refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that enables reduction of filling amount of a foam heat insulation material while securing strength of a case body.SOLUTION: A refrigerator includes a heat insulation case body having an outer case, an inner case, a foam heat insulation material filled by on-site foaming and a vacuum heat insulation material. On a top surface of the heat insulation case body, an upper surface of the vacuum heat insulation material is bonded to the outer case, and an end part of a lower surface of the vacuum heat insulation material is filled with the foam heat insulation material. The inner case is bonded to a central side of the lower surface of the vacuum heat insulation material by using an adhesive different from the foam heat insulation material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In order to meet the needs for space saving and large capacity, refrigerator technology is known that reduces the wall thickness and expands the internal volume. The energy saving performance of refrigerators is mainly achieved by using two insulation materials, vacuum insulation material and foam insulation material, in combination. Therefore, refrigerators have been proposed recently that improve the coverage rate and thickness of the vacuum insulation material, which has excellent insulation performance, and reduce the thickness of the foam insulation material. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator in which the area of ​​the back insulation wall without foam insulation material is made larger than the area of ​​the side insulation wall without foam insulation material (Claim 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6023941 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional techniques for refrigerators that reduce the amount of foam insulation filling, such as Patent Document 1, are intended only for the back surface of the insulated box body, and do not consider the side, top, or bottom surfaces of the insulated box body. Therefore, the present inventors have focused on the fact that by identifying the parts where the foam insulation material has a small effect on the strength of the refrigerator, the amount of foam insulation filling can be reduced even in these parts of the box body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In consideration of the above problems, the refrigerator of the present invention comprises an insulated box body having an outer box, an inner box, foam insulation material filled by on-site foaming, and vacuum insulation material, and on the top surface of the insulated box body, the upper surface of the vacuum insulation material is adhered to the outer box, the end portion of the underside of the vacuum insulation material is filled with the foam insulation material, and the inner box is adhered to the center side of the underside of the vacuum insulation material with an adhesive different from that used for the foam insulation material. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a heat-insulating box in a refrigerator. [Diagram 3] A diagram showing the analysis of the locations where foam insulation needs to be filled to achieve strength depending on the amount of foam insulation filled. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] A plan view of the refrigerator from above. [Figure 6] 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B-B in FIG. 5 . [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 5 . [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 5 . [Figure 10] A front view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing the vicinity of the interior light on the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment viewed from above, excluding the outer box, inner box, and vacuum insulation material. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment as viewed from the front. [Figure 14] A plan view of the ceiling of a refrigerator compartment viewed from above, showing the vacuum insulation material, the interior light, and the wiring for the interior light through the transparent view. [Figure 15] 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a heat-insulating partition that separates the lower freezer compartment and the vegetable compartment. FIG. [Figure 16]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the insulating partition section viewed from above. [Figure 17] 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows B--B in FIG. 16 . [Figure 19] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC line in FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows in FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the insulating partition section as viewed from below. [Figure 22] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the insulating partition section, excluding the upper case, as viewed from above. [Diagram 23] 23 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the dashed line portion F in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a ceiling part in a second embodiment. [Diagram 25] Schematic cross-sectional view of a thermal insulation structure. [Figure 26] An illustration showing how the strength of the shelves is ensured. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. EXAMPLES

[0008] A refrigerator according to a first embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view showing the external appearance of a refrigerator 1.

[0009] <Basic structure of a refrigerator> As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment has storage compartments arranged in the order of refrigerator compartment 2, ice making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6 from above. The refrigerator 1 has doors that open and close the openings of each storage compartment. These doors are rotating refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b divided into left and right for opening and closing the opening of the refrigerator compartment 2, and drawer-type ice making compartment door 3a, upper freezer compartment door 4a, lower freezer compartment door 5a, and vegetable compartment door 6a for opening and closing the openings of the ice making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6, respectively. In this embodiment, a refrigerator having six doors will be described as an example, but the present embodiment is not limited to a six-door refrigerator. Each drawer-type door is provided with a storage container and a door-side rail extending forward and backward, and can be slid, for example, on the rail on the inner box 8 side of the refrigerator 1.

[0010] The refrigerator compartment 2 is a refrigerator storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of about 4°C. The ice-making compartment 3, the upper freezer compartment 4, and the lower freezer compartment 5 are refrigerator storage compartments whose interior temperature is kept within the freezing temperature range, for example, at an average of about -18°C. The vegetable compartment 6 is a refrigerator storage compartment whose interior temperature is kept within the refrigeration temperature range, for example, at an average of about 6°C, and is a refrigerator storage compartment that prevents food from drying out by indirect cooling.

[0011] The shelf ribs 13 arranged on both sides of the refrigerator compartment 2 have their front ends located away from the front end of the refrigerator 1 and extend rearward from there. Shelves on which food can be placed are placed on the shelf ribs 13, and in this embodiment, multiple shelves are lined up one above the other.

[0012] A cooler for cooling each storage compartment is disposed behind the lower freezer compartment 5. Although not shown, the cooler, compressor, condenser, and capillary tube are connected to form a refrigeration cycle. A blower for circulating the cold air cooled by the cooler is disposed above the cooler, and an outlet for discharging the cold air into the storage compartment is formed downstream of the blower. Note that there may be multiple coolers, and the location is not limited to the rear of the lower freezer compartment 5, but may be disposed behind the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0013] The rail 21 is connected to a door side rail (not shown) that is connected to a drawer type door, and supports the door. A container capable of storing food is attached to the door or the door side rail, and moves together with the door.

[0014] <Basic structure of the insulated box> Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the insulated box in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the insulated box has a box shape consisting of a top surface, a bottom surface, both side surfaces, and a back surface, and the front surface is open. The insulated box also includes a metal outer box 7 (not shown in Fig. 2) and an inner box 8 made of synthetic resin, and the internal space of the insulated box formed by the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 is filled with foamed insulation material 9 such as rigid urethane foam by so-called foaming-in-place, thereby insulating the storage chamber from the outside.

[0015] The outer box 7 is configured in a box shape with a top panel and left and right side panels formed by bending a thin steel plate into a gate shape, a back panel made of a separate member, and a bottom panel made of a separate member. Meanwhile, the inner box 8 is formed in a box shape by molding a synthetic resin plate. The top panel and the left and right side panels may be separate pieces.

[0016] The refrigerator compartment 2 is separated from the ice-making compartment 3 and the upper freezer compartment 4 by a heat-insulating partition 10 arranged as a substantially horizontal surface. The lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 are separated by a heat-insulating partition 11 arranged as a substantially horizontal surface. These heat-insulating partitions are provided in the sections that separate the storage compartments of different temperature zones, and serve to prevent the inside of the refrigerator temperature zone compartment from becoming too cold due to the cold air from the freezer temperature zone compartment.

