refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator having a structure which inhibits deformation of an outer box and improves heat insulation performance by a plate-like insulator.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 10 includes: a heat insulation box body 11 in which a storage room is formed; and a refrigerant pipe 38. The heat insulation box body 11 has: an outer box 15 forming an outer surface of the heat insulation box body 11; an inner box 16 disposed within the outer box 15; and an insulator 17 disposed between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16. The insulator 17 has: a filled insulator 23 disposed near an outer surface of the inner box 16; and a filled insulator 23 which is foamed to fill a space between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16. The refrigerant pipe 38 is disposed between the outer box 15 and the filled insulator 23. The outer box 15 partially protrudes to the outer side in a width direction to form a groove part 30. The refrigerant pipe 38 is housed in the groove part 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator equipped with a plate-shaped insulating material as a thermal insulator. [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. 9. Fig. 9 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. Foam 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 insulation 104. The groove 105 is a recessed portion on the outer surface of the plate insulation 104 in the width direction. A pipe 106 is stored in the groove 105. This configuration reduces the amount of protrusion of the pipe 106 in the width direction, and prevents the outer box 101 from deforming along the pipe 106 during the process of foaming the foam insulation 103. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4111096 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, the above-mentioned refrigerator has room for improvement in terms of heat insulation of the refrigerator.

[0010] Specifically, referring to Figure 9, a groove 105 is formed in plate insulation 104 in the portion where pipe 106 is arranged. Plate insulation 104 becomes thinner where groove 105 is formed. This reduces the insulating properties of plate insulation 104 in the portion where groove 105 is formed, posing a problem of increased energy required to maintain storage chamber 107 within a specified temperature range. Furthermore, if priority is given to insulating properties and the main surface facing outward of plate insulation 104 is made flat, pipe 106 protrudes outward, causing outer box 101 to bend along the shape of pipe 106.

[0011] The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a refrigerator having a configuration that suppresses deformation of the outer box and improves the insulation properties provided by the plate-shaped insulation material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: an insulating box body having a storage compartment formed therein; High temperature refrigerant flowsa refrigerant pipe, and the insulated box body has an outer box forming the outer surface of the insulated box body, 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 having a plate-shaped 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, the refrigerant pipe is disposed between the outer box and the plate-shaped heat insulating material, and a groove portion is formed by partially protruding the outer box outward in the width direction, and the refrigerant pipe is housed in the groove portion, The groove is partially opened to form a hole, and the inside of the groove communicates with the outside of the heat-insulating box through the hole. Inside the groove, the refrigerant pipe is arranged on one side end, and the hole is arranged on the other side end. It is characterized by the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] It is possible to provide a refrigerator having a configuration that suppresses deformation of the outer box and improves the thermal insulation properties of the plate-shaped insulating material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [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 3A] 1 is a perspective view showing an outer box of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer box of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention from another angle. [Figure 4] 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 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view partially illustrating a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing a method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [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]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the background art. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] 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. The same reference numerals are used for the same components, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0024] 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.

[0025] A groove 30 is formed on the left side surface of the insulating box 11. The specific configuration of the groove 30 will be described later with reference to Fig. 3A etc. Although not shown here, the groove 30 is also formed on the right side surface of the insulating box 11.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of refrigerator 10. As shown in FIG. 2, a cooling compartment 27 is defined behind freezer compartment 13, and an evaporator 26 is housed in cooling compartment 27. A machine compartment 14 is defined behind the bottom of insulated box 11, and a compressor 29 is housed 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 of 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 separated by an insulated partition wall 33. The insulated partition wall 33 has the same insulating structure as the insulated box 11.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] The thermal insulation material 17 includes a rear plate-shaped thermal insulation material 25 bonded to the inside surface of the outer box 15, and a filler thermal insulation material 23 filled in the space between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16. The rear plate-shaped thermal insulation material 25 is a bag containing an aggregate of fibers such as glass, with the inside of the bag evacuated. The filler thermal insulation material 23 may be, for example, urethane foam. By using the rear plate-shaped thermal insulation material 25, which has an extremely high insulating effect, as part of the thermal 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 thermal insulation material 25 is also called a vacuum insulation material.

[0030] 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the outer box 15 of the refrigerator 10. Fig. 3A is a perspective view of the outer box 15 as seen from the front right. Fig. 3B is a perspective view of the outer box 15 as seen from the front left.

[0031] The outer box 15 is made by bending a thin steel plate having a thickness of about 0.5 mm, and has an outer box rear panel 151 (see Figure 2), outer box side panels 152 extending forward from the left and right ends of the outer box rear panel 151, and an outer box top panel 153 extending forward from the upper end of the outer box rear panel 151.

