refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a refrigerator body having a storage chamber serving as a storage space; a plurality of storage shelves arranged at different positions in the height direction within the storage chamber; a storage chamber-side rail structure that is installed on the side wall surface of the storage chamber and supports the storage shelves; and a partition having a partition body that is installed in the lower section of a first storage shelf among the plurality of storage shelves, extends below the first storage shelf, and serves as a wall dividing the interior of the storage chamber into a plurality of parts in the width direction, and a partition-side rail structure that is installed on both side surfaces of the partition body, forms a pair with the storage chamber-side rail structure, and supports the storage shelves. The partition is installed so as to be detachably attachable to the first storage shelf, and the storage chamber-side rail structure and the partition-side rail structure have one or a plurality of levels installed in the height direction.

Description

refrigerator

[0001] This technology relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to changing the height of the storage space by using storage shelves arranged in the storage compartment.

[0002] A conventional refrigerator is known that has a support portion on the side of the storage compartment that supports multiple food storage shelves (hereinafter referred to as storage shelves). In such a refrigerator, the position of the storage shelves can be changed to match the height of the food to be stored by changing the height position of the support portion on which the storage shelves are placed within the storage compartment, thereby increasing the flexibility of food storage.

[0003] However, in such refrigerators, when changing the height of the storage shelves, the height must be changed across the entire width of the storage shelves. Therefore, in such refrigerators, even when storing some tall foods, the overall height of the storage space must be adjusted. This can result in wasted food storage space.

[0004] Therefore, there is a refrigerator in which the storage compartment is divided into left and right sections by a vertically extending partition plate, and the height of the storage space can be adjusted on the left and right sides of the partition plate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This refrigerator has upper and lower storage compartments. The upper storage compartment includes a refrigerator compartment and a vegetable compartment, while the lower storage compartment includes a freezer compartment. The upper storage compartment also includes a partition plate that separates the compartment from the floor to the ceiling into upper and lower compartments. This refrigerator also includes multiple shelf support shapes on both left and right sides of the partition plate and on the height direction of the interior wall of the storage compartment corresponding to both sides of the partition plate. In this way, the refrigerator of Patent Document 1 allows the height of the storage shelf installed between the partition plate and the interior wall of the storage compartment to be adjusted by installing a storage shelf between the partition plate and the interior wall of the storage compartment.

[0005] There is also a refrigerator in which the storage shelves can be divided by shelf supports attached to the ceiling of the storage compartment at any height from the ceiling (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Therefore, the refrigerator of Patent Document 2 increases the user's freedom in determining the height of the storage shelves.

[0006] Furthermore, there is a refrigerator that includes a first shelf with a side wall portion extending vertically above a shelf in a storage compartment, and a second shelf that is disposed between the side wall portion and the inner wall surface of the storage compartment and has a shelf surface that is indicated at multiple positions in the vertical direction (see, for example, Patent Document 3). The refrigerator in Patent Document 3 can store food of any height.

[0007] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-099563 Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 03-000580 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-050647

[0008] However, in the refrigerator of Patent Document 1, if a partition extends from the floor of the storage compartment, the space divided by the partition into left and right halves becomes narrower in width. Therefore, the refrigerator of Patent Document 1 is unsuitable for storing wide items such as large plates and pots with handles. The upper storage compartment, particularly the area close to the floor, is particularly convenient for relatively short users. Short users can store heavy pots and large plates filled with food in storage shelves located on or near the floor of the storage compartment, rather than in the upper storage shelves. If the floor of the upper storage compartment is divided into left and right halves by a partition, it becomes impossible to store wide items. Patent Document 1 also describes a refrigerator in which partitions extend to the left and right of the storage compartment at a position higher than the floor, rather than at the floor level. However, the storage shelves are positioned to support the bottom of the vertically extending partitions. Therefore, the height of the storage shelves that come into contact with the bottom of the partitions cannot be adjusted. Therefore, the lower storage shelf has limited freedom in adjusting its height.

[0009] Furthermore, in the refrigerator of Patent Document 2, when multiple storage shelves are arranged on the shelf support, not only the storage shelf to be divided but also all storage shelves located above the storage shelf to be divided are divided into left and right tiers. This makes it difficult to use when a wider space is desired. Furthermore, the refrigerator of Patent Document 2 has issues such as the fasteners being attached to the ceiling, making them impossible to remove for cleaning and making it difficult to replace parts if they are damaged. Furthermore, the refrigerator of Patent Document 2 also has issues such as the fasteners extending downward, which increases the volume of the fasteners themselves, thereby reducing food storage space.

[0010] Furthermore, the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 3 structurally requires side walls to support the first and second storage shelves. This reduces the storage capacity of the storage compartment. Furthermore, the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 3 requires the first storage shelf to change the height of the storage compartment. Therefore, it is not possible to store food items with a large floor area while adjusting the height.

[0011] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that allows for a high degree of freedom in adjusting the height position of storage shelves within a storage compartment.

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the refrigerator according to the present disclosure comprises a refrigerator main body having an opening on the front and a storage compartment that serves as a storage space; a plurality of storage shelves arranged at different height positions within the storage compartment; a storage compartment-side rail structure that is installed on a side wall surface of the storage compartment and supports the storage shelves; and a partition main body that is installed below a first storage shelf among the plurality of storage shelves and extends downward from the first storage shelf to form walls that divide the storage compartment into a plurality of sections in the width direction, and partitions that are installed on both side surfaces of the partition main body and have partition-side rail structures that support the storage shelves in pairs with the storage compartment-side rail structure, the partition being installed detachably with respect to the first storage shelf, and the storage compartment-side rail structure and the partition-side rail structure being installed in one or more height stages.