[0017] Furthermore, in addition to the foam insulation material 9, a vacuum insulation material 12 (not shown in FIG. 2) with a lower thermal conductivity than the foam insulation material 9 is mounted between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8, improving the insulation performance without reducing the food storage volume. Here, the vacuum insulation material 12 is configured by wrapping a core material such as glass wool in an outer packaging material formed of a metal layer such as aluminum in order to ensure gas barrier properties. The vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the inner wall surfaces of the outer box 7, i.e., the inner wall surfaces of each of the top panel, side panels, back panel, and bottom panel, using an adhesive such as double-sided tape or hot melt on a part or the entire surface of the vacuum insulation material 12.

[0018] Although the on-site foamed foam insulation material 9 is inferior to the vacuum insulation material 12 in terms of thermal conductivity, its adhesive strength allows the inner box 8 and the outer box 7 to be integrated, and is therefore useful for improving the strength of the insulated box. The method of injecting the urethane insulation material that becomes the foam insulation material 9 when foaming on-site is to place the refrigerator 1 face down so that its back surface faces vertically upward, and inject the urethane insulation material into the space between the inner box 8 and the outer box 7 through, for example, four injection ports provided on the back surface of the outer box 7 of the refrigerator 1. The injected urethane insulation material is dripped around the front end of the side surface inside the insulated box, where it starts to foam, runs up the side surface, and wraps around to the back surface, filling and solidifying.

[0019] In other words, the foam insulation material 9 is basically injected and foamed between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, and is fixed to the inner box 8 to ensure the strength of the refrigerator. However, in this embodiment, the foam insulation material 9 is not filled or is filled only lightly in the portion that does not affect the strength (partial urethane-free). Specifically, in this embodiment, the urethane flow thickness (the gap between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 12; the flowable thickness) of the entire area or the entire periphery of the partially urethane-free area is made small, for example, less than 6 mm. This makes it possible to intentionally provide an area that is not filled or is filled only lightly with urethane, rather than an unintentional urethane-free area (void) caused by dimensional variations in the vacuum insulation material 12, and as a result, the amount of urethane insulation material injected into the refrigerator 1 as a whole can be reduced. The connection between the portion with a thick flow thickness (for example, a portion of 8 mm or more) where the foam insulation material 9 is filled and the thin portion where the urethane is not filled or is filled only lightly is made so that the flow thickness changes continuously, for example, by bringing the inner box 8 closer to the outer box 7 in a tapered shape. This avoids the concentration of stress caused by loads due to sudden changes in rigidity. It also reduces pressure loss in the air passages where cold air flows. On the other hand, for example, if the inner box 8 is connected in a stepped manner, the internal volume of the storage chamber can be maximized, and the flow thickness can be secured, reducing the risk of the urethane not being filled at the connection.

[0020] The material embedded between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 together with the foamed insulation material 9 is not limited to the vacuum insulation material 12, but may be any material having a smaller thermal conductivity λ than the foamed insulation material 9. For example, the vacuum insulation material 12 described in each embodiment may be replaced with a heat insulation structure 30 as shown in FIG. 25. The heat insulation structure 30 is a structure in which a first plate material 31a and a second plate material 31b made of a stainless steel plate, a PCM steel plate, a glass plate, or the like having a plate thickness of 0.5 to 2.0 mm are stacked so that an internal space 32 is formed between them. The first plate material 31a and the second plate material 31b have a joint 33 in which the outer peripheries of the first plate material 31a and the second plate material 31b are joined by welding, adhesion, or the like, and a plurality of spherical spacer members 34 made of glass, ceramic, or the like are arranged in the internal space 32, and the height of the internal space 32 is about 2 to 5 mm. The internal space 32 is evacuated from an exhaust port 35 provided in either the first plate material 31a or the second plate material 31b, and sealed with a cap 36. In this way, by making the internal space 32 of the heat insulating structure 30 a vacuum atmosphere, the thermal conductivity λ can be made smaller than that of the foamed heat insulating material 9.

[0021] <Overview of partial urethane-free> Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the filling points necessary for strength, based on an analysis. The foam insulation material 9 is filled and solidified in the insulation space formed by the inner box 8 and outer box 7, or the vacuum insulation material 12, etc., to ensure the strength of the refrigerator, but it does not contribute equally to all spaces as a structure. Fig. 3 shows the results of finding the urethane parts that contribute to the rigidity required of the refrigerator using an optimization method based on the density method. As a prerequisite for the refrigerator to function, a condition is imposed in which a load is applied to the shelf placed on the shelf rib 13 and rails 21 that support the drawer-type storage container.

[0022] Based on the result of filling the entire insulation space, the most effective urethane injection space is shown when 10%, 30%, and 70% urethane is injected from the left. The space required for small filling amounts is mainly the front end (opening) of the side part and the center of the front and rear, and it is shown that these areas contribute greatly to rigidity. As the filling amount is increased, the filling area spreads rearward from the vicinity of the front opening and connects to the center of the side, but it does not spread to the rear of the side, bottom, top, and back unless the filling amount increases, and it is shown that the contribution of urethane to rigidity is small in the insulation space of these areas. It can be seen that even in the center of the side, the area above the top shelf rib 13 and the area below the bottom rail 21 also have a relatively small contribution.

[0023] The reason why the front end of the side surface is important is that refrigerator 1 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped with an opening at the front, and therefore it is necessary to ensure rigidity, particularly at the long side portions of the sides that form the open surface. The need for rigidity on the short side portions (front ends of the top and bottom surfaces) is relatively low. Also, if a hinge portion 22 that supports a revolving door is provided, it is necessary to fill urethane near the hinge portion 22 as well to increase rigidity. Therefore, it is preferable to fill the entire top and bottom of the front end of the side surface with urethane.

[0024] The opening on the front, i.e., the front end of the insulated box, especially the long side extending vertically, continues to the center of the front and rear of the side where the shelf ribs 13 and rails 21 are provided, and the result that these parts are important in terms of strength is because the rigidity near the shelf ribs 13 and rails 21 arranged on the side, which support the load of food placed on shelves or containers, is necessary to support the load of food. In this regard, if there is another part that supports the shelf, the amount of urethane in this part can be reduced. For example, if the part that supports the shelf is located somewhere on the back, it can be replaced by filling more urethane in the part that supports the shelf on the back instead of the side.

[0025] Based on the analysis results, the flow thickness of the foam insulation material 9 at the front end of the insulated box body (refrigerator 1) of this embodiment is increased at the side of the insulated box body, the shelf rib 13, and the rail 21. Specifically, the front end of the side is provided with foam insulation material 9 (front end insulation material 91) that is filled with a large flow thickness over the entire upper and lower areas of the refrigerator 1. In FIG. 3, a reference symbol 91' is given to show an image of the position of the front end insulation material. This makes it possible to fill the front end side, which is important in terms of strength, with the foam insulation material 9, while omitting to fill the rear end side of the side with the foam insulation material 9. Regarding the side, the portion from the front end to a position a certain distance behind is called the front end side (opening side), and the portion from this position to the rear is called the rear end side. The flow thickness is set to be larger overall at the front end side than at the rear end side. The boundary between the front end and the rear end may differ depending on the upper and lower positions of the side, but is, for example, at the rear end of the front end insulation material 91 or further rearward.

