Refrigerator and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator and a manufacturing method for the same, capable of simplifying a configuration communicating a gap of a plate-shaped heat insulation material and outside.SOLUTION: A heat insulation material 17 of a refrigerator 10 includes: a side surface plate-shaped heat insulation material 22 disposed in the vicinity of an outer surface of an inner case 16; and a filled heat insulation material 23 filled between an outer case 15 and the inner case 16 in a foamed state. A groove part 39 is formed in the side surface plate-shaped heat insulation material 22. A refrigerant pipe 38 is formed in a meandering manner and is disposed between the outer case 15 and the side surface plate-shaped heat insulation material 22. The groove part 39 includes: a longitudinal groove part 391 extending in the longitudinal direction; a lateral groove part 396 extending in the lateral direction; and a communication groove part 395 extending up to an end part of the side surface plate-shaped heat insulation material 22. An inner side end part of a communication pipe 30 is disposed in an intermediate part of the longitudinal groove part 391, and an outer side end part of the communication pipe 30 is disposed outside a heat insulation casing 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly to a refrigerator provided with a plate-shaped insulating material as an insulating material and a manufacturing method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In a typical refrigerator, a storage compartment is formed inside an insulated box, and the front opening of this storage compartment is closed by an insulated door that can be opened and closed. The insulated box consists of an outer box made of steel plate, an inner box made of synthetic resin plate placed inside the outer box, and a thermal insulating material filled between the outer box and the inner box.

[0003] Urethane foam is generally used as the insulating material filled in the insulated box of a refrigerator. However, in order to further reduce the energy consumption of refrigerators, an insulating material with higher insulating properties than urethane foam is preferred.

[0004] Therefore, a plate-shaped insulating material, for example, a vacuum insulating material, may be used as the insulating material built into the insulated box. Vacuum insulating material is a fibrous inorganic material such as glass wool that is vacuum-packed, and has an insulating effect at least ten times that of urethane foam. With this configuration, the vacuum insulating material can effectively insulate the storage compartment from the outside, thereby reducing the energy required for the refrigerator's cooling operation. Such a refrigerator is described, for example, in Patent Document 1.

[0005] The configuration of a refrigerator 100 that employs vacuum heat insulating materials will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the refrigerator 100.

[0006] Refrigerator 100 has outer box 101 and inner box 102, and storage chamber 107 is formed inside inner box 102. Filler insulation material 103 and plate insulation material 104 are arranged between outer box 101 and inner box 102 as heat insulating materials. Plate insulation material 104 is attached to the inner surface of outer box 101. Pipe 106 through which a refrigerant flows is arranged on the inner surface of outer box 101.

[0007] A groove 105 is formed in the plate-shaped insulation material 104. The groove 105 is a recessed portion in the widthwise outer surface of the plate-shaped insulation material 104. A pipe 106 is arranged in the groove 105. This configuration reduces the amount of protrusion of the pipe 106 in the widthwise direction, and prevents the outer box 101 from deforming along the pipe 106 during the process of foaming the filling insulation material 103.

[0008] Fig. 13 is a side view showing the above-mentioned plate insulator 104. Referring to Fig. 13, a configuration for connecting groove 105 formed in plate insulator 104 to the outside in a refrigerator equipped with plate insulator 104 is described. Such a configuration is described in Patent Document 2, for example.

[0009] Specifically, the inner end of the communicating pipe 108 is disposed in the groove 105, and the outer end of the communicating pipe 108 is disposed outside the plate-shaped insulating material 104. In this manner, the communicating pipe 108 communicates the groove 105 with the outside, suppressing pressure fluctuations in the groove 105 and suppressing deformation of the outer box 101 described above. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4111096 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5578266 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] However, the above-described refrigerator has room for improvement in terms of the configuration and manufacturing method of the refrigerator.

[0012] Specifically, referring to FIG. 13, the inner end of the communicating pipe 108 is placed in the groove portion 105, but there was a risk that the inner end of the communicating pipe 108 would be blocked by the resin being filled during the process of filling the foamed resin in the manufacturing process.

[0013] To address this problem, it may be possible to arrange a damming member to block groove portion 105 so that the foamed resin does not enter the inner end of communication pipe 108. However, the use of such a damming member complicates the configuration and manufacturing process of the refrigerator, resulting in a problem of increased costs.

