Cooling storage

Abstract

To promote the introduction of atmospheric air while securing excellent external appearance.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 10 comprises: a refrigerator main body 11 having an accommodation chamber 14 having an opening 14A at a front face, and accommodating a cooling object, and a machine room 15 for accommodating a refrigeration device 12 for cooling the accommodation chamber 14; a door 13 attached to the refrigerator main body 11, and capable of at least opening and closing the opening 14A of the accommodation chamber 14; and a grip 35B arranged at the door 13, and for use in the opening and closing of the door 13. The machine room 15 has a front wall 22 at which an intake port 22A is formed at a front face side, the door 13 has a front wall opposing part 26 which is arranged so as to be opposed to a front side of the front wall 22 of the machine room 15 in a state that the opening 14A of the accommodation chamber 14 is closed, a door intake port 33 communicating with a rear side of the front wall opposing part 26 from a front side is formed at the front wall opposing part 26, and the grip 35B is opposed to the front side of the door intake port 33 with an interval, and is arranged so as to make the door intake port 33 communicate with the outside frontward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] A known example of a refrigerator, which is a type of cooling cabinet, is described in Patent Document 1 below. In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, an air passage consisting of a condenser, a fan, and a cover is formed on the top surface of an insulated box body, an intake opening is provided on the front surface of the cover, and a guider, which is a cutout portion, is provided in the door opposite the intake opening, thereby ensuring the heat dissipation capacity of the condenser without compromising the external design of the refrigerator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4285402 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 1, although a guider is used to introduce outside air into the intake opening, a sufficient amount of outside air may not be introduced into the intake opening because a part of the door is arranged facing the front side of the intake opening. However, if a configuration is adopted in which a part of the door is not facing the front side of the intake opening, the intake opening is exposed to the outside in front, which may cause problems such as a deterioration in appearance.

[0005] The technology described in this specification was developed based on the above circumstances, and aims to promote the introduction of outside air while maintaining an excellent appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A refrigerator related to the technology described in this specification comprises a refrigerator body having an opening on the front and including a storage chamber in which an object to be cooled is stored, and a machine chamber that stores a refrigeration device for cooling the storage chamber; a door attached to the refrigerator body and capable of opening and closing at least the opening of the storage chamber; and a handle attached to the door and used to open and close the door, wherein the machine chamber has a front wall with an air intake formed on the front side, and the door has a front wall opposing portion that is arranged to face the front side of the front wall of the machine chamber when the opening of the storage chamber is closed, and the front wall opposing portion is provided with a door air intake that communicates from the front side to the rear side of the front wall opposing portion, and the handle faces the front side of the door air intake with a gap between them and is arranged to communicate the door air intake with the front outside.

[0007] The door has a front-wall facing portion that faces the front side of the front wall of the machine room when the opening of the storage chamber is closed. This prevents the air intake in the front wall from being exposed to the outside. This prevents dust from adhering to the edge of the air intake in the front wall and increases the design flexibility of the air intake. The door also has a door air intake that connects from the front side to the rear side of the front-wall facing portion, and a handle is positioned facing the front side of the door air intake with a gap in between, connecting the door air intake to the front outside. This ensures ventilation from the outside to the door air intake while preventing the door air intake from being exposed to the outside. This prevents dust from adhering to the edge of the door air intake, and allows outside air introduced to the rear side of the front-wall facing portion through the door air intake to be directed toward the air intake in the front wall of the machine room, allowing the refrigeration unit to be cooled by outside air. The door air intake is prevented from being exposed to the outside by the handle, so that the door air intake is hardly visible from the front outside, and the appearance of the refrigerator is improved.

[0008] (2) In addition to the above (1), the refrigerator may further include a door with a partially recessed front surface, the recessed portion including the front wall-facing portion, and the handle disposed so as to provide a space between the recessed portion and the handle, and spaced apart from the recession start point of the front surface so as to open the space forward. In this manner, the space between the recessed portion and the handle is open forward by providing a space between the handle and the recession start point of the front surface of the door. Therefore, outside air can be introduced into the space between the recessed portion and the handle through the opening between the handle and the recession start point, and then introduced from the space into the door intake port of the recessed portion. Furthermore, a user can insert their fingers into the space between the recessed portion and the handle through the opening between the handle and the recession start point, and then grasp the handle to open or close the door. In this way, the space between the recessed portion and the handle can be used as a flow path (air intake path) for introducing outside air into the door intake port, as well as a space for inserting fingers when opening or closing the door.

[0009] (3) In addition to the above (2), the door may include, on the front surface, a main front surface portion located forward of the recessed portion, and at least a portion of the recessed portion may include an inclined surface inclined toward the main front surface portion and exposed forward. In this way, outside air introduced into the space between the recessed portion and the handle through an opening between the handle and the recessed portion's front surface is rectified toward the door air intake by the inclined surface inclined toward the main front surface portion and exposed forward in the recessed portion. Furthermore, when a user inserts their fingers into the space between the recessed portion and the handle to open or close the door, the inclined surface can guide the fingers toward the handle.

[0010] (4) In addition to any one of (1) to (3), the refrigerator may be configured such that the handle overlaps an edge of the door air intake in the front wall facing portion when viewed from the front. This makes it easier for the door air intake to be hidden by the handle even when the front wall facing portion is viewed obliquely from the front-to-rear direction. This improves the appearance.

[0011] (5) In addition to any one of (1) to (4), the refrigerator may further include a storage chamber opening / closing portion that is connected to the front wall facing portion and that can open and close the opening of the storage chamber, and the door air intake may be disposed at an end of the front wall facing portion opposite the storage chamber opening / closing portion. This maximizes the distance from the door air intake to the storage chamber. Therefore, when the door is closed, outside air introduced to the rear side of the front wall facing portion through the door air intake is efficiently introduced into the machine room, and outside air is less likely to stagnate near the storage chamber that is closed by the storage chamber opening / closing portion.

[0012] (6) In addition to any one of (1) to (5) above, the refrigerator may further include an air filter, at least a portion of which is disposed within the machine room and which filters outside air introduced through the air intake port, and the front wall may be provided with a receptacle into which the air filter is inserted, and the air filter may have an attachment / detachment operating part disposed in front of the receptacle and used for attachment / detachment. In this manner, the outside air introduced into the machine room through the air intake port in the front wall of the machine room is filtered by the air filter inserted into the receptacle in the front wall, thereby removing any dust contained therein. When performing maintenance on the air filter, an operator can attach or detach the air filter by grasping the attachment / detachment operating part disposed in front of the receptacle.

[0013] (7) In addition to any one of (1) to (5), the refrigerator may further include an air filter attached to the door so as to be located rearward of the front wall facing portion, filtering outside air introduced into the door air intake port. In this configuration, the outside air introduced into the door air intake port in the front wall facing portion is filtered by the air filter attached to the door so as to be located rearward of the front wall facing portion, thereby removing dust contained therein. The air filter removes dust before the outside air is introduced into the machine compartment, thereby preventing dust from entering the machine compartment. Furthermore, because the air filter attached to the door is located rearward of the front wall facing portion, dust adhering to the air filter resides between the air filter and the front wall facing portion. Therefore, even if dust adhering to the air filter falls due to vibrations caused by opening and closing the door, for example, the dust is less likely to enter the interior of the refrigerator body (the storage compartment or the machine compartment). Furthermore, since the air filter is attached to the door so that it is positioned behind the front wall facing portion, it is not exposed to the front outside when the door is closed, but the air filter is exposed on the back side of the door when the door is open. This results in an excellent appearance when the door is closed, and excellent maintainability as the degree of dirt on the air filter can be easily checked when the door is open.

