Refrigerator door and refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a door which is constructed to expose the end of a metal plate forming a front face portion of the door, and a refrigerator, for suppressing the occurrence of floating at the end of the metal plate.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes doors including a vegetable chamber door 12a and the like. The vegetable chamber door 12a includes a metal plate 21 and a handle member (a cap member) 22. The metal plate 21 is arranged on a front face of the door, and has a folded part 41 at least on one end side. The handle member 22 is mounted on the folded part 41 of the metal plate 21. The folded part 41 is provided with at least one slot 42. The handle member 22 is provided with at least one claw part 34 to be engaged with the slot 42 in the folded part 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator door and a refrigerator having such a door.

Background Art

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

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

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a configuration where a cap member is provided at the end face portion of the door, as in the door body disclosed in Patent Document 1, at the joint between the metal plate and the cap member, the end of the metal plate is fitted into the cap member, and the end of the metal plate is covered with the cap member. In recent years, in order to improve the design of the refrigerator, a configuration has been considered in which the end of the metal plate forming the front surface portion of the door is exposed when the refrigerator is viewed from the front. In such a configuration, when a foam heat insulating material is injected into the door, it becomes difficult to restrict the movement of the metal plate in the front-rear direction with the cap member, and there is a possibility that floating or unevenness may occur on the surface of the end of the metal plate.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of floating at the end of the metal plate in a door and a refrigerator having a configuration in which the end of the metal plate forming the front surface portion of the door is exposed.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A door according to one aspect of the present invention is a door of a refrigerator, and includes a metal plate disposed on the front surface and having a bent portion at at least one end side, and a cap member attached to the bent portion of the metal plate. At least one hole is provided in the bent portion, and at least one claw portion engaged with the hole of the bent portion is provided in the cap member.

[0008] A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention includes the door according to one aspect of the present invention.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of floating at the end of the metal plate in a door and a refrigerator having a configuration in which the end of the metal plate forming the front surface portion of the door is exposed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

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

[0012] <First Embodiment> (Overall Configuration of Refrigerator) First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of the refrigerator 1 as viewed from the front.

[0013] The outer shape of the refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of a heat-insulating box body 90. The storage space of the refrigerator 1 is formed by this heat-insulating box body 90. The storage space formed by the heat-insulating box body 90 is divided, for example, in order from the upper stage, into a refrigerating chamber 11, a vegetable chamber 12, an ice-making chamber 14 and a second freezing chamber 15, and a freezing chamber 13 by a plurality of partitions extending in the horizontal direction.

[0014] In the refrigerating chamber 11, double-wing type refrigerating chamber doors 11a and 11b divided into left and right are provided. In the vegetable chamber 12, a drawer-type vegetable chamber door 12a is provided. In the freezing chamber 13, a drawer-type freezing chamber door 13a is provided. In the ice-making chamber 14, a drawer-type ice-making chamber door 14a is provided. In the second freezing chamber 15, a drawer-type freezing chamber door 15a is provided.

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

[0016] In the present embodiment, the surface on which the door is provided is referred to as the front or the front face of the refrigerator. Then, based on the position where the refrigerator 1 exists when the refrigerator 1 is installed in a normal state with the front face as a reference, each face of the refrigerator 1 is defined as the upper face, the side faces, the rear face, and the bottom face. Also, in the state where the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface, the left - right direction (the horizontal direction orthogonal to the up - down direction) when viewing the refrigerator 1 from the front is referred to as the left - right direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the vegetable compartment door 12a, etc.). Further, in the state where the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface, the up - down direction (the vertical direction orthogonal to the left - right direction) of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as the up - down direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the vegetable compartment door 12a, etc.). Also, the side located on the left when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1 is called the left side of the refrigerator 1, and the side located on the right when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1 is called the right side of the refrigerator 1.

[0017] Note that in the present embodiment, in each drawer - type door (that is, the vegetable compartment door 12a, the freezer compartment door 13a, the ice - making compartment door 14a, and the freezer compartment door 15a, etc.), a handle portion 31 is provided at its upper end portion. And a seal member (sheet member) 61 is attached to the inclined surface around the handle portion 31 (see FIG. 2).