[0014] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a refrigerator and a manufacturing method thereof that can simplify the configuration for connecting the gaps in the plate-shaped insulation material with the outside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] The refrigerator of the present invention includes an insulated box having a storage compartment formed therein, a refrigerant pipe, and a communication pipe. The insulated box has an outer box forming the outer surface of the insulated box, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and a heat insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box. The heat insulating material is disposed near the outer surface of the inner box. Vacuum insulation material and a filling insulation material that is foam-filled between the outer box and the inner box, Outer box Facing the Vacuum insulation material a groove is formed in a portion where the refrigerant pipe is disposed, and a portion of the refrigerant pipe is formed to meander, and the outer box and the Vacuum insulation material and the groove portion includes a vertical groove portion extending in the vertical direction, a horizontal groove portion extending in the horizontal direction, and the Vacuum insulation material and a communication groove portion extending to the peripheral edge of the insulating box body, wherein an inner end of the communication pipe is disposed in a middle portion of the vertical groove portion, and an outer end of the communication pipe is disposed outside the insulating box body. A non-filled region where the insulating filler is not filled is formed in the middle of the vertical groove, and the inner end of the communication pipe is disposed in the non-filled region. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the refrigerator of the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator and a manufacturing method thereof that can simplify the configuration for connecting the gaps in the vacuum insulation material with the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing an outer box of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a refrigerant pipe and a side plate-shaped insulating material of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a side panel, a refrigerant pipe, and a side plate-shaped insulating material of an outer box of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing in detail a refrigerant pipe and a side plate-shaped insulating material of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view showing a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view showing a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10A] 1 is a side view showing a foam filling step in a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10B] 1 is a side view showing a foam filling step in a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10C] 1 is a side view showing a foam filling step in a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11A] 1 is a side view showing a foam filling step in a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11B] 1 is a side view showing a foam filling step in a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11C] 1 is a side view showing a foam filling step in a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the background art. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a refrigerator according to the background art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] A refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the up-down direction refers to the height direction of the refrigerator 10, the left-right direction refers to the width direction of the refrigerator 10, and the front-rear direction refers to the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as a general rule, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator 10. The refrigerator 10 has a heat-insulating body 11 inside which are formed storage compartments: a refrigerator compartment 12 and a freezer compartment 13. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by a heat-insulating door 34, and the front opening of the freezer compartment 13 is closed by a heat-insulating door 35. The heat-insulating doors 34 and 35 are rotating doors whose right-side ends are rotatably connected to the heat-insulating body 11, for example. The heat-insulating doors 34 and 35 may be drawer-type doors.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing refrigerator 10. As shown in FIG. 2, a cooling compartment 27 is defined behind freezer compartment 13, and an evaporator 26 is disposed in cooling compartment 27. A machine compartment 14 is defined behind the lowest part of insulated box 11, and a compressor 29 is disposed in machine compartment 14. Evaporator 26 and compressor 29 are connected to an expansion means and a condenser (not shown) to form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. The components constituting the refrigeration cycle are interconnected by refrigerant pipes 38 (described later). A refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle flows through refrigerant pipes 38 (described later). The refrigerator compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13 are defined by an insulated partition wall 33. The insulated partition wall 33 has the same insulating structure as the insulated box 11.

[0029] A blower 28 is disposed above the cooling compartment 27. The blower 28 blows the air inside the cooling compartment 27, cooled by the evaporator 26, into the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13. A damper 19 is disposed in the air path to the refrigerator compartment 12. A control device (not shown) detects the temperature inside the refrigerator compartment and controls the opening and closing of the damper 19. This adjusts the flow of cold air into the refrigerator compartment 12, maintaining a constant temperature inside the refrigerator compartment 12. Therefore, the refrigerator compartment 12 is cooled to a refrigerator temperature range, and the freezer compartment 13 is cooled to a freezing temperature range. The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 returns to the cooling compartment 27. In FIG. 2, the flow of cold air is indicated by arrows. A defrost heater 20 is disposed below the evaporator 26 to melt frost formed on the evaporator 26.

[0030] The insulated box body 11 is composed of an outer box 15 made of steel plate that forms the outer shape of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 16 made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 15, and an insulating material 17 arranged between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16.

[0031] The insulation material 17 includes a rear plate-shaped insulation material 25 bonded to the inside surface of the outer box 15, and a filler insulation material 23 filled in the space between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16. The rear plate-shaped insulation material 25 is made by placing an aggregate of fibers such as glass in a bag, and creating a vacuum inside the bag. The filler insulation material 23 may be made of, for example, urethane foam. By using the rear plate-shaped insulation material 25, which has an extremely high insulating effect, as part of the insulation material 17, it is possible to effectively insulate the refrigerator compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13 from the external atmosphere, thereby reducing the power consumption of the refrigerator 10. Here, the rear plate-shaped insulation material 25 is also called a vacuum insulation material.