[0014] (8) In addition to the above (7), the refrigerator may further include a configuration in which the machine compartment has an open front and the front wall is positioned behind the edge of the opening, thereby creating a recessed space in front of the front wall, and the door has a cylindrical, front-to-rear opening, fitting portion inside the door that houses the air filter and fits into the recessed space. In this configuration, a recessed space exposed to the front is formed by the edge of the machine compartment opening and the front wall. When the door is closed, the cylindrical, front-to-rear opening fitting portion fits into the recessed space. Therefore, even if a gap exists between the front wall-facing portion of the door and the refrigerator compartment body, the fitting portion fitting into the recessed space makes it less likely that outside air passing through the gap will enter the air intake port of the front wall without passing through the air filter. Most of the outside air introduced into the machine compartment air intake port passes through the door air intake port at the front wall-facing portion and the air filter housed inside the fitting portion. This makes it difficult for dust to get inside the machine room.

[0015] (9) In addition to any one of (1) to (5), the refrigerator may also include an air filter attached forward of the front wall to filter the outside air introduced into the air intake port. In this way, the outside air introduced into the air intake port in the front wall of the machine room is filtered by the air filter attached forward of the front wall, thereby removing dust contained therein. The air filter removes dust before the outside air is introduced into the machine room, thereby preventing dust from entering the machine room. Because the air filter is attached forward of the front wall, it is not exposed to the front outside when the door is closed by the front wall facing portion, but is exposed to the front outside when the door is open. This provides an excellent appearance when the door is closed, and excellent maintainability because the degree of dirt on the air filter can be easily checked when the door is open.

[0016] (10) Furthermore, in addition to any one of (1) to (9), the refrigerator may be configured such that the machine compartment has an opening on a portion of its front surface, the front wall is disposed at the opening, an operating unit for receiving operations by a user is disposed at a non-opening portion of the front surface, the operating unit is disposed so as to protrude forward beyond the edge of the opening of the machine compartment, and the door is disposed adjacent to the operating unit in the direction of arrangement of the storage compartment and the machine compartment. In this way, the operating unit and the door are disposed adjacent to each other in the direction of arrangement of the storage compartment and the machine compartment, resulting in an excellent appearance and a compact refrigerator as a whole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The technology described in this specification can promote the introduction of outside air while maintaining an excellent appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] A perspective view of the refrigerator with the door open [Figure 3] Partially cutaway side view of the refrigerator [Figure 4] Front view of the refrigerator [Figure 5] Cross section of the refrigerator along line AA in Figure 4 [Figure 6] A cutaway perspective view showing the machine room of the refrigerator and the vicinity of the machine room opening / closing section. [Figure 7] A side cross-sectional view showing the machine room of the refrigerator and the vicinity of the machine room opening / closing section [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the machine room and the machine room opening / closing part of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cutaway perspective view showing the vicinity of a machine room and an opening / closing part of the machine room of a refrigerator according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] A side cross-sectional view showing the machine room of the refrigerator and the vicinity of the machine room opening / closing section [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view of the refrigerator at the same cutting position as Figure 5 [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the machine room and the machine room opening / closing part of the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] Cross-sectional view of the refrigerator at the same cutting position as Figure 5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] <Embodiment 1> The first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D shown in each figure respectively indicate the front and rear in the front-to-rear direction of the refrigerator 10, the left and right in the width direction (left-to-right direction) when viewed from the front, and the upper and lower in the vertical direction. However, these directions are merely defined for convenience and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner.