[0018] On the surface of the seal member 61, various patterns such as a wood - grain pattern and a marble - grain pattern are printed in various colors. Thereby, the design property of the appearance of the refrigerator 1 can be improved. Also, on the back surface of the seal member 61, an adhesive layer containing an adhesive is formed. Therefore, the user can select a seal member 61 with a preferred pattern from a plurality of seal members 61 printed with different patterns and attach it around the handle portion 31 of each door of the refrigerator 1. Also, it is possible to attach another seal member 61 on the surface of the seal member 61 that has already been attached. Thereby, the user can easily change the design of the front portion of the refrigerator 1 according to the interior of the room where the refrigerator 1 is installed.

[0019] (Configuration of the vegetable compartment door) Next, a more detailed configuration of the vegetable compartment door (refrigerator door) 12a provided in the refrigerator 1 will be described. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the appearance of the vegetable compartment door 12a from the front side. In FIG. 2, a seal member 61 attached to the handle member 22 of the vegetable compartment door 12a is also shown.

[0020] The vegetable compartment door 12a mainly includes a metal plate 21, a handle member (cap member) 22, a reinforcing member 23, a lower cap member 24, a back member (not shown), and a heat insulating material (not shown), etc. The outer shape of the vegetable compartment door 12a is formed by the metal plate 21, the handle member (cap member) 22, the reinforcing member 23, the lower cap member 24, and the back member (not shown).

[0021] The metal plate 21 is disposed on the front surface of the door. FIG. 7 shows the configuration on the back side of the metal plate 21. The metal plate 21 is formed, for example, by bending each end side of a single substantially rectangular steel plate. The metal plate 21 has a front portion 21a, side portions 21b and 21b provided on both left and right sides, and bent portions 41 and 41 provided on both upper and lower sides.

[0022] The handle member (cap member) 22 is attached to the upper end side of the metal plate 21. The handle member 22 is formed, for example, by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. In the present embodiment, the handle member 22 is attached to the bent portion 41 on the upper side of the metal plate 21. The handle member 22 is provided with a handle portion 31 having a recess 31a formed along its longitudinal direction.

[0023] The reinforcing member 23 is a member for reinforcing the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. As will be described later, the reinforcing member 23 is provided so as to cover the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 from the inside of the door. The reinforcing member 23 is formed, for example, by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS.

[0024] The lower cap member 24 is attached to the lower edge of the metal plate 21. The lower cap member 24 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, PS, etc., similar to the handle member 22. In this embodiment, the lower cap member 24 is attached to the bent portion 41 on the lower side of the metal plate 21.

[0025] The front outer shape of the vegetable compartment door 12a is formed by the above-mentioned metal plate 21, handle member 22, reinforcing member 23, and lower cap member 24. FIG. 4 shows the internal structure (the structure on the back side of the front part) of the front side portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a formed by these members.

[0026] The back member is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, PS, etc. The back member is attached so as to cover the back surfaces of the respective members shown in FIG. 4. Thereby, the outer shape of the door is formed.

[0027] The heat insulating material is provided inside the exterior body of the door formed by combining these members. The heat insulating material is formed, for example, by filling the inside of the exterior body of the door with a foamed heat insulating material such as urethane foam.

[0028] In this embodiment, the periphery of the handle portion 31 provided at the upper end of the vegetable compartment door 12a is an inclined surface (that is, the inclined surface portion 32). A seal member 61 can be attached to this inclined surface. FIG. 2 shows a disassembled state of the vegetable compartment door 12a and the seal member 61 attached thereto.

[0029] In this embodiment, an inclined surface portion 32 is also provided around the handle portion 31 of the pull-out type doors other than the vegetable compartment door 12a (for example, the freezer compartment door 13a, the ice making compartment door 14a, and the freezer compartment door 15a, etc.). And a seal member (sheet member) 61 similar to the vegetable compartment door 12a is attached to the inclined surface portion 32 of each door (see FIG. 1).

