Container and refrigerator equipped with same

Abstract

To provide a container in which cracks are not generated even if a container is made by recycled plastic, and a refrigerator comprising the same.SOLUTION: A container 63a comprises: a first face plate 63b including a recycled resin; a second face plate 63a3 including a recycled resin; and a ridge part 63c connecting the first face plate 63b and the second face plate 63a3 or a chamfered part. The container 63a is fitted to a box body 10 so as to be moved back and forth, and, when the container 63a is pulled forth from the box body 10, there is a stress concentration area by the load of storage items in the container 63a, and in the vicinity of the ridge part 63c or the chamfered part in the stress concentration area, there is no parts with a plate thickness thicker than a standard plate thickness as the plate thickness of the first face plate 63b supporting the load in the container 63a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container and a refrigerator including the container. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, with the change in the home environment, such as the trend towards nuclear families and an increase in dual-income couples, the methods of freezing and storing food in freezers are becoming more diverse. In addition to the conventional use of freezers at home, where food is purchased and stored at freezing temperatures, new uses have been proposed that mainly focus on the quick-freezing mode, such as quick-freezing stockpiled food, such as meat, or quick-freezing cooked food.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 shows a refrigerator having an upper freezing chamber for quick freezing adjacent to the lower side of the refrigeration chamber, and a lower freezing chamber adjacent to the lower side of the upper freezing chamber, with multiple tiers of storage containers arranged within the lower freezing chamber. Due to the trend towards protecting the global environment, which is the cause of recent abnormal weather, it is desirable to use recycled plastics in home appliances as well. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-71497 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The refrigerator described in Patent Document 1 is configured to store high-temperature foods in an upper freezer compartment disposed adjacent to the upper side of a lower freezer compartment and to rapidly freeze the foods. In the upper freezer compartment, a large item case, a small item case, and a thin item case are arranged in this order from bottom to top. The large item case is supported from below by a support frame which is integrally formed with the upper freezer compartment door. The small item case is supported at four points on top of the large item case.

[0006] The thin case slides in the front-rear direction on rails formed on the insulated box in which the upper freezer compartment is formed. When the thin case is pulled out forward, the thin case is supported at one end by the rail of the insulating box. Recycled plastic may be used for the three-tiered case mentioned above. Recycled plastics tend to have inferior physical properties compared to virgin materials, such as mechanical properties such as bending strength and tensile strength, impact resistance, and chemical resistance. Therefore, when recycled materials are used for cases, there is a risk that the strength will be reduced compared to new materials.

[0007] In addition, when the thin case is pulled forward, it is supported by a cantilever on the rails of the insulated box body, so the load of the food stored in the case may cause cracks to occur in points of the case where stress is concentrated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a first container of the present invention is a container molded from recycled resin, including a portion that supports a load when suspended, and comprising a first panel having a standard thickness, a second panel having a thickness thinner than the standard thickness, and a ridge or chamfered portion connecting the first panel and the second panel, the container being attached to a box body so as to be movable forward and backward, and when the container is pulled forward from the box body, a stress concentration region caused by the load of contents stored in the container has no portion or rib that is thicker than the standard thickness, and includes a portion with a thickness thinner than the standard thickness. It is characterized by the following.