[0026] Specifically, as illustrated in the left side of Fig. 2, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, a portion of the side surface 81 above the top shelf rib 13 and a portion of the side surface 84 below the bottom rail 21 have a small flow thickness and are not filled or are filled with a small amount of foam insulation material 9. In addition, a region 82 in the vertical range from the top shelf rib 13 to the bottom rail 21, which is a front-to-back range from the front end insulation material 91 to the shelf rib 13 or rail 21, and a region 83 sandwiched above and below by the shelf rib 13 or rail 21, may also have a small flow thickness and be not filled or are filled with a small amount of foam insulation material 9. Note that, although the front end of region 83 is depicted as being rearward of the front-to-back center of the shelf rib 13 or rail 21 in Fig. 2, it may be extended to the front end of the shelf rib 13 or rail 21.

[0027] The boundary between the front end side and the rear end side can be considered as follows, for example, in the case of refrigerator 1 having shelf ribs 13 / rails 21 as in this embodiment.

[0028] First, the vertical position where the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 is provided can be in front of the front end of the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 or in the center of the front-to-rear dimension of the shelf rib 13 / rail 21. If it is in front of the front end of the shelf rib 13 and / rail 21, it is preferable because the flow thickness can be reduced in areas that have little effect on strength (areas other than the front end of the side surface, the shelf rib 13, and the rail 21). However, in the on-site foaming method in which urethane concentrate is injected from an injection port on the back of the refrigerator 1, the foaming path from the front end of the side surface to the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 is likely to be blocked, and voids are likely to occur in the shelf rib 13 / rail 21. In view of this, in this embodiment, the flow thickness of the region 82 is made large to the same extent as the front end insulation material.

[0029] On the other hand, if the center of the front-to-rear dimension of the shelf rib 13 / rail 21 is set as the boundary, the amount of urethane filling cannot be reduced in front of this, but the shelf rib 13 / rail 21, which has a large impact on strength, can be relatively easily filled with the foam insulation material 9. For this reason, for example, the flow thickness of the region 83 may be reduced.

[0030] Secondly, the vertical range above the top shelf rib 13 / below the bottom rail 21 may be at or behind the rear end of the front end insulation material described above. In this embodiment, above the top shelf rib 13, a region 81 with reduced flow thickness is provided from the rear end of the front end insulation material 91 to approximately the rear end of the side surface. The rear end position of region 81 is not particularly limited. Also, below the bottom rail 21, a rectangular region 84 with reduced flow thickness is provided near the rear end of the front end insulation material. The rear end of region 84 may be located further rearward than shown in FIG. 2.

[0031] It is noted that regions 81-84 can overlap vacuum insulation material 12 when viewed from the front side, and are preferably positioned inside the edge of vacuum insulation material 12.

[0032] Next, in the case of a refrigerator that does not have shelf ribs 13 and rails 21, the boundary between the front end and the rear end can be, for example, at 1 / 3 or 1 / 2 of the front-to-rear dimension from the front end to the back of the inner box.

[0033] In this way, for the side of refrigerator 1, the ratio of the area filled with the foam insulation 9 with an increased flow thickness to the sum of the area filled with the foam insulation 9 with an increased flow thickness (for example, the area where front end insulation 91 is provided) and the area filled with the foam insulation 9 with a reduced flow thickness and not filled or filled with a small amount is higher on the front end side of the side than on the rear end side of the side. In FIG. 2, for the left side, the flow thickness can be reduced in each of areas 81-84, and the flow thickness is increased in the remaining areas. In this embodiment, the flow thickness is reduced in areas 81 and 84, and the flow thickness is increased in the remaining areas. The right side can be configured in the same way as the left side.

[0034] In this way, the side of refrigerator 1 is provided with front end insulation material 91, and the projected surfaces of shelf rib 13 and rail 21 are filled with foam insulation material 9 (food support insulation material) with a large urethane flow thickness. If foam insulation material 9 is filled at least in the projected surfaces of shelf rib 13 and rail 21, the important areas against food load can be secured.

[0035] To foam the food support insulation in situ, for example, the urethane flow thickness can be made large over the entire area from the top shelf rib 13 to the bottom rail 21 so that it is filled with foam insulation 9, or the flow thickness can be made small in an area sandwiched between shelf rib 13 and rail 21 on the top and bottom, such as area 83, so that it is not filled with foam insulation or is filled only lightly. The former is used in this embodiment. In the latter case, the food support insulation will be in a state of being eaten away by mold, so to speak.

[0036] In the front-rear direction of the side of the refrigerator 1, the foam insulation 9 may be filled between the front end insulation and the food support insulation so as to connect them, or the flow thickness may be made small (for example, the flow thickness of part or all of the region 82 may be made small) so that no or little foam insulation is filled. If the foam insulation 9 is filled between the front end insulation 91 and the food support insulation (for example, the region 82), it is easy to fill the food support insulation in the case of on-site foaming, and if the foam insulation 9 is not filled or is filled only a little, the amount of urethane can be reduced while suppressing the impact on the strength (rigidity) of the refrigerator 1. When the flow thickness of a part of the region 82 is reduced, if multiple regions with small flow thickness are provided at the top and bottom, regions with large flow thickness are also secured, so that the foam insulation 9 is likely to flow through these regions, and is therefore likely to be filled toward the rear. In other words, this is preferable in that it is possible to suppress the generation of voids in the region that should become the food support insulation.

[0037] If a separate part having higher rigidity than the filled and solidified foam insulation 9 is attached to the area to be the food-supporting insulation to reinforce it, the need for foam-filling in the area to be the food-supporting insulation is eliminated or reduced, so that the flow thickness of the entire area between the front-end insulation and the food-supporting insulation, such as area 82, and the flow thickness of the entire area overlapping with the shelf rib 13 and rail 21 can be reduced by further expanding area 83. The shelf rib 13 and rail 21 are important only when considering the support of the food load, and the front-end insulation is important for the strength of the inner box and outer box as a structure, and it is acceptable to support the food load with reinforcement rather than foam insulation 9. Figure 26 is an image diagram showing how the strength of the shelf is ensured by providing reinforcement 23 made of a resin or metal part between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation 12.

[0038] The top and bottom surfaces will be described in detail later, but since the front end contributes more to strength as described above, the flow thickness is made larger at the front end side than at the rear end side. Since the top and bottom surfaces of this embodiment are not provided with shelf ribs and rails, the boundary can be, for example, 1 / 3 or 1 / 2 of the front-to-rear dimension of the refrigerator 1 from the front end. The front ends of the top and / or bottom surfaces can also be filled with foam insulation material 9, and in this case, the foam insulation material can be continuous with the front end insulation material 91 on the side surface. In this embodiment, the front ends of the top and bottom surfaces are also filled with foam insulation material 9, and the entire front end area of ​​the insulated box, i.e., the rectangular area, has a large flow thickness.