[0030] (Configuration of the joint portion between the metal plate and the handle member) Next, a more detailed configuration of the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 will be described. FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the A-A line portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 shows a state where the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. FIG. 10 shows the configuration of the joint between the handle member 22 and the reinforcing member 23. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the handle member 22 and the reinforcing member 23 at a position corresponding to the B-B line of the vegetable compartment door 12a shown in FIG. 2.

[0031] As described above, the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22. Therefore, first, the individual configurations of the respective members (the metal plate 21, the handle member 22, and the reinforcing member 23) constituting the joint will be described. FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the back side (the side in contact with the heat insulating material) of the metal plate 21. FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the inner side (the side in contact with the heat insulating material) of the handle member 22. FIG. 9 shows the configuration of the reinforcing member 23.

[0032] The metal plate 21 is formed, for example, by bending each end side of a single substantially rectangular steel plate. The metal plate 21 is mainly composed of a front portion 21a, side portions 21b and 21b on both the left and right sides, and bent portions 41 and 41 on both the upper and lower sides.

[0033] The front portion 21a forms the front portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a. The side portions 21b form the side portions on both the left and right sides of the vegetable compartment door 12a. The upper bent portion 41 is formed by bending a part of the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 to the back side. The lower bent portion 41 is formed by bending a part of the lower end portion of the metal plate 21 to the back side.

[0034] At least one hole 42 is formed in the upper bent portion 41. In the example shown in FIG. 7, three holes 42 are formed in the upper bent portion 41.

[0035] The handle member 22 has a handle portion 31, an inclined surface portion 32, a narrow width portion 33, etc. on its front side (see FIG. 3).

[0036] The handle portion 31 is provided so as to extend from the central portion at the upper end of the vegetable compartment door 12a to both the left and right sides. The handle portion 31 has a recessed portion 31a that is recessed downward (see FIG. 5). The recessed portion 31a extends in the longitudinal direction of the handle member 22 in accordance with the position of the handle portion 31.

[0037] The inclined surface portions 32 are provided on both the left and right sides of the handle portion 31. The inclined surface portions 32 are inclined forward from the upper side to the lower side. As described above, the seal member 61 is attached to the inclined surface portions 32. Thereby, the design property on the front side of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

[0038] The narrow portion 33 is a part of the inclined surface portion 32. The narrow portion 33 has a narrower width in the vertical direction than the inclined surface portions 32 located on both the left and right sides of the handle portion 31. The narrow portion 33 is provided below the handle portion 31 along the formation region of the handle portion 31.

[0039] Note that the seal member 61 attached to the vegetable compartment door 12a has a shape that conforms to the shapes of the inclined surface portion 32 and the narrow portion 33 provided on the handle member 22 (see FIG. 2).

[0040] At least one depression (recessed portion) 36 is provided along the side on the joint portion side with the metal plate 21 on the inclined surface portion 32. The depression 36 is a portion where a part of the resin forming the handle member 22 has been scraped off. In the example shown in FIG. 2, four depressions 36 are provided near the lower side of the inclined surface portion 32 on the left side of the vegetable compartment door 12a, and four depressions 36 are provided near the lower side of the inclined surface portion 32 on the right side of the vegetable compartment door 12a. Such a depression 36 can be formed by providing a protrusion corresponding to the depression in the mold used for resin molding (for example, injection molding) of the handle member 22.

[0041] Also, inside the handle member 22, a claw portion 34, a second claw portion 35, a meat theft (second recessed portion) 37, a fitting groove 38, a pressing portion 39, etc. are provided (see FIGS. 4, 8, 10, etc.).

[0042] The claw portion 34 is provided on the lower surface of the narrow portion 33. The claw portion 34 engages with a hole 42 provided in the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 (see FIG. 5). Thereby, the handle member 22 is attached to the metal plate 21. The handle member 22 shown in FIG. 8 is provided with three claw portions 34 in accordance with the positions of the holes 42 provided in the metal plate 21 shown in FIG. 7.