[0032] 3 is a perspective view showing outer box 15 of refrigerator 10. Outer box 15 is made by bending a thin steel plate having a thickness of about 0.5 mm, and has outer box rear panel 151 (see FIG. 2), outer box side panels 152 extending forward from the left and right ends of outer box rear panel 151, and outer box top panel 153 extending forward from the upper end of outer box rear panel 151.

[0033] A side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is attached to the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152. The side plate-shaped insulation material 22 covers most of the outer box side panel 152 except for the lower rear end portion of the outer box side panel 152. In this manner, the insulating effect of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 can effectively keep each storage compartment formed inside the outer box 15 warm. The side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is attached to the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152 by an adhesive layer 31, which will be described later. The configuration of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is the same as that of the rear plate-shaped insulation material 25 described above. Here, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 attached to the inner widthwise surface of the outer box side panel 152 on the left side is shown by a dotted line.

[0034] An upper plate-shaped insulating material 24 is attached to the lower surface of the outer box upper plate 153. The configuration of the upper plate-shaped insulating material 24 is similar to that of the rear plate-shaped insulating material 25 described above.

[0035] A portion of the refrigerant pipe 38 is arranged in a serpentine manner along the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152. Here, most of the refrigerant pipe 38 is hidden from view by the side plate-shaped insulation material 22. A high-temperature refrigerant that has been compressed by the compressor 29 flows through the refrigerant pipe 38. The refrigerant pipe 38 is also called a crest pipe. A communication pipe 30 extends from the lower rear side of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22. The communication pipe 30 is a path for releasing air present between the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 and the outer box side panel 152 to the outside during the foaming process when manufacturing the refrigerator 10.

[0036] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the related configuration of the refrigerant pipe 38, the communication pipe 30, and the side plate-shaped insulating material 22. As shown in FIG.

[0037] A groove 39 is formed by partially recessing the right side surface of the side plate insulation material 22. The groove 39 has a vertical groove 391 and a communication groove 395. The vertical groove 391 is a groove for arranging the refrigerant pipe 38. The communication groove 395 is a groove for arranging the communication pipe 30.

[0038] The refrigerant pipe 38 is drawn downward from the end of the vertical groove 391. As described above, the refrigerant pipe 38 connects the devices that make up the refrigeration cycle to each other.

[0039] The communicating pipe 30 is drawn downward from the end of the communicating groove 395. Specifically, the upper end of the communicating pipe 30 is disposed inside the intermediate vertical groove 393, which will be described later. Meanwhile, the lower end of the communicating pipe 30 is led out to the outside. This allows the intermediate vertical groove 393 to communicate with the outside via the communicating pipe 30. Therefore, in the foam filling process, which will be described later, air present inside the intermediate vertical groove 393 can be released to the outside via the communicating pipe 30.

[0040] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the outer box side panel 152, the refrigerant pipe 38, and the side panel-shaped insulator 22 separated in the width direction.

[0041] As described above, the refrigerant pipe 38 and the communication pipe 30 are arranged between the outer box side panel 152 and the side plate-shaped insulation material 22. The side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is attached to the outer box side panel 152 by an adhesive layer 31. The adhesive layer 31 is a thermoplastic adhesive, also known as a hot melt adhesive.

[0042] The refrigerant pipe 38 and the communication pipe 30 are arranged as an integrated component between the side plate-shaped heat insulating material 22 and the outer box side plate 152 .

[0043] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the side insulating plate material 22 and the refrigerant pipe 38 in detail, separated from each other.

[0044] The side plate insulation material 22 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member with its longitudinal direction extending in the vertical direction. Specifically, the side plate insulation material 22 has a peripheral edge including a front edge 221, a rear edge 222, an upper edge 223, and a lower edge 224. An inclined side edge 225 is formed between the side plate insulation material 22 and the lower edge 224. The inclined side edge 225 is inclined upward toward the rear.