[0020] The refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment is a rapid cooling refrigerator capable of rapidly cooling high-temperature food, for example, after cooking and not yet cooled, in a short time, and has the rapid cooling performance to pass through, for example, a temperature range where bacteria are likely to grow and a temperature range where ice crystals grow when the water in the food freezes, in a short time. For example, it can cool food to a temperature range of 10°C to 60°C within about 30 minutes, or a temperature range of -1°C to -5°C within about 30 minutes.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerator 10 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape overall and roughly comprises a refrigerator main body 11, a refrigeration device 12 housed in the refrigerator main body 11, and a door 13 attached to the front side of the refrigerator main body 11. The refrigerator main body 11 is box-shaped with a portion of the front open. The refrigerator main body 11 comprises a storage chamber 14 in which an object to be cooled (such as food) and a portion of the refrigeration device 12 are housed, and a machine chamber 15 in which a portion of the refrigeration device 12 is housed. The wall of the refrigerator main body 11 that forms the storage chamber 14 is filled with a heat insulating material such as urethane foam. The refrigerator main body 11 is configured so that the storage chamber 14 and the machine chamber 15 are aligned vertically, with the storage chamber 14 located on the lower side and the machine chamber 15 located on the upper side.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the storage chamber 14 has an open front, through which opening 14A can be used to load and unload objects to be cooled (trays T, described below). The storage chamber 14 accommodates a plurality of trays T, each of which is arranged vertically, with the trays T carrying the objects to be cooled. A pair of inner wall surfaces of the storage chamber 14, which face each other in the left-right direction, are each provided with a tray support structure 16 for supporting the trays T. One end of the storage chamber 14 in the left-right direction is provided with a cooling case 17, which accommodates an evaporator (not shown) and an evaporator fan (not shown), which constitute part of the refrigeration device 12. A portion of the wall of the cooling case 17 forms one of the inner wall surfaces of the storage chamber 14 and is provided with a portion of the tray support structure 16. The wall of the cooling case 17, on which the tray support structure 16 is provided, is positioned to face the evaporator fan inside and has an air outlet 17A for introducing air (cold air) blown by the evaporator fan into the storage chamber 14. Furthermore, cooling case 17 has an intake port (not shown) for taking in air from storage chamber 14. The evaporator fan is a type of internal fan.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 , the machine room 15 accommodates at least a portion of the refrigeration device 12 and a control device (not shown) for controlling the refrigeration device 12. The refrigeration device 12 will now be described. The refrigeration device 12 roughly includes a compressor 18, a condenser 19, a condenser fan 20, an expansion valve (not shown), an evaporator, an evaporator fan, and a refrigerant pipe 21 that accommodates a refrigerant. The refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerant pipe 21 that connects the compressor 18, the condenser 19, the expansion valve, and the evaporator, thereby forming a known refrigeration cycle. Of the refrigeration device 12, at least the compressor 18, the condenser 19, and the condenser fan 20 are accommodated in the machine room 15. When the refrigeration device 12 is operated, the evaporator accommodated in the accommodation chamber 14 is cooled. This causes heat exchange between the evaporator and the air in the accommodation chamber 14 (in the cooling case 17), thereby cooling the object to be cooled in the accommodation chamber 14. The compressor 18, the condenser fan 20, and the evaporator fan are electrically connected to a controller.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the machine room 15 has an opening on its front side, and a front wall 22 is attached to the opening 15A. The front wall 22 is positioned rearward of the edge of the opening 15A of the machine room 15. Therefore, a recessed space S1 of a predetermined depth exposed forward is defined by the edge of the opening 15A of the machine room 15 and the front wall 22. The front wall 22 is formed with an air intake 22A for introducing outside air into the machine room 15. By introducing outside air into the machine room 15 through the air intake 22A, the refrigeration unit 12 (particularly the condenser 19) housed in the machine room 15 can be cooled even if it generates heat during operation. The air intake 22A has a horizontally long oval shape, and multiple air intakes 22A are arranged side by side at intervals in the left-right and up-down directions on the front wall 22. The multiple air intakes 22A are arranged in a staggered pattern overall, with adjacent intakes 22A offset from one another in the vertical direction, and are distributed throughout substantially the entire area of the front wall 22. The opening 15A to which the front wall 22 is attached is offset toward the end of the machine room 15 that faces the storage chamber 14 in the vertical direction. A control panel (operation unit) 23 is provided in the non-opening portion of the machine room 15, allowing the user to perform various operations such as setting the internal temperature. The control panel 23 is offset toward the end opposite the storage chamber 14 in the vertical direction and is positioned to protrude forward beyond the edge of the opening 15A of the machine room 15. The control panel 23 is electrically connected to a control device. Therefore, the control device controls the operating state of the refrigeration unit 12 based on operations input to the control panel 23.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, door 13 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front and is large enough to straddle storage chamber 14 and machine chamber 15 in refrigerator body 11 in the vertical direction. Door 13 is attached at its right end to be able to swing relative to refrigerator body 11 via hinge part 24, with the swing axis coinciding with the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, door 13 is able to open and close both opening 14A of storage chamber 14 and opening 15A of machine chamber 15 as it swings relative to refrigerator body 11.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the door 13 has a storage chamber opening / closing section 13A that can open and close the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14, and a machine chamber opening / closing section 13B that extends upward from the storage chamber opening / closing section 13A (the side from the storage chamber 14 toward the machine chamber 15) and can open and close the opening 15A of the machine chamber 15. The storage chamber opening / closing section 13A forms the lower part of the door 13, while the machine chamber opening / closing section 13B forms the upper part of the door 13. The storage chamber opening / closing section 13A is configured with an exterior material made of a metal plate or the like filled with a heat insulating material such as urethane foam, and closing the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14 with the storage chamber opening / closing section 13A can keep the storage chamber 14 insulated. A magnetic packing 25 is attached to the outer edge (edge) of the back surface (surface covering the opening 14A) of the storage chamber opening / closing section 13A that faces the inside of the storage chamber when the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14 is closed. The magnetic packing 25 is a sealing member made of an elastic material mixed with a magnetic material. When the storage chamber opening / closing part 13A closes the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14, the magnetic packing 25 is attracted to a magnetic member embedded in the edge of the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14 and is compressed between the storage chamber opening / closing part 13A and the edge of the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14, forming a tight seal. The magnetic packing 25 forms a rectangular frame along the edge of the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14. The storage chamber opening / closing part 13A is thicker at its inner central portion than at its outer edge where the magnetic packing 25 is provided. The central portion of the back surface forms a protruding surface that protrudes toward the interior of the storage chamber more than the outer edge when the storage chamber opening / closing part 13A is closed. A switch or sensor may be installed to detect whether the door 13 is open or closed.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 6, the main parts (front wall facing part 26, etc.) of the machine chamber opening / closing part 13B are formed by an upward extension of the exterior material that constitutes the storage chamber opening / closing part 13A. The machine chamber opening / closing part 13B has, as its main part, the front wall facing part 26 that faces the front wall 22 with a gap in front of it when the door 13 is closed. Therefore, when the door 13 is closed, the front wall facing part 26 makes it difficult for the intake port 22A of the front wall 22 to be exposed to the outside. This makes it difficult for dust to adhere to the edge of the intake port 22A in the front wall 22 and increases the design freedom for the intake port 22A. In addition to the front wall facing portion 26, as shown in FIG. 5 , the machine room opening / closing portion 13B includes, as its main components, a pair of side plate portions 27 connected to both side ends of the front wall facing portion 26 and bent toward the rear, and a pair of rear plate portions 28 connected to the rear ends of the pair of side plate portions 27 and bent to face the front wall facing portion 26 with a gap between them. A reinforcing member 29 having a U-shape in plan view is disposed in the space enclosed by the front wall facing portion 26, the side plate portion 27, and the rear plate portion 28 so as to fit along the inner surfaces of the front wall facing portion 26, the side plate portion 27, and the rear plate portion 28. The reinforcing member 29 is attached by screws or the like while in contact with the front wall facing portion 26 and the rear plate portion 28. Extension portions 30 are bent at the upper and lower ends of the side plate portions 27 to extend from above and below to close the space enclosed by the front wall facing portion 26, the side plate portion 27, and the rear plate portion 28.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the door 13 has a partially recessed front surface, i.e., a recessed portion 31, which includes a portion of the front wall facing portion 26. The recessed portion 31 is located toward the upper end of the front wall facing portion 26 in the vertical direction, i.e., toward the end opposite the storage chamber opening / closing portion 13A. The recessed portion 31 is located in the center of the front wall facing portion 26 in the horizontal direction, excluding both ends, and has a narrow, strip-like shape extending along the horizontal direction. Most of the front surface of the door 13 (the entire front surface of the storage chamber opening / closing portion 13A and most of the front surface of the front wall facing portion 26) is located forward of the recessed portion 31 and forms a main front surface 32 that is not recessed. The main front surface 32 is a flat surface extending along the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0029] In contrast, as shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the receding portion 31 is located rearward of the main front surface portion 32, which is located at the front end of the machinery compartment opening / closing portion 13B, but forward of the rear panel portion 28, which is located at the rear end of the machinery compartment opening / closing portion 13B. In other words, the receding portion 31 is located midway in the fore-and-aft direction of the machinery compartment opening / closing portion 13B. The receding portion 31 has a first receding portion 31A that connects to the main front surface portion 32 and a second receding portion 31B that connects to the rear end of the first receding portion 31A. The first receding portion 31A is inclined in the up-down and fore-and-aft directions, and its front surface forms an inclined surface 31A1. The inclined surface 31A1 has a constant upward slope from the receding start point P from the main front surface portion 32 to the front end of the second receding portion 31B. The inclined surface 31A1 is exposed forward and inclined backward so as to face diagonally upward. The inclined surface 31A1 forms an obtuse angle with the second receding portion 31B. The second recessed portion 31B extends straight in the up-down direction, with its front surface parallel to the main front surface portion 32. The second recessed portion 31B is the most recessed portion of the recessed portion 31. The first recessed portion 31A and the second recessed portion 31B extend in the left-right direction. The recessed portion 31 also has a pair of third recessed portions 31C extending in the up-down direction and connected to the main front surface portion 32 and each of the left-right side ends of the first recessed portion 31A and the second recessed portion 31B. The pair of third recessed portions 31C are located at both ends of the first recessed portion 31A and the second recessed portion 31B in the left-right direction. The third recessed portion 31C is inclined with respect to the left-right and front-rear directions, and its front surface forms an inclined surface. The inclined surface of the third recessed portion 31C has a constant gradient from the recession starting point P from the main front surface portion 32 to each of the side ends of the first recessed portion 31A and the second recessed portion 31B. The inclined surface of the third recessed portion 31C is exposed forward and inclined inward so as to face the center in the left-right direction, and forms an obtuse angle with the second recessed portion 31B.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, the front wall facing portion 26 is provided with a door air intake 33 that communicates from the front side to the rear side of the front wall facing portion 26. The door air intake 33 is formed by cutting upward an upper end of the front wall facing portion 26 (the end opposite the storage chamber opening / closing portion 13A) and is open on both the front and rear sides as well as the upper side. That is, the door air intake 33 is provided in a portion of the front wall facing portion 26 that has the recessed portion 31, and is provided in the second recessed portion 31B, which is the most recessed portion of the recessed portion 31. The door air intake 33 is arranged in a central portion of the front wall facing portion 26 in the left-right direction, excluding both end portions, and has a narrow strip-shaped formation area extending along the left-right direction, which coincides with the formation area of the second recessed portion 31B. The front wall facing portion 26 has three edges: a lower edge and both left and right edge portions of the door air intake 33. The lower edge of the door air intake 33 is defined by a second recessed portion 31B, and both left and right edge portions are defined by a third recessed portion 31C. The lower edge of the door air intake 33 is positioned lower than the upper ends of the side plate portions 27 and rear plate portion 28 of the front wall facing portion 26. In addition, the portion of the second recessed portion 31B that forms the lower edge of the door air intake 33 is folded back toward the rear to form a folded portion 34. The vertical dimension of the folded portion 34 is equal to the vertical opening width of the door air intake 33. During manufacturing, a pair of slits are made near both side ends of the front wall facing portion 26, and the folded portion 34 is formed by folding back the portion sandwiched between the slits, thereby forming the door air intake 33. Because the door air intake 33 having this configuration is provided in the front wall facing portion 26, when the door 13 is closed, outside air is introduced into the inside of the door 13 through the door air intake 33 and is further introduced into the machine room 15 through the air intake 22A of the front wall 22. This ensures a sufficient amount of outside air to be introduced into the machine room 15 compared to if the door air intake 33 were not formed in the front wall facing portion 26.