[0032] Groove portion 30 is formed by partially protruding outer box side panel 152 outward in the width direction. Groove portion 30 is formed on both right and left outer box side panel 152. Refrigerant pipes 38, which will be described later, are housed in groove portion 30. Specifically, groove portion 30 has, from the front, groove portion 301, groove portion 302, and groove portion 303. Groove portion 301, groove portion 302, and groove portion 303 are arranged at approximately equal intervals and extend in approximately straight lines in the up-down direction.

[0033] Hole 32 is formed by partially opening groove 30. Specifically, hole 321 is formed by opening groove 301, hole 322 is formed by opening groove 302, and hole 323 is formed by opening groove 303. Hole 321 connects the internal space of groove 301 to the outside. Hole 322 connects the inside of groove 302 to the outside. Hole 323 connects the inside of groove 303 to the outside. Hole 321, hole 322, and hole 323 are approximately circular openings. Here, one hole 321 is formed in groove 301, etc., but multiple holes 321 can also be formed in groove 301, etc.

[0034] 4 is an exploded perspective view showing outer box side panel 152, refrigerant pipe 38, and side plate-shaped insulation material 22. Refrigerant pipe 38 is arranged between outer box side panel 152 and side plate-shaped insulation material 22. In an actual refrigerator 10, refrigerant pipe 38 and side plate-shaped insulation material 22 are attached to the left side of outer box side panel 152, and most of refrigerant pipe 38 is housed in groove portion 30.

[0035] Refrigerant pipe 38 is a serpentine pipe made of metal such as iron or copper through which the high-temperature refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle flows. Refrigerant pipe 38 has 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 extend substantially linearly in the up-down direction. Horizontally extending portion 385 and horizontally extending portion 386 extend substantially linearly in the front-to-rear direction.

[0036] The vertically extending portions 384, 383 and 382 of the refrigerant pipe 38 are housed in the grooves 301, 302 and 303, respectively.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of side insulating plate material 22, outer box side plate 152, and refrigerant pipe 38 of refrigerator 10.

[0038] As described above, grooves 303, 302, and 301 are formed by protruding outer box side panel 152 outward in a rectangular shape. Vertically extending portion 382 is housed in groove 303, vertically extending portion 383 is housed in groove 302, and vertically extending portion 384 is housed in groove 301. This configuration allows the area of ​​outer box side panel 152 to be increased, and the high-temperature refrigerant circulating inside vertically extending portions 382, ​​383, and 384 to be cooled effectively.

[0039] Vertically extending portion 382 is fixed inside groove portion 303 by adhesive means such as aluminum tape. In this way, vertically extending portion 382 can be tightly attached to a predetermined location on the inner surface of groove portion 303, thereby effectively cooling the high-temperature refrigerant flowing inside vertically extending portion 382. The same applies to vertically extending portion 383 and vertically extending portion 384.

[0040] Inside groove 303, vertically extending portion 382 is disposed at the rear end, and hole 323 is formed at the front end. This allows vertically extending portion 382 and hole 323 to be spaced apart inside groove 303, preventing hole 323 from being blocked by the adhesive tape used to adhere vertically extending portion 382. The same applies to groove 302 and groove 301.

[0041] A method for manufacturing the refrigerator 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8 and also with reference to the above-mentioned drawings. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the outer casing 15. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the outer casing 15 with the refrigerant pipe 38 incorporated therein. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the outer casing 15 with the side plate-shaped insulating material 22 fixed thereto.

[0042] First, referring to the perspective view of Fig. 6, 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 Fig. 2 and the like are prepared separately. Furthermore, grooves 301, 302, and 303 are formed in outer box side panel 152.

[0043] Next, referring to Fig. 7, refrigerant pipe 38 is assembled into outer box side panel 152. Refrigerant pipe 38 is fixed to outer box side panel 152, for example, by adhering refrigerant pipe 38 at multiple locations with adhesive tape or the like. As shown in Fig. 5, vertically extending portion 382, ​​vertically extending portion 383, and vertically extending portion 384 are fixed close to the ends of groove portion 301, groove portion 302, and groove portion 303.

[0044] Next, referring to Figure 8, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is attached to the outer box side panel 152. As described above, an adhesive 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. In addition, an upper plate-shaped insulation material 24 is attached to the lower surface of the outer box upper panel 153 of the outer box 15.

[0045] After the above steps are completed, inner box 16 and outer box rear panel 151 shown in Fig. 2 are fitted into outer box 15, and filled with filling insulating material 23. After the filling step is completed, refrigerator 10 is manufactured by attaching each component device shown in Fig. 2 etc. to insulating box body 11.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the following main effects can be achieved.