[0013] According to the refrigerator of the present disclosure, the heights of the storage spaces partitioned by the partitions can be made different without dividing the lower storage shelf, which allows for more use of the floor space in the storage compartment and provides a refrigerator with excellent flexibility.

[0014] 13 is a front view of refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. 14 is a front view illustrating the configuration of refrigeration compartment 101 according to embodiment 1. 15 is a view of the left side of refrigeration compartment 101 taken along the X-X cross section shown in FIG. 2. 16 is a front view illustrating the peripheral arrangement of refrigeration compartment 10 in refrigeration compartment 101 according to embodiment 1. 17 is a front view illustrating partition 10 according to embodiment 1. 18 is a side view illustrating partition 10 according to embodiment 1. 19 is a perspective view of partition 10 according to embodiment 1. 20 is a bottom view illustrating lower left shelf 5 and lower right shelf 6 according to embodiment 1. 21 is an enlarged view of region C1 in FIG. 8. 22 is a bottom view illustrating the positional relationship of lower left shelf 5, lower right shelf 6, and partition 10 according to embodiment 1. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 24. 24 is an enlarged view of region C2 in FIG. 25. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 26. 26 is an enlarged view of region D in FIG. 27. 28 is a front view illustrating refrigeration compartment 101 in a state in which partition 10 attached to refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1 is tilted. 15 is an enlarged view showing region E1 of FIG. 15. A view showing region E2 of FIG. 15. A bottom view showing the middle shelf 4 according to embodiment 1. A cross-sectional view of the middle shelf 4 according to embodiment 1 taken along line F-F of FIG. 18. A top view showing the middle shelf 4 according to embodiment 1. An enlarged view of region G of the middle shelf 4 of FIG. 20. A top view showing the relationship between the middle shelf 4 and the partition 10 when the partition 10 is attached. An enlarged view of region H of FIG. 22. A cross-sectional view of the middle shelf 4 taken along line L-L of FIG. 23. A cross-sectional view of the middle shelf 4 taken along line K-K of FIG. 23. A top view showing the relationship between the glass surface portion 4a and the resin frame 4b of the middle shelf 4 according to embodiment 1. A view showing the relationship between the middle shelf 4 according to embodiment 1 having an opening 19 in the glass surface portion 4a and the partition 10. A view showing the relationship between the middle shelf 4 without an opening 19 in the glass surface portion 4a and the partition 10. Fig. 30 is a front view showing the positional relationship between a middle shelf 4, a partition 10, and an air passage decorative panel 20a of a refrigerator compartment 101 according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 31 is a perspective view showing an air passage decorative panel 20a of a refrigerator compartment 101 according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 32 is an enlarged view of an area M shown in Fig. 30.

[0015] Refrigerators according to embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, components with the same reference numerals are identical or equivalent and will be common throughout the following embodiments. The configurations of components shown throughout the specification are merely examples and are not limited to the configurations described in the specification. In particular, the combinations of components are not limited to the combinations in each embodiment, and components described in other embodiments can be applied to other embodiments. The front of a refrigerator is referred to as the front, and the side opposite the front is referred to as the rear. The upper surface of a refrigerator viewed from the front is referred to as the top, and the side opposite the top is referred to as the bottom. The left and right surfaces of a refrigerator viewed from the front are referred to as sides. In the following description, the upper side in the drawings will be referred to as the "upper side," and the lower side will be referred to as the "lower side." To facilitate understanding, terms that primarily represent directions when viewing a refrigerator from the front (e.g., "right," "left," "front," "rear," etc.) will be used as appropriate. However, these terms are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the disclosure. In addition, the direction from the top to the bottom when viewing the refrigerator from the front side is referred to as the height direction, the direction from the left to the right as the width direction, and the direction from the front to the back as the depth direction. The size relationships between the components in the drawings may differ from those in reality.

[0016] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows the refrigerator 100 without doors for opening and closing each compartment. In FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 according to this embodiment stores stored items such as food to be cooled, and performs, for example, refrigeration at 10°C or below and freezing at -12°C or below. The refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerator body 100a that forms an outer shell. The refrigerator body 100a has a storage space inside. The storage space is divided into multiple storage compartments by multiple partitions provided within the refrigerator body 100a. The multiple storage compartments are a refrigerator compartment 101, an ice-making compartment 102, a switchable compartment 103, a freezer compartment 104, and a vegetable compartment 105, respectively.