[0031] As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, a handle portion 35 used to open and close the door 13 is attached to the door 13. The handle portion 35 is provided so as to extend across substantially the entire width of the door 13 in the left-right direction. The handle portion 35 is attached to the upper end of the machine room opening / closing portion 13B that constitutes the door 13. The handle portion 35 has a generally L-shaped cross section when viewed from the side as a whole, and includes an attachment portion 35A that is attached to the door 13 and a grip 35B that is grasped by the user. The attachment portion 35A is plate-shaped and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The attachment portion 35A is placed from above over the front wall facing portion 26, the side plate portion 27, and the rear plate portion 28 of the machine room opening / closing portion 13B, and is attached by screws or the like while in contact with the upper extension portion 30. The attachment portion 35A faces the upper end of the front wall facing portion 26 and forms the upper edge of the door intake port 33.

[0032] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, handle 35B is bent downward from the front end of mounting portion 35A and has a plate shape extending in the left-right and up-down directions. Handle 35B is arranged to face the front side of door air intake 33 with a gap therebetween. As shown in Figures 4 to 7, handle 35B is arranged to face the entire area of door air intake 33 in the up-down and left-right directions. As a result, handle 35B makes it difficult for door air intake 33 to be exposed to the outside in front of it, and door air intake 33 is difficult to see from the outside in front of it, resulting in an excellent appearance of refrigerator 10. Moreover, the handle 35B is arranged to overlap the lower edge (part of the second recessed portion 31B) and both left and right edge portions (part of the third recessed portion 31C) of the door air intake 33 when viewed from the front. Therefore, the door air intake 33 is easily hidden by the handle 35B even when the front wall facing portion 26 is viewed obliquely with respect to the front-to-rear direction (for example, obliquely downward or obliquely to the left or right). This improves the appearance of the refrigerator 10. Furthermore, the lower end of the handle 35B is positioned higher than the upper end of the first recessed portion 31A. In other words, the handle 35B is positioned not to face the first recessed portion 31A, so that the entire first recessed portion 31A is exposed to the outside in the front direction. In addition, the handle 35B faces the upper portions of the second recess 31B and the third recess 31C (including the lower edge and both left and right side edges of the door air intake 33), but is positioned not to face the lower portions of the second recess 31B and the third recess 31C.

[0033] 6 and 7, the handle 35B faces the front side of the door air intake 33 with a gap therebetween and is arranged to connect the door air intake 33 to the front outside. In this way, the handle 35B facing the front side of the door air intake 33 with a gap therebetween is arranged to connect the door air intake 33 to the front outside, so that ventilation from the outside to the door air intake 33 is ensured while the door air intake 33 is unlikely to be exposed to the outside due to the handle 35B. Therefore, outside air introduced to the rear side of the front wall opposing portion 26 through the door air intake 33 can be directed toward the air intake 22A in the front wall 22 of the machine room 15 while preventing dust from adhering to the edge of the door air intake 33, and the refrigeration device 12 can be cooled by the outside air.

[0034] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the handle 35B is disposed slightly forward of the main front surface portion 32 of the front wall facing portion 26 in the front-rear direction. In contrast, the front wall facing portion 26 has a recessed portion 31 formed by partially recessing the front portion toward the rear. Therefore, the handle 35B is disposed to provide a space S2 between the handle 35B and the recessed portion 31. This space S2 exists between the handle 35B and the door air intake 33 and the second recessed portion 31B. The handle 35B is disposed at a distance from a recession start point P on the front surface of the front wall facing portion 26 so that the space S2 opens forward. Therefore, it can be said that an opening OP communicating with the space S2 is provided between the lower end of the handle 35B and the recession start point P on the front surface of the front wall facing portion 26. Through this opening OP, the entire first recessed portion 31A (inclined surface 31A1) and the lower portions of the second recessed portion 31B and the third recessed portion 31C are exposed to the front and outside. It can be said that the inclined surface 31A1 of the first recessed portion 31A is inclined toward the handle 35B. The left and right ends of the handle 35B are positioned to sandwich the door air intake 33 from both sides and to face the main front surface portion 32 with a small gap between them.

[0035] With this configuration, outside air can be introduced into the space S2 between the retraction portion 31 and the handle 35B through the opening OP between the handle 35B and the retraction start point P on the front surface of the front-wall opposing portion 26, and then introduced from the space S2 into the door air intake 33 of the retraction portion 31. Here, the opening OP and the door air intake 33 are positioned apart from each other in the vertical direction, so the flow path (air intake path) of the outside air from the opening OP to the door air intake 33 is non-linear and meanders. Therefore, the flow of the outside air is likely to be turbulent as it passes from the opening OP through the space S2 to the door air intake 33, making it difficult for dust contained in the outside air to adhere to the edge of the door air intake 33. This provides excellent maintainability. Moreover, the front surface of the receding portion 31 includes an inclined surface 31A1 that is inclined relative to the main front surface portion 32, and this inclined surface 31A1 is exposed forward through the opening OP, so that the inclined surface 31A1 can rectify the outside air introduced into the space S2 through the opening OP so that it is directed toward the door air intake 33. Furthermore, a user can insert their fingers into the space S2 formed between the receding portion 31 and the handle 35B through the opening OP between the handle 35B and the receding start point P on the front surface of the front wall opposing portion 26, and then grasp the handle 35B to open or close the door 13. When a user inserts their fingers into the space S2 formed between the receding portion 31 and the handle 35B to open or close the door 13, the inclined surface 31A1 exposed forward through the opening OP on the front surface of the receding portion 31 can guide their fingers to the handle 35B. As described above, the space S2 between the recessed portion 31 and the handle 35B can be used as a flow path for introducing outside air into the door air intake 33, and can also be used as a space for inserting fingers when opening and closing the door 13.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 3, 6, and 7, the refrigerator 10 according to this embodiment includes an air filter 36 for filtering outside air introduced into the machine room 15. Since most of the air filter 36 is located within the machine room 15, it can filter outside air introduced into the machine room 15 through the air intake 22A. The front wall 22 of the machine room 15 is provided with an insertion port 22B into which the air filter 36 is inserted from the front. The insertion port 22B is located near the upper end of the front wall 22 and is positioned above all of the air intake 22A. The insertion port 22B is also provided across most of the center of the front wall 22 in the left-right direction, excluding both side ends, and both left-right ends of the insertion port 22B are positioned closer to the ends than the air intake 22A located at both ends in the left-right direction. The air filter 36 includes a rectangular frame 36A, a filter portion 36B attached to the frame 36A, and an attachment / detachment operation portion 36C for attachment / detachment. The frame 36A holds the filter unit 36B and is slightly smaller in size in the left-right direction than the opening width of the inlet 22B. The filter unit 36B filters and captures dust contained in the outside air. The attachment / detachment operating portion 36C consists of a portion (the front end) of the frame 36A. When the air filter 36 having this configuration is inserted into the inlet 22B in the front wall 22, its front end is at the top and supported by the edge of the inlet 22B, and its bottom end is at the bottom and supported by the bottom surface of the machinery chamber 15, resulting in an overall forward-leaning posture. In this attached state, most of the frame 36A and the filter unit 36B are housed within the interior space of the machinery chamber 15, and the front surface of the filter unit 36B is positioned opposite all of the air intakes 22A. As a result, outside air introduced into the machinery chamber 15 through all of the air intakes 22A passes through the filter unit 36B without leakage, thereby efficiently removing dust. On the other hand, in the attached state, the attachment / detachment operating part 36C is disposed so as to protrude from the front side of the outlet 22B. As a result, when performing maintenance or replacement of the air filter 36, the worker can grasp and pull out the attachment / detachment operating part 36C disposed in front of the outlet 22B.