[0039] A method for reducing the urethane flow thickness can be achieved, for example, by recessing the inner box 8 toward the outer box 7. This allows the internal volume of the storage chamber to be expanded. Since the vacuum insulation material 12 contributes much more to the insulation performance of the refrigerator 1 than the foam insulation material 9, from the viewpoint of expanding the internal volume and reducing the amount of urethane, it is preferable to reduce the flow thickness to the extent that the foam insulation material 9 is not filled in the area where the flow thickness is small. That is, when reducing the flow thickness of the area where the vacuum insulation material 12 is provided (the distance between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 where there are no structures such as the vacuum insulation material 12), when the vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the inner box 8, the distance between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the outer box 7 as the flow thickness can be, for example, 6 mm or less, preferably 3 mm or less. Also, when the vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the outer box 7, the distance between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 can be the same. On the other hand, in an area where the flow thickness is large, the distance between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 where there are no structures can be, for example, 8 mm or more, 10 mm or more, 12 mm or more, or 15 mm or more. Also, the flow thickness may be approximately the same as that of the front end insulation material 91.

[0040] From the viewpoint of reducing the weight of urethane, a means for reducing the flow thickness may be realized by disposing some other part between the inner box 8 and the outer box 7. Also, for example, when making the unfilled or lightly filled area into some kind of figure, it is not necessarily necessary to reduce the flow thickness of the contents of the figure, and the flow thickness may be reduced only for the entire edge of the figure (i.e., a closed curve). In this case, the effect of expanding the internal volume is reduced, but the amount of urethane is reduced.

[0041] Additionally, the amount of foam insulation material 9 filled in the top, bottom and back of the refrigerator 1 is reduced in consideration of support and protection of the vacuum insulation material 12. This will be described later.

[0042] <Details of partial urethane-free> Next, a specific structure of each part of the insulated box of refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of inner box 8 of refrigerator 1, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of refrigerator 1 as viewed from above (however, the vacuum insulation material is seen through). Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 5, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 5, and Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 5.

[0043] <Ceiling> First, the structure of the top surface (ceiling portion) of the insulated box will be described. The front and rear sides of the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling portion are filled continuously with foam insulation material 9 as shown in Fig. 6. Here, between the lower surface of the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, foam insulation material 9 is filled only in the front region from the front end to the interior light 14 and the rear region from the rear end to the end of the corner portion 20 (the rear upper inclined portion that connects the back surface to the top surface), and foam insulation material 9 is not filled in the central region (between the front region and the rear region).

[0044] Meanwhile, foam insulation material 9 is continuously filled on the left and right sides of vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling portion as shown in Figures 7 to 9. Here, between the underside of vacuum insulation material 12 and inner box 8, foam insulation material 9 is continuously filled from the left end to the right end in the front region as shown in Figure 7, but foam insulation material 9 is not filled from the left end to the right end in the central region as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0045] In this way, by making the central region (region 85) below the vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling part partially urethane-free, the amount of urethane insulation material injected can be reduced. Even if it is partially urethane-free, the foam insulation material 9 is present around the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling part (front, back, left and right sides), and in particular, in the front and rear regions, the foam insulation material 9 supports the end of the vacuum insulation material 12 by gripping it from the bottom surface to the sides, preventing the vacuum insulation material 12 from falling off and preventing heat bridges. At the same time, at least the urethane insulation material is filled around the interior 14 arranged near the urethane-free area, so the fixing strength of the parts related to the interior light 14 can be ensured.

[0046] The same effect can be obtained by supporting the vacuum insulation material 12 by gripping it with the foam insulation material 9 at the left and right regions, so the gripping is not limited to the front and rear regions.

[0047] The partial urethane-free region (region 85) of the ceiling portion can be provided, for example, within the projection plane of the vacuum insulation material 12 and inside the edge of the vacuum insulation material 12, as in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the width of the vacuum insulation material 12 disposed on the top surface of the inner box 8 is smaller than the width of the top surface of the inner box 8. Therefore, in the regions 9a between the left and right corners 8a of the top surface of the inner box 8 and the left and right ends of the vacuum insulation material 12, the foam insulation material 9 is filled between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8. The thickness of the foam insulation material 9 in this range is equivalent to that of the vacuum insulation material 12. Since the thermal conductivity of the foam insulation material 9 is greater than that of the vacuum insulation material 12, this portion has low thermal insulation performance. If the thermal insulation performance is insufficient, the outer box 7 is cooled by the inside of the refrigerator, and condensation occurs on the outer box 7 due to the temperature difference with the air outside the refrigerator, which is not preferable. In the refrigerator of this embodiment, the outer box 7 is prevented from being cooled by the heat of the hot gas pipe (not shown) installed between the outer box 7 and the foam insulation material 9, and the temperature difference between the outer box 7 and the air outside the refrigerator is small, so condensation does not occur. In this way, the top surface of the inner box 8 (vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material 12 and region 9a) is made to have a substantially flush shape, so that the internal volume can be expanded in areas other than the projection surface of the vacuum insulation material 12 as well.

[0048] <Opening> Next, regarding the structure of the opening of the insulated box, as described above, the refrigerator 1 is placed with its back surface facing upward, and the urethane insulation material is injected from, for example, four injection ports provided on the back surface toward the front surface of the refrigerator 1 facing vertically downward. In this embodiment, the flow thickness is large on the front side (opening) of the refrigerator 1 not only over the entire top and bottom areas of the left and right sides corresponding to the long sides, but also over the entire left and right areas of the top and bottom surfaces corresponding to the short sides. Therefore, the foam insulation material 9 can be continuously filled around the entire circumference of the opening of the refrigerator 1 (insulated box). In this manner, the front end insulation material can be filled.

[0049] <Shelf ribs> Next, the structure of the portion of the insulating box where shelf rib 13 is formed will be described with reference to Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. On the side of refrigerator 1, above the top shelf rib 13, a recessed area (area 81) is formed where inner box 8 is recessed toward outer box 7, and the flow thickness is made small. The recessed area (area 81) is not provided at the front end of the side (see Fig. 7).

[0050] The urethane insulation injected from the injection port at the rear of refrigerator 1 is foamed on site with the rear of refrigerator 1 facing vertically upward as described above. For example, the urethane insulation starts foaming in the area where the front-end insulation material is to be formed, and then fills in the area with a large flow thickness. For this reason, foamed insulation material 9 is filled inside inner box 8 in the range from the top shelf rib 13 to the bottom rail, running up toward the rear of refrigerator 1. In this way, food-supporting insulation material is filled continuously from the area of ​​the front-end insulation material as a whole.

[0051] On the other hand, the flow thickness is made small for the side surfaces located above the uppermost shelf rib 13 in Fig. 8 (above when refrigerator 1 is in use) which do not contribute to supporting shelf rib 13. In this embodiment, the flow thickness is small enough that urethane cannot flow, so no urethane insulation material runs up from the front end of refrigerator 1.