[0017] The refrigerator compartment 101 refrigerates stored items. The refrigerator compartment 101 has an open front, and stored items can be taken in and out by opening and closing a door attached to the front. The configuration of the refrigerator compartment 101 will be described later. The ice-making compartment 102 is a storage compartment for storing produced ice. The switchable compartment 103 is a storage compartment that can be switched to various temperature ranges, such as a freezing temperature range of approximately -18°C, a refrigerating temperature range of approximately 3°C, a chilled temperature range of approximately 0°C, and a soft freezing temperature range of approximately -7°C. The freezer compartment 104 is a storage compartment for freezing stored items. The vegetable compartment 105 is a storage compartment for storing fruits and vegetables, for example. The types and number of storage compartments included in the refrigerator 100 are not limited to these. The following description will be given assuming that the stored items are food.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the configuration of the refrigeration compartment 101 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a view of the left side of the refrigeration compartment 101 taken along the X-X cross section shown in FIG. 2. The refrigeration compartment 101 refrigerates stored items. The floor of the refrigeration compartment 101 is located between 90 and 100 cm above the surface on which the refrigerator 100 is placed, approximately at waist height for an adult woman. The refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment has multiple storage shelves installed inside the refrigeration compartment 101. The storage shelves are boards that divide the storage space within the refrigeration compartment 101 into upper and lower sections and on which food is placed or otherwise stored. The refrigeration compartment 101 of the first embodiment includes an upper shelf 3, a middle shelf 4, a lower left shelf 5, and a lower right shelf 6 as storage shelves. The refrigeration compartment 101 of the first embodiment also includes a lower drawer-type case 1 and an upper drawer-type case 2. Lower drawer-type case 1 and upper drawer-type case 2 are drawer cases stacked in two tiers below lower left shelf 5 and lower right shelf 6. Lower drawer-type case 1 is placed on the floor of refrigeration compartment 101. Upper drawer-type case 2 is placed above lower drawer-type case 1. Floor shelf 7 is placed above upper drawer-type case 2. Floor shelf 7 covers the opening of upper drawer-type case 2. Floor shelf 7 is located below lower left shelf 5 and lower right shelf 6. Upper shelf 3, middle shelf 4, lower left shelf 5, lower right shelf 6, and floor shelf 7 each have a highly rigid flat glass plate (glass surface) placed in the center and surrounded by a resin frame.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, the refrigerator 100 includes a design panel 20 that forms the back surface of the inner wall of the refrigerator compartment 101. The design panel 20 includes an air passage decorative panel 20a in part. The air passage decorative panel 20a has a cold air outlet 20b that connects the cooling duct 21 with the refrigerator compartment 101. The air passage decorative panel 20a will be described later. The refrigerator 100 also includes a cooling duct 21 between the design panel 20 and the refrigerator body 100a that allows cold air to pass through to cool the refrigerator compartment 101.

[0020] The partition 10 is detachably attached to the underside of the middle shelf 4, which is the first storage shelf. The partition 10 is attached in a position where the partition 10 and the air outlet 20b do not overlap when projected from the rear side to the front side of the refrigerator 100. Therefore, when the refrigerator compartment 101 is viewed from the front side, the partition 10 does not overlap the air outlet 20b. Cool air is blown out from the air outlet 20b from the rear side to the front side. Therefore, the partition 10 does not block the air outlet 20b and does not impede the flow of cool air blown out from the air outlet 20b. In FIG. 2 , the partition 10 is attached slightly to the left of the approximate center in the width direction of the refrigerator compartment 101. The partition 10 separates the lower left shelf 5, which is the second storage shelf, from the lower right shelf 6, which is the third storage shelf. The partition 10 divides the storage space between the lower left shelf 5, the lower right shelf 6 and the middle shelf 4 into two storage spaces on the left and right in the width direction.

[0021] Fig. 4 is a front view showing the layout of the refrigeration compartment 101 around the partition 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a front view showing the partition 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a side view showing the partition 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the partition 10 according to the first embodiment. Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the partition 10 as seen from the right partition side surface 10e side.

[0022] The partition body 10a has a rectangular wall and constitutes the main body of the partition 10. The partition body 10a is detachably attached to the underside of the middle shelf 4, which serves as the mounting surface, and extends downward from the mounting surface approximately perpendicular to the middle shelf 4. The bottom end 10c of the partition body 10a is located at a set height from the top surface of the floor shelf 7.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 6, the partition body 10a has a plurality of communication openings 10b. The communication openings 10b connect the two storage spaces. Therefore, cool air from the air outlets 20b of the decorative air passage panel 20a flows into the adjacent storage space through the communication openings 10b, thereby making it possible to equalize the temperature distribution in the two storage spaces separated in the width direction by the partition 10. Therefore, even if the refrigerator compartment 101 has two storage spaces, with the air outlet 20b on the back surface of the right storage space and no air outlet 20b on the back surface of the left storage space, as shown in Fig. 3, it is possible to suppress temperature imbalance between the two storage spaces.

[0024] The partition 10 has a partition-side rail structure 11 that extends horizontally in the depth direction of the refrigerator 100. The partition-side rail structure 11 is a member that protrudes in the width direction of the refrigerator 100 by a set length from the partition main body 10a at a set height from the bottom end 10c. The partition-side rail structure 11 guides the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 in the depth direction and supports the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6. The partition-side rail structure 11a1 and the partition-side rail structure 11b1 form a first rail structure. The partition-side rail structure 11a2 and the partition-side rail structure 11b2 form a second rail structure. The partition-side rail structure 11a1 and the partition-side rail structure 11b1 are installed on the left partition side surface 10d of the partition main body 10a. The partition-side rail structure 11a2 and the partition-side rail structure 11a2 are installed on the right partition side surface 10e of the partition body 10a. The partition-side rail structure 11b1 and the partition-side rail structure 11b2 are installed higher in the height direction than the partition-side rail structure 11a1 and the partition-side rail structure 11a2, respectively. While Figures 6 and 7 show the partition-side rail structure 11a2 and the partition-side rail structure 11b2 as being split in the middle to form a two-section structure, this is not limiting. The partition-side rail structure 11 may also be configured as a single section or three or more sections.

