 of the foam insulation material 80 filled between the case 33 and the rear member 53. This not only prevents the vibrator 30 from coming into contact with the case 33 as described above, but also prevents the thickness D1 of the foam insulation material 80 from becoming smaller in the portion where the case 33 is provided, thereby preventing a decrease in the insulating effect of the refrigerator.

[0053] In the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, when a panel unit 73 that is embedded in the foam insulation material 80 and houses a touch panel (not shown) is provided inside the door 11, the first thickness D1 is smaller than the second thickness of the foam insulation material 80 that is filled between the panel unit and the rear member 53 in the thickness direction of the door 11. As a result, even when the vibrator 30 is placed inside the case 33, the foam insulation material 80 can be secured at a predetermined thickness between the case 33 and the rear member 53, and this can be achieved without increasing the thickness of the entire wall body (the entire left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa).

[0054] (Modification) In the above embodiment, the vibrator 30 is attached to the front panel 52 of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. However, the manner of attachment of the vibrator 30 is not limited to this. The vibrator 30 may be attached to the front panels of the right refrigerator compartment door 11Ab, the vegetable compartment door 11B, the ice-making compartment door 11C, the small freezer compartment door 11D, and the main freezer compartment door 11E. From the viewpoint of generating a loud sound, it is desirable to attach the vibrator 30 to a large front panel.

[0055] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view in which a vibrator 30 is provided in an enlarged view of F8 shown in FIG. 8, in refrigerator 1A according to the modification, vibrator 30 is attached inside upper wall 21 (wall body) between inner box 10a and outer box 10b of housing 10. In the modification, vibrator 30 is attached inside upper wall 21 of housing 10 instead of left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa, and the configuration is the same as that of refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0056] The vibrator 30 is attached to approximately the center of the top surface material 21a (outer surface material) inside the top wall 21 of the housing 10. The vibrator 30 vibrates the top wall 21. The vibrator 30 is disposed in a position on the top wall 21 away from a position where pipe members such as a heat dissipation pipe 46 and a dew prevention pipe 47 disposed inside the housing 10 pass through. Specifically, the vibrator 30 is disposed in a position where it does not overlap with the pipe members when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the top wall 21. This can suitably prevent the pipe members from vibrating when the vibrator 30 vibrates the top wall 21.

[0057] In this way, refrigerator 1A according to this modification emits sound using the entire upper wall 21 as a sound emitting surface. Refrigerator 1 can emit sounds such as voice guidance without having to be provided with a separate speaker.

[0058] The vibrator 30 is disposed inside a box-shaped case 33 (blocking member) provided on the rear surface of the top surface member 21a. The case 33 has a similar configuration to the case 33 of the first embodiment described above. The case 33 is attached to the top surface member 21a via a flange portion 36 with screws, adhesive tape, or the like.

[0059] The internal space S3 surrounded by the upper wall 21 is filled with the foam insulation material 10c. As described above, the foam insulation material 10c is a thermal insulation material made of a foam such as urethane foam.

[0060] The oscillator 30 is surrounded by the foam insulation material 10c. Specifically, a case 33 housing the oscillator 30 is embedded in the foam insulation material 10c. Taking into consideration the vibration of the oscillator 30, a space that is not filled with the foam insulation material 10c is provided around the oscillator 30.

[0061] The entire case 33 is embedded in the foam insulation 10c. That is, the case 33 is disposed between the vibrator 30 and the foam insulation 10c. The vibrator 30 is disposed at a position separated from the case 33. That is, a gap S2 is formed between the upper surface 30a of the vibrator 30 and the top wall 34 of the case 33.

[0062] The thickness-wise distance D0 of the gap S2 is set to be smaller than the thickness D1 (first thickness) of the foam insulation material 10c filled between the case 33 and the rear member 53 in the thickness direction of the front panel 52.

[0063] In the refrigerator 1A according to the modified example, by attaching a vibrator 30 inside the upper wall 21, the entire upper wall 21 becomes a speaker, and sound can be emitted from the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa. In addition, since the vibrator 30 is covered with the case 33, the vibrator 30 is not buried in the foam insulation material 10c, and can fully function as a speaker. That is, since the vibration of the vibrator 30 is not suppressed by being buried in the foam insulation material 10c, the sound quality as a speaker can be improved.

[0064] Second embodiment Next, refrigerator 1B of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Refrigerator 1B of the second embodiment is the same as refrigerator 1 of the first embodiment, except that vibrator 30 is attached to reinforcing rib 74 provided on frame body 51 instead of directly attached to front panel 52. In the following description, components common to those already described will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0065] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the frame 51 of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa of the refrigerator 1B of the second embodiment, as viewed obliquely from the rear. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the mounting state of the vibrator 30 and the case 33 of the second embodiment, as viewed from the rear.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 9, the frame body 51 of the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa is provided with a thin plate-like reinforcing rib 74 that extends in the width direction and connects a pair of left side member 51c and right side member 51d to each other. The reinforcing rib 74 is disposed slightly above the center in the length direction of the left side member 51c and the right side member 51d. The front surface 74a of the reinforcing rib 74 is located in a position that is flush with the front surface 51e of the frame body 51. The front surface 74a of the reinforcing rib 74 is not fixed to the front plate 52 and is disposed so as to be in contact with it. The reinforcing rib 74 is made of, for example, the same synthetic resin as the frame body 51. The reinforcing rib 74 is embedded in a foam insulation material 80.