[0045] The groove portion 39 has a vertical groove portion 391 extending in the vertical direction, a horizontal groove portion 396 extending in the horizontal direction, and a communicating groove portion 395 extending to the end of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22. A serpentine portion 381 of the refrigerant pipe 38, which will be described later, is disposed in the groove portion 39. The depth of the groove portion 39 is approximately equal to the outer shape of the serpentine portion 381. Therefore, by disposing the serpentine portion 381 in the vertical groove portion 391 and the horizontal groove portion 396, the amount by which the serpentine portion 381 protrudes outward in the width direction can be reduced.

[0046] The longitudinal groove 391 has a front longitudinal groove 392 extending in the up-down direction at the front, a rear longitudinal groove 394 extending in the up-down direction at the rear, and an intermediate longitudinal groove 393 extending in the up-down direction between the front longitudinal groove 392 and the rear longitudinal groove 394. The front longitudinal groove 392 is formed along the front side edge 221 and is a groove-shaped portion that opens forward and upward. The rear longitudinal groove 394 is formed along the rear side edge 222 and is a groove-shaped portion that opens rearward and downward.

[0047] The lateral groove 396 has a front lateral groove 397 and a rear lateral groove 398. The front lateral groove 397 connects the lower end of the front longitudinal groove 392 to the lower end of the intermediate longitudinal groove 393. The rear longitudinal groove 394 connects the upper end of the intermediate longitudinal groove 393 to the upper end of the rear longitudinal groove 394.

[0048] In this way, groove portion 39 is formed as a continuous, serpentine groove on the right main surface, which is the widthwise outer surface of lateral plate-shaped insulation material 22. Because groove portion 39 is continuous, urethane resin can be filled into groove portion 39 in the foam filling process during manufacturing.

[0049] The communication groove portion 395 is formed between the lower end portion of the intermediate vertical groove portion 393 and Front lateral groove 397 It extends from the connection point with the rear end of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 to the inclined side edge 225 of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22. Middle longitudinal groove 393 The intermediate portion of the communication pipe 30, which will be described later, is disposed in the space between the first and second electrodes.

[0050] Furthermore, the width of each portion of groove portion 39 is set to a length that allows filling insulating material 23, which will be described later, to easily flow in a foam filling step during refrigerator manufacturing. Specifically, assuming that front vertical groove portion 392 has a width L10, intermediate vertical groove portion 393 has a width L11, and rear vertical groove portion 394 has a width L12, L11 is set to the narrowest. By setting L11 to the narrowest, excessive penetration of filling insulating material 23 into intermediate vertical groove portion 393 is suppressed in the foam filling step. This prevents the inner end of communicating pipe 30 from being blocked by filling insulating material 23.

[0051] Furthermore, the width L10 of the front vertical groove 392 is wider than the width L11 of the intermediate vertical groove 393 and the width L12 of the rear vertical groove 394. By doing so, in the foam filling process, the front vertical groove 392 can be easily filled with the filling insulation material 23, and further, the front horizontal groove 397 and the like can also be actively filled with the filling insulation material 23.

[0052] Furthermore, the width L12 of the rear vertical groove 394 is wider than the width L11 of the intermediate vertical groove 393. This makes it possible to easily fill the rear vertical groove 394 with the filling insulation material 23 in the foam filling process. Furthermore, the filling insulation material 23 can be filled into the rear horizontal groove 398 and the intermediate vertical groove 393 via the rear vertical groove 394.

[0053] The refrigerant pipe 38 has a serpentine portion 381, an inclined portion 388, and an externally extending portion 387. The refrigerant pipe 38 is a steel pipe made of a metal such as iron.

[0054] Serpentine portion 381 is a portion of refrigerant pipe 38 formed by serpentine, and includes vertically extending portion 384, horizontally extending portion 385, vertically extending portion 383, horizontally extending portion 386, and vertically extending portion 382. Vertically extending portion 384, vertically extending portion 383, and vertically extending portion 382 are portions where refrigerant pipe 38 extends linearly in the up-down direction. Horizontally extending portion 385 and horizontally extending portion 386 are portions where refrigerant pipe 38 extends linearly in the front-to-back direction. Forming serpentine portion 381 increases the contact area between outer box side panel 152 and refrigerant pipe 38, thereby enabling active heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing inside refrigerant pipe 38 and outer box side panel 152 and effectively cooling the high-temperature refrigerant flowing inside refrigerant pipe 38.

[0055] The external extension portion 387 connects the devices that make up the refrigeration cycle to the serpentine portion 381 .

[0056] The inclined portion 388 is a portion that connects the end of the serpentine portion 381 and the external extending portion 387, and is inclined downward and forward. By providing the inclined portion 388, the communication pipe 30 can be fixed to the refrigerant pipe 38 more firmly.