[0025] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the left and right inner wall sides 101a and 101b of the refrigerator compartment 101, which face the left and right partition side faces 10d and 10e, respectively, have storage compartment rail structures 106. The storage compartment rail structures 106, paired with the partition rail structures 11 of the partition 10, guide the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 in the depth direction and support the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6. The storage compartment rail structures 106a1 constitute a first storage compartment rail structure. The storage compartment rail structures 106a2 and 106b2 constitute a second storage compartment rail structure. Storage compartment-side rail structures 106a1 and 106a2 are installed on inner wall left side 101a and inner wall right side 101b at positions equal to or close to the height of partition-side rail structures 11a1 and 11a2. Storage compartment-side rail structure 106b2 is installed on inner wall right side 101b at a position equal to or close to the height of partition-side rail structure 11b2. Left and right inner wall sides 101a and 101b of refrigerator compartment 101 on both sides have middle shelf rail structures 107 that guide and support middle shelf 4 in the depth direction.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 6, partition 10 has pressing portion 11c2 and pressing portion 11d2 at the rear of right partition side surface 10e. Pressing portion 11c2 and pressing portion 11d2 are members that protrude by a set length in the width direction of refrigerator 100. Pressing portion 11c2 and pressing portion 11d2, together with partition-side rail structure 11a2 and partition-side rail structure 11a2, respectively, restrict movement in the height direction of lower left shelf 5 and lower right shelf 6 arranged on partition-side rail structure 11. And, as shown in Fig. 5, partition 10 also has pressing portion 11c1 and pressing portion 11d1 similar to pressing portion 11c2 and pressing portion 11d2 at the rear of left partition side surface 10d.

[0027] With the partition 10 having the above-described structure, as shown in FIG. 4 , the installation height of one of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 can be changed or only one of the storage shelves can be removed. This allows the user of the refrigerator 100 to adjust the volume of the storage space between the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 and the middle shelf 4, and the volume of the storage space between the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 and the floor shelf 7, depending on the size of the food to be stored, thereby providing the refrigerator 100 with excellent flexibility. In particular, the storage space around the floor shelf 7 below the refrigeration compartment 101 is not divided in the width direction. Therefore, the storage space between the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 and the floor shelf 7 in the refrigeration compartment 101 can be divided into areas requiring higher storage height and areas with lower storage height depending on the food, while maintaining storage capacity.

[0028] Here, in the configuration of the partition 10 shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the partition rail structures 11 arranged on the left partition side surface 10d and the right partition side surface 10e are two-tiered, consisting of the partition rail structures 11a and 11b. The partition rail structures 11a and 11b are arranged at the same height on the left and right sides of the partition main body 10a. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the partition 10 may have three or more tiers of partition rail structures 11. Furthermore, in the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, the partition rail structures 11 on both sides of the partition main body 10a are arranged at the same height, but they may be arranged at different heights on each side.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 7, the partition-side rail structure 11 has rail holes 12 that are concave downward in a portion of the upper surface that supports the storage shelf. Therefore, the portion that becomes the rail holes 12 does not constitute a surface. Here, the concave shape of the rail holes 12 may be a through-hole that penetrates the underside of the partition-side rail structure 11. The partition-side rail structures 11a2 and 11b2 have rail holes 12a2 and 12b2, respectively. Although not shown in Fig. 7, the partition-side rail structures 11a1 and 11b1 also have rail holes 12a1 and 12b1.

[0030] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the partition 10 has a front mounting portion 13 and a rear mounting portion 14 at the front and rear ends, respectively, of the top surface of the partition body 10a. The front mounting portion 13 and the rear mounting portion 14 are used when the partition 10 is attached to the middle shelf 4. The rear mounting portion 14 has a base portion 14a extending upward along the back surface of the partition 10 and a locking portion 14b extending forward from the upper end of the base portion 14a. The partition 10 also has a wall portion 15. The wall portion 15 is installed in two locations, one on the front side and one on the rear side, at the top end of the partition body 10a. The wall portion 15 is a member that protrudes widthwise from the partition body 10a along the underside of the middle shelf 4 near the portion where the partition 10 is attached to the middle shelf 4. The front mounting portion 13, the rear mounting portion 14, and the wall portion 15 will be described later.

[0031] FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of region C1 in FIG. 8 . Region C1 in FIG. 8 is the region on the underside of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 that is placed on the partition rail structure 11. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , when the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 are placed on the partition rail structure 11 of the partition 10, shelf protrusions 8 are provided in the region where the resin frame of each storage shelf overlaps with the partition rail structure 11 in the height direction. The shelf protrusions 8 are provided on the underside of the resin frame in a direction extending downward. Furthermore, the shelf protrusions 8 are provided in a position forward of the center of the resin frame in the depth direction. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the shelf protrusions 8 are provided in a downwardly convex shape on the underside of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 in the region that will be placed on the partition rail structure 11. The shelf protrusion portion 8 is positioned so that it fits into the rail hole 12 of the partition side rail structure 11 when the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 are supported in a normal state by the partition side rail structure 11 described above.