[0067] The vibrator 30 is attached to the approximate center of the reinforcing rib 74 in the longitudinal direction. The vibrator 30 is attached to the rear surface 74b of the reinforcing rib 74 by screws, adhesive tape, or the like via a vibration plate 31 for mounting to the reinforcing rib 74. The vibrator 30 according to the second embodiment has a similar configuration to that of the first embodiment. The vibrator 30 vibrates the reinforcing rib 74, and the vibration is transmitted from the reinforcing rib 74 to the frame 51, and further from the frame 51 to the front panel 52, vibrating the entire front panel 52. As a result, sound is generated with the surface of the front panel 52 as the sound emitting surface.

[0068] The vibrator 30 is disposed inside a box-shaped case 33 (blocking member) provided on the rear surface of the front panel 52.

[0069] The case 33 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment. The case 33 is disposed so as to straddle the rear surface 74b side of the reinforcing rib 74 in the vertical direction, and is attached to the front plate 52 by screws, adhesive tape, or the like via a pair of flanges 36. The case 33 is provided surrounded by a foam insulation material 80 that fills the case internal space S1 surrounded by the frame body 51, the front plate 52, and the rear member 53. Specifically, the case 33 with the vibrator 30 disposed therein is provided buried in the foam insulation material 80. A space that is not filled with the foam insulation material 80 is provided around the vibrator 30 in consideration of the vibration of the vibrator 30.

[0070] A gap S2 is formed between the upper surface 30a of the vibrator 30 and the top wall 34 of the case 33. The width of the gap S2 in the thickness direction is set to be smaller than the thickness of the foam insulation material 80 filled between the case 33 and the rear member 53 in the thickness direction of the front plate 52.

[0071] According to refrigerator 1A according to the second embodiment, vibrator 30 is attached to reinforcing rib 74. As a result, even if front panel 52 is deformed, such as warped, vibrator 30 can be vibrated regardless of the deformation of front panel 52, and the vibration can be transmitted to front panel 52 via frame 51.

[0072] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, a refrigerator capable of improving sound quality can be provided, which has a front panel 52 (top member 21a) and a rear member 53, a left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa (upper wall 21) surrounding a storage compartment, foam insulation material 80 (foam insulation material 10c) filled inside the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa (upper wall 21), a vibrator 30 attached to the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa (upper wall 21) and outputs vibrations based on an input acoustic signal, and a case 33 arranged between the vibrator 30 and the foam insulation material 80 (foam insulation material 10c).

[0073] 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.

[0074] The vibrator 30 is attached to the left refrigerator compartment door 11Aa or the upper wall 21. However, the manner of attachment of the vibrator 30 is not limited to this. For example, the vibrator 30 may be attached to the left side wall 23 between the inner box 10a and the outer box 10b of the housing 10. The vibrator 30 may also be attached to the right side wall 24, the lower wall 22, or the rear wall 25 between the inner box 10a and the outer box 10b of the housing 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] Reference Signs List 1, 1A, 1B... refrigerator, 5... refrigerator body, 10... housing, 10c... foam insulation material, 11... door, 11Aa... left refrigerator compartment door (wall body), 11Aa... left refrigerator compartment door, 21... upper wall (wall body), 21a... upper surface material (external surface material), 22... lower wall, 23... left side wall, 24... right side wall, 25... rear wall, 30... vibrator, 33... case (blocking member), 52... front panel (external surface material), 80... foam insulation material, S1... space inside the case, S2... gap

Claims

1. a wall body having an outer surface member and a rear surface member and surrounding the storage chamber; A heat insulating material filled inside the wall body; a vibrator attached to the exterior material and outputting vibrations based on an input acoustic signal; a blocking member disposed between the vibrator and the thermal insulation material; Equipped with The wall body has a front plate located on a front surface of a door that closes the storage chamber in an openable and closable manner among the exterior materials, and a frame that supports the front plate, The frame includes a pair of vertical frames, The frame is provided with a reinforcing rib extending in the width direction, connecting the pair of vertical frames, and embedded in the insulating material. The vibrator is attached to the reinforcing rib and vibrates the front panel from the reinforcing rib via the frame body.

2. The vibrator forms a space between the vibrator and the blocking member.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. In a thickness direction of the wall body, a distance in a thickness direction of the space is smaller than a first thickness of the insulating material filled between the blocking member and the rear member.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2.

4. the blocking member is a case in which the vibrator is disposed, The case is embedded in the thermal insulation material. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The front surface of the reinforcing rib is not fixed to the front plate and is arranged so as to be in contact with the front plate. A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Reinforcing members extending in the vertical direction are provided on both sides of the door in the lateral direction. A refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A panel unit is provided inside the wall body and is embedded in the heat insulating material and houses a touch panel. The first thickness is smaller than a second thickness of the insulation material filled between the panel unit and the rear member in a thickness direction of the wall body. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

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