Refrigerator door and refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a door which is constructed to expose the end of a metal plate forming a front face portion of the door and a refrigerator, for improving the design quality at a site where the metal plate is mounted to a cap member and also improving the workability when it is mounted.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes a cold storage chamber door 11a. The cold storage chamber door 11a includes a metal plate 21, and a cap member 22. The metal plate 21 forms a front face part 21a and at least one side face part 21b of the door. The cap member 22 is mounted onto upside end sides of the front face part 21a and the side face part 21b of the metal plate 21. The metal plate 21 has an upper end folded part 41a on an upside end side thereof. A boundary between each of the front face part 21a and the side face part 21b and the upper end folded part 41a is exposed. The metal plate 21 has a back face side folded part 21c continuous with the side face part 21b. The metal plate 21 is locked at the back face side folded part 21c to the cap member 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator door and a refrigerator equipped with this door.

Background Art

[0002] Refrigerators are equipped with doors for opening and closing each storage compartment. The outer shape of this door is mainly composed of a metal plate located on the front side, a back member located on the back side, and a cap member that covers the end face portions of the door (for example, the upper end face and the lower end face, etc.). Inside the door whose outer shape is formed by these members, a heat insulating material such as foamed urethane is provided.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a heat insulating door body for a refrigerator having a door outer plate made of a steel plate, a door inner plate made of a thin resin plate disposed opposite to the door outer plate, and door upper and lower caps made of a synthetic resin mounted between the door outer plate and the door inner plate, and in which a foamed heat insulating material is injected and foamed into the space formed by the door outer plate, the door inner plate, and the door upper and lower caps.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In configurations where a cap member is provided on the end face of the door, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, at the joint between the metal plate and the cap member, the end of the metal plate is fitted into the cap member, and the end of the metal plate is covered by the cap member. In recent years, in order to improve the design of refrigerators, configurations have been considered in which the ends of the metal plates forming the front and side portions of the door are exposed from the front to the side. In such configurations, problems such as gaps occurring when attaching the cap member to the metal plate, or deformation of the metal plate, can be considered.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to improve the aesthetic design of the area where the metal plate is attached to the cap member and to improve the workability when attaching it, in a door and refrigerator having a configuration in which the edge of the metal plate forming the front part of the door is exposed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A door according to one aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator door comprising a metal plate forming a front portion and at least one side portion of the door, and a cap member attached to the upper end edges of the front portion and the side portion of the metal plate. The metal plate has an upper end bent portion at its upper end edge, and the boundary between the upper end bent portion and the front portion and the side portion is exposed. The metal plate has a rear side bent portion continuous with the side portion, and the metal plate is locked to the cap member at the rear side bent portion.

[0008] A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention is equipped with a door according to one aspect of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, in a door and refrigerator having a configuration in which the edge of the metal plate forming the front portion of the door is exposed, it is possible to improve the design of the area where the metal plate is attached to the cap member and to improve the workability when attaching it. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing the configuration of the front of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the internal structure around the hinge area of ​​the refrigerator door. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing how the cap member and retaining member are attached to the metal plate that makes up the refrigerator door. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing how a cap member is attached to the metal plate that makes up the refrigerator door. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing how the cap member and retaining member are attached to the metal plate that makes up the refrigerator door. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cap member that makes up the refrigerator door. [Figure 8] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the retaining member that makes up the refrigerator door. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view showing the metal plate, cap member, and retaining member that constitute the refrigerator door of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment in a disassembled state. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing the refrigerator door cap member of the refrigerator compartment according to the second embodiment with the cap member removed. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing the disassembled metal plate, cap member, and retaining member that make up the refrigerator door of the modified refrigerator. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing a cap member that constitutes the refrigerator door of a modified refrigerator. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view showing a retaining member that constitutes the refrigerator door of a modified refrigerator. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