[0009] A refrigerator according to the second aspect of the present invention includes the container according to the first aspect of the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] Cross-sectional view II of Figure 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the interior rear configuration of the refrigerator compartment. [Figure 4A] FIG. [Figure 4B] A perspective view of the lower freezer door and the three-tier container in the lower freezer [Figure 4C] 13 is a perspective view including a partial cross section showing the state in which the lower freezer compartment door, the lower freezer storage container, the upper freezer storage container, and the top freezer storage container are pulled out from the lower freezer compartment. FIG. [Figure 5A] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the topmost freezer storage container as viewed diagonally from above and in the front. [Figure 5B] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the topmost freezer storage container, seen diagonally from below and in front. [Figure 5C] FIG. [Figure 6A] 13 is a perspective view of the lower freezer compartment with the topmost freezer storage container pulled out, as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. [Figure 6B] Enlarged view of part II in Figure 6A. [Figure 6C] Cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 6B. [Figure 7A] 13 is a perspective view of the lower freezer compartment with the topmost freezer storage container pulled out, as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. [Figure 7B] Enlarged view of part IV in FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] A perspective view of the vicinity of the rear flange support portion at the rear of the topmost freezer storage container supported by the first support portion at the first support point S1 of the rail portion and the second support portion at the second support point S2 of the rail portion. [Figure 9A] 5B in the direction of the V arrow, and an enlarged view of the vicinity of the rear flange support portion of the topmost freezer storage container molded from recycled plastic of the comparative example. FIG. [Figure 9B] 13 is a photograph showing the right area near the boundary between the container part and the rear flange support part of a top-level freezer storage container molded from recycled plastic of the comparative example after a durability test in which cooking oil was applied thereto. [Figure 9C]1 is a top view of the left area near the boundary between the container and the rear flange support part of a top-level frozen storage container molded from recycled plastic of a comparative example after a durability test in which cooking oil was applied. [Figure 10A] 1 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the boundary between the container portion and the rear flange support portion of a top-stage frozen storage container molded from recycled plastic of a comparative example after molding. [Figure 10B] 10B is a view taken in the direction of arrow VI in FIG. 10A. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view of the boundary between the container portion and the rear flange support portion of a top-stage frozen storage container molded from recycled plastic of a comparative example, and the stress concentration area thereof. [Figure 12] 5B in the vicinity of the rear flange support portion of the topmost frozen storage container molded from recycled plastic of an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] A diagram showing the plate thickness near the rear flange support portion of a top-stage frozen storage container molded from recycled plastic of an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper freezer storage container supported by the lower freezer storage container; [Figure 15A] FIG. [Figure 15B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an upper freezer storage vessel and resulting stress concentrations. [Figure 16A] FIG. [Figure 16B] 1 is a perspective view of a chilled container with an inner case being inserted into or removed from the outer case; FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18A] 13 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the inner refrigerated case moving forward inside the outer refrigerated case. FIG. [Figure 18B] 13 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a fulcrum when the chilled inner case moves forward inside the chilled outer case. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vicinity of a stress concentration portion of the chilled inner case. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications and application examples within the technical concept of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0012] Before describing specific embodiments of the present invention, the configuration of a refrigerator to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a refrigerator 1. Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line II in Fig. 1. Note that Fig. 2 does not show a cross section of the ice-making compartment.

[0013] Refrigerator 1 has, from top to bottom, a refrigerator compartment 2, an ice-making compartment 3 on the left side which is part of the freezer compartment, and an upper freezer compartment 4, a lower freezer compartment 5, and a vegetable compartment 6 on the right side. Ice-making compartment 3 and upper freezer compartment 4 are arranged side by side on the left and right between refrigerator compartment 2 and lower freezer compartment 5. For example, refrigerator compartment 2 and vegetable compartment 6 are storage compartments with a refrigeration temperature range of about +3°C and about +3°C to +7°C, respectively. The freezer compartments, ice-making compartment 3, upper freezing compartment 4, and lower freezing compartment 5, are storage compartments with a freezing temperature range of approximately -18° C. Although not shown, a partition wall is provided between ice-making compartment 3 and upper freezing compartment 4, which is disposed vertically.

[0014] The upper freezer compartment 4 is smaller in size and capacity than the lower freezer compartment 5 below it, and is used to store small amounts of food in a frozen state.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the topmost refrigerator compartment 2 is equipped with refrigerator compartment doors 2a and 2b on the front side, which are divided into left and right halves. The ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6 are equipped with pull-out ice-making compartment door 3a, upper freezer compartment door 4a, lower freezer compartment door 5a, and vegetable compartment door 6a, respectively.

[0016] A packing (not shown) with a built-in magnet is provided along the outer edge of each door (2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a) on the side of the storage compartment (2, 3, 4, 5, 6). When each door is closed, the packing adheres closely to the flange of the refrigerator outer box made of steel plate and each partition steel plate, preventing outside air from entering the storage compartment and cold air from leaking out of the storage compartment.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, a cooler storage chamber 13 in which a cooler 19 is stored is disposed behind the lower freezer chamber 5. A machine chamber 11 in which a compressor 12 is built is formed in the lower part of the refrigerator body 10. The cooler storage chamber 13 and the machine chamber 11 are communicated with each other through a water drain passage 14. Condensed water in the cooler 19 is discharged through the water drain passage 14.

[0018] The outside and inside of the refrigerator body 10, which are closed by each door (2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, 6a), are separated by a heat-insulating box 15. The heat-insulating box 15 is formed by filling a space between the inner box and the outer box with a foamed insulating material (polyurethane foam). A plurality of vacuum insulation materials 16 are mounted in the insulating box 15. In the refrigerator body 10, the refrigerator compartment 2 is divided from the upper freezer compartment 4 and the ice-making compartment 3 (see FIG. 1) by the upper heat-insulating partition wall 17a. Also, the lower freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 are divided by the lower heat-insulating partition wall 17b.