[0037] 6 and 7, the operation panel 23 is provided on a non-opening portion of the front surface of the machine chamber 15 and is positioned so as to protrude forward beyond the edge of the opening 15A of the machine chamber 15. Therefore, the door 13 is positioned adjacent to the operation panel 23 in the vertical direction (the direction in which the storage chamber 14 and the machine chamber 15 are aligned). The entire surfaces of the operation panel 23 and the door 13 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are substantially flush with each other. This configuration improves the appearance and allows the refrigerator 10 to be made compact as a whole.

[0038] As described above, the refrigerator 10 of this embodiment comprises a refrigerator main body 11 having an opening 14A on the front and including a storage chamber 14 in which an object to be cooled is stored, and a machine chamber 15 that stores a refrigeration device 12 for cooling the storage chamber 14; a door 13 attached to the refrigerator main body 11 and capable of opening and closing at least the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14; and a handle 35B attached to the door 13 and used to open and close the door 13. The machine chamber 15 has a front wall 22 in which an air intake 22A is formed on the front side, and the door 13 has a front wall opposing portion 26 that is arranged to face the front side of the front wall 22 of the machine chamber 15 when the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14 is closed. The front wall opposing portion 26 is provided with a door air intake 33 that communicates from the front side to the rear side of the front wall opposing portion 26, and the handle 35B faces the front side of the door air intake 33 with a gap between them and is arranged to communicate the door air intake 33 with the front outside.

[0039] Door 13 is provided with front wall facing portion 26 that faces the front side of front wall 22 of machine chamber 15 when opening 14A of storage chamber 14 is closed, and front wall facing portion 26 makes it difficult for intake port 22A of front wall 22 to be exposed to the outside. This makes it difficult for dust to adhere to the edge of intake port 22A in front wall 22 and increases the design freedom for intake port 22A. Door 13 is also provided with door intake port 33 that communicates from the front side to the rear side of front wall facing portion 26, and handle 35B is arranged opposite to the front side of door intake port 33 with a gap therebetween and connects door intake port 33 to the front outside. Therefore, ventilation from the outside to door intake port 33 is ensured while handle 35B makes it difficult for door intake port 33 to be exposed to the outside. Therefore, while preventing dust from adhering to the edge of the door air intake 33, outside air introduced to the rear side of the front wall facing portion 26 through the door air intake 33 can be directed toward the air intake 22A in the front wall 22 of the machine room 15, allowing the refrigeration unit 12 to be cooled by the outside air. Because the handle 35B makes it difficult for the door air intake 33 to be exposed to the outside, the door air intake 33 is difficult to see from the front outside, improving the appearance of the refrigerator 10. As described above, it is possible to promote the introduction of outside air while ensuring an excellent appearance.

[0040] Furthermore, the front surface of the door 13 is partially set back, and the setback portion 31 includes the front wall facing portion 26. The handle 35B is arranged to define a space S2 between it and the setback portion 31, and is spaced apart from a setback start point P on the front surface so that the space S2 opens forward. In this manner, the space S2 defined between the setback portion 31 and the handle 35B opens forward due to the space defined between the handle 35B and the setback start point P on the front surface of the door 13. Therefore, outside air can be introduced into the space S2 defined between the setback portion 31 and the handle 35B through an opening OP between the handle 35B and the setback start point P, and can be introduced from the space S2 into the door air intake 33 of the setback portion 31. Furthermore, a user can insert their fingers into the space S2 defined between the setback portion 31 and the handle 35B through the opening OP between the handle 35B and the setback start point P, and then grasp the handle 35B to open or close the door 13. In this way, the space S2 between the recessed portion 31 and the handle 35B can be used as a flow path (intake path) for introducing outside air into the door intake 33, and can also be used as a space for inserting fingers when opening and closing the door 13.

[0041] Moreover, the door 13 includes, on its front surface, a main front surface portion 32 located forward of the retraction portion 31, and at least a portion of the retraction portion 31 includes an inclined surface 31A1 that is exposed forward and inclined relative to the main front surface portion 32. In this way, outside air introduced into the space S2 between the retraction portion 31 and the handle 35B through an opening OP between the handle 35B and the retraction start point P on the front surface of the door 13 is rectified so as to head toward the door air intake 33 by the inclined surface 31A1 that is exposed forward in the retraction portion 31 and inclined relative to the main front surface portion 32. Furthermore, when a user inserts their fingers into the space S2 between the retraction portion 31 and the handle 35B to open or close the door 13, the inclined surface 31A1 can guide the fingers toward the handle 35B.

[0042] Moreover, the handle 35B is arranged so as to overlap the edge of the door air intake 33 in the front wall facing portion 26 when viewed from the front. In this way, the door air intake 33 is easily hidden by the handle 35B even when the front wall facing portion 26 is viewed obliquely relative to the front-to-rear direction, thereby improving the appearance.

[0043] Furthermore, the door 13 has a storage chamber opening / closing section 13A that is capable of opening and closing the opening 14A of the storage chamber 14 and is connected to the front wall facing section 26, and the door air intake 33 is arranged at the end of the front wall facing section 26 on the side opposite to the storage chamber opening / closing section 13A. This maximizes the distance from the door air intake 33 to the storage chamber 14. Therefore, when the door 13 is closed, outside air that is introduced to the rear side of the front wall facing section 26 through the door air intake 33 is efficiently introduced into the machine chamber 15, and outside air is less likely to stagnate near the storage chamber 14 that is closed by the storage chamber opening / closing section 13A.

[0044] The air filter 36 is also provided, at least a portion of which is disposed within the machinery room 15 and which filters the outside air introduced through the air intake port 22A. An inlet 22B into which the air filter 36 is inserted is provided in the front wall 22, and the air filter 36 has an attachment / detachment operating part 36C disposed in front of the inlet 22B and used for attaching and detaching the air filter 36. In this manner, the outside air introduced into the machinery room 15 through the air intake port 22A in the front wall 22 of the machinery room 15 is filtered by the air filter 36 inserted into the inlet 22B of the front wall 22, thereby removing any dust contained therein. When performing maintenance on the air filter 36, an operator can attach or detach the air filter 36 by grasping the attachment / detachment operating part 36C disposed in front of the inlet 22B.

[0045] Furthermore, machine room 15 has an opening at one part of its front surface, with a front wall 22 disposed at opening 15A, and an operation panel (operation unit) 23 that receives operations by the user is provided at the non-opening part of the front surface, with operation panel 23 disposed to protrude forward beyond the edge of opening 15A of machine room 15, and door 13 disposed adjacent to operation panel 23 in the arrangement direction of storage room 14 and machine room 15. In this way, operation panel 23 and door 13 are disposed adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction of storage room 14 and machine room 15, resulting in an excellent appearance and making the refrigerator 10 compact as a whole.

[0046] <Embodiment 2> A second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In this second embodiment, the arrangement of the air filter 136 is changed. Note that a duplicated description of the structure, action, and effect similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 8 , the air filter 136 according to this embodiment is attached to the front side (recessed space S1) of the front wall 122 of the machine room 115. That is, the air filter 136 is disposed between the front wall 122 of the machine room 115 and the front-wall facing portion 126 of the door 113. Therefore, the outside air introduced into the inside of the door 113 through the door air intake 133 is filtered by the air filter 136 before passing through the air intake 122A, thereby preventing dust from entering the machine room 115. In other words, the outside air that has been filtered in advance by the air filter 136 is passed through the air intake 122A of the front wall 122. The size of the air filter 136 in the up-down and left-right directions is the same as that of the front wall 122, and the filter portion 136B is disposed so as to cover all of the air intake 122A from the front side. To maintain the air filter 136 attached to the front wall 122, for example, a locking structure that locks onto the edge of the air intake 122A may be provided on the frame 136A. Alternatively, if the front wall 122 is made of a magnetic material, a magnet may be attached to the frame 136A and attracted to the front wall 122. Because the air filter 136 is attached to the front side of the front wall 122, the front-wall facing portion 126 prevents the air filter 136 from being exposed to the front when the door 113 is closed. However, the air filter 136 is exposed to the front when the door 113 is open. This provides an excellent appearance when the door 113 is closed, and allows the user to easily check the degree of dirt on the air filter 136 with the door 113 open, resulting in excellent maintainability. While FIG. 8 illustrates the receptacle 122B described in the first embodiment, the receptacle 122B can also be used as the air intake 122A.