[0057] The communicating pipe 30 is a pipe-shaped member made of, for example, synthetic resin. The upper end of the communicating pipe 30 extends substantially parallel to the vertically extending portion 383 of the serpentine portion 381, and the lower end of the communicating pipe 30 extends substantially parallel to the externally extending portion 387. The middle portion of the communicating pipe 30 is inclined upward and forward. The upper end of the communicating pipe 30 is fixed to the vertically extending portion 383, and the lower end of the communicating pipe 30 is fixed to the externally extending portion 387. The portions of the communicating pipe 30 near the upper end and near the lower end extend substantially linearly in the vertical direction.

[0058] Each portion of the refrigerant pipe 38 having such a configuration is arranged in the groove portion 39 of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22. Specifically, the vertically extending portion 384 is arranged in the front vertical groove portion 392, the horizontally extending portion 385 is arranged in the front horizontal groove portion 397, the vertically extending portion 383 is arranged in the middle vertical groove portion 393, the horizontally extending portion 386 is arranged in the rear horizontal groove portion 398, and the vertically extending portion 382 is arranged in the rear vertical groove portion 394.

[0059] In addition, the upper end of the communicating pipe 30 is positioned in the middle part of the intermediate vertical groove part 393, the middle part of the communicating pipe 30 is positioned in the communicating groove part 395, and the lower end of the communicating pipe 30 protrudes downward from the side plate-shaped insulation material 22.

[0060] A method for manufacturing the refrigerator 10 will be described based on Fig. 7 to Fig. 11C, and with reference to the above-mentioned drawings. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the outer casing 15 to be prepared. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the outer casing 15 with the refrigerant pipe 38 installed. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the outer casing 15 with the side plate insulation material 22 fixed thereto. Figs. 10A to 11C are side views sequentially showing the process of foam-filling the filling insulation material 23.

[0061] First, referring to the perspective view of Figure 7, outer box 15 is prepared. As described above, outer box 15 is made of a metal plate bent into a predetermined shape and has outer box top panel 153 and outer box side panel 152. In addition, inner box 16 shown in Figure 2 and the like are prepared separately. Furthermore, adhesive layer 31 shown in Figure 5 is applied to the inner side surface of outer box side panel 152 in order to fix side plate-shaped insulation material 22 in a later process.

[0062] Next, referring to Figure 8, the refrigerant pipes 38 are assembled into the outer box side panel 152. The refrigerant pipes 38 are fixed to the outer box side panel 152 by, for example, adhering the refrigerant pipes 38 at multiple locations with adhesive tape or the like. As described above, the refrigerant pipes 38 are prepared with the communicating pipes 30 fixed thereto. Therefore, the process of installing the refrigerant pipes 38 in the outer box side panel 152 also serves as the process of installing the communicating pipes 30 in the outer box side panel 152.

[0063] Next, referring to Figure 9, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is attached to the outer box side panel 152. As described above, the adhesive layer 31 shown in Figure 5 is applied to the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152. Therefore, by attaching the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 to a predetermined position on the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152 in the width direction, the outer box side panel 152 can be easily fixed. Also, as shown in Figure 6, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 has vertical grooves 391, horizontal grooves 396, and communicating grooves 395 formed therein. Therefore, by attaching the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 to a predetermined position, the serpentine portion 381 of the refrigerant pipe 38 and the communicating pipe 30 can be positioned in the vertical grooves 391, horizontal grooves 396, and communicating grooves 395 of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22.

[0064] After the above steps are completed, the inner box 16 and the outer box rear panel 151 shown in Fig. 2 are fitted into the outer box 15, and the filling insulating material 23 is filled in. This foam filling step will be described with reference to Figs. 10A to 11C.

[0065] 10A, the outer box 15 is placed on a work surface with its rear surface facing downwards. In the following description, the terms "upper" and "lower" correspond to the aforementioned terms "front" and "rear."

[0066] Referring to FIG. 10A, injection port 36 is formed by partially opening the top surface of outer box 15. The lower end portion of injection head 37 is inserted into injection port 36. Liquid filler insulation material 23 is injected into the interior of outer box 15 from injection head 37. Urethane resin, for example, is used as filling insulation material 23. Filler insulation material 23 injected into the interior of outer box 15 is then poured into the lower part of outer box 15. Here, because filling insulation material 23 is liquid, filling insulation material 23 is temporarily stored near the bottom surface of outer box 15.