[0019] A horizontal partition 18 is provided above lower freezer compartment 5. Horizontal partition 18 vertically separates ice-making compartment 3 and upper freezer compartment 4 from lower freezer compartment 5. Ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, and lower freezer compartment 5 are fluidly connected, so the same cold air is supplied to them. A vertical partition is provided above horizontal partition 18, separating ice-making compartment 3 and upper freezer compartment 4 from each other in the left-right direction.

[0020] Horizontal partition 18 (see FIG. 2) comes into contact with a packing (not shown) provided on the storage compartment side surface of lower freezer door 5a, together with the front surface of lower insulating partition wall 17b and the front surfaces of the left and right side walls of refrigerator body 10. The packings (not shown) provided on the storage compartment side surfaces of ice-making compartment door 3a and upper freezer door 4a come into contact with and seal horizontal partition 18, vertical partition (not shown), upper insulating partition wall 17a, and the front surfaces of the left and right side walls of refrigerator body 10, suppressing the movement of cool air between each storage compartment and each door.

[0021] <Refrigerator cooling method> Next, a cooling method of the refrigerator 1 will be described. As described above, the refrigerator 1 (refrigerator body 10) is formed with the cooler storage chamber 13 equipped with the cooler 19 serving as a cooling means. Above the cooler 19 in the cooler storage chamber 13, the blower fan 20 serving as a blower means is provided.

[0022] The air (hereinafter referred to as cold air) cooled by heat exchange in cooler 19 shown in FIG. 2 is sent by blower fan 20 (see FIG. 2) via refrigerator compartment air supply duct 21, freezer compartment air supply duct 22, and an ice-making compartment air supply duct (not shown) to each of the storage compartments, i.e., refrigerator compartment 2, ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6 shown in FIG. 1.

[0023] The air supply to each storage compartment is controlled by a refrigerator compartment damper 23 of the first air supply control means which controls the amount of air supplied to the refrigerator compartment 2 in the refrigeration temperature range, and a freezer compartment damper 24 of the second air supply volume control means which controls the amount of air supplied to the freezer compartments 4 and 5 in the freezing temperature range.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the internal configuration of the rear side of the interior of the refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. Each ventilation duct (21, 22) that sends cool air to the refrigerator compartment 2, ice-making compartment 3, upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, and vegetable compartment 6 is provided on the rear side of each storage compartment of the refrigerator body 1, as shown by the dashed lines in Fig. 3 and in Fig. 2. Specifically, when the refrigerator compartment damper 23 is in the open state and the freezer compartment damper 24 is in the closed state, the cool air is sent to the refrigerator compartment 2 through the refrigerator compartment ventilation duct 21 and from the air outlets 25 (see Fig. 3) provided in multiple stages.

[0025] The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 2 is blown from the refrigerator compartment return port 26 (see the figure) provided at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 2 through the refrigerator compartment-vegetable compartment communication duct 27 (see FIG. 3) and the vegetable compartment outlet 28 (see FIG. 3) provided at the right rear bottom of the lower heat insulating partition wall 17b to the vegetable compartment 6. The cold air returning from the vegetable compartment 6 is blown from the vegetable compartment return duct inlet 29 (see FIG. 3) provided at the bottom front of the lower heat insulating partition wall 17b through the vegetable compartment return duct 30 (see FIG. 2) and back to the bottom of the cooler storage chamber 13 through the vegetable compartment return duct outlet (arrow α11 in FIG. 2). Alternatively, the refrigerator compartment-vegetable compartment communication duct 27 (see FIG. 3) may be configured not to communicate with the vegetable compartment 6, but to return to the bottom right side of the cooler storage chamber 13 as viewed from the top in FIG. 3. As an example of this case, a vegetable compartment air duct is arranged at the forward projection position of the refrigerator compartment-vegetable compartment communication duct 27, and the cold air that has been heat exchanged in the cooler 19 is blown directly into the vegetable compartment 6 from the vegetable compartment outlet 28 (see Figure 3).