[0012] <First Embodiment> (Overall Configuration of Refrigerator) First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 shows the external appearance of the refrigerator 1 as viewed from the front. <# <# The outer shape of the refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of a heat-insulating box body 90. The storage space of the refrigerator 1 is formed by this heat-insulating box body 90. The storage space formed by the heat-insulating box body 90 is divided, for example, in order from the upper stage, into a refrigerating chamber 11, a vegetable chamber 12, an ice-making chamber 14 and a second freezing chamber 15, and a freezing chamber 13 by a plurality of partitions extending in the horizontal direction. <# <# In the refrigerating chamber 11, double-wing type refrigerating chamber doors 11a and 11b divided into left and right are provided. In the vegetable chamber 12, a drawer-type vegetable chamber door 12a is provided. In the freezing chamber 13, a drawer-type freezing chamber door 13a is provided. In the ice-making chamber 14, a drawer-type ice-making chamber door 14a is provided. In the second freezing chamber 15, a drawer-type freezing chamber door 15a is provided.

[0015] As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is divided into a plurality of storage spaces, and a refrigerating chamber 11, a vegetable chamber 12, etc. are provided. However, the arrangement positions of the respective storage spaces are not limited thereto. Also, the configuration of the doors provided in each storage space is not limited to the above.

[0016] In this embodiment, the side on which the door is located is referred to as the front or front of the refrigerator. Based on the front, and the position of the refrigerator 1 when it is installed in its normal state, each side of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as the top, side, back, and bottom. When the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface, the left-right direction (horizontal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerator compartment door 11a, etc.). When the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface, the up-down direction (vertical direction perpendicular to the left-right direction) of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerator compartment door 11a, etc.) is referred to as the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerator compartment door 11a, etc.). The side located to the left when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as the left side of the refrigerator 1, and the side located to the right when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as the right side of the refrigerator 1.

[0017] (The configuration of the refrigerator door) Next, a more detailed description will be given of the refrigerator door 11a of the refrigerator 1. The refrigerator door 11a is located on the left side of the refrigerator compartment 11 when viewed from the front. A hinge portion 31 is provided at the left end of the refrigerator door 11a. The refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is also equipped with another refrigerator door 11b. The refrigerator door 11b has the same configuration as the refrigerator door 11a, except that it has a left-right symmetrical configuration.

[0018] Figure 2 shows the front view of the refrigerator door 11a. Figure 3 shows the internal structure around the hinge portion 31 of the refrigerator door 11a. Figure 3 is a view from below of the interior of the upper left portion of the refrigerator door 11a where the upper hinge portion 31 is located. Figures 4 to 6 are views from different directions showing how the cap member 22 and the retaining member 23 are attached to the metal plate 21.

[0019] The refrigerator door 11a mainly comprises a metal plate 21, a cap member 22, a retaining member 23, a lower cap member 24, a handle member (not shown), a back member 25, and an insulating material (not shown). The outer shape of the refrigerator door 11a is formed by the metal plate 21, the cap member 22, the lower cap member 24, and the back member 25.

[0020] The metal plate 21 is positioned on the front of the door. Figure 4 shows the configuration of the back side of the metal plate 21. The metal plate 21 is formed, for example, by bending each edge of a single, roughly rectangular steel plate. The metal plate 21 has a front portion (front part) 21a and a side portion 21b, etc. The front portion 21a forms the front part of the refrigerator door 11a. The side portion 21b forms one side portion of the refrigerator door 11a. In the refrigerator door 11a located on the left side of the refrigerator compartment 11 when viewed from the front, the side portion 21b forms the left side portion on which the hinge portion 31 is provided.

[0021] Furthermore, the metal plate 21 has bent portions at each of its edges. Specifically, it has an upper bent portion 41a located on the upper side of the metal plate 21, a lower bent portion 41b located on the lower side of the metal plate 21, a rear bent portion 21c located on the back side of the metal plate 21, and a handle-side bent portion 21d located on the right side (handle side) of the metal plate 21. The rear bent portion 21c is formed by bending the edge of the metal plate 21 that is continuous with the side portion 21b at approximately a right angle, and forms part of the back of the refrigerator door 11a.