[0052] <Ceiling panel> Fig. 10 is a front view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2, and Fig. 11 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view showing the vicinity of the interior light 14 on the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2. The interior light 14 is covered with a translucent cover member. The material of the cover member is not particularly limited, but a transparent synthetic resin is preferable.

[0053] At the front side of the ceiling, an interior light 14 is attached to the inner box 8, so as shown in Fig. 11, foam insulation material 9 is filled between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 12 to improve the support strength of the interior light 14. Meanwhile, at the rear side of the ceiling, the gap between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 is small (for example, less than 1 mm) and the inner box 8 is located at a high position, so there is a large space for storing food on the top shelf. However, it is better to have even a small gap between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, rather than having them come into contact with each other, as a cushion when a user hits a can or the like against the ceiling.

[0054] In this way, since the foam insulation material 9 is not filled in the area where the gap between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 is small, the inner box 8 is not fixed to the outer box 7 or the vacuum insulation material 12 via the foam insulation material 9. As a result, the inner box 8 sags under its own weight, which is undesirable from an appearance perspective. Therefore, in this embodiment, urethane insulation material is injected and foamed with a synthetic resin ceiling panel 16 attached below the inner box 8 in the urethane-free portion, and the ceiling panel 16 forms part of the ceiling surface of the refrigerator compartment 2.

[0055] <Ceiling panel support structure> The ceiling panel 16 has an inclined surface 16a extending downward on the front side, and is fastened to this inclined surface 16a by screws 17 from the outside of the inner box 8 to prevent them from falling off, so that the presence of the screws 17 is difficult for users to see. In addition, the heads of the screws 17 are ultimately covered with the foam insulation material 9, which not only prevents the screws 17 from loosening, but also prevents the users from removing the screws 17 or the screws 17 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 12 and causing damage.

[0056] Moreover, by making the front side of the ceiling panel 16 into the inclined surface 16a, the cold air discharged from the rear of the refrigerator compartment 2 is guided diagonally downward, making it easier to cool the food in the door pocket. Also, compared to a step with no incline, there are advantages in that it is easier to put food in and take it out, and that the urethane insulation material flows more easily.

[0057] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2 seen from above, excluding the outer box 7, the inner box 8, and the vacuum insulation material 12, and Fig. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2 seen from the front. As shown in Fig. 12, a claw portion 16b is formed in the center in the left-right direction on the rear side of the ceiling panel 16, and is engaged with the inner box 8. This claw portion 16b is formed only on a part of the left-right width of the ceiling panel 16, which has a left-right width dimension approximately the same as that of the inner box 8, so that the workability of assembling the ceiling panel 16 is high.

[0058] The left and right ends of the ceiling panel 16 are merely placed on ribs (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction from the side walls of the inner box 8, and are not constrained in the horizontal direction. The rear end of the ceiling panel 16 is only constrained in the up-down direction by the claw portions 16b. This makes it possible to prevent the ceiling panel 16 from thermally deforming due to changes in the environmental temperature, or from sagging due to the foaming pressure of the foam insulation material 9 received through the inner box 8. Note that as long as either the left or right end or the front or rear end of the ceiling panel 16 is not constrained in the horizontal direction, the ceiling panel 16 may be supported by another method.

[0059] In addition, a first rib 16c extending in the front-rear direction at the left-right center and a second rib 16d extending in the front-rear direction at the front-rear center are formed on the upper surface of the ceiling panel 16, thereby increasing the rigidity of the ceiling panel 16. Note that multiple first ribs 16c and second ribs 16d may be formed. In addition, multiple reinforcing pieces 16e extending in the left-right direction are formed side by side in the front-rear direction at both left and right ends of the ceiling panel 16, so that deformation of the ceiling panel 16 due to the foaming pressure of the foam insulation material 9 filled between the inner box 8 and the outer box 7 that form the left and right side surfaces can be suppressed.

[0060] Here, the inner box 8 and the ceiling panel 16 are not bonded, and as shown in FIG. 13, a gap is formed between the inner box 8 and the ceiling panel 16, so that even if the inner box 8 sags to some extent, no load is applied to the ceiling panel 16. The first rib 16c and the second rib 16d also serve to prevent the entire surface of the inner box from contacting the ceiling panel 16 even if the inner box sags. Furthermore, the ceiling panel 16 of this embodiment is molded with 10% or less by mass of glass filler, so warping during molding is reduced. The material of the ceiling panel is not limited to synthetic resin, and it may be a structure in which it is attached after the injection and foaming of urethane insulation material.

[0061] <Ceiling wiring> Fig. 14 is a plan view of the ceiling of the refrigerator compartment 2 seen from above, with the vacuum insulation material 12, the interior light 14, and the wiring (cord 15) for the interior light 14 shown through the transparent view. As shown in Fig. 14, the cord 15 drawn from the interior light 14 passes along the side of the vacuum insulation material 12 to the rear, and then descends along the rear side to be connected to a control board (not shown).

[0062] Here, the foam insulation material 9 is not filled between the underside of the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling and the inner box 8, except for the front and rear regions, as shown in FIG. 6. If the cord 15 is placed in the portion not filled with the foam insulation material 9, when the inner box 8 is pressed with a jig from the side during foaming of the urethane insulation material, the inner box 8 may be pressed against the cord 15, and the cord 15 may damage the vacuum insulation material 12. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cord 15 is placed in the portion filled with the foam insulation material 9. That is, the wiring is only performed in the front and rear regions, which are the portions where the foam insulation material 9 exists, below the vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material 12, and the wiring is performed in the portion where the foam insulation material 9 exists outside the vertical projection of the vacuum insulation material 12.

[0063] However, if an intervening member such as a pre-foamed foam is placed between the cord 15 and the inner box 8, or if a space is provided on the inner box 8 side or on the vacuum insulation material 12 side to avoid the cord 15, it is possible to wire the cord 15 even in areas that are not filled with the foam insulation material 9.

[0064] <Thermal insulation partition> Next, the heat-insulating partition 11 separating the lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 will be specifically described. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the heat-insulating partition 11 separating the lower freezer compartment 5 (freezer temperature zone compartment) and the vegetable compartment 6 (refrigerator temperature zone compartment). As shown in FIG. 15, the heat-insulating partition 11 is formed by combining an upper case 111 and a lower case 112. Furthermore, the heat-insulating partition 11 is provided with a vacuum insulation material 12 and a heater 113 from above in a space surrounded by the upper case 111 and the lower case 112. When filling the space between the outer box 7 and the inner box 8 with the foam insulation material 9, the urethane insulation material injected from the above-mentioned four injection ports provided on the back side of the insulation box flows into the heat-insulating partition 11 from the urethane inlet 11a formed on the left and right front sides of the heat-insulating partition 11. The urethane insulation material that flows into the inside of the insulation partition 11 flows around the vacuum insulation material 12 and fills it, and is finally fixed to the insulation box body together with the upper case 111 and the lower case 112.