[0043] The second claw portion 35 is provided at both left and right end portions on the back surface side of the concave portion 31a. The second claw portion 35 is fitted into openings 57 (see FIG. 9) provided at both longitudinal ends of the reinforcing member 23. Thereby, the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the handle member 22.

[0044] The resin removal portion 37 is provided on the back surface portion 32b located on the back surface side of the inclined surface portion 32. That is, the resin removal portions 37 are respectively provided on the back surface portions 32b located on both the left and right sides of the handle portion 31 (see FIG. 4). The resin removal portion 37 is a portion where a part of the resin forming the handle member 22 is scraped off (see FIG. 10). Such a resin removal portion 37 can be formed by providing a protrusion corresponding to the resin removal on the mold used during resin molding (for example, injection molding) of the handle member 22. Note that the resin removal portion 37 is provided at a position that does not overlap with the depression 36 provided on the inclined surface portion 32 when viewed from the front.

[0045] The fitting groove 38 is provided below the inclined surface portion 32 (see FIG. 10). When the handle member 22 is attached to the metal plate 21, a part of the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 is inserted into this fitting groove 38.

[0046] The pressing portion 39 is provided below the fitting groove 38. The pressing portion 39 supports the front portion 21a of the metal plate 21 from the back side in a state where the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 is inserted into the fitting groove 38 (see FIG. 4). Thereby, it is possible to suppress the foamed heat insulating material from leaking out from the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22.

[0047] The reinforcing member 23 is provided so as to cover the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 from the inside of the door. As shown in FIG. 4, the reinforcing member 23 is arranged along the formation position of the handle portion 31 (that is, the concave portion 31a) of the handle member 22. The reinforcing member 23 is formed by molding (for example, injection molding) a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS.

[0048] The reinforcing member 23 has a front surface portion 51, an upper surface portion 52, a rear portion 53, and side portions 54 on the left and right sides (see FIG. 9). The names of the respective portions of the reinforcing member 23 are defined based on the position in the state where the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the vegetable compartment door 12a.

[0049] At least one recess 56 is provided in the upper surface portion 52 of the reinforcing member 23. The recess 56 is provided at a position corresponding to the hole 42 provided in the metal plate 21 and the claw portion 34 provided in the handle member 22. In the reinforcing member 23 shown in FIG. 9, three recesses 56 are provided in accordance with the position of the hole 42 provided in the metal plate 21 shown in FIG. 7.

[0050] An opening 57 is provided in the side portion 54. The second claw portion 35 provided in the handle member 22 is fitted into the opening 57. Thereby, the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the handle member 22.

[0051] The reinforcing member 23 is provided so as to cover the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 from the inside of the door (see FIGS. 4 and 6, etc.). By providing such a reinforcing member 23, the gap formed between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 can be narrowed or closed. Thereby, leakage of the foamed heat insulating material filled inside the door can be suppressed. Also, displacement of the metal plate 21 can be suppressed.

[0052] When attaching the handle member 22 to the metal plate 21, the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 is inserted into the fitting groove 38 of the handle member 22. Then, the claw portion 34 of the handle member 22 is engaged with the hole 42 provided in the bent portion 41 (see FIG. 5).

[0053] After the handle member 22 is attached to the metal plate 21, the reinforcing member 23 is attached. The reinforcing member 23 is attached to the handle member 22 from below the handle member 22 (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the opening 57 of the reinforcing member 23 moves from below the second claw portion 35 of the handle member 22 to the position where the second claw portion 35 is disposed and is engaged. That is, the second claw portion 35 is fitted into the opening 57 along the attachment direction of the reinforcing member 23 (see FIG. 10). Thereby, the workability at the time of attaching the reinforcing member 23 can be improved.