[0026] In front of the cooler storage chamber 13 shown in FIG. 2, a partition member 31 is provided to separate the ice making chamber 3, the upper freezing chamber 4, the lower freezing chamber 5, and the cooler storage chamber 13. A pair of air outlets 32a, 32b, 33a, and 33b are formed on the upper and lower sides of the partition member 31 shown in FIG. 3. When the freezing chamber damper 24 shown in FIG. 2 is in an open state, the cold air heat-exchanged in the cooler 19 is blown by the blower fan 20 through the ice making chamber air duct and the upper freezing chamber air duct 34 (not shown) from the air outlets 32a and 32b shown in FIG. 3 to the ice making chamber 3 and the upper freezing chamber 4, respectively. In addition, the air is blown through the lower freezing chamber air duct 35 (see FIG. 2) from the air outlets 33a and 33b shown in FIG. 3 to the lower freezing chamber 5 (see FIG. 1). An additional air outlet may be provided in the lower freezing chamber 5 as necessary.

[0027] <Upper freezer compartment 4, lower freezer compartment 5, vegetable compartment 6> As shown in FIG. 2, the upper freezing compartment 4, the lower freezing compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6 are each provided with a door (4a, 5a, 6a) at the front of the respective storage compartments. An upper freezer storage container 41 housed in the upper freezer compartment 4 is attached to the upper freezer compartment door 4a.

[0028] A multi-tiered freezer storage container housed in lower freezer compartment 5 is attached to lower freezer compartment door 5a. The multi-tiered freezer storage containers are upper-tier freezer storage container 61 and lower-tier freezer storage container 62. Top-tier freezer storage container 63 is attached to refrigerator body 10. An upper vegetable storage container 71 and a lower vegetable storage container 72 housed in the vegetable compartment 6 are attached to the vegetable compartment door 6a.

[0029] With the above configuration, a user can grab the handles (not shown) of the ice making compartment door 3a, upper freezer compartment door 4a, lower freezer compartment door 5a and vegetable compartment door 6a and pull them towards themselves, thereby pulling out the ice making storage container 3b (not shown), upper freezer storage container 41, lower freezer storage container 62 and lower vegetable storage container 72.

[0030] <Lower freezer compartment 5> FIG. 4A shows a perspective view including a partial cross section of lower freezer compartment 5. In FIG. FIG. 4B shows a perspective view of lower freezer door 5a and three-tier containers in lower freezer compartment 5. As described above, the lower freezer storage container 62 and the upper freezer storage container 61 are attached to the lower freezer compartment door 5a. The topmost freezer storage container 63 is attached to the refrigerator body 10 so as to be freely inserted and removed.

[0031] FIG. 4C is a perspective view including a partial cross section showing the state in which the lower freezer compartment door 5a, the lower freezer storage container 62, the upper freezer storage container 61 and the uppermost freezer storage container 63 have been pulled out from the lower freezer compartment 5.

[0032] 2, the lower freezer storage container 62 is suspended from a support arm 5d attached to the inner box of the freezer door by a flange portion at the upper side of the lower freezer storage container 62. Frozen foods and large ingredients are stored in the lower freezer storage container 62. When the freezer compartment door 5a shown in FIG. 1 is pulled out, the lower freezer storage container 62 and the upper freezer storage container 61 are simultaneously pulled out.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4B, upper-stage freezer-storage container 61 is supported at four points on the upper part of lower-stage freezer-storage container 62 via upper-stage container support portion 61t. The support portions 61t of the upper freezer storage container 61 are provided symmetrically on the left and right. The upper freezer storage container 61 is used to store small frozen foods such as ice cream. The uppermost freezer-storage container 63 has flanges 63b at both left and right ends placed on uneven rails r1 formed on the side wall of the lower freezer compartment 5.

[0034] The uppermost freezer storage container 63 has both left and right ends that slide on uneven rail portions r1, allowing it to slide in the front-rear direction. The top freezer storage container 63 is used for storing thin foods or foods to be frozen at home.

[0035] FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of the topmost freezer storage container 63 as viewed obliquely from above and in the front. FIG. 5B shows a perspective view of the uppermost freezer storage container 63 as viewed obliquely from below and in the front. FIG. 5C shows a top view of the uppermost freezer storage container 63. The topmost freezer storage container 63 has a container portion 63a and a flange portion 63b. The container portion 63a is formed in a thin box shape with an open top. The flange portion 63b is formed so as to be continuous with the container portion 63a and surround the container portion 63a. A rear flange support portion 63b1 protrudes rearward from the rear portion of the flange portion 63b.

[0036] As shown in Figs. 2 and 4A, when the topmost freezer-storage container 63 is not in use, the topmost freezer-storage container 63 is stored in the refrigerator body 10. Fig. 6A is a perspective view seen obliquely from above of the uppermost freezer storage container 63 in the lower freezer compartment 5 when it has been pulled out. Note that in Fig. 6A, the lower freezer storage container 62 and the upper freezer storage container 61 are omitted.