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, the air filter 136 is provided, which is attached to the front side of the front wall 122 and filters the outside air introduced into the air intake port 122A. In this manner, the outside air introduced into the air intake port 122A of the front wall 122 of the machine room 115 is filtered by the air filter 136 attached to the front side of the front wall 122, thereby removing dust contained therein. Because the air filter 136 removes dust before the outside air is introduced into the machine room 115, it is possible to prevent dust from entering the machine room 115. Furthermore, because the air filter 136 is attached to the front side of the front wall 122, it is not exposed to the front outside by the front wall opposing portion 126 when the door 113 is closed, but when the door 113 is open, the air filter 136 is exposed to the front outside. This provides an excellent appearance when the door 113 is closed, and when the door 113 is open, it is easy to check the degree of dirt on the air filter 136, resulting in excellent maintainability.

[0049] <Embodiment 3> A third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11. In this third embodiment, the configuration of the door 213 and the arrangement of the air filter 236 are changed from those of the second embodiment. Note that a redundant description of the structure, actions, and effects similar to those of the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 9 , the air filter 236 according to this embodiment is attached to the door 213 so as to be located rearward of the front wall facing portion 226. That is, the air filter 236 is disposed between the front wall 222 of the machine room 215 and the front wall facing portion 226 of the door 213. Therefore, the outside air introduced into the inside of the door 213 through the door air intake 233 is filtered by the air filter 236 before passing through the air intake 222A, thereby preventing dust from entering the machine room 215. In other words, the outside air that has been filtered in advance by the air filter 236 is passed through the air intake 222A of the front wall 222. Furthermore, because the air filter 236 attached to the door 213 is disposed rearward of the front wall facing portion 226, dust that adheres to the filter portion 236B of the air filter 236 during filtering is present between the air filter 236 and the front wall facing portion 226. Therefore, even if dust adhering to air filter 236 falls due to the influence of vibrations caused by opening and closing door 213, for example, the dust is less likely to enter the interior of refrigerator body 211 (storage chamber 214 or machine chamber 215). Furthermore, air filter 236 is attached to door 213 so as to be located rearward of front wall opposing portion 226. Therefore, when door 213 is closed, air filter 236 is not exposed to the front outside by front wall opposing portion 226, but when door 213 is open, air filter 236 is exposed on the back side of door 213. This provides an excellent appearance when door 213 is closed, and when door 213 is open, the degree of dirt on air filter 236 can be easily confirmed, resulting in excellent maintainability.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 9 , a filter holding member 37 for holding the air filter 236 attached to the door 213 is attached to the door 213. The filter holding member 37 is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate material and has a rectangular cylindrical (frame-like) shape (similar to the air filter 236) that opens at the front and rear. The filter holding member 37 has a fitting portion 37A inside which the air filter 236 is housed. Note that the filter holding member 37 is not limited to being made of a metal plate material and may be made, for example, of resin. The fitting portion 37A has inner dimensions in the up-down and left-right directions that are larger than the outer dimensions of the air filter 236, so that the air filter 236 can be housed inside. The housed air filter 236 is surrounded from the outer periphery by the fitting portion 37A. The size of the fitting portion 37A in the front-rear direction is slightly smaller than the distance between the machine chamber opening / closing portion 213B and the front wall 222 when the door 213 is closed. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , retaining holes 37A1 for holding the air filter 236 are formed at the top and bottom of the fitting portion 37A. Retaining protrusions 36D are provided at the top and bottom of the frame 236A of the air filter 236, which are fitted into the retaining holes 37A1 and latch onto the edges of the retaining holes 37A1. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , a positioning member 38 capable of positioning the air filter 236 is attached to the fitting portion 37A. The positioning member 38 includes an attachment portion 38A that extends along the top and both left and right sides of the fitting portion 37A and is attached to the inside of the fitting portion 37A, and a positioning portion 38B that protrudes inward from the rear end of the attachment portion 38A. The positioning portion 38B is located in front of the air filter 236 held in the fitting portion 37A by the retaining protrusions 36D and the retaining holes 37A1, thereby preventing the air filter 236 from shifting forward.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 10, the filter holding member 37 has a first extending portion 37B extending forward from the upper portion of the fitting portion 37A and a second extending portion 37C connecting to the front end of the lower portion of the fitting portion 37A and extending downward. The first extending portion 37B contacts the lower surface of the mounting portion 235A of the handle portion 235. The second extending portion 37C has an extending end that is bent to protrude forward and contacts the upper surface of the storage chamber opening / closing portion 213A. As shown in FIG. 11, the filter holding member 37 has third extending portions 37D connecting to the front ends of both side portions of the fitting portion 37A and extending outward to the left and right. The extending ends of the third extending portions 37D contact the rear surface of the rear plate portion 228 and are attached to the reinforcing member 229 with screws or the like. The first extending portion 37B, the second extending portion 37C, and the third extending portion 37D form a closed space between the fitting portion 37A and the machine room opening / closing portion 213B. This makes it difficult for outside air introduced into the door air intake 233 to leak out of the closed space between the fitting portion 37A and the machine room opening / closing portion 213B, making it difficult for outside air to enter the inside of the machine room 215 without passing through the air filter 236.

[0053] 9 to 11, the fitting portion 37A of the filter holding member 37 is adapted to fit into a recessed space S1 present in front of the front wall 222 of the machine chamber 215. More specifically, when the door 213 is closed, the rear portion of the fitting portion 37A is located rearward of the front surface of the machine chamber 215 and fits into the recessed space S1 formed by the edge of the opening 215A of the machine chamber 215 and the front wall 222. The rear end of the fitting portion 37A faces the front surface of the front wall 222 with a slight gap between them. Therefore, even if a gap is formed between the front-wall facing portion 226 of the door 213 and the cooling chamber main body 211, the fitting portion 37A fitted into the recessed space S1 makes it less likely that outside air passing through the gap will enter the air intake port 222A of the front wall 222 without passing through the air filter 236. As described above, most of the outside air introduced into the intake port 222A of the machine room 215 passes through the door intake port 233 of the front wall facing portion 226 and the air filter 236 housed inside the fitting portion 37A. This makes it difficult for dust to get into the machine room 215. Note that while Figures 9 and 10 show the outlet 222B described in the first embodiment, the outlet 222B can also be used as the intake port 222A.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, the air filter 236 is attached to the door 213 so as to be located rearward of the front wall facing portion 226 and filters the outside air introduced into the door air intake 233. In this manner, the outside air introduced into the door air intake 233 of the front wall facing portion 226 is filtered by the air filter 236 attached to the door 213 so as to be located rearward of the front wall facing portion 226, thereby removing dust contained therein. Because the air filter 236 removes dust before the outside air is introduced into the machine chamber 215, it is possible to prevent dust from entering the machine chamber 215. Furthermore, because the air filter 236 attached to the door 213 is located rearward of the front wall facing portion 226, dust adhering to the air filter 236 is present between the air filter 236 and the front wall facing portion 226. Therefore, even if dust adhering to air filter 236 falls due to the influence of vibrations caused by opening and closing door 213, for example, the dust is less likely to enter the interior of refrigerator body 211 (storage chamber 214 or machine chamber 215). Furthermore, air filter 236 is attached to door 213 so as to be located rearward of front wall opposing portion 226. Therefore, when door 213 is closed, air filter 236 is not exposed to the front outside by front wall opposing portion 226, but when door 213 is open, air filter 236 is exposed on the back side of door 213. This provides an excellent appearance when door 213 is closed, and when door 213 is open, the degree of dirt on air filter 236 can be easily confirmed, resulting in excellent maintainability.