[0022] The cap member 22 is attached to the upper side of the metal plate 21. The cap member 22 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. In this embodiment, the cap member 22 is attached to the upper bent portion 41a of the metal plate 21. That is, the cap member 22 is attached to the upper edges of the front portion 21a and the side portion 21b of the metal plate 21. Furthermore, as will be described later, the cap member 22 is engaged with the back bent portion 21c of the metal plate 21.

[0023] The retaining member 23 is a member for reinforcing a portion of the locking portion between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the retaining member 23 is positioned to support the area around the upper hinge portion 31 from the inside of the door. The retaining member 23 is also provided to cover the locking portion between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 from the inside of the door (specifically, the engagement portion between the notch 45 of the metal plate 21 and the rib 34 of the cap member 22). The retaining member 23 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS.

[0024] The lower cap member 24 is attached to the underside of the metal plate 21. Like the cap member 22, the lower cap member 24 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. In this embodiment, the lower cap member 24 is attached to the lower end bent portion 41b of the metal plate 21.

[0025] The handle member is located on the right side of the refrigerator door 11a (i.e., the side opposite to the hinge 31 (the side where the door opens and closes)). In this embodiment, the handle member is attached to the handle-side bent portion 21d of the metal plate 21. The handle member, like the cap member 22, is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The handle member has a handle portion that the user can grip when opening the door.

[0026] The back member 25 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The back member 25 is attached so as to cover the back of the refrigerator door 11a. This forms the outer shape of the door.

[0027] The insulation material is installed inside the exterior body of the door, which is formed by combining a metal plate 21, a cap member 22, a retaining member 23, a lower cap member 24, a handle member, and a back member 25. The insulation material is formed, for example, by filling the interior of the exterior body of the door with foamed insulation material such as foamed urethane.

[0028] (Configuration of the joint between the metal plate and the cap member) Next, a more detailed description of the joint between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 will be given. Figure 7 shows the configuration of the inside of the cap member 22 (the side in contact with the heat insulating material). Figure 8 shows the appearance of the retaining member 23 attached to the joint between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22.

[0029] As described above, the metal plate 21 is mainly composed of a front portion 21a, a side portion 21b, an upper bent portion 41a, a lower bent portion 41b, a rear bent portion 21c, and a handle-side bent portion 21d.

[0030] At least one recess 42 is formed in the upper bent portion 41a and the lower bent portion 41b by cutting out a part of the metal plate 21. In the example shown in Figure 4, two recesses 42 are formed in the upper bent portion 41a, and two recesses 42 are formed in the lower bent portion 41b.

[0031] Furthermore, a notch 45 is provided at the upper end of the rear-side folded portion 21c, which is a cutout of a part of the metal plate 21 (see Figure 4). The notch 45 is located at a position corresponding to the locking portion 33 of the cap member 22 and constitutes an engagement portion with the cap member 22.

[0032] The outer shape of the cap member 22 is mainly formed by a top portion 22a, a front portion 22b, left and right side portions 22c, and a rear portion 22d. The names of these parts of the cap member 22 are defined based on their positions when the cap member 22 is attached to the refrigerator door 11a. The cap member 22 also has a hinge portion 31 near one of the left or right side portions 22c. In the case of the refrigerator door 11a, the hinge portion 31 is located near the left side portion 22c when viewed from the front.

[0033] In this embodiment, the cap member 22 has a locking portion 33 that includes an engagement portion with the metal plate 21. The locking portion 33 is provided on the rear side of the refrigerator door 11a (i.e., at a position corresponding to the rear side bent portion 21c of the metal plate 21) (see Figure 4, etc.). The locking portion 33 is provided with a rib (fitting portion) 34 that fits into a notch 45 provided in the rear side bent portion 21c of the metal plate 21 (see Figure 7).

[0034] Furthermore, an opening 36 is provided in the lateral portion 22c of the cap member 22 (see Figure 5). The second claw portion 54 of the retaining member 23 is fitted into this opening 36.