[0037] FIG. 6B shows an enlarged view of part II in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C shows a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 6B. Fig. 7A shows a perspective view of uppermost freezer storage container 63 in lower freezer compartment 5 when it is pulled out, as seen obliquely from below. Note that lower freezer storage container 62 and upper freezer storage container 61 are omitted in Fig. 7A.

[0038] FIG. 7B shows an enlarged view of part IV in FIG. 7A. When in use, the topmost freezer storage container 63 is pulled out toward the front from the refrigerator body 10 as shown in Fig. 4C. Since the topmost freezer storage container 63 is supported by the refrigerator body 10 in a cantilever manner, a user can see inside the container part 63a of the topmost freezer storage container 63.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6A, when the topmost freezer-storage container 63 is pulled out towards the front, the flanges 63b on both the left and right ends of the topmost freezer-storage container 63 slide along the uneven rail portions r1. 6C, when the topmost freezer storage container 63 is pulled out in the forward direction, the topmost freezer storage container 63 is supported in a cantilever manner by rear flange support portions 63b1 at both the left and right rear end portions. The rear flange support portions 63b1 are part of the flange portion 63b.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6C, the rear flange support portion 63b1 is supported by the first support portion r1a of the rail portion r1 and the second support portion r1b of the rail portion r1, and the topmost freezer storage container 63 is kept pulled out in the forward direction. The first support portion r1a of the rail portion r1 corresponds to the first fulcrum S1 of the rail portion r1, and the second support portion r1b of the rail portion r1 corresponds to the second fulcrum S2 of the rail portion r1.

[0041] Figure 8 shows an oblique view of the vicinity of the rear flange support portion 63b1 at the rear of the topmost frozen storage container 63, which is supported by the first support portion r1a of the first support point S1 of the rail portion r1 and the second support portion r1b of the second support point S2 of the rail portion r1. The rear flange support portion 63b1 at the rear of the uppermost refrigerated storage container 63 receives an external force P11 at the first fulcrum S1 and receives an external force P12 at the second fulcrum S2.

[0042] <Topmost freezer storage container 163 of the comparative example> FIG. 9A shows an enlarged view of the vicinity of rear flange support portion 163b1 of uppermost freezer storage container 163 of the comparative example, taken along the V direction in FIG. 5B. In the topmost freezer storage container 163 molded from recycled plastic in the comparative example, a reinforcing rib r10 is formed across the back surface 163a1 on the back side of the container portion 163a and the outer frame flange support portion 163b2 of the rear flange support portion 163b1 in order to improve strength. The reinforcing rib r10 is for preventing damage to the topmost freezer storage container 163 due to stress concentration.

[0043] Figures 9B and 9C show photographs (top-level freezer storage container 163 viewed from above, looking at the front side) of the right and left areas near the boundary between container portion 163a and rear flange support portion 163b1 of a top-level freezer storage container 163 molded from recycled plastic of the comparative example after a durability test in which cooking oil was applied. After durability testing, the topmost freezer storage container 163 of the comparative example was found to have a crack near the container ridge 163c (see Figure 5A) near the fulcrum of the rear flange support portion 163b1, which is cantilever-supported by the uneven rail portion r1 formed on the side wall of the lower freezer compartment 5.

[0044] In order to clarify the cause of the cracks, the shape of the vicinity of the boundary between the container portion 163a and the rear flange support portion 163b1 of the topmost freezer storage container 163 molded from the recycled plastic of the comparative example was checked as described below.

[0045] FIG. 10A shows a perspective view of the vicinity of the boundary between container portion 163a and rear flange support portion 163b1 of topmost freezer storage container 163 molded from recycled plastic as a comparative example after molding. FIG. 10B shows a view taken in the direction of an arrow VI in FIG. 10A. The topmost freezer storage container 163 of the comparative example is made of recycled plastic polystyrene.