[0067] 10B, the injected filler insulation material 23 begins to foam due to a chemical reaction. The foamed filler insulation material 23 is first filled into the front vertical groove 392. At this time, the lower side of the front vertical groove 392 is open, so the filler insulation material 23 can easily enter the front vertical groove 392.

[0068] 10C, as the foaming progresses further, the filler insulating material 23 gradually moves upward. After filling the front vertical groove 392, part of the filler insulating material 23 enters the front horizontal groove 397. Because the filler insulating material 23 is in a foamed state, it can move upward inside the front horizontal groove 397.

[0069] 11A, as foaming progresses further, the filling insulation material 23 fills the front horizontal groove portion 397 and then enters the intermediate vertical groove portion 393. In addition, the rear plate-shaped insulation material 25 is also filled into the communicating groove portion 395 from the upper right side. Furthermore, some of the filling insulation material 23 that has flowed into the communicating groove portion 395 also flows into the right portion of the intermediate vertical groove portion 393. At this time, most of the filling insulation material 23 is in a foamed state, so the filling insulation material 23 can smoothly enter the communicating groove portion 395 and the intermediate vertical groove portion 393.

[0070] 11B, as foaming progresses further, filling insulation material 23 is filled into rear vertical groove portion 394 from the upper right side. Here, because the upper edge of rear vertical groove portion 394 is open, filling insulation material 23 can easily enter rear vertical groove portion 394.

[0071] A portion of the filler insulation 23 that has flowed into the rear vertical groove 394 enters the intermediate vertical groove 393 from the left side. At this time, the filler insulation 23 entering the intermediate vertical groove 393 is in a foamed state. Therefore, the momentum with which the filler insulation 23 advances inside the intermediate vertical groove 393 is weak, and the entering filler insulation 23 does not reach the right end of the intermediate vertical groove 393. In addition, the intermediate vertical groove 393 is narrower than the front vertical groove 392 and the rear vertical groove 394, which also serves to weaken the momentum with which the filler insulation 23 advances.

[0072] 11C shows the state after the foaming and filling of filling insulation 23 has been completed and filling insulation 23 has hardened. Filling insulation 23 is filled into almost the entire areas of front vertical groove 392, front horizontal groove 397, communicating groove 395, and rear horizontal groove 398.

[0073] On the other hand, for intermediate vertical groove portion 393, the left and right ends are filled with filler insulation material 23, but the area near the center is not filled with filler insulation material 23. Therefore, the inner end of communication pipe 30 is not blocked by filler insulation material 23. In other words, a non-filled area 40 that is not filled with filler insulation material 23 is formed in the middle of intermediate vertical groove portion 393. As a result, non-filled area 40 of intermediate vertical groove portion 393 communicates with the outside via communication pipe 30. Therefore, even if the temperature of the external atmosphere changes during operation of refrigerator 10, the internal pressure of non-filled area 40 does not change because non-filled area 40 of intermediate vertical groove portion 393 communicates with the outside. Therefore, deformation of outer box side panel 152 in the portion covering non-filled area 40 can be suppressed, and deterioration in the appearance of outer box 15 can be suppressed.

[0074] According to this embodiment, the following main effects can be achieved.

[0075] 11C , the inner end of communicating pipe 30 is disposed in the middle of intermediate vertical groove 393, and therefore the middle of vertical groove 391 is not filled with filling insulating material 23, and therefore the inner end of communicating pipe 30 is not blocked by filling insulating material 23. Therefore, communicating pipe 30 can be used as a path for removing air in the foam filling step when manufacturing refrigerator 10. Furthermore, in manufactured refrigerator 10, communicating pipe 30 can also be used as a path for connecting vertical groove 391 with the outside.

[0076] Referring to Figure 6, by releasing the side edges of the front vertical groove portion 392 and the rear vertical groove portion 394, filling insulation material 23 can be easily filled into the front vertical groove portion 392 and the rear vertical groove portion 394 during the foam filling process when manufacturing the refrigerator.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 6, the outer end of communicating groove portion 395 extends to inclined side edge 225, so that filling insulation material 23 can be easily filled into communicating groove portion 395 in the foam filling step during refrigerator manufacturing.

[0078] 11C, by locating the inner end of the communicating pipe 30 in the middle of the vertical groove 391, the middle of the vertical groove 391 is not filled with the filling insulation material 23, and the inner end of the communicating pipe 30 is not blocked by the filling insulation material 23. Therefore, the communicating pipe 30 can be used as a path for venting air. Furthermore, the behavior of the filling insulation material 23 during foam filling is utilized to form the non-filled region 40, so the foam filling process can be carried out without the need for a member to block the progress of the filling insulation material 23.