[0054] When the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22, each recess 56 provided in the upper surface portion 52 of the reinforcing member 23 is located below the claw portion 34 of the handle member 22 (see FIG. 5). Further, the front surface portion 51 of the reinforcing member 23 supports the front surface portion 21a of the metal plate 21 from the back side (see FIG. 5). Further, the rear portion 53 of the reinforcing member 23 supports the front side of the recess 31a of the handle member 22 (see FIG. 5). Thereby, in the formation region of the handle portion 31, the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 is closed from the inside by the reinforcing member 23. Therefore, it is possible to suppress leakage of the foam heat insulating material filled inside the door and to suppress displacement of the metal plate 21.

[0055] Since the recess 31a of the handle portion 31 is a portion where the user puts a finger and operates, it is preferably disposed more forward of the door, and the depth of the recess 31a is also preferably formed to such an extent that the finger can be sufficiently placed. When the recess 31a is formed in this way, the region where the foam heat insulating material is filled below the narrow portion 33 is a region having a narrow and deep inlet width. In such a region, uneven filling of the foam heat insulating material is likely to occur. Therefore, by providing the reinforcing member 23 in this region, the front surface portion 51, the upper surface portion 52, and the rear portion 53 of the reinforcing member 23 can support the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 in a plane. Therefore, even if uneven filling of the foam heat insulating material occurs with respect to the reinforcing member 23, it is possible to prevent unevenness from occurring on the surface of the metal plate 21 and a decrease in the strength of the handle portion 31.

[0056] In addition, the same configuration as described above can also be applied to the joint portion between the lower cap member 24 provided at the lower end of the vegetable compartment door 12a and the metal plate 21. Therefore, for the joint between the metal plate 21 and the lower cap member 24, a reinforcing member may be provided to cover the engaging portion between the bent portion 41 and the claw portion (not shown) of the lower cap member 24 from the inside of the door.

[0057] Also, in another embodiment, a reinforcing member may not be provided for the joint between the metal plate 21 and the lower cap member 24. In this case, for example, a configuration similar to the configuration described in the second embodiment can be applied.

[0058] (Configuration of a pull-out door other than the vegetable compartment door) In this embodiment, the vegetable compartment door 12a is cited as an example of the door of the refrigerator, but the door of the refrigerator according to this embodiment is not limited to the vegetable compartment door. The door of the refrigerator may be, for example, the ice-making compartment door 14a, the freezer compartment door 13a, and the freezer compartment door 15a, etc.

[0059] Note that depending on the door, the arrangement position of the handle portion 31 may be different from that of the vegetable compartment door 12a described above. For example, in the case of the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment, the handle portion 31 of the ice-making compartment door 14a is arranged with the handle portion 31 offset to the right side of its upper end portion.

[0060] FIG. 11 shows the configuration on the back side of the front portion of the ice-making compartment door 14a. In FIG. 11, a state of attaching the reinforcing member 23 to the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 constituting the ice-making compartment door 14a is shown.

[0061] The ice-making compartment door 14a mainly includes a metal plate 21, a handle member (cap member) 22, a reinforcing member 23, a lower cap member 24, a back member (not shown), and a heat insulating material (not shown), etc.

[0062] Similar to the vegetable compartment door 12a, at least one hole 42 is provided in the upper bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21 of the ice-making compartment door 14a. Further, the handle member 22 is provided with a claw portion 34 that engages with the hole 42 provided in the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21. Thereby, the handle member 22 is attached to the metal plate 21.

[0063] Similar to the vegetable compartment door 12a, a reinforcing member 23 is attached to the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 of the ice-making compartment door 14a. As shown in FIG. 11, the reinforcing member 23 is arranged along the formation position of the handle portion 31 of the handle member 22.

[0064] Further, second claw portions 35 are provided at both left and right end portions on the back surface side of the recess 31a of the handle member 22 of the ice-making compartment door 14a. The second claw portions 35 are fitted into openings 57 provided at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member 23. Thereby, the reinforcing member 23 is attached to the handle member 22.