[0046] Concave sink marks h1, h2, h3, and h4 were observed near the container ridge 163c at the boundary between the container portion 163a and the rear flange support portion 163b1 of the top-level frozen storage container 163. If reinforcing ribs r10 were provided on both plates on both sides of the container ridge 163c, sink marks h1, h2 and sink marks h3, h4 would occur on each of the plates on both sides. As shown in FIG. 10B, the sink marks h1, h2 and sink marks h3, h4 occur at locations where differences in plate thickness occur due to the provision of reinforcing ribs r10. It is presumed that tensile stress due to sink marks h1, h2, h3, and h4 occurred near the container ridge 163c, causing cracks (see FIGS. 9B and 9C).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 8, the topmost freezer-storage container 163 of the comparative example has the same shape as the topmost freezer-storage container 63 of the embodiment except for the reinforcing rib r10, and is therefore subjected to external forces P11 and P12. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the boundary between container portion 163a and rear flange support portion 163b1 of uppermost freezer storage container 163 molded from recycled plastic as a comparative example, and a stress concentration portion O1 thereof. Then, in the uppermost refrigerated storage container 163 of the comparative example, stress is concentrated at the stress concentrated portion O1 as shown in Fig. 11. Similarly, in the uppermost refrigerated storage container 63 of the embodiment, stress is also concentrated at the stress concentrated portion O1. Here, the location of the stress concentration area O1 varies depending on the shape of the container and the support structure, so analysis software is used to identify the location. The analysis software mainly uses linear analysis using the finite element method as its calculation method. The analysis is conditioned by applying a load that is equivalent to the weight of the food to the bottom of the container on the side where the food is placed, and imposing constraint conditions on the fulcrum that supports the container. These conditions are determined by the shape and size of the bottom of the container, and the position, shape and size of the support structure, and the analysis is performed taking into account the optimal conditions. Ansys Mechanical, for example, can be used as analysis software.

[0048] 10A, in the uppermost freezer storage container 163 of the comparative example, concave sink marks h1, h2, h3, and h4 are generated near the stress concentration portion O1. Since deformation occurs near the concave sink marks h1, h2, h3, and h4, a sudden increase in stress is considered. Then, in the uppermost freezer storage container 163 of the comparative example, it is presumed that excessive stress due to the sink marks h1 and h2 occurred near the stress concentrated portion O1, causing a crack.

[0049] <Measures for the topmost freezer storage container 63 of the embodiment> Therefore, in the uppermost freezer storage container 63 of this embodiment (the present invention), measures are taken to prevent excessive stress from occurring in the vicinity of the stress concentration part O1 as described below. The stress concentration part O1 of the stress concentration area refers to an area where the stress value is 10% or more higher than the surrounding areas. Specifically, the container ridge 63c (near the support portion) where stress is likely to concentrate is designed to have no sink marks or weld lines on the plates on both sides of the container ridge 63c. The container ridge 63c may be chamfered (chamfered portion). The chamfering may be in the form of a planar connection between surfaces (so-called C-cut), or may be in the form of a rounded connection.

[0050] FIG. 12 shows an enlarged view of a portion V in FIG. 5B in the vicinity of rear flange support portion 63b1 of uppermost freezing-storage vessel 63 of the embodiment (the present invention). The topmost freezer storage container 63 molded from recycled plastic of the embodiment has a reinforcing rib rb formed on the back side of the topmost freezer storage container 63, avoiding the stress concentration area O1, extending from the back surface 63a1 of the container portion 63a to the outer frame rear flange support portion 63b2 of the rear flange support portion 63b1. Forming the reinforcing rib rb away from the stress concentration portion O1 (see FIG. 11) improves the strength of the topmost freezer storage container 63. Furthermore, even when a durability test was conducted in which the topmost freezer storage container 63 was coated with cooking oil, no cracks were observed.

[0051] FIG. 13 shows the plate thickness in the vicinity of the rear flange support portion 63b1 of the uppermost freezer storage container 63 molded from recycled plastic according to the embodiment (of the present invention). The plate thickness t1 of the bottom plate 63a2 of the container portion 63a of the uppermost freezing storage container 63 was set to 3.5 mm, and the plate thickness t2 of the side plate 63a3 of the container portion 63a was set to 3 mm. The flange portion 63b of the container portion 63a of the uppermost freezer storage container 63 has a plate thickness t3 of 4 mm. The plate thickness t4 of a rear flange support portion 63b1 of the flange portion 63b is also 4 mm, the same as the plate thickness t3 of the flange portion 63b.

[0052] In other words, in order to suppress the occurrence of cracks, the stress concentration portion O1 (see FIG. 11) in the stress concentration region is not provided with a portion with a thickness greater than the standard thickness.

[0053] <Definition of standard plate thickness> The container of refrigerator 1 must be able to withstand the weight of food, and the thickness of each surface is determined by the size of the container and the supporting structure. Usually, the bottom plate, which bears the weight of the food directly, requires the greatest strength, so the thickness of the bottom plate is the standard thickness. The thickness of the container wall may be made thinner than the standard thickness in order to reduce the weight of the parts and manufacturing costs.