[0079] More specifically, in this embodiment, grooves 39 are formed in side plate insulation material 22, and grooves 39 function as paths for the flow of filling insulation material 23. Furthermore, a non-filled region 40, which is not filled with filling insulation material 23, is formed in the middle of intermediate vertical groove portion 393, and the inner end of communication pipe 30 is disposed in non-filled region 40. This prevents the inner end of communication pipe 30 from being blocked. Furthermore, by connecting non-filled region 40 to the outside via communication pipe 30, pressure fluctuations in non-filled region 40 while refrigerator 10 is in use can be suppressed, and deterioration in the appearance of outer box side panel 152 can also be suppressed.

[0080] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other. The invention that can be understood from the above-described embodiment will be described below together with its effects. a refrigerant pipe extending in a serpentine shape and disposed between the outer box and the plate-shaped insulation material; ... According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the inner end of the communicating pipe is disposed in the middle of the vertical groove, and therefore the middle of the vertical groove is not filled with the filler insulating material, and the inner end of the communicating pipe is not blocked by the filler insulating material. Therefore, the communicating pipe can be used as a path for removing air in a foam filling process when manufacturing the refrigerator. Furthermore, in the manufactured refrigerator, the communicating pipe can also be used as a path for connecting the hollow portion of the vertical groove with the outside. In the refrigerator of the present invention, the vertical grooves include a front vertical groove extending vertically at the front, a rear vertical groove extending vertically at the rear, and an intermediate vertical groove extending vertically between the front vertical groove and the rear vertical groove, the horizontal grooves include a front horizontal groove connecting the front vertical groove and the intermediate vertical groove and a rear horizontal groove connecting the intermediate vertical groove and the rear vertical groove, the communicating grooves extend from the connection points between the intermediate vertical groove and the rear horizontal groove to the peripheral edges of the plate insulation, and the inner end of the communicating pipe is located in the middle of the intermediate vertical groove. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, by locating the inner end of the communicating pipe in the middle of the intermediate vertical groove, the inner end of the communicating pipe can be more reliably separated from the packed insulation, thereby more reliably preventing the communicating pipe from being blocked by the packed insulation. In the refrigerator of the present invention, the side edges of the front vertical grooves are free from the front edges of the plate insulation material, and the side edges of the rear vertical grooves are free from the rear edges of the plate insulation material. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, since the side edges of the front vertical grooves and the rear vertical grooves are free, it is possible to easily fill the front vertical grooves and the rear vertical grooves with filler insulation material in a foam filling step during manufacturing of the refrigerator. In the refrigerator of the present invention, the plate-shaped insulation material has a front side, a rear side, an upper side, a lower side, and an inclined side side connecting the lower side and the rear side, and outer ends of the communicating grooves extend to the inclined side sides. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, since the outer ends of the communicating grooves extend to the inclined side sides, the communicating grooves can be easily filled with filling insulation material in a foam filling step during manufacturing of the refrigerator. In addition, a manufacturing method of a refrigerator of the present invention includes the steps of preparing an outer box, an inner box, and plate-shaped insulation material, fixing a refrigerant pipe, a connecting pipe, and the plate-shaped insulation material to the inner surface of the inner box, and filling a space formed between the outer box and the inner box with filling insulation material, wherein the plate-shaped insulation material has a vertical groove portion extending along the vertical direction, a horizontal groove portion extending along the horizontal direction, and a connecting groove portion extending to the peripheral edge of the plate-shaped insulation material, and in the fixing step, the refrigerant pipe is arranged in the vertical groove portion and the horizontal groove portion, the inner end of the connecting pipe is arranged in the middle of the vertical groove portion, and the outer end of the connecting pipe is arranged outside the outer box, and in the filling step, the vertical groove portion and the horizontal groove portion are filled with filling insulation material except for the portion where the inner end of the connecting pipe is arranged. According to the refrigerator manufacturing method of the present invention, by arranging the inner end of the communication pipe in the middle of the vertical groove, the middle of the vertical groove is not filled with the insulating filler material, and the inner end of the communication pipe is not blocked by the insulating filler material. Therefore, the communication pipe can be used as a path for venting air. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 10. Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 12 Refrigerator 13 Freezer 14 Machine room 15 outer box 151 Outer box rear plate 152 Outer box side panel 153 Outer box top plate 16 Inner box 17. Insulation 19 Damper 20 Defrost heater 22 Side plate insulation material 221 Front side 222 Back side 223 Upper side 224 Lower side 225 Slanted side 23 Filler insulation 24 Upper surface plate insulation material 25 Rear plate insulation 26 Evaporator 27 Cooling room 28 Blower 29 Compressor 30 Connecting pipe 31 Adhesive layer 33 Insulated partition wall 34 Insulated Door 35 Insulated Door 36 Inlet 37 Injection Head 38 Refrigerant pipe 381 Serpentine section 382 Vertical extension 383 Vertical extension 384 Vertical extension 385 Lateral extension 386 Lateral extension 387 External extension 388 Slope 39 Groove 391 Vertical groove 392 Front longitudinal groove 393 Middle longitudinal groove 394 Rear longitudinal groove 395 Communication groove 396 Yokomizobe 397 Anterior lateral groove 398 Posterior lateral groove 40 Unfilled area 100 refrigerator 101 outer box 102 Inner box 103 Filling insulation material 104 Plate-shaped insulation material 105 Groove 106 Pipe 107 Storage Room 108 Connecting Pipe