[0065] (Summary of the First Embodiment) As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment includes a drawer-type storage compartment such as the vegetable compartment 12. A vegetable compartment door 12a is provided in front of the vegetable compartment 12. The vegetable compartment door 12a includes a metal plate 21 and a handle member (cap member) 22. The metal plate 21 is disposed on the front surface of the door and has a bent portion 41 at at least one end side. The handle member 22 is attached to the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21. At least one hole 42 is provided in the bent portion 41, and the handle member 22 is provided with at least one claw portion 34 that engages with the hole 42 in the bent portion 41.

[0066] According to the above configuration, since the handle member 22 is attached to the bent portion 41 above the metal plate 21, when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front, the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 that forms the front portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a can be exposed. In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 is not covered with a cap member such as the handle member 22, for example, the aesthetic appearance on the front side of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

[0067] In addition, in a configuration where the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 is exposed, it is preferable to suppress the occurrence of floating on the surface of the end portion of the metal plate that may occur when a foam heat insulating material is injected into the inside of the door. In the above configuration, at the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22, the claw portion 34 provided on the handle member 22 is locked in the hole 42 provided in the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21, so that the metal plate 21 can be restricted from moving in the front-rear direction with respect to the handle member 22. Thereby, the possibility of floating and unevenness on the surface of the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 can be reduced.

[0068] Furthermore, in the vegetable compartment door 12a of the present embodiment, the reinforcing member 23 is provided so as to cover the joint between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 from the inside of the door. By providing such a reinforcing member 23, the gap formed between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 22 can be narrowed or closed. Thereby, the leakage of the foam heat insulating material filled inside the door can be suppressed. Also, the displacement of the metal plate 21 can be suppressed.

[0069] <Second Embodiment> Subsequently, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the joint between the metal plate and the handle member in a drawer-type door such as a vegetable compartment door is different from that in the first embodiment. For other configurations, the same configurations as those in the first embodiment can be applied.

[0070] FIG. 12 shows the configuration of a part of the vegetable compartment door 112a of the refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment (specifically, the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 122). FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the vegetable compartment door 112a at a position corresponding to the line A-A shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 13 shows a disassembled state of the metal plate 21 and the handle member 112 that constitute the front portion of the vegetable compartment door 112a.

[0071] The vegetable compartment door 112a mainly includes a metal plate 21, a handle member (cap member) 122, a lower cap member (not shown in FIG. 12), a back member (not shown), and a heat insulating material (not shown). In this embodiment, mainly, the configuration of the handle member 122 is different from that of the first embodiment.

[0072] The handle member 122 is attached to the upper end side of the metal plate 21. The handle member 22 is formed by molding a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. In this embodiment, the handle member 122 is attached to the bent portion 41 on the upper side of the metal plate 21.

[0073] The handle member 122 has a handle portion 31, an upper surface portion 132, a narrow width portion 133, etc. on its front side. The handle portion 31 has a recess 31a that is recessed downward. The recess 31a extends in the longitudinal direction of the handle member 122 in accordance with the position of the handle portion 31.

[0074] At least one hole 42 is provided in the bent portion 41 on the upper side of the metal plate 21. Further, the handle member 122 is provided with a claw portion 134 that engages with the hole 42 provided in the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21. Thereby, the handle member 122 is attached to the metal plate 21.

[0075] According to the above configuration, since the handle member 122 is attached to the bent portion 41 on the upper side of the metal plate 21, when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front, the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 that forms the front portion of the vegetable compartment door 112a can be exposed. In this way, by adopting a configuration in which the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 is not covered with a cap member (for example, a handle member), the aesthetic appearance on the front side of the refrigerator 1 can be improved.

[0076] In addition, in a configuration where the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 is exposed, it is preferable to suppress the occurrence of floating on the surface of the end portion of the metal plate that may occur when a foam heat insulating material is injected into the inside of the door. In the above configuration, at the joint portion between the metal plate 21 and the handle member 122, the claw portion 134 provided on the handle member 122 is locked to the hole 42 provided in the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21, so that the movement of the metal plate 21 in the front-rear direction with respect to the handle member 122 can be restricted. Thereby, the possibility of floating and unevenness on the surface of the upper end portion of the metal plate 21 can be reduced.