[0055] The machine room 215 has an open front, and the front wall 222 is disposed behind the edge of the opening 215A, thereby forming a recessed space S1 in front of the front wall 222. The door 213 is provided with a cylindrical fitting 37A that is open at the front and rear, houses an air filter 236 therein, and is fitted into the recessed space S1. In this manner, the recessed space S1 is formed by the edge of the opening 215A of the machine room 215 and the front wall 222. When the door 213 is closed, the cylindrical fitting 37A that is open at the front and rear is fitted into the recessed space S1. Therefore, even if a gap is formed between the front-wall facing portion 226 of the door 213 and the refrigerator body 211, the fitting 37A fitted into the recessed space S1 makes it less likely that outside air that has passed through the gap will enter the air intake port 222A of the front wall 222 without passing through the air filter 236. Most of the outside air introduced into the intake port 222A of the machine room 215 passes through the door intake port 233 of the front wall facing portion 226 and the air filter 236 housed inside the fitting portion 37A. This makes it difficult for dust to get inside the machine room 215.

[0056] <Embodiment 4> A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12 or 13. In this fourth embodiment, the configuration of the front wall 322 is changed from that of the third embodiment. Note that redundant descriptions of the structure, actions, and effects similar to those of the third embodiment will be omitted.

[0057] 12 and 13, the front wall 322 according to this embodiment includes a concave outer peripheral portion 39 and a convex inner peripheral portion 40. Specifically, the outer peripheral portion 39 of the front wall 322 includes a cylindrical outer peripheral fitting portion 39A recessed rearward from the front end of the opening edge of the opening 315A of the machine chamber 315, a first wall portion 39B connected to the rear end of the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A and having a rectangular frame shape (similar in shape to the fitting portion 37A) when viewed from the front, a second wall portion 39C extending downward from the lower edge of the front end of the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, a third wall portion 39D protruding rearward from the lower edge of the second wall portion 39C, and a pair of fourth wall portions 39E extending leftward and rightward along the left-right direction from both left and right edges of the front end of the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, respectively. The outer peripheral fitting portion 39A has a plate surface that is parallel to the front-rear direction. An upper portion of the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, a third wall portion 39D, and a pair of fourth wall portions 39E are attached to the opening edge of the opening 315A. The first wall portion 39B has a plate surface that is aligned along the up-down and left-right directions, and is disposed at a position that is set back from the front end of the opening edge of the opening 315A of the machine chamber 315 by the recessed dimension of the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A. It can be said that the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A protrudes forward from the outer peripheral edge of this first wall portion 39B.

[0058] The inner peripheral portion 40 of the front wall 322 is composed of a cylindrical inner peripheral fitting portion 40A that protrudes forward from the inner peripheral edge of the first wall portion 39B, and an inner peripheral wall portion 40B that is connected to the front end of the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The inner peripheral fitting portion 40A has a plate surface that is parallel to the front-to-rear direction and is disposed facing the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A with a gap on the inner peripheral side. The inner peripheral fitting portion 40A protrudes slightly smaller from the first wall portion 39B than the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A protrudes from the first wall portion 39B. The outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, the first wall portion 39B, and the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A, which are connected to each other, form a recessed space S1. The recessed space S1 according to this embodiment is a rectangular frame-shaped (annular) recessed groove when viewed from the front, and is open only toward the front. The first wall portion 39B can be considered a connecting portion connecting the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A and the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A, and can also be considered the bottom (groove bottom) of the groove-shaped recessed space S1. The inner peripheral wall portion 40B has a plate surface extending in the vertical and horizontal directions. The inner peripheral wall portion 40B is located forward of the first wall portion 39B by the protrusion dimension of the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A and has multiple air intake ports 322A. In this embodiment, the insertion port described in the first to third embodiments is omitted, and instead, the air intake ports 322A are provided. The inner peripheral wall portion 40B is located rearward of the air filter 336 held by the filter holding member 337 and faces the air filter 336. Therefore, the outside air introduced into the inside of the door 313 through the door air intake 333 passes through the air filter 336 and is then introduced into the interior of the machine room 315 through the air intake 322A provided in the inner peripheral side wall portion 40B.

[0059] When the door 313 is closed, the fitting portion 337A of the filter holding member 337 is fitted into a groove-shaped recessed space S1 formed by the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, the first wall portion 39B, and the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A. The state when the door 313 is closed will be described below. The fitting portion 337A fitted into the recessed space S1 is sandwiched between the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A and the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A in its radial direction (up-down and left-right directions), and is surrounded from the outer periphery by the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, and also surrounds the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A from the outer periphery. A gap is provided between the fitting portion 337A and the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, and between the fitting portion 337A and the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A. Furthermore, the rear end of the fitting portion 337A faces the front surface of the first wall portion 39B with a small gap therebetween. Most of the front side of the inner fitting portion 40A is recessed within the internal space of the fitting portion 337A. Therefore, the inner wall portion 40B, which is continuous with the front end of the inner fitting portion 40A, also recesses within the internal space of the fitting portion 337A, and the inner wall portion 40B is disposed adjacent to or in contact with the air filter 336. The positional relationship between the inner wall portion 40B and the air filter 336 is closer by approximately the protruding dimension of the inner fitting portion 40A than the positional relationship between the front wall 222 and the air filter 236 described in the third embodiment (see FIG. 10 ). As a result, more outside air that has passed through the air filter 336 is introduced into the air intake 322A provided in the inner peripheral wall 40B, and almost no outside air that does not pass through the air filter 336 (outside air that has passed through gaps between the fitting portion 337A and the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, the first wall 39B, and the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A) is introduced. In particular, the inflow path for outside air that does not pass through the air filter 336 to the air intake 322A is folded back by the fitting portion 337A, the outer peripheral fitting portion 39A, the first wall 39B, and the inner peripheral fitting portion 40A, which are all fitted together. This makes it extremely unlikely that outside air that does not pass through the air filter 336 will flow into the air intake 322A. As a result, dust is even less likely to enter the interior of the machine chamber 315.

[0060] <Other embodiments> The technology disclosed in this specification is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included in the technical scope.

[0061] (1) The door air intake 33, 133, 233, 333 may be provided in a manner that penetrates the upper end of the front wall opposing portion 26, 126, 226 from front to rear, and may be open only on the front and rear sides.

[0062] (2) The position of the lower end of the handle 35B can be changed as appropriate. For example, the position of the lower end of the handle 35B may coincide with the boundary between the first recessed portion 31A and the second recessed portion 31B. The position of the lower end of the handle 35B may also be lower than the second recessed portion 31B, in which case a portion of the first recessed portion 31A (the portion on the side of the recession start point P) will be exposed to the front and outside. The position of the lower end of the handle 35B may also coincide with the lower edge of the door intake vent 33, 133, 233, 333, in which case the handle 35B will not overlap the lower edge of the door intake vent 33, 133, 233, 333 when viewed from the front. In addition, the lower end position of the handle 35B may be higher than the lower edge of the door air intake 33, 133, 233, 333 and lower than the upper edge, in which case the handle 35B will face a part of the door air intake 33, 133, 233, 333 with a gap in front of it.

[0063] (3) The handle 35B may be in contact with the main front surface portion 32. Alternatively, the handle 35B may be provided so as to be recessed inside the recessed portion 31 and positioned rearward of the main front surface portion 32.