[0065] <Upper case> Upper case 111 faces lower freezer compartment 5, and has two upper surface recesses 111a on the left and right as shown in Fig. 15, which allows the internal volume of lower freezer compartment 5 to be increased. Note that the front side of upper surface recess 111a has a shallower bottom than the rear side in correspondence with lower surface recess 112a (see Fig. 21) of lower case 112 and the front side of bent portion 12a (see Fig. 18) of vacuum insulation material 12 located above it. Also, in the portion sandwiched between the left and right upper surface recesses 111a, a bridge portion 111b is formed that is the same height as the periphery of upper surface recess 111a.

[0066] Fig. 16 is a plan view of the heat insulating partition 11 as viewed from above (the lower freezer compartment 5 side). Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 16, Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 16, Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 16, and Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 16.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 17 and Fig. 18, one vacuum insulation material 12 having a bent portion 12a is positioned below the upper case 111. The front-to-rear dimension of the vacuum insulation material 12 is the same as or larger than the front-to-rear dimension of the top surface recess 111a, the left end of the vacuum insulation material 12 is the same as or to the left of the left end of the left top surface recess 111a, and the right end of the vacuum insulation material 12 is the same as or to the right of the right end of the right top surface recess 111a. Here, the gap between the upper case 111 and the vacuum insulation material 12 is smaller (for example, less than 6 mm) below the portion where the top surface recess 111a is formed (see Fig. 18) than below the bridging portion 111b, which is the portion between the two top surface recesses 111a (see Fig. 17). Therefore, the urethane insulation material that flows into the inside of the insulation partition section 11 from the urethane inlet 11a cannot flow into the space sandwiched between the part where the upper surface recesses 111a are formed and the vacuum insulation material 12, but flows into the space sandwiched between the part where the upper surface recesses 111a are not formed and the vacuum insulation material 12. In other words, the flow path of the urethane insulation material is as shown by dotted line E in Figure 16, flowing through the gaps that exist below the periphery of each upper surface recess 111a, and finally hitting the bottom of the bridging section 111b from the front and rear.

[0068] In this way, the foam insulation material is filled from front to back under the bridge portion 111b of the upper case 111 near the center of the insulation partition 11, so that the rigidity of the insulation partition 11 is increased, such as reducing the deflection of the upper case 111, and damage to the vacuum insulation material 12 is suppressed. In addition, the flow of the urethane insulation material flowing in from the urethane inlet 11a is branched into multiple directions by the upper surface recess 111a. The branched flows of the urethane insulation material collide at some part (final filling part) in the insulation partition 11, so there is a risk of voids. However, by providing the bridge portion 111b, it is possible to create a flow in which the urethane insulation material flows into the front end and rear end below the bridge portion 111b. The urethane flowing from the front end and rear end below the bridge portion 111b collide, so even if voids are generated, they can be kept within the area of ​​the bridge portion 111b. Furthermore, the vacuum insulation material 12 exists below the vertical projection of the bridge portion 111b. That is, even if voids are generated, the position where the voids are generated can be limited within the area of ​​the vacuum insulation material 12, so that the effect of the voids on the insulation performance of the insulation partition wall can be minimized. Note that, although this embodiment is configured such that the upper surface recesses 111a are arranged side by side on the left and right and the bridging portions 111b are formed in the front-rear direction, the upper surface recesses 111a may be arranged side by side on the top and bottom and the bridging portions 111b are formed in the left-right direction. Also, the height of the bridging portions 111b is not limited to this embodiment, as long as it is formed at least higher than the lower surface of the upper surface recesses 111a in order to ensure the inflow of urethane.

[0069] 17 and 18, the front and rear sides of the vacuum insulation material 12 are filled with the foam insulation material 9, and the left and right sides of the vacuum insulation material 12 are also filled with the foam insulation material 9, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. On the other hand, a part of the lower surface side of the vacuum insulation material 12 is attached to the lower case 112 with a double-sided tape (not shown). Therefore, the foam insulation material 9 is not basically filled between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the lower case 112. However, as shown in FIG. 20, the foam insulation material 9 is filled below the front side of the bent portion 12a of the vacuum insulation material 12, because a relatively large gap is generated between the lower case 112 and the bent portion 12a, except for the region of the lower surface recess 112a formed on the front side of the lower case 112.

[0070] In this manner, in this embodiment, the upper and lower sides of the vacuum insulation material 12 in the insulating partition 11 are partially urethane-free, which has the advantage of reducing the amount of foam insulation material 9 filled in the refrigerator 1 as a whole. In addition, the front, rear, left and right sides of the vacuum insulation material 12 are filled with foam insulation material 9, which stably supports the vacuum insulation material 12 in the insulating partition 11 and ensures the strength of the insulating partition 11.

[0071] <Lower case> 21 is a perspective view of the heat insulating partition 11 as viewed from below (the side of the vegetable compartment 6). As indicated by dashed and dotted lines in FIG. 21, a heater 113 is located above the lower case 112, and a vacuum insulation material 12 is located above the heater 113. Although not shown, the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is structured so that a vegetable compartment cover that can open and close the top surface of the container of the vegetable compartment 6 can be installed. This vegetable compartment cover prevents the vegetables in the container from drying out by increasing the airtightness of the container, and is supported by a vegetable compartment cover attachment portion 112b provided on the lower case 112 of the heat insulating partition 11.

[0072] The lower case 112 has, on the front side, a vegetable compartment cover mounting portion 112b and a lower surface recess 112a arranged in parallel to the vegetable compartment cover mounting portion 112b in the left-right direction. The lower surface recess 112a is shaped to protrude upward on the rear side of the vegetable compartment cover mounting portion 112b, so that the position of the vacuum insulation material 12 can be regulated. This prevents the vacuum insulation material 12 from being damaged by contact with the vegetable compartment cover mounting portion 112b. In addition, the surface facing the vacuum insulation material 12 on the rear side of the lower surface recess 112a is an inclined surface 112c, so that the vacuum insulation material 12 is also prevented from being damaged by contact with the lower surface recess 112a. Furthermore, since the lower surface recess 112a is arranged in multiple rows in the left-right direction and the lower surface recess 112a is not formed continuously across the entire left-right direction, the urethane insulation material easily flows in, and as a result, the support strength of the front side of the heat-insulating partition portion 11 can be improved.

[0073] The heater 113 heats the vegetable compartment 6 facing the heat insulating partition 11 (lower case 112) to keep the inside of the vegetable compartment 6 at a predetermined temperature range, and is configured with a heat transfer wire, an aluminum sheet covering the heat transfer wire, and a lead wire connected to the heat transfer wire, although not shown. The flat heater 113 used in this embodiment cannot form a bent portion 12a like the vacuum insulation material 12, so it is difficult to extend it forward to the inclined surface 112c of the lower surface recess 112a. However, since the vacuum insulation material 12 is located above the front area that the heater 113 cannot reach, it is possible to prevent condensation from occurring.