[0077] Further, the vegetable compartment door 112a according to the present embodiment is not provided with a reinforcing member 23. Therefore, the number of parts constituting the door can be reduced. In this way, a configuration in which a reinforcing member is not attached to the joint portion between the metal plate and the handle member is also possible. The present embodiment is preferably applied when a flow path for the foam heat insulating material to the bent portion 41 is sufficiently ensured, such as a configuration in which the recess 31a is not located below the bent portion 41 of the metal plate 21, or a configuration in which the amount of protrusion downward is small, or a configuration in which the recess 31a is located rearward.

[0078] (Summary) The refrigerator door according to one aspect of the present invention (for example, the vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, the ice making compartment door 14a, the freezer door 13a, the freezer door 15a) is disposed on the front surface of the door and has a bent portion (for example, the bent portion 41) at at least one end side. It includes a metal plate (for example, the metal plate 21) and a cap member (for example, the handle member 22 or 122) attached to the bent portion of the metal plate. At least one hole (for example, the hole 42) is provided in the bent portion, and at least one claw portion (for example, the claw portion 34) engaged with the hole of the bent portion is provided in the cap member.

[0079] The refrigerator door according to one aspect of the present invention described above (for example, the vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, the ice making compartment door 14a, the freezer door 13a, the freezer door 15a) may further include a reinforcing member (for example, the reinforcing member 23) provided so as to cover an engaging portion between the bent portion (for example, the bent portion 41) of the metal plate (for example, the metal plate 21) and the claw portion (for example, the claw portion 34) of the cap member (for example, the handle member 22) from the inside of the door.

[0080] In the refrigerator door according to another aspect of the present invention described above (for example, the vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, the ice making compartment door 14a, the freezer door 13a, the freezer door 15a), the cap member (for example, the handle member 22) has a handle portion (for example, the handle portion 31) having a recess (for example, the recess 31a) formed along the longitudinal direction of the cap member, and the reinforcing member (for example, the reinforcing member 23) may be provided in accordance with the formation region of the recess.

[0081] In the refrigerator door according to any aspect of the present invention described above (for example, the vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, the ice making compartment door 14a, the freezer door 13a, the freezer door 15a), openings (for example, the openings 57) are respectively provided at both longitudinal ends of the reinforcing member (for example, the reinforcing member 23), and the cap member (for example, the handle member 22) may be provided with second claw portions (for example, the second claw portions 35) fitted into the openings along the attachment direction of the reinforcing member.

[0082] A refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1) according to another aspect of the present invention includes a door (for example, vegetable compartment door 12a or 112a, ice making compartment door 14a, freezer door 13a, freezer door 15a) according to any aspect of the present invention described above.

[0083] It should be considered that all the embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included. Also, configurations obtained by combining the configurations of different embodiments described in this specification with each other are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1: Refrigerator 12: Vegetable compartment 12a: Vegetable compartment door (door of the refrigerator) 21: Metal plate 21a: Front portion (of the metal plate) 22: Handle member (cap member) 23: Reinforcing member 31: Handle 31a: Concave portion (of the handle) 32: Inclined surface portion (of the handle member) 34: Claw portion (of the handle member) 35: Second claw portion (of the handle member) 41: Bent portion (of the metal plate) 42: Hole (in the metal plate) 54: Opening (of the reinforcing member) 61: Seal member (sheet member) 122: Handle member 134: Claw portion (of the handle member)

Claims

1. A refrigerator door, comprising a metal plate disposed at the front and having a bent portion at at least one end side, a cap member attached to the outside of the bent portion of the metal plate, and a reinforcing member provided to cover the bent portion of the metal plate from the inside of the door, wherein the cap member has a handle portion having a recess formed to be recessed inward from the bent portion, at least one hole is provided in the bent portion, at least one claw portion engaged with the hole of the bent portion is provided in the cap member, and a recess is provided at a position corresponding to the claw portion of the cap member engaged with the hole of the bent portion on the upper surface portion of the reinforcing member. Door.

2. A refrigerator comprising the door according to Claim 1.

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