Refrigerator and refrigerator manufacturing method

Abstract

To reduce the number of components of a support frame and improve the quality of the appearance in a refrigerator in which a magnet for detecting opening / closing of a door is provided at a support frame of a refrigerator door.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: A refrigerator 1 of an embodiment includes: a refrigerator body 2 in which an opening is provided on a front surface; a door 60 provided at the opening; and a door opening / closing detection device 100 detecting opening / closing of the door 60. The door 60 includes: a door front plate 61 provided at the refrigerator outer side; a door rear plate 64 provided rearward of the door front plate 61; a support frame 62 provided in a frame shape which connects peripheral edge parts of the door front plate 61 and the door rear plate 64; a heat insulation material 63 provided in a heat insulation space S defined between the door front plate 61 and the door rear plate 64; and a magnet fixing tool 120 fixing a magnet 102 to the support frame 62. The support frame 62 is formed of a member in which an upper surface part 62a, a lower surface part 62b, a left side surface part 62c, and a right side surface part 62d are integrally molded. The magnet fixing tool 120 is composed of a separate member from the support frame 62.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a refrigerator and a method for manufacturing a refrigerator. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Some refrigerators are equipped with a door opening / closing detection device that detects whether the refrigerator door is open or closed in order to control the interior light that illuminates the storage compartment, the fan that circulates the air inside the refrigerator, and the like based on the opening and closing of the refrigerator door.

[0003] This door opening / closing detection device includes a magnet attached to the door and a detection unit such as a Hall IC attached to the refrigerator body. When the refrigerator door is closed, the detection unit detects the magnetic flux of the magnet, and when the refrigerator door is opened, the detection unit detects a decrease in the magnetic flux from the magnet attached to the door, thereby detecting whether the refrigerator door is open or closed (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-326058 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The magnets that make up the door open / close detector are attached to a support frame that forms the periphery of the refrigerator door. The support frame is made up of four parts that are placed on the top, bottom, left and right sides of the refrigerator door. As a result, assembling the support frame requires a lot of work, and steps and gaps can occur at the joints between the parts that make up the support frame.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a refrigerator in which a magnet for detecting whether the door is open or closed is provided in a support frame of the refrigerator door, the refrigerator having an excellent appearance quality without generating steps or gaps in the support frame while reducing the number of parts of the support frame. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The refrigerator of this embodiment includes a refrigerator main body having an opening formed on a front surface thereof, a door provided in the opening, and a door opening / closing detection device that detects opening and closing of the door. The door opening / closing detection device includes a magnet provided on the door, and a detection unit that is provided on the refrigerator main body and detects opening and closing of the door using the magnet. The door includes a front door panel provided on the outside of the refrigerator, a rear door panel provided behind the front door panel, a frame-shaped support frame that connects peripheral edges of the front door panel and the rear door panel, a heat insulating material provided in a heat insulating space defined between the front door panel and the rear door panel, and a magnet fixing device that fixes the magnet to the support frame. The support frame has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a left side surface portion, and a right side surface portion. a rear door panel mounting wall that comes into contact with a peripheral edge of the rear door panel, and a notched opening that is cut out so as to divide the rear door panel mounting wall; the magnet fixing device is attached to the support frame by engagement between a recessed portion and a protruding portion; the protruding portion is thicker at its base than at its tip, and is thicker at the base than the recessed portion; and when the magnet fixing device is attached to the support frame, , fit The mating portion fits into the notched opening, the door rear panel side of the mating portion is provided on an extension of the door rear panel mounting wall, and the magnet fixing device is fixed to the support frame.

[0008] A method for manufacturing a refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes a refrigerator main body having an opening formed in a front surface thereof, a door provided in the opening, and a door opening / closing detection device that detects opening and closing of the door, the door opening / closing detection device including a magnet provided in the door and a detection unit that is provided in the refrigerator main body and detects opening and closing of the door using the magnet, the door including a front door panel provided on the exterior of the refrigerator, a rear door panel provided behind the front door panel, a frame-shaped support frame that connects peripheral edges of the front door panel and the rear door panel, a heat insulating material provided in a heat insulating space defined between the front door panel and the rear door panel, and a magnet fixing tool that fixes the magnet to the support frame, the support frame having an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a left side surface portion, and a right side surface portion. In a manufacturing method of a refrigerator, the magnet fixture is attached to any one of the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, the left side surface portion, and the right side surface portion to fix the magnet, the refrigerator is made of a member formed integrally with a plurality of surface portions including the surface portion to which the magnet is fixed, and the magnet fixture is configured as a separate member from the support frame, the support frame includes a door rear panel mounting wall that contacts a peripheral edge portion of the door rear panel, and a notched opening that is cut out so as to divide the door rear panel mounting wall, the magnet fixture is attached to the support frame by engagement between a recessed portion and a protruding portion, the protruding portion is thicker on the base side than on the tip portion, and is thicker on the base side than the recessed portion, , fit a mating portion that fits into the notched opening, the rear door panel side of the mating portion is provided on an extension of the rear door panel mounting wall, and the magnet fixing device is fixed to the support frame. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] Cross section of vegetable compartment door [Figure 4] Exploded perspective view of vegetable compartment door [Figure 5] Enlarged view of the main part of Figure 3 [Figure 6] A perspective view of the support frame with the magnet fixture separated [Figure 7] A perspective view of the magnet fixture showing the magnet separated state. [Figure 8] Enlarged perspective view of the main part of the support frame with the magnet fixture attached [Figure 9] Cross section AA of Figure 5 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The following embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto. The following embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The following embodiments and their modifications are within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims and their equivalents.