[0074] In this embodiment, there is an area above the lower case 112 behind the underside recess 112a where the foam insulation material 9 is not filled, so there is a possibility that the lower case 112 may sag due to its own weight or sagging. However, since the vegetable compartment 6 that the lower case 112 faces has a pull-out container and the underside of the insulating partition 11 is a location that is difficult for users to see, this embodiment aims to reduce the amount of foam insulation material 9 filled while suppressing adverse effects on the aesthetic appearance.

[0075] As already described, the heat insulating partition 11 of this embodiment has an upper surface recess 111a of the upper case 111 and a lower surface recess 112a of the lower case 112. Here, the lower freezer compartment 5 that the upper case 111 faces has a lower temperature zone than the vegetable compartment 6 that the lower case 112 faces, so it is necessary to increase the circulation flow rate of the cold air. Therefore, by making the total recess volume of the upper surface recess 111a larger than the total recess volume of the lower surface recess 112a, the air path dimension of the cold air flowing through the bottom of the lower freezer compartment 5 can be secured preferentially.

[0076] <Temporary cord storage section> FIG. 22 is a plan view of the heat insulating partition 11 without the upper case 111 when viewed from above (the lower freezer compartment 5 side), and FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the broken line F in FIG. 22. The cords passing through the heat insulating partition 11, such as the lead wire of the heater 113, need to be placed in a predetermined position before the heat insulating partition 11 is assembled to the heat insulating box body and the urethane insulating material is injected and foamed. In this embodiment, therefore, in order to improve the workability when assembling the heat insulating partition 11 to the heat insulating box body, a temporary cord storage section 11b is formed in the front side of the lower case 112 as a recessed space for temporarily storing the cords. The cords temporarily stored are taken out of the temporary cord storage section 11b when the assembly of the heat insulating partition 11 is completed, wired to a predetermined position, and the urethane insulating material is injected and foamed.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 23, the temporary cord storage section 11b is divided by an inner wall 11b1 that prevents cords from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 12 and being damaged, and an outer wall 11b2 that prevents cords from slipping out. A plurality of inner walls 11b1 are provided in the front-rear direction, and inner openings 11b3 are formed between the inner walls 11b1, so that urethane insulation can flow in through the inner openings 11b3. On the other hand, a first outer opening 11b4 is formed on the rear side of the outer wall 11b2, so that the cords can be drawn into the temporary cord storage section 11b. A second outer opening 11b5 is formed on the front side of the outer wall 11b2 so as to face the inner opening 11b3, so that the urethane insulation injected from the urethane inlet 11a to the insulation partition section 11 can easily pass through the temporary cord storage section 11b. In addition, since the urethane inlet 11a is formed not only at the position facing the second outer opening 11b5 but also at the position facing the first outer opening 11b4, the urethane insulation material also flows in from the first outer opening 11b4. In this way, since the temporary cord storage section 11b is formed at a position facing the urethane inlet 11a to the insulation partition section 11, the foam insulation material 9 is filled in the concave space, ensuring insulation.

[0078] In addition, the inner wall 11b1 of the temporary cord storage section 11b also plays a role in regulating the position of the vacuum insulation material 12 so that the vacuum insulation material 12 does not block the urethane inlet 11a. Furthermore, although the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 extend upward from the lower case 112, it is preferable that they are not in contact with the upper case 111. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of heat conduction between the storage chambers of different temperature zones above and below the heat-insulating partition section 11. In this embodiment, the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 are formed on the lower case 112, but even if the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 are formed on the upper case 111 and extend downward, the heat conduction through the heat-insulating partition section 11 can be suppressed by separating the lower ends of the inner wall 11b1 and the outer wall 11b2 from the lower case 112. EXAMPLES

[0079] A refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 24. In this embodiment, the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 12 are fixed together with an adhesive 18 without providing a ceiling panel 16 as in the first embodiment.

[0080] As described above, in the conventional refrigerator, the space between the vacuum insulation material 12 in the ceiling and the inner box 8 is filled with the foam insulation material 9, so that the inner box 8 is fixed to the vacuum insulation material 12. Therefore, even if the inner box 8 is subjected to its own weight or linear expansion at high temperatures, the inner box 8 hardly sags. However, if the foam insulation material 9 is not filled between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8, the inner box 8 is likely to sag and sag. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 are fixed with an adhesive 18 such as hot melt to prevent the inner box 8 from sagging. Note that the adhesive 18 used is preferably made of a material that is elastically deformable so as to follow the sagging of the inner box 8.

[0081] In addition, the adhesive 18 alone cannot follow the deflection of the inner box 8, and there is a possibility that the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 may peel off. Furthermore, the vacuum insulation material 12 has variations in thickness, warping, and surface unevenness, and the inner box 8 and the adhesive 18 also have variations in thickness. Therefore, in this embodiment, a spacer 19 is provided between the outer box 7 and the vacuum insulation material 12 to absorb the deflection of the inner box 8 and the dimensional variations of each part and to keep the clearance between the vacuum insulation material 12 and the inner box 8 constant. The spacer 19 is an intervening member having a certain thickness and has a function of bonding the outer box 7 and the vacuum insulation material 12, and for example, a double-sided tape formed into a sheet shape using polyethylene or the like is used. Note that an adhesive such as a hot melt may be used as the spacer 19 as long as the thickness can be maintained. In addition, the spacer 19 does not need to be provided on the entire upper surface of the vacuum insulation material 12, and it is desirable to place the spacer 19 on at least a part or all of the urethane-less area.

[0082] Furthermore, since the inner box 8 and the foam insulation material 9 are more susceptible to deformation due to temperature than the vacuum insulation material 12, the front, back, left and right sides of the vacuum insulation material 12 may be covered and protected with elastic members to prevent damage to the vacuum insulation material 12 due to deformation of the inner box 8, etc. Note that with regard to the vertical direction of the vacuum insulation material 12, spacers 19 act as cushions to fill gaps with the outer box 7 and inner box 8 while preventing damage to the vacuum insulation material 12. EXAMPLES

[0083] As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the first and second embodiments realizes a partially urethane-free insulating box, while the front side of the insulating box is filled with the foamed insulating material 9 in consideration of maintaining strength. That is, the gap between the vacuum insulating material 12 and the top, side, and bottom of the inner box 8 is widened in the front region, and narrowed in the central region. Therefore, there is a portion where the dimension of the inner box 8 at the rear is wider than the dimension of the inner box 8 at the front when mass-producing refrigerators 1 of the same model. Then, even if multiple inner boxes 8 are stacked and stocked, one inner box 8 hits the narrow opening of the other inner box 8, making it difficult to fit them in. Therefore, in this embodiment, at least the region of the inner box 8 that is partially urethane-free, i.e., the region where the dimension expands from the front end to the rear side, is formed to be deformable by a bellows structure or the like. As a result, when multiple inner boxes 8 are stacked, they can be stored by shrinking, and when foaming the urethane insulating material, they can be expanded by pressing with a jig from the inside.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the first embodiment, the ceiling panel 16 is provided below the inner box 8 of the ceiling portion, but instead of providing the ceiling panel 16, the interior light cover may be extended backward to cover the lower part of the inner box 8. The above-mentioned embodiments are illustrated to easily explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0085] <Technical idea contained in this specification> This specification encompasses the following technical ideas.