[0032] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the relative positions of the lower left shelf 5, the lower right shelf 6, and the partition 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 shows the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 positioned on the partition rail structure 11 of the partition 10 and engaged with the partition rail structure 11. Line A-A is a line extending in the depth direction through the overlapping position of the partition rail structure 11 and the lower right shelf 6. Line B-B is a line passing through the rail hole 12 and the shelf protrusion 8. Area C2 indicates the area surrounding the shelf protrusion 8 and the claw 9. FIG. 10 shows the lower left shelf 5, the lower right shelf 6, and the partition 10 as viewed from below. Therefore, in FIG. 10, the partition rail structure 11 of the partition 10 (the partition rail structure 11a1 and the partition rail structure 11a2) can be seen forward of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6. The claws 9 are members that sandwich the partition-side rail structure 11 from above and below together with the resin frames of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6. The claws 9 are provided at positions that form the undersides of the resin frames of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6, and have a hook-like shape that bends outward. The claws 9 will be described later.

[0033] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 10 . Here, FIG. 11 shows a region of the cross-section taken along line A-A that illustrates the relationship between the shelf protrusion 8 and the partition-side rail structure 11. As shown in FIG. 11 , when the shelf protrusion 8 is viewed from the side, it has a substantially vertical front wall surface on the front side and an inclined surface on the rear side. The front wall surface of the shelf protrusion 8 is located near the side wall surface of the recess of the rail hole 12 in the partition-side rail structure 11. When the lower left shelf 5 or the lower right shelf 6 attempts to move forward, the front wall surface of the shelf protrusion 8 provided thereon comes into contact with the side wall surface of the rail hole 12, thereby restricting the movement of the lower left shelf 5 or the lower right shelf 6. Furthermore, the shelf protrusion 8 has an inclined surface on the rear side. When the user moves the lower left shelf 5 or the lower right shelf 6 to the rear of the refrigerator compartment 101 to attach it to the partition 10, the rear inclined surface of the shelf protrusion 8 comes into contact with the front end of the partition-side rail structure 11, and the lower left shelf 5 or the lower right shelf 6 rides up onto the upper surface of the partition-side rail structure 11. Therefore, the user can move the lower left shelf 5 or the lower right shelf 6 to be attached rearward without the shelf protrusion 8 getting caught on the partition-side rail structure 11.

[0034] Figure 12 is an enlarged view of area C2 in Figure 10. Figure 12 shows the area around the shelf protrusion 8 and the claw 9 when the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 are placed on the partition-side rail structure 11. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 10. Figure 13 shows the area in which the divider 10 is attached to the middle shelf 4, the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 are placed on the partition-side rail structure 11, and the shelf protrusion 8 is inserted into the space in the rail hole 12. Area D shows the area around the rail hole 12 and the shelf protrusion 8. Figure 14 is an enlarged view of area D in Figure 13.

[0035] 12 and 14 , rail holes 12 provided on the upper surface of the partition-side rail structure 11 are fitted with and locked to convex shelf protrusions 8 provided on the undersides of the lower-left shelf 5 and the lower-right shelf 6, respectively. Therefore, the attached lower-left shelf 5 and lower-right shelf 6 are restricted from moving in the depth direction relative to the partition-side rail structure 11. By restricting the movement of the lower-left shelf 5 and lower-right shelf 6 in the depth direction in this manner, there is no need to provide extra overlap so that the overlap, which is the area where the partition-side rail structure 11 and the shelf overlap in a top view, does not decrease as the storage shelf moves. Therefore, the overlap of the lower-left shelf 5 and lower-right shelf 6 with the partition-side rail structure 11 can be reduced compared to when the rail holes 12 and shelf protrusions 8 are not provided. For example, when the lower right shelf 6 is removed and the refrigerator compartment 101 is in use, if food hits the left side of the divider 10, the divider 10 is pushed to the right, causing the divider 10 to move counterclockwise around the axis where it is attached to the middle shelf 4. Because the lower left shelf 5 tends to stay in place due to the law of inertia, such movement causes the divider rail structure 11 to move in a direction away from the lower left shelf 5 (to the right), reducing the overlap of the lower left shelf 5 with the divider 10. In the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, when the divider 10 moves a set amount in the width direction, the side walls of the rail holes 12 in the divider rail structure 11 come into contact with the convex shelf protrusions 8 provided on the undersides of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6. Then, the storage shelves supported by the divider rail structure 11 move in accordance with the movement of the divider 10 to ensure the minimum overlap (see FIG. 17 , described later). Therefore, the overlapping area can be reduced while restricting the partition 10 from moving beyond a set amount.

[0036] 12 to 14, the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 are provided on the underside of the resin frames of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6, along the edges of the partition rail structure 11 and outside the partition rail structure 11. As described above, the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 have claw portions 9. As shown in FIG. 14, the claw portions 9 have a claw support portion 9a extending downward and a locking portion 9b that extends from the rear end of the claw support portion 9a toward the partition main body 10a, is located below the partition rail structure 11, and has an area that overlaps with the partition rail structure 11.