[0035] The retaining member 23 has a lateral portion 51, a front portion 52, and a rear portion 53 (see Figure 8). The names of these parts of the retaining member 23 are defined based on their positions when the retaining member 23 is attached to the refrigerator door 11a. The retaining member 23 is also provided with a second claw portion 54. This second claw portion 54 is fitted into an opening 36 provided in the lateral portion 22c of the cap member 22.

[0036] The lateral portion 51 and the front portion 52 of the retaining member 23 are positioned around the hinge portion 31 (see Figure 3). This allows for reinforcement around the hinge portion 31 of the refrigerator door 11a.

[0037] The rear portion 53 of the retaining member 23 is positioned to correspond to the locking portion 33 located at the end of the rear portion 22d of the cap member 22. The rear portion 53 of the retaining member 23 is provided to cover the locking portion between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 from the inside of the door (see Figure 3, etc.). By providing such a retaining member 23, the gap formed between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 can be narrowed or sealed. This suppresses leakage of the foam insulation material filled inside the door. In addition, when assembling the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22, misalignment of the metal plate 21 or detachment of the assembly can be suppressed.

[0038] When attaching the cap member 22 to the metal plate 21, the front portion of the upper bent portion 41a of the metal plate 21 is inserted into the fitting groove provided in the front portion 22b of the cap member 22 (see Figure 5). Then, the claw portion (not shown) of the cap member 22 is engaged with the recess 42 provided in the upper bent portion 41a.

[0039] Next, the rib 34 provided on the locking portion 33 of the cap member 22 is fitted from above into the notch 45 provided on the bent portion 21c on the back side of the metal plate 21. At this time, the lower surface of the upper portion 22a of the cap member 22 comes into contact with the upper surface of the lateral portion of the upper bent portion 41a of the metal plate 21. As a result, the lateral portion 22c of the cap member 22 is covered by the side portion 21b of the metal plate 21.

[0040] In this way, by providing the locking portion for the cap member 22 on the metal plate 21 at the rear bent portion 21c, away from the front portion 21a of the metal plate 21, the workability when attaching the cap member 22 can be improved. Furthermore, since the locking portion between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 is composed of the notch 45 provided at the rear bent portion 21c and the rib 34 of the cap member 22, the lateral movement of the cap member 22 relative to the metal plate 21 is restricted, thereby suppressing misalignment and detachment during the assembly of the refrigerator door 11a.

[0041] This allows the side portion of the upper bent portion 41a of the metal plate 21 to be aligned with the side portion 22c of the cap member 22, even without providing a fitting groove in the side portion 22c of the cap member 22. Therefore, the process of widening the side portion 21b of the metal plate 21 while fitting it into the fitting groove of the cap member 22, which is required when fitting grooves are provided in both the front portion 22b and the side portion 22c of the cap member 22, becomes unnecessary. As a result, deformation of the metal plate 21 during the installation of the cap member 22 can be prevented, and the workability during installation can be improved.

[0042] After the cap member 22 is attached to the metal plate 21, the retaining member 23 is attached.

[0043] The retaining member 23 is attached to the cap member 22 from below (see Figures 4 and 6). At this time, the second claw portion 54 of the retaining member 23 moves from below the opening 36 of the cap member 22 to the position in the opening 36 and engages. That is, the second claw portion 54 is fitted into the opening 36 along the mounting direction of the retaining member 23. This improves the workability when installing the retaining member 23.

[0044] When the retaining member 23 is attached to the joint between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22, the lateral portion 51 and the front portion 52 of the retaining member 23 support the hinge portion 31 from the side (see Figure 3). This increases the strength around the hinge portion 31.

[0045] Furthermore, the rear portion 53 of the retaining member 23 covers the locking portion between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 from the inside of the door (see Figure 3). As a result, the joint between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 is sealed from the inside of the door by the retaining member 23. Therefore, leakage of the foam insulation material filled inside the door can be suppressed, and displacement of the metal plate 21 can be suppressed.

[0046] Furthermore, the same configuration as described above can be applied to the joint between the lower cap member 24, which is provided at the lower end of the refrigerator door 11a, and the metal plate 21. Therefore, a retaining member may also be provided at the joint between the metal plate 21 and the lower cap member 24.