[0054] The topmost freezer storage container 63 is constructed so that the weight of the container 63a is supported by the flange portion 63b, so the weight of the food and the topmost freezer storage container 63 rests on the flange portion 63b, which is the most important strength, and the flange portion 63b has the standard plate thickness. The stress concentration portion O1 is located between a portion with standard plate thickness t3 (4 mm) and a portion with a thinner plate thickness t2 (3 mm). In the comparative example, it is presumed that the provision of the rib r10 at the stress concentration portion O1 results in a plate that is thicker than the standard plate thickness, making the plate more susceptible to sink marks h1 to h4.

[0055] <Upper Refrigerated Storage Container 61> FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a state in which upper-stage freezer-storage container 61 is supported by lower-stage freezer-storage container 62. In FIG. As described above, the upper freezer-storage container 61 is supported by the lower freezer-storage container 62 at the four upper container support portions 61t that are integrally provided at left and right symmetrical positions.

[0056] FIG. 15A shows a perspective view of the upper freezer storage container as seen from above and in the front. FIG. 15B shows a perspective view of upper freezer storage vessel 61 and resulting stress concentration O2. The upper freezer storage container 61 is formed in the shape of a thin, horizontally long box with an open top. The upper freezer storage container 61 has a bottom plate 61b, a front plate 61m, a rear plate 61u, and two side plates 61s on the left and right. Upper freezing-storage container 61 is provided with upper container support portions 61t at four locations in total, two on each side of the left and right side plates 61s at the bottom thereof.

[0057] Therefore, as shown in Fig. 15A, the upper freezer storage container 61 containing frozen storage items is subjected to gravity P20 of the frozen storage items and external force P21 by the four supports. Then, as shown in Fig. 15B, stress concentration areas O2 are generated at the boundary between the bottom plate 6b and the side plate 61s of the upper freezer storage container 61, the boundary between the bottom plate 61b and the rear plate 6u, and the boundary between the side plate 61s and the rear plate 61u. Similarly, although not shown, stress concentration portions O2 are generated at the boundary between the bottom plate 61b and the side plate 61s of the upper freezer storage container 61, the boundary between the bottom plate 61b and the front plate 6m, and the boundary between the side plate 61s and the rear plate 6u.

[0058] The plate thickness of these stress concentration parts O2 is formed so as to be less than the plate thickness of the bottom plate 61b, which is the reference plate thickness. Since the upper freezer storage container 61 is structured so that the bottom plate 61b supports the upper freezer storage container 61 (its own weight), the plate thickness of the bottom plate 61b is the reference plate thickness. This makes it possible to prevent excessive stress from being generated at the stress concentration portion O2 of the upper frozen storage container 61.

[0059] <Chilled container 64> FIG. 16A shows a perspective view of chilled container 64, and FIG. 16B shows a perspective view of chilled inner case 65, which is inserted into and removed from chilled container 64 inside chilled outer case 64s, in a state where it is extended forward.

[0060] The upper freezer compartment 4 shown in FIG. The chilled container 64 includes a chilled outer case 64s and a chilled inner case 65 that is inserted into and removed from the chilled outer case 64s. The refrigerated outer case 64s has a box shape with an open front.

[0061] FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the chilled inner case 65 in an open state. The chilled inner case 65 has a case 65c for containing items to be stored, and a chilled door 65d rotatably attached to the front of the case 65c. The case 65c has a bottom plate 65c1, left and right side plates 65c2, and a rear plate 65c3. A guided portion 65c4 is formed on the rear outer side of the side plate 65c2 so as to protrude outward.

[0062] The chilled door 65d is rotatably attached to the front of the left and right side plates 65c2. By rotating the chilled door 65d, the chilled door 65d can be placed in a closed state shown in Fig. 16A or an open state shown in Fig. 16B.

[0063] FIG. 18A is a partially cutaway perspective view showing when refrigerated inner case 65 moves forward from inside refrigerated outer case 64s. FIG. 18B is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the fulcrum when chilled inner case 65 moves forward from inside chilled outer case 64s.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 18A, an inner case side guide rib 64s1 is formed on the inside of a chilled outer case 64s so as to extend in the front-rear direction. Further, the chilled outer case 64s has an inner case bottom guide rib 64s2 formed on the inner bottom thereof so as to extend in the front-rear direction.