[0037] As described above, the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 each have a claw portion 9 on the underside of the resin frame. Therefore, even if food or the like comes into contact with the underside of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 near their front ends and the front ends of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 are lifted upward, the locking portion 9b of the claw portion 9 comes into contact with the underside of the partition-side rail structure 11. Therefore, in the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment, the vertical movement of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 can be restricted. By configuring the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 to have the claw portion 9, the vertical movement of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 when pushed up from below can be restricted from exceeding the distance between the upper surface of the locking portion 9b and the underside of the partition-side rail structure 11. Therefore, damage and deformation of the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 can be restricted. 14, the distance from the upper surface of the locking portion 9b to the lower surface of the partition-side rail structure 11 is greater than the height of the shelf protrusions 8 provided on the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6. This allows the user to easily remove the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6 from the partition 10.

[0038] FIG. 15 is a front view showing the refrigeration compartment 101 in a state where the partition 10 attached to the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment is tilted. FIG. 16 is an enlarged view showing region E1 in FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is a view showing region E2 in FIG. 15. FIG. 18 is a bottom view showing the middle shelf 4 according to the first embodiment. Line F-F is a line extending in the depth direction of the middle shelf 4 where the partition 10 is attached. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the middle shelf 4 according to the first embodiment taken along line F-F in FIG. 18. FIG. 20 is a top view showing the middle shelf 4 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of region G in the middle shelf 4 in FIG. 20. FIG. 22 is a top view showing the relationship between the middle shelf 4 and the partition 10 when the partition 10 is attached. FIG. 23 is an enlarged view of region H in FIG. 22. Here, region H is the same region as region G in FIG. 21. Also, line J-J is a line passing through the center in the width direction of the rear mounting portion 14. Figure 24 is a cross-sectional view of the middle shelf 4 taken along line L-L in Figure 23. And Figure 25 is a cross-sectional view of the middle shelf 4 taken along line K-K in Figure 23.

[0039] 16, the divider 10 has the aforementioned wall surfaces 15 at two locations near the upper end of the divider body 10a where the divider 10 is attached to the middle shelf 4. The wall surfaces 15 protrude widthwise from the divider body 10a and have surfaces that are in contact with or substantially parallel to the underside of the glass surface 4a of the middle shelf 4. When the refrigerator compartment 101 is viewed from the front, the wall surfaces 15 appear to extend diagonally upward.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 15 , when a force in the width direction is applied to the partition 10, the partition 10 may rotate around the front mounting portion 13 and the rear mounting portion 14, which serve as insertion portions described later, and may tilt obliquely in the height direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16 , the partition 10 of the first embodiment has a wall surface portion 15 protruding in the width direction from the partition main body 10 a. When the partition 10 attempts to rotate, the wall surface portion 15 comes into contact with the underside of the middle shelf 4 to which the partition 10 is fitted, impeding the rotation. Therefore, the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment can suppress the rotation of the partition 10 and prevent excessive tilting. Furthermore, the partition 10 has wall surface portions 15 at two locations, the front and rear, at the upper end of the partition main body 10 a. This allows the partition 10 to suppress movement of the partition 10 regardless of where a force in the width direction is applied to the partition 10.

[0041] As described above, the middle shelf 4 includes a glass surface 4a, which is a highly rigid, flat glass plate, and a resin frame 4b made of resin. As shown in FIG. 19 , the middle shelf 4 in embodiment 1 is covered with resin not only on the front, rear, left, and right edges of the glass surface 4a, which form the frame, but also on the underside of the glass surface 4a. Here, the resin frame 4b includes the resin on the underside. The resin frame 4b of the middle shelf 4 also includes a fitting portion 16 for attaching the partition 10. The fitting portion 16 protrudes downward from the resin covering the underside of the glass surface 4a near the front end of the glass surface 4a and bends backward to form a gap of a set height. The fitting portion 16 opens toward the rear of the middle shelf 4 and is bag-shaped, allowing the front mounting portion 13 of the partition 10 to be inserted therein. The middle shelf 4 also includes a receiving portion 23 on the rear resin frame 4b, to which the rear mounting portion 14 is attached. The middle shelf 4 has a design surface portion 24 located in front of the engaging portion 23, which is located further forward than the front surface of the rear mounting portion 14 when the rear mounting portion 14 is attached to the resin frame 4b.

[0042] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the partition 10 has a front mounting portion 13 and a rear mounting portion 14. The front mounting portion 13 has a protruding portion 13a on the upper surface of the partition main body 10a that protrudes forward from the front surface of the partition main body 10a and serves as an insertion portion that is inserted into a fitting portion 16 of the middle shelf 4. The rear mounting portion 14 protrudes above the upper surface of the partition main body 10a and serves as a fixing claw that hooks the middle shelf 4 from above. As mentioned above, the rear mounting portion 14 has a base portion 14a and a locking portion 14b. As shown in Figures 20 and 22, the middle shelf 4 has a locking recess 17 in the resin frame 4b at the rear of the middle shelf 4. The base portion 14a is inserted into the locking recess 17 when the partition 10 is attached to the middle shelf 4. The locking portion 14b is located above the upper surface of the resin frame 4b at the rear of the middle shelf 4. Here, as shown in FIG. 23 , the locking portion 14b is larger in the width direction and the depth direction than the locking recess 17 shown by the dashed line in FIG. 23 when viewed from above. In the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, the partition 10 is inserted from the rear side to the front side when attached to the middle shelf 4, so that the front attachment portion 13 having the protrusion 13a is located in front of the partition 10, and the rear attachment portion 14 having the locking portion 14b is located in rear of the partition 10. Here, when the partition 10 is inserted from the rear side to the front side, the front attachment portion 13 serving as the insertion portion is located in the rear side of the partition 10, and the rear attachment portion 14 serving as the fixing claw portion is located in front of the partition 10.