[0047] In another embodiment, a retaining member may not be provided for joining the metal plate 21 and the lower cap member 24.

[0048] (Summary of the first embodiment) As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with openable and closable refrigerator doors 11a and 11b in the refrigerator compartment 11. The refrigerator door 11a comprises a metal plate 21 and a cap member 22. The metal plate 21 forms the front portion 21a and at least one side portion 21b of the door. The cap member 22 is attached to the upper edges of the front portion 21a and the side portion 21b of the metal plate 21. The metal plate 21 has an upper bent portion 41a at its upper edge, and the boundary between the upper bent portion 41a and the front portion 21a and the side portion 21b is exposed and not covered by the cap member 22. The metal plate 21 has a rear bent portion 21c that is continuous with the side portion 21b, and the metal plate 21 is locked to the cap member 22 at the rear bent portion 21c.

[0049] In this embodiment, the refrigerator door 11a has a cap member 22 attached to the upper bent portion 41a of the metal plate 21, so that when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front, the upper end of the metal plate forming the front and side portions of the door is exposed from the front to the side. In this way, by not covering the upper end of the metal plate 21 with, for example, the cap member 22, the aesthetic appearance of the front side of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

[0050] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the locking portion between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 is provided on the rear bent portion 21c, which is away from the front portion 21a. This improves the workability when attaching the cap member 22. In addition, since the locking portion between the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 is composed of a notch 45 provided on the rear bent portion 21c and the rib 34 of the cap member 22, the lateral movement of the cap member 22 relative to the metal plate 21 is restricted, thereby suppressing misalignment and detachment of the refrigerator door 11a during assembly.

[0051] As described above, the refrigerator door 11a according to this embodiment can restrict the lateral movement of the metal plate 21 by engaging the rear bent portion 21c of the metal plate 21 with the cap member 22, thereby preventing deformation of the metal plate 21 when attaching the cap member 22, and improving workability during installation.

[0052] Furthermore, because the cap member 22 is locked to the back side of the metal plate 21, the locking portion 33 of the cap member 22 can be placed in a location that is not visible from the front. This improves the aesthetic appearance of the front side of the refrigerator 1.

[0053] In this embodiment, the metal plate 21 and the cap member 22 are engaged by providing a notch 45 on the metal plate 21 side and a protruding structure (for example, a rib 34) on the cap member 22 side that fits into the notch 45. However, in another embodiment, a protrusion may be provided on the back side bent portion 21c of the metal plate 21, and a recess or hole may be provided in the locking portion 33 of the cap member 22 into which the protrusion fits.

[0054] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the joint between the metal plate and the cap member differs from that of the first embodiment. For other configurations, the same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied.

[0055] The following description will use the refrigerator door 111b of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment as an example. The refrigerator door 111b is located on the right side of the refrigerator compartment 11 when viewed from the front. A hinge portion 31 is provided at the right end of the refrigerator door 111b. The refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is also equipped with another refrigerator door 111a. The refrigerator door 111a has the same configuration as the refrigerator door 111b, except that it has a left-right symmetrical configuration.

[0056] Figure 9 shows the disassembled metal plate 121, cap member 122, and retaining member 23 that make up the refrigerator door 111b. Figure 10 shows the refrigerator door 111b with the cap member 122 removed.

[0057] The refrigerator door 111b mainly comprises a metal plate 121, a cap member 122, a retaining member 123, a lower cap member 24, a handle member (not shown), a back member 25, and an insulating material (not shown). The lower cap member 24, the handle member, the back member 25, and the insulating material can be configured in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0058] The metal plate 121 is positioned on the front of the door. The metal plate 121 has a front portion (front part) 21a and a side portion 21b, etc. The side portion 21b forms one side of the refrigerator door 111b. In the refrigerator door 111b located on the right side of the refrigerator compartment 11 when viewed from the front, the side portion 21b forms the right side portion on which the hinge portion 31 is provided.