[0086] [Appendix 1-1] A storage chamber is formed with an opening at the front, and a foam insulation material is foam-filled in a region between the inner box and the outer box, and the vertical dimension is larger than the horizontal dimension. The left side and / or right side of the box are A front end insulation material is provided at the front end, in which the foam insulation material is continuously foamed and filled in the vertical direction, A region in which the thickness of the foam insulation material that can flow is smaller than that of the surrounding area is provided, A refrigerator equipped with another insulating material having higher insulating performance than the foam insulating material.

[0087] [Appendix 1-2] In Appendix 1-1, In the region where the flowable thickness is small, the inner box has a portion recessed toward the outer box.

[0088] [Appendix 1-3] In Appendix 1-2, The left side and the right side include shelf ribs or rails; The refrigerator is provided with a region with a small flowable thickness above the shelf rib on the top level or below the rail on the bottom level.

[0089] [Appendix 1-4] In Appendix 1-2, The left side and the right side include shelf ribs or rails; A refrigerator having a region of small flowable thickness in front of a front end of any one of the shelf ribs or rails at the upper or lower positions where the shelf ribs or rails are provided.

[0090] [Appendix 1-5] In Appendix 1-2, The left side and the right side include shelf ribs or rails; A total of multiple shelf ribs or rails are arranged vertically, The refrigerator has a region with a small flowable thickness in a region sandwiched above and below by the shelf ribs or the rails.

[0091] [Appendix 1-6] In Appendix 1-5, A refrigerator in which each of the shelf ribs or the rails is reinforced.

[0092] [Appendix 1-7] In Appendix 1-2, The left side and the right side include shelf ribs or rails; In the range from the front end of the shelf rib or the rail forward to the front end insulation material, the thickness of the foam insulation material that can flow is large, A refrigerator in which the areas overlapping the shelf ribs or rails are filled with foam insulation.

[0093] [Appendix 1-8] In Appendix 1-2, The left side surface and the right side surface are not provided with shelf ribs and rails, The refrigerator is provided with an area with a small flowable thickness on the rear end side of a position that is 1 / 3 of the front-to-rear dimension from the front end of each of the left side surface and the right side surface to the rear surface of the inner box.

[0094] [Appendix 1-9] In Appendix 1-2, A refrigerator in which a portion not filled with the foam insulation material is provided in the area having a small flowable thickness.

[0095] [Appendix 1-10] In Appendix 1-2, A refrigerator in which the region of small flowable thickness is formed within the projected surface of the other insulating material and in a region inside the edge of the other insulating material.

[0096] [Appendix 1-11] In any one of Supplementary Note 1-1 to Supplementary Note 1-10, A refrigerator in which the front end of the top and / or bottom surface of the box body is filled with foam insulation material continuous with the front end insulation material.

[0097] [Appendix 2-1] A box body having a vacuum insulation material and a foam insulation material between an outer box and an inner box is provided, A refrigerator in which the foam insulation material is located on the front, back, left and right sides of the vacuum insulation material on the top surface of the box body, and the foam insulation material is not located on at least a portion of the bottom surface of the vacuum insulation material.

[0098] [Appendix 2-2] In Appendix 2-1, The refrigerator, wherein the foam insulation material is located in the front and rear regions of the underside of the vacuum insulation material.

[0099] [Appendix 2-3] In Appendix 2-1, The top surface has an interior light, A refrigerator in which wiring for the interior light is provided in an area of ​​the underside of the vacuum insulation material where the foam insulation material is foam-filled.

[0100] [Appendix 2-4] In Appendix 2-1, A refrigerator in which a ceiling panel is provided below the inner box in an area where the foam insulation material is not located on the lower surface of the vacuum insulation material.

[0101] [Appendix 2-5] In Appendix 2-1, A refrigerator in which the inner box is fixed to the underside of the vacuum insulation material with an adhesive different from that used for the foam insulation material.

[0102] [Appendix 2-6] In Appendix 2-5, A refrigerator in which a spacer is provided between the upper surface of the vacuum insulation material and the outer box. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1. Refrigerator 2 Refrigerator 3 Ice Room 4. Upper freezer 5 Lower freezer 6 Vegetable compartment 7 Outer box 8 Inner box 9. Foam insulation 10,11 Insulated partition 11a Urethane inlet 11b Temporary cord storage section 111 Upper case 111a Upper surface recess 111b Bridge 112 Lower case 112a Bottom recess 113 Heater 12 Vacuum insulation material 13 Shelf rib 14 Interior light 15 Code 16 Ceiling Panel 17 Screws 18 Adhesive 19 Spacer 21 Rail 22 Hinge part 23 Reinforcement

Claims

1. The insulation box includes an outer box formed in a box shape including a plurality of surfaces formed by bent steel plates, an inner box formed in a box shape by molding a synthetic resin plate and the top surface of which can sag under its own weight, a foam insulation material filled by on-site foaming, an injection port used for injecting the foam insulation material, and a vacuum insulation material, On the top surface of the insulating box, The upper surface of the vacuum insulation material is bonded to the outer box, The foam insulation material is filled in the upper and lower ranges from the top surface of the inner box to the vacuum insulation material at the end of the lower surface of the vacuum insulation material, The inner box is adhered to the center of the underside of the vacuum insulation material with an adhesive different from that of the foam insulation material.

2. The present invention provides an insulation box having an outer box, an inner box, a foam insulation material filled by on-site foaming, and a vacuum insulation material, On the top surface of the insulating box, The upper surface of the vacuum insulation material is bonded to the outer box, The end of the lower surface of the vacuum insulation material is filled with the foam insulation material, The inner box is bonded to the center of the lower surface of the vacuum insulation material with an adhesive different from that of the foam insulation material, The refrigerator comprises a ceiling panel attached to the underside of the inner box on the top surface of the insulating box body.

3. In the refrigerator according to claim 2, A rib protruding toward the inner box is formed on the central side of the ceiling panel.

4. In the refrigerator according to claim 1, A refrigerator in which the foam insulation material filled in the upper and lower range from the top surface of the inner box to the vacuum insulation material at the end of the underside of the vacuum insulation material on the top surface of the insulated body has a thickness of 8 mm or more, and the inner box is recessed toward the outer box from the end of the underside of the vacuum insulation material toward the center of the inner box.

5. In the refrigerator according to claim 1, The refrigerator, wherein the foam insulation material is filled in a vertical range from the top surface of the inner box to the outer box at the front end of the insulating box body.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, On the top surface of the insulating box, The refrigerator, wherein the foam insulation material is filled in the vertical range from the inner box to the outer box around the vacuum insulation material.

Images