[0043] 21, 23, 24, and 25, an overlapping margin 17a with respect to the locking portion 14b is secured in the depth direction and width direction along the edge of the locking recess 17. The broken line in FIG. 23 corresponds to the locking recess 17.

[0044] There is a gap between the underside of the locking portion 14b and the top surface of the partition body 10a. When installing the partition 10, the user presses the top surface of the partition body 10a against the resin frame 4b from the underside of the middle shelf 4 and slides it from back to front to insert the base portion 14a into the locking recess 17. The gap is designed to be wide enough to accommodate the rear end of the resin frame 4b, which is installed to cover the underside, rear end, and rear edge of the top surface of the glass surface 4a of the middle shelf 4.

[0045] Furthermore, with regard to the overlap 17a, a larger overlap 17a in the direction of insertion of the divider 10 makes it more difficult for the divider 10 to come loose when installed, thereby preventing the divider 10 and the lower left and right shelves 5, 6 from falling. The rear mounting portion 14 receives the force caused by the load imposed by food stored on the lower left and right shelves 5, 6. If the tip of the locking portion 14b of the rear mounting portion 14 is extended to increase the overlap 17a in the insertion direction, the force applied to the rear mounting portion 14 would cause a large moment to open the base of the protruding shape of the locking portion 14b, making it more likely to break. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 24 , the front surface of the locking portion 14b of the rear mounting portion 14 is positioned to overlap the glass surface 4a of the middle shelf 4, which has high strength, when viewed from above. 25, by configuring the width of the locking portion 14b to be larger than the locking recess 17 of the middle shelf 4, an overlapping space 17a is secured in the width direction as well. By securing the overlapping space 17a in the insertion direction as well, a fit with excellent strength can be achieved.

[0046] FIG. 26 is a top view showing the relationship between the glass surface portion 4a and the resin frame 4b of the middle shelf 4 according to the first embodiment. As described above, the middle shelf 4 has a rectangular glass surface portion 4a and a resin frame 4b that covers the outer periphery and underside of the glass surface portion 4a. In FIG. 26, the resin frame 4b is indicated by a dashed line and the glass surface portion 4a is indicated by a solid line to indicate the area where the resin frame 4b and the glass surface portion 4a overlap. As shown in FIG. 26, the glass surface portion 4a is sandwiched between the resin frame 4b, and a reinforcing opening 19 is provided in the area where the glass surface portion 4a and the resin frame 4b overlap in the height direction (the outer edge of the glass surface portion 4a covered by the resin frame 4b). The opening 19 is a through-hole that penetrates the glass surface portion 4a from top to bottom. The opening 19 is provided in an area where a load is applied to the middle shelf 4 by the rear mounting portion 14 provided at the rear of the upper surface when the partition 10 is attached to the resin frame 4b. Specifically, the opening 19 is provided in the front portion of the rear mounting portion 14 or in the left and right vicinity of the front portion of the rear mounting portion 14 when the rear mounting portion 14 is attached to the middle shelf 4. The interior of the opening 19 is filled with the same resin material as the resin frame 4b. In the resin frame 4b that covers the glass surface portion 4a, the resin covering the upper surface and the resin covering the lower surface of the glass surface portion 4a are connected by the resin material that fills the opening 19.

[0047] Fig. 27 is a diagram showing the relationship between the middle shelf 4 according to embodiment 1, which has an opening 19 in the glass surface portion 4a, and the partition 10. Fig. 28 is a diagram showing the relationship between the middle shelf 4, which does not have an opening 19 in the glass surface portion 4a, and the partition 10. Figs. 27 and 28 are cross-sectional views taken along line J-J in Fig. 23.

[0048] For example, when food is placed on the lower left shelf 5 or the lower right shelf 6, a load may be applied to the middle shelf 4 via the rear mounting portion 14. In this case, the load may be applied to the side portions of the resin frame 4b that do not cover the upper or lower surface of the glass surface portion 4a. In such a case, in the structure shown in FIG. 28, in which the glass surface portion 4a does not have an opening 19, the resin frame 4b that covers the upper surface of the glass surface portion 4a around the rear mounting portion 14 is deformed by the force from the rear end of the glass surface portion 4a. As a result, the front end of the resin frame 4b that covers the upper surface of the glass surface portion 4a, which is located away from the rear end of the glass surface portion 4a, rises above the upper surface of the glass surface portion 4a, degrading the design.

[0049] 27, the glass surface portion 4a of the middle shelf 4 has an opening 19, and the resin covering the upper surface of the glass surface portion 4a and the resin covering the lower surface are connected by a resin material filled in the opening 19. This prevents deformation of the resin frame 4b covering the upper surface of the glass surface portion 4a around the rear mounting portion 14, and prevents the front end of the resin frame 4b covering the upper surface of the glass surface portion 4a from lifting up from the upper surface of the glass surface portion 4a.

[0050] Fig. 29 is a front view showing the positional relationship between the middle shelf 4, the partition 10, and the air passage decorative panel 20a of the refrigerator compartment 101 according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 30 is a perspective view showing the air passage decorative panel 20a of the refrigerator compartment 101 according to Embodiment 1. Fig. 31 is an enlarged view of an area M shown in Fig. 30.