[0059] Furthermore, the metal plate 121 has bent portions at each end. Specifically, it has an upper bent portion 41a located on the upper side of the metal plate 121, a lower bent portion 41b located on the lower side of the metal plate 121, a back bent portion 21c located on the back side of the metal plate 121, and a handle-side bent portion 21d located on the left side (handle side) of the metal plate 21. The configuration of each bent portion can be the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0060] Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, at least one recess 42 is formed in the upper bent portion 41a and the lower bent portion 41b by cutting out a part of the metal plate 121. In the example shown in Figure 9, two recesses 42 are formed in the upper bent portion 41a.

[0061] Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, a notch 45 is provided at the upper end of the rear-side folded portion 21c, which is a part of the metal plate 121 that has been cut out. The notch 45 is provided at a position corresponding to the locking portion 33 of the cap member 22 and constitutes an engagement portion with the cap member 22.

[0062] Furthermore, the metal plate 121 according to this embodiment has a different configuration from the metal plate 21 described in the first embodiment, having a hole 146 in a part of the upper bent portion 41a that is continuous with the side portion 21b (i.e., the upper bent portion 41c) (see Figure 9). The claw portion 135 provided on the cap member 122 fits into this hole 146.

[0063] The cap member 122 is attached to the upper side of the metal plate 121. Also, similar to the first embodiment, the cap member 122 is engaged with the bent portion 21c on the back side of the metal plate 121.

[0064] The outer shape of the cap member 122 is mainly formed by a top portion 22a, a front portion 22b, left and right side portions 22c, and a rear portion 22d. The cap member 122 also has a hinge portion 31 near one of the left or right side portions 22c. In the case of the refrigerator door 111b, the hinge portion 31 is located near the right side portion 22c when viewed from the front.

[0065] Similar to the first embodiment, the cap member 122 has a locking portion 33 that includes an engagement portion with the metal plate 121. The locking portion 33 is provided on the rear side of the refrigerator door 111b (i.e., at a position corresponding to the rear side bent portion 21c of the metal plate 121). The locking portion 33 is provided with a rib (fitting portion) 34 that fits into a notch 45 provided in the rear side bent portion 21c of the metal plate 121.

[0066] Furthermore, the cap member 122 in this embodiment has a different configuration from the cap member 22 described in the first embodiment, having a claw portion 135 near the lateral portion 22c on the side where the hinge portion 31 is provided. When the cap member 122 is attached to the metal plate 121, the claw portion 135 is fitted into a hole 146 provided in the metal plate 121.

[0067] The retaining member 123 has a lateral portion 51, a front portion 52, and a rear portion 53, similar to the first embodiment. In addition, the retaining member 123 according to this embodiment has a recess 155, which is a different configuration from the retaining member 23 described in the first embodiment (see Figure 9). The recess 155 is provided on the rear side of the upper surface of the lateral portion 51 (i.e., at a position corresponding to the claw portion 135 of the cap member 122). When the retaining member 123 is attached to the joint between the metal plate 121 and the cap member 122, the recess 155 is located below the claw portion 135 and the hole 146.

[0068] When attaching the cap member 122 to the metal plate 121, the front portion of the upper bent portion 41a of the metal plate 121 is inserted into the fitting groove provided in the front portion 22b of the cap member 122. Then, the claw portion (not shown) of the cap member 22 is engaged with the recess 42 provided in the upper bent portion 41a.

[0069] Furthermore, while aligning the upper bent portion 41c of the metal plate 121 with the side portion 22c of the cap member 122, the claw portion 135 of the cap member 122 is fitted into the hole 146 of the metal plate 121. Then, the rib 34 provided on the locking portion 33 of the cap member 122 is fitted into the notch 45 provided on the back bent portion 21c of the metal plate 121.

[0070] As described above, in this embodiment, the refrigerator door 111b is provided with a locking portion for the cap member 122 not only on the rear side bent portion 21c of the metal plate 121, but also on the upper end bent portion 41c that is continuous with the side portion 21b of the metal plate 121. This makes it possible to more reliably restrict the lateral movement of the cap member 122 relative to the metal plate 121, thereby suppressing misalignment and detachment of the refrigerator door 11a during assembly.