[0064] (4) The distance between the second recessed portion 31B and the handle 35B can be changed as appropriate to a distance other than that shown in the drawings. Even in this case, it is preferable that the distance between the second recessed portion 31B and the handle 35B is large enough to allow the user's fingers to fit therebetween, but this is not necessarily limited to this.

[0065] (5) The folded-back portion 34 may be folded back to the front side of the second recessed portion 31B.

[0066] (6) The second recessed portion 31B may not have the folded portion 34 formed therein.

[0067] (7) The inclination angle and the formation range of the inclined surface 31A1 of the first recessed portion 31A in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction can be changed as appropriate to those not shown in the drawings.

[0068] (8) The first recessed portion 31A may be configured to extend linearly in a direction oblique to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, or may be configured to have a curved shape. In this case, the first recessed portion 31A may have a curved surface that faces the handle 35B.

[0069] (9) Either or both of the first recess 31A and the third recess 31C may be configured to be approximately perpendicular to the second recess 31 and the main front surface 32 and have flat surfaces that extend along the front-to-back and left-to-right directions.

[0070] (10) The range in which the recessed portion 31 is formed in the door 13, 113, 213, 313 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the recessed portion 31 may be provided in the vertical direction over the entire height range of the front wall facing portion 26, 126, 226. Furthermore, the recessed portion 31 may be provided in the vertical direction over a range spanning the machine chamber opening / closing portion 13B, 213B and the storage chamber opening / closing portion 13A, 213A.

[0071] (11) The configuration, arrangement, and formation range of the handle 35B (handle portion 35) can be changed as appropriate. For example, the length of the handle 35B in the left-right direction may be shorter than that shown in the figure, and the handle 35B may be arranged near the center or one end of the door 13, 113, 213, or 313 in the left-right direction. In this case, the length and arrangement of the door air intake 33, 133, 233, or 333 in the left-right direction may be changed as with the handle 35B, but do not have to be changed. Also, the handle 35B may extend in the vertical direction and be arranged near one end of the door 13, 113, 213, or 313 in the left-right direction. In this case, the door air intake 33, 133, 233, or 333 may also extend in the vertical direction as with the handle 35B and be arranged near one end of the door 13, 113, 213, or 313 in the left-right direction, but do not have to be changed. Moreover, the handle 35B may extend along the left-right direction and be disposed near the bottom end (the end on the storage chamber 14, 214 side) in the vertical direction of the machine room opening / closing section 13B, 213B of the door 13, 113, 213, 313. In this case, the door air intake 33, 133, 233, 333 can also be modified to extend along the left-right direction like the handle 35B and be disposed near the bottom end in the vertical direction of the machine room opening / closing section 13B, 213B of the door 13, 113, 213, 313.

[0072] (12) The doors 13, 113, 213, 313 may be left-opening doors other than the right-opening doors shown in the drawings. The doors 13, 113, 213, 313 may be bottom-opening doors or top-opening doors. In that case, the structure and mounting position of the hinge 24 may be changed so that the swing axis of the doors 13, 113, 213, 313 coincides with the left-right direction.

[0073] (13) In the second and third embodiments, the outlets 122B and 222B described in the first embodiment are used as air intakes. However, the outlets 122B and 222B may be replaced by other air intakes 22A, 122A, 222A, and 322A having the same structure (oval shape), or the outlets 122B and 222B may be omitted.

[0074] (14) The structure for holding the air filter 236, 336 relative to the door 213, 313 described in the third and fourth embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, a holding protrusion may be provided on the fitting portion 37A, 337A side, and a holding hole may be provided on the frame main body 236A side. Alternatively, while the fitting portion 37A, 337A is made of a magnetic material, a magnet may be provided on the frame main body 236A, and the magnet may be attracted to the fitting portion 37A, 337A, thereby holding the air filter 236, 336.

[0075] (15) In the configuration described in embodiment 3, when door 213 is closed, the rear end of fitting portion 37A may be arranged to abut against or be close to the front surface of front wall 222. Similarly, in the configuration described in embodiment 4, when door 313 is closed, the rear end of fitting portion 337A may be arranged to abut against or be close to the front surface of first wall portion 39B.

[0076] (16) The arrangement of the storage chamber 14, 214 and the machine chamber 15, 115, 215, 315 in the refrigerator main body 11, 211 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the machine chamber 15, 115, 215, 315 may be arranged on the lower side and the storage chamber 14, 214 on the upper side. Also, the storage chamber 14, 214 and the machine chamber 15, 115, 215, 315 may be arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

[0077] (17) The cooling operation (rapid cooling) of the refrigerator 10 is merely an example, and various other control methods can be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10... Refrigeration chamber, 11,211... Refrigeration chamber body, 12... Refrigeration device, 13,113,213,313... Door, 13A,213A... Storage chamber opening / closing part, 14,214... Storage chamber, 14A... Opening, 15,115,215,315... Machine room, 15A,215A,315A... Opening, 22,122,222,322... Front wall, 22A,122A,222A,322A... Air intake, 22B,122 B, 222B...insertion port, 23...operation panel (operation part), 26, 126, 226...front wall facing part, 31...retreat part, 31A1...inclined surface, 32...main front part, 33, 133, 233, 333...door air intake, 35B...handle, 36, 136, 236, 336...air filter, 36C...attachment / detachment operation part, 37A, 337A...fitting part, OP...opening, P...retreat start point, S1...recessed space, S2...space

Claims

1. a refrigerator body having an opening on the front surface, a storage chamber in which an object to be cooled is stored, and a machine chamber in which a refrigeration device for cooling the storage chamber is stored; a door attached to the refrigerator body and capable of opening and closing at least the opening of the storage chamber; a handle portion provided on the door and used to open and close the door; Equipped with the machine room has a front wall on the front side of which an air intake port is formed, the door has a front wall facing portion that is arranged to face the front side of the front wall of the machine room when the opening of the storage room is closed, a door intake port communicating from the front side to the rear side of the front wall facing portion is provided in the front wall facing portion; The handle portion has a mounting portion attached to an upper end portion of the door and a grip portion to be grasped by a user, the mounting portion faces an upper end of the front wall facing portion and forms an upper edge of the door air intake port; the handle is a plate-like member extending downward from a front end of the mounting portion, and is disposed to face the front side of the door air intake with a gap therebetween, and to connect the door air intake to the front outside, The door has a front surface that is partially recessed, and the recessed portion includes the front wall opposing portion, the handle is disposed so as to have a space between it and the retraction portion and is disposed at a distance from the retraction start point of the front surface so as to open the space forward, the door includes, on the front surface, a main front surface portion located forward of the recessed portion, and an inclined surface inclined relative to the main front surface portion and exposed forward in at least a part of the recessed portion; The handle is positioned so that its lower end is higher than the upper end of the inclined surface.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the handle is arranged to overlap an edge of the door air intake port at the front wall facing portion when viewed from the front.

3. the door has a storage chamber opening / closing portion that is capable of opening and closing the opening of the storage chamber and is connected to the front wall opposing portion, 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the door intake port is disposed at an end of the front wall facing portion opposite to the storage chamber opening / closing portion.

4. an air filter at least a portion of which is disposed within the machine room and which filters the outside air introduced through the air intake; The front wall is provided with a socket into which the air filter is inserted, 4. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the air filter has an attachment / detachment operation part that is disposed in front of the insertion port and is used for attaching and detaching the air filter.

5. 5. A refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an air filter attached to the door so as to be positioned rearward of the front wall opposing portion, for filtering outside air introduced into the door intake port.

6. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an air filter attached to the front side of the front wall to filter outside air introduced into the air intake port.

7. The machine room has an opening at a part of its front surface, the front wall is disposed at the opening, and an operation unit that receives operations by a user is provided at a non-opening part of the front surface, The operating portion is disposed so as to protrude forward beyond an edge of the opening of the machine room, The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the door is disposed adjacent to the operating unit in the direction in which the storage chamber and the machine chamber are arranged.

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