[0051] As described above, the refrigerator compartment 101 has the design panel 20, which forms the rear surface of the interior wall, and the cooling duct 21. As shown in Figures 29, 30, and 31, the air passage decorative panel 20a, which is part of the design panel 20, has a panel locking portion 20c. The panel locking portion 20c protrudes and stands at a position on the front surface of the panel where both sides of the partition 10 are located, at a position that will become both sides of the partition 10.

[0052] As a result, even if a force is applied to the partition 10 in the width direction within the refrigerator compartment 101, the left partition side surface 10d or the right partition side surface 10e of the partition body 10a will come into contact with the panel engagement portion 20c, thereby restricting the movement of the partition 10 in the width direction and suppressing deformation.

[0053] Embodiment 2 In the refrigerator 100 of the above-described embodiment 1, the partition 10 is configured to have partition-side rail structures 11 on both side surfaces of the partition body 10a. The partition 10 is stabilized by having the partition-side rail structures 11 on both side surfaces and supporting the lower left shelf 5 and the lower right shelf 6. However, this is not limited to this. Even if the partition-side rail structures 11 are configured to be provided on only one side surface, the storage space partitioned by the partition 10 can be made to differ in height.

[0054] 1 Lower drawer-type case, 2 Upper drawer-type case, 3 Upper shelf, 4 Middle shelf, 4a Glass surface portion, 4b Resin frame, 5 Lower left shelf, 6 Lower right shelf, 7 Floor shelf, 8 Shelf protrusion portion, 9 Claw portion, 9a Claw support portion, 9b Locking portion, 10 Partition, 10a Partition body, 10b Communication port, 10c Lower end, 10d Left partition side surface, 10e Right partition side surface, 11, 11a, 11a1, 11a2, 11b, 11b1, 11b2 Partition side rail structure, 11c1, 11c2, 11d1, 11d2 Pressing portion, 12, 12a1, 12a2, 12b1, 12b2 Rail hole, 13 Front mounting portion, 13a Protrusion portion, 14 Rear mounting portion, 14a 1. Base portion, 14b: locking portion, 15: wall surface portion, 16: fitting portion, 17: locking recess, 17a: overlapping portion, 19: opening, 20: design panel, 20a: air passage decorative panel, 20b: air outlet, 20c: panel locking portion, 21: cooling duct, 23: locking portion, 24: design surface portion, 100: refrigerator, 100a: refrigerator body, 101: refrigerator compartment, 101a: left side surface of inner wall, 101b: right side surface of inner wall, 102: ice making compartment, 103: switchable compartment, 104: freezer compartment, 105: vegetable compartment, 106, 106a1, 106a2, 106b2: storage compartment side rail structure, 107: middle shelf rail structure.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising: a refrigerator body having an opening on the front and a storage compartment which serves as a storage space; a plurality of storage shelves arranged at different height positions within the storage compartment; a storage compartment-side rail structure which is installed on a side wall of the storage compartment and supports the storage shelves; and a partition body which is installed below a first storage shelf among the plurality of storage shelves and extends downward from the first storage shelf to form walls which divide the storage compartment into a plurality of sections in the width direction, and partitions which are installed on both sides of the partition body and have partition-side rail structures which pair with the storage compartment-side rail structure to support the storage shelves, wherein the partition is installed detachably from the first storage shelf, and the storage compartment-side rail structure and the partition-side rail structure are installed in one or more stages in the height direction.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the storage compartment has an air outlet on the back of the inner wall, the partition has a plurality of communication openings that connect the plurality of storage spaces partitioned in the width direction, the air outlet is located in one of the plurality of storage spaces partitioned in the width direction, and is installed in a position that does not overlap with the air outlet when viewed from the front.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first storage shelf has a flat plate with high rigidity, a resin frame covering the edge portion of the flat plate, and an open fitting portion; the partition has mounting portions at the front and rear ends of the upper surface of the partition body, and of the mounting portions, the mounting portion that is on the front side in the insertion direction for mounting the partition to the first storage shelf is a front mounting portion that has a protrusion that is inserted into the fitting portion of the first storage shelf, and the mounting portion that is on the rear side in the insertion direction for mounting the partition to the first storage shelf is a rear mounting portion whose tip overlaps the flat plate when viewed from above and has a locking portion that hooks onto the upper surface of the first storage shelf.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the first storage shelf has a locking recess into which the rear mounting part is inserted to restrict movement of the partition in the width direction, and the locking part is located above the locking recess when the rear mounting part is inserted, and has a longer widthwise length than the locking recess.

5. A refrigerator as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the flat plate are covered with the resin frame, and the portion where the locking portion of the rear mounting portion is hooked has an opening filled with resin that connects the resin covering the upper surface of the flat plate with the resin covering the lower surface.

6. A refrigerator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the partition has wall portions extending widthwise from both side surfaces of the partition body along the widthwise surface of the first storage shelf.

7. A refrigerator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the storage compartment has a panel locking portion on the back of the inner wall that protrudes from both sides of the partition body and restricts movement of the partition in the width direction.

8. A refrigerator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the storage shelf has a convex shelf protrusion on the underside that is supported by the partition side rail structure, the partition side rail structure has a concave rail hole on a part of the upper side into which the shelf protrusion is inserted, and the rail hole has a side wall that comes into contact with the shelf protrusion when the partition moves a set amount in the width direction.

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