[0071] Furthermore, the cap member 122 is secured at two locations: the rear bent portion 21c and the upper bent portion 41c of the metal plate 121, thereby narrowing the gap between the cap member 122 and the metal plate 121. As a result, the foam insulation material filled inside the door is less likely to leak out. Therefore, the refrigerator door 111b in this embodiment does not necessarily need to be provided with a retaining member 123.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the refrigerator door 111b has a cap member 122 attached to the upper bent portion 41a of the metal plate 121. This allows the upper end of the metal plate forming the front and side portions of the door to be exposed from the front to the side when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front. By not covering the upper end of the metal plate 121 with the cap member 122 in this way, the aesthetic appearance of the front side of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

[0073] <Variation> Next, a modified version of the present invention will be described. In this modified version, the configuration of the joint between the metal plate and the cap member differs from that of the embodiments described above. For other configurations, the same configurations as in the first and second embodiments can be applied.

[0074] The following explanation will use the refrigerator door 211b of the modified refrigerator 1 as an example. The refrigerator door 211b is located on the right side of the refrigerator compartment 11 when viewed from the front. A hinge portion 31 is provided at the right end of the refrigerator door 211b. The refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is also equipped with another refrigerator door 211a. The refrigerator door 211a can be configured in the same way as the refrigerator door 211b, except that it has a left-right symmetrical configuration.

[0075] Figure 11 shows the disassembled metal plate 221, cap member 222, and retaining member 223 that make up the refrigerator door 111b. Figure 12 shows the external appearance of the inside (the side in contact with the insulation material) of the cap member 222. Figure 13 shows the external appearance of the retaining member 223.

[0076] The refrigerator door 211b mainly comprises a metal plate 221, a cap member 222, a retaining member 223, a lower cap member 24 (not shown in Figure 11), a handle member (not shown), a back member 25 (not shown in Figure 11), and insulation material (not shown). The lower cap member 24, the handle member, the back member 25, and the insulation material can be configured in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0077] The metal plate 221 can be configured in generally the same way as the metal plates 21 and 121 described in the above embodiments. However, in the case of the metal plate 221, the notch 45 is not provided at the upper end of the back-side folded portion 21c. Similar to the metal plate 121, a hole 146 is provided in the upper end folded portion 41c of the metal plate 221.

[0078] The cap member 222 can be configured in generally the same way as the cap members 22 and 122 described in the above embodiment. However, in the cap member 222, the locking portion 33 located on the rear side of the refrigerator door 211b does not have a rib (fitting portion) 34. Similar to the cap member 122, a claw portion 135 is provided near the lateral portion 22c of the cap member 222. The claw portion 135 is fitted into a hole 146 provided in the metal plate 221.

[0079] The retaining member 223 can be configured in generally the same way as the retaining members 23 and 123 described in the above embodiment. Similar to the retaining member 123, a recess 155 is provided on the rear side of the upper surface of the front portion 52 of the retaining member 223 (i.e., at a position corresponding to the claw portion 135 of the cap member 222). When the retaining member 223 is attached to the joint between the metal plate 221 and the cap member 222, the recess 155 is located below the claw portion 135 and the hole 146.

[0080] As described above, in the modified refrigerator door 211b, the metal plate 221 and the cap member 222 are locked together by fitting the claw portion 135 located on the side portion 22c of the cap member 222 into the hole 146 provided in the upper bent portion 41c which is continuous with the side portion 21b of the metal plate 221. In other words, as in the embodiment described above, the metal plate 221 and the cap member 222 are not locked together on the back side of the door, but on the side side of the door. This restricts the lateral movement of the cap member 222 relative to the metal plate 221, thereby suppressing misalignment and detachment of the refrigerator door 211a during assembly.

[0081] Furthermore, similar to the embodiment described above, the retaining member 223 is attached after the cap member 222 is attached to the metal plate 221. With the retaining member 223 attached, the joint between the metal plate 221 and the cap member 222 is sealed from the inside of the door by the retaining member 223. Therefore, leakage of the foam insulation material filled inside the door can be suppressed, and displacement of the metal plate 221 can be suppressed.