Claims

1. The device comprises a heat-insulating box having a storage chamber formed therein, a refrigerant pipe, and a communication pipe, The insulating box includes an outer box that forms an outer surface of the insulating box, an inner box that is disposed inside the outer box, and an insulating material that is disposed between the outer box and the inner box, The heat insulating material includes a vacuum heat insulating material disposed near the outer surface of the inner box, and a filling heat insulating material foam-filled between the outer box and the inner box, a groove is formed in a portion of the side surface of the vacuum insulation material facing the outer box where the refrigerant pipe is disposed; The refrigerant pipe has a portion formed in a serpentine shape and is disposed between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material, The groove portion has a vertical groove portion extending along the vertical direction, a horizontal groove portion extending along the horizontal direction, and a communicating groove portion extending to the peripheral edge portion of the vacuum insulation material, an inner end of the communication pipe is disposed in a middle portion of the vertical groove portion, and an outer end of the communication pipe is disposed outside the insulating box; A non-filled region where the insulating filler material is not filled is formed in the middle of the vertical groove portion, The refrigerator, wherein the inner end of the communication pipe is disposed in the non-filled area.

2. the longitudinal groove portion includes a front longitudinal groove portion extending in the up-down direction at the front, a rear longitudinal groove portion extending in the up-down direction at the rear, and an intermediate longitudinal groove portion extending in the up-down direction between the front longitudinal groove portion and the rear longitudinal groove portion, the lateral groove portion includes a front lateral groove portion connecting the front longitudinal groove portion and the intermediate longitudinal groove portion, and a rear lateral groove portion connecting the intermediate longitudinal groove portion and the rear longitudinal groove portion, The communicating groove portion extends from a connection point between the intermediate vertical groove portion and the front horizontal groove portion to a peripheral edge portion of the vacuum insulation material, The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the inner end of the communication pipe is disposed in a middle portion of the middle vertical groove portion.

3. The side edge of the front vertical groove portion is released from the front side edge of the vacuum insulation material, The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein a side edge of the rear vertical groove is free from a rear side edge of the vacuum heat insulating material.

4. The vacuum insulation material has a front side edge, a rear side edge, an upper side edge, a lower side edge, and an inclined side edge connecting the lower side edge and the rear side edge, 3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an outer end of the communication groove extends to the inclined side edge.

5. A step of preparing an outer box, an inner box, and a vacuum insulation material; a step of fixing a refrigerant pipe, a communication pipe, and the vacuum insulation material to an inner surface of the outer box; and filling a space formed between the outer box and the inner box with a filling insulating material, The vacuum insulation material has a vertical groove portion extending along the vertical direction, a horizontal groove portion extending along the horizontal direction, and a communicating groove portion extending to a peripheral portion of the vacuum insulation material, In the fixing step, the refrigerant pipe is disposed in the vertical groove portion and the horizontal groove portion, an inner end portion of the communication pipe is disposed in a middle portion of the vertical groove portion, and an outer end portion of the communication pipe is disposed outside the outer box, A method for manufacturing a refrigerator, characterized in that in the filling step, the filling insulation material is filled into the vertical groove portion and the horizontal groove portion except for the portion where the inner end portion of the communicating pipe is located.

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