[0047] 4, by storing refrigerant pipe 38 in groove portion 30 formed in outer box side panel 152 of outer box 15, outer box 15 is prevented from being deformed in accordance with the shape of refrigerant pipe 38, and it is possible to prevent deterioration in the appearance of refrigerator 10. Furthermore, the area of ​​outer box side panel 152 is increased, and the high-temperature refrigerant flowing inside refrigerant pipe 38 can be effectively cooled via outer box side panel 152.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 5, the inside and outside of groove portion 303 are connected via hole portion 323, so that when a temperature change acts on refrigerator 10, the internal pressure of groove portion 303 is kept approximately constant, and deformation of groove portion 30 is suppressed.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 5, inside groove 303, vertically extending portion 382 and hole 323 can be spaced apart, preventing adhesive tape used to fix vertically extending portion 382 from blocking hole 323.

[0050] Referring to Figure 5, since the main surface facing outward of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is a flat surface, the thickness of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 can be sufficiently ensured throughout the entire area of ​​the side plate-shaped insulation material 22, thereby improving the insulating effect of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 3A, by forming a plurality of grooves 30, most of the refrigerant pipe 38 formed in a serpentine shape can be accommodated in the grooves 30.

[0052] 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 refrigerator according to the present invention includes an insulated box having a storage compartment formed therein, and a refrigerant pipe, the insulated box including an outer box forming the outer surface of the insulated box, an inner box disposed inside the outer box, and an insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box, the insulating material including a plate-shaped insulating material disposed near the outer surface of the inner box and a foam-filled insulating material between the outer box and the inner box, the refrigerant pipe being disposed between the outer box and the plate-shaped insulating material, the outer box partially protruding outward in the width direction to form a groove, and the refrigerant pipe being housed in the groove. According to the refrigerator according to the present invention, by housing the refrigerant pipe in the groove formed in the outer box, deformation of the outer box in accordance with the shape of the refrigerant pipe can be prevented, thereby preventing a deterioration in the appearance of the refrigerator. In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the groove is partially opened to form a hole, and the inside of the groove is in communication with the outside of the insulated box via the hole. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, since the inside of the groove is in communication with the outside of the insulated box via the hole, when a temperature change acts on the refrigerator, the internal pressure of the groove is kept substantially constant and deformation of the groove is suppressed. In addition, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the refrigerant pipe is arranged on one end side of the groove, and the hole is arranged on the other end side of the groove. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the refrigerant pipe and the hole can be arranged apart from each other in the groove, and adhesive tape used to fix the refrigerant pipe can be prevented from blocking the hole. In the refrigerator of the present invention, the outward-facing main surface of the plate-shaped insulating material is flat. Since the outward-facing main surface of the plate-shaped insulating material is flat, the thickness of the insulating material can be ensured sufficiently over the entire area of ​​the plate-shaped insulating material, thereby improving the insulating effect of the plate-shaped insulating material. In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of the groove portions are formed. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, by forming a plurality of the groove portions, most of the refrigerant pipes formed in a serpentine shape can be accommodated in the groove portions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 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 23 Filler insulation 24 Upper surface plate insulation material 25 Rear plate insulation 26 Evaporator 27 Cooling room 28 Blower 29 Compressor 30 Groove 301 Groove 302 Groove 303 Groove 32 Hole 321 Hole 322 Hole 323 Hole 33 Insulated partition wall 34 Insulated Door 35 Insulated Door 38 Refrigerant pipe 382 Vertical extension 383 Vertical extension 384 Vertical extension 385 Lateral extension 386 Lateral extension 100 refrigerator 101 outer box 102 Inner box 103 Foam insulation 104 Plate-shaped insulation material 105 Groove 106 Pipe 107 Storage Room

Claims

1. The storage chamber is formed inside a heat-insulating box, and a refrigerant pipe through which a high-temperature refrigerant flows. The heat-insulating box includes an outer box that forms an outer surface of the heat-insulating box, an inner box that is disposed inside the outer box, and a heat-insulating material that is disposed between the outer box and the inner box, the heat insulating material includes a plate-shaped 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, The refrigerant pipe is disposed between the outer box and the plate-shaped insulation material, The outer box is partially protruded outward in the width direction to form a groove portion, The refrigerant pipe is housed in the groove portion, The groove is partially opened to form a hole, The inside of the groove portion communicates with the outside of the heat-insulating box via the hole portion, The refrigerator, wherein the refrigerant pipe is arranged on one side end side inside the groove portion, and the hole is arranged on the other side end side inside the groove portion.

2. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the main surface of the plate-shaped heat insulating material facing outward is flat.

3. 2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the grooves are formed.

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