[0082] Furthermore, in this modified example, the refrigerator door 211b has a cap member 222 attached to the upper bent portion 41a of the metal plate 221. This allows the upper end of the metal plate forming the front and side portions of the door to be exposed from the front to the side when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front. By not covering the upper end of the metal plate 221 with the cap member 222 in this way, the aesthetic appearance of the front side of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

[0083] (summary) A refrigerator door (for example, a refrigerator compartment door 11a, 11b, 111a, 111b) according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a metal plate (for example, metal plate 21, 121) forming a front portion (for example, front portion 21a) and at least one side portion (for example, side portion 21b) of the door, and a cap member (for example, cap member 22, 122) attached to the upper end edges of the front portion and the side portion of the metal plate. The metal plate has an upper end bent portion (for example, upper end bent portion 41a) at its upper end edge, and the boundary between the upper end bent portion and the front portion and the side portion is exposed. The metal plate has a rear side bent portion (for example, rear side bent portion 21c) that is continuous with the side portion, and the metal plate is locked to the cap member at the rear side bent portion.

[0084] In the refrigerator door (for example, refrigerator compartment door 11a, 11b, 111a, 111b) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, the rear folded portion (for example, rear folded portion 21c) of the metal plate (for example, metal plate 21, 121) is provided with a notch (for example, a notch 45) in which a part of the metal plate is cut out, and the cap member (for example, cap member 22, 122) may be provided with a fitting portion (for example, a rib 34) that fits into the notch.

[0085] A refrigerator door (for example, a refrigerator compartment door 11a, 11b, 111a, 111b) according to another aspect of the present invention described above may further include a retaining member (for example, a retaining member 23, 123) provided to cover the locking portion between the metal plate (for example, a metal plate 21, 121) and the cap member (for example, a cap member 22, 122) from the inside of the door.

[0086] In a refrigerator door (for example, a refrigerator compartment door 11a, 11b, 111a, 111b) according to any aspect of the present invention described above, the metal plate (for example, metal plate 121) may be further secured to the cap member (for example, cap member 122) at the upper bent portion (for example, upper bent portion 41c) that is continuous with the side portion (for example, side portion 21b).

[0087] A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention (for example, refrigerator 1) is equipped with a door according to any aspect of the present invention described above (for example, refrigerator compartment doors 11a, 11b, 111a, 111b).

[0088] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. Configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described herein are also included in the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1: Refrigerator 11: Refrigerator 11a: Refrigerator door 21: Metal plate 21a: Front (front part) of a metal plate 21b: Side portion (of a metal plate) 21c: (of the metal plate) the folded part on the back side 22: Cap component 23: Retaining member 33: Locking part (of the cap component) 34: Rib (fitting part) (of the cap component) 41a: (Metal plate) upper edge bent portion 41c: (of a metal plate) upper edge bend 45: Notch (of a metal plate) 111b: Refrigerator door 121: Metal plate 122: Cap component 123: Retaining member 135: Claw portion (of the cap component) 146: (Hole in a metal plate)

Claims

1. A refrigerator door, a metal plate forming a front surface and at least one side surface of the door; a cap member attached to the upper end edges of the front and side surfaces of the metal plate; It is equipped with the metal plate has an upper end bent portion on the upper edge, and the boundaries between the upper end bent portion of the front surface portion and the upper end bent portion of the side surface portion are exposed; the metal plate has a rear-side bent portion that is continuous with the side portion, the metal plate is engaged with the cap member at the rear-side bent portion; door.

2. a notch formed by cutting out a part of the metal plate is provided in the rear side bent portion of the metal plate, The cap member is provided with a fitting portion that fits into the notch portion. The door of claim 1 .

3. The door further includes a pressing member provided to cover the engaging portion between the metal plate and the cap member from the inside of the door. The door according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The metal plate is further engaged with the cap member at the upper end bent portion that is continuous with the side surface portion. A door according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A refrigerator equipped with the door according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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