[0065] The guided portion 65c4 of the chilled inner case 65 shown in FIG. 17 slides on the lower portion of the inner case side guide rib 64s1 (see FIG. 18A) of the chilled outer case 64s. On the other hand, the bottom plate 65c1 of the chilled inner case 65 shown in FIG. 17 slides on the upper part of the inner case bottom guide rib 64s2 (see FIG. 18A) of the chilled outer case 64s. This allows the chilled inner case 65 to move in the front-rear direction relative to the chilled outer case 64s (arrow α21 in FIG. 18A).

[0066] Storage items are placed inside the refrigerated inner case 65 shown in FIG. 16A, and the weight of the stored items is applied to the case. Therefore, when the chilled inner case 65 is pulled out forward as shown in Fig. 18A, a downward load P31 is applied from the inner case side guide rib 64s1 of the chilled outer case 64s at a fulcrum S11 to the guided portion 65c4 of the chilled inner case 65 as shown in Fig. 18B. Also, an upward load P32 is applied from the fulcrum S12 of the inner case bottom guide rib 64s2 of the chilled outer case 64s to the bottom plate 65c1 of the chilled inner case 65.

[0067] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the vicinity of stress concentration portion O3 of refrigerated inner case 65. A stress concentration portion O3 occurs immediately before the guided portion 65c4 of the chilled inner case 65. Therefore, the plate thickness of the stress concentration portion O3 of the left and right side plates 65c2 of the refrigerated inner case 65 is configured not to be thicker than the plate thickness of the bottom plate 65c1, which is the reference plate thickness. Since the chilled inner case 65 supports the weight of the food on the bottom plate 65c1, the plate thickness of the bottom plate 65c1 is the reference plate thickness.

[0068] This makes it possible to prevent excessive stress from being generated at the stress concentration portion O3 of the refrigerated inner case 65. According to the above configuration, it is possible to realize refrigerator 1 in which cracks do not occur even in containers (63, 61, 65) made of recycled plastic.

[0069] <<Other embodiments>> 1. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modified configurations, and various modifications and specific forms are possible within the scope of the appended claims. 2. Recycled plastic is a resin regenerated by heating, melting, etc., of waste plastic. The waste plastic is preferably a resin that contains little foreign matter, has a clear origin, and is hygienic, and specifically includes resin derived from home appliances (white goods such as refrigerators, etc.). The foreign matter is, for example, carbonized resin generated during melting of the resin, particles of metal (e.g., iron), etc. The foreign matter contained in recycled plastic has a color such as black or gray, is granular, and is scattered throughout the part. A characteristic of polystyrene resin is its transparent color, and containers molded from polystyrene resin are usually transparent. In the case of transparent colors, there is a problem that foreign matter is easily noticeable. Therefore, when using recycled plastic, a transparent or opaque container with the same or similar color as the foreign matter, for example, gray, can be used to make it difficult for users to notice the foreign matter. Here, in order to improve the uniformity of the design of the entire refrigerator, for example, if all containers and door pockets molded from polystyrene resin are unified in the same color family, the users may not see the same color intensity even if they are colored the same color due to differences in the plate thickness of each part and whether or not the parts overlap, which may impair the uniformity of the design. By coloring each part with a different intensity while taking into account the plate thickness of each part and the overlapping of parts, the uniformity of the design can be improved and foreign matter such as recycled plastic can be made less noticeable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1. Refrigerator 10 Refrigerator body (box) 63 Top freezer storage container (container) 63a3 Side plate (second side plate) 63b Flange portion (first plate) 63c Container ridge (ridge, chamfer) 63 Top freezer storage container (container) O1, O2, O3 Stress concentration area (stress concentration region)

Claims

1. A first plate having a standard plate thickness including a portion that supports the load when suspended; A second plate having a thickness less than the reference plate thickness; and A container molded from recycled resin, comprising a ridge or chamfer connecting the first panel and the second panel, The container is attached to the box body so as to be movable back and forth. When the container is pulled forward from the box body, a stress concentration area due to the load of the contents of the container does not have a portion with a thickness thicker than the reference thickness or a rib, and includes a portion with a thickness thinner than the reference thickness. A container characterized by:

2. 2. The container according to claim 1, A container comprising a rib disposed outside the stress concentration area and adjacent to the stress concentration area.

3. A container for storing items, made of recycled plastic, The container has a stress concentration area due to the load of the stored items, The thickness of the stress concentration region does not include any portion thicker than a reference thickness, which is the thickness of a plate supporting the load in the container, and includes a portion having a thickness thinner than the reference thickness. A container characterized by:

4. 4. The container according to claim 3, A container comprising a rib disposed outside the stress concentration area.

5. A refrigerator comprising the container according to claim 1 or 3.

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