[0011] In the following description, the left-right direction, front-rear direction, and up-down direction refer to the directions when viewing the refrigerator from the front, and the left-right direction corresponds to the width direction of the refrigerator. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the terms right, left, top, bottom, front, rear, back, spine, and near side refer to the position or side when viewing the refrigerator from the front, and for the refrigerator doors, refer to the position or side when viewing the refrigerator from the front with the doors closed.

[0012] (1) Configuration of Refrigerator 1 First, the overall configuration of refrigerator 1 will be described. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment. Refrigerator 1 has a storage space formed inside refrigerator main body 2, which is an insulated box with an opening formed on the front. This refrigerator main body 2 is configured by combining an outer box 3 that forms the outer shell of refrigerator 1 with an inner box 4 that forms the storage space, and by providing insulation material 5, such as foam insulation or a vacuum insulation panel, between outer box 3 and inner box 4.

[0013] The interior of the refrigerator body 2 is divided into multiple sections, each with a plurality of storage compartments that have openings on the front. Specifically, the interior of the refrigerator body 2 is divided into upper and lower sections by an insulating partition wall 6. The upper side of the insulating partition wall 6 is the refrigerated space. The refrigerated space is maintained at a refrigeration temperature that is suitable for refrigerated storage. The lower side of the insulating partition wall 6 is the freezer space. The freezer space is maintained at a freezing temperature that is suitable for frozen storage. The refrigerated space and the freezer space each have a plurality of storage compartments for storing food. Each storage compartment has an opening on the front, through which users can put food in and take food out.

[0014] The refrigerating space is provided with a refrigerator compartment 10 and a vegetable compartment 11 as storage compartments, from top to bottom. The interior of the refrigerator compartment 10 is maintained within a refrigeration temperature range, for example, at 2 to 5°C, and the interior of the vegetable compartment 11 is maintained within a refrigeration temperature range, for example, at 4 to 7°C. The refrigerator compartment 10 is provided with a plurality of storage shelves. Below the lowest storage shelf is a chilled compartment that is maintained at an especially low temperature within the refrigerator compartment 10. Furthermore, the vegetable compartment 11 houses two drawer-type containers, one on top of the other.

[0015] An ice making compartment and upper freezer compartment 13 are provided as storage compartments in the upper part of the freezer space, and a lower freezer compartment 14 is provided as a storage compartment in the lower part of the freezer space. The interiors of the ice making compartment and lower freezer compartment 14 are maintained within a freezing temperature range, for example, -20 to -18°C. The interior of upper freezer compartment 13 is also maintained within a freezing temperature range, for example, -18 to -16°C. The ice making compartment, upper freezer compartment 13, and lower freezer compartment 14 each contain a drawer-type storage container.

[0016] The opening formed on the front surface of refrigerator body 2 is partitioned by a plurality of frame members. In this example, upper horizontal frame member 16, middle horizontal frame member 17, and lower horizontal frame member 18 are provided in this order from top to bottom to separate the front opening of refrigerator body 2 into upper and lower sections. As a result, the front section of refrigerator compartment 10 is partitioned above upper horizontal frame member 16, the front section of vegetable compartment 11 is partitioned between upper horizontal frame member 16 and middle horizontal frame member 17, and lower freezer compartment 14 is partitioned below lower horizontal frame member 18. The space between middle horizontal frame member 17 and lower horizontal frame member 18 is also partitioned left and right by vertical frame members (not shown), separating the ice making compartment and the front section of upper freezer compartment 13.

[0017] The upper horizontal frame member 16, middle horizontal frame member 17, lower horizontal frame member 18, and vertical frame members are formed into square tubes with closed or open backs by bending, for example, steel plate. Inside these frame members 16, 17, 18, insulating materials such as polystyrene foam, sponge, or urethane foam, and a detection unit 110 that constitutes part of the door opening / closing detection device 100, are provided.

[0018] The detection unit 110 detects whether the door is open or closed using the magnet 102, and is made up of, for example, a Hall element that detects the magnetic flux of the magnet 102. The detection unit 110 is provided inside the upper horizontal frame member 16 so as to face the magnet 102 stored in the magnet storage portion 62g of the support frame 62 in the front-to-rear direction. The door open / close detection device 100 detects whether the crisper door 60 is open or closed by the detection unit 110 detecting a change in magnetic flux that occurs when the magnet 102 moves closer to or further away from the crisper door 60 as the crisper door 60 is opened or closed.

[0019] The front openings of the storage compartments 10, 11, 13, and 14 formed inside the refrigerator body 2 are closed by refrigerator doors 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 in an openable and closable manner.

[0020] Specifically, the front opening of refrigerator compartment 10 is closed by a pair of left and right pivotable refrigerator compartment doors 50 that are pivotally supported by hinges 7 (see FIG. 2 ) provided on both the left and right sides of refrigerator body 2. The front opening of vegetable compartment 11 is closed by a pull-out vegetable compartment door 60 located below refrigerator compartment door 50. The front opening of the ice making compartment is closed by a pull-out ice making compartment door 70 located below vegetable compartment door 60. The front opening of upper freezer compartment 13 is closed by a pull-out upper freezer compartment door 80 located below vegetable compartment door 60. The front opening of lower freezer compartment 14 is closed by a pull-out lower freezer compartment door 90 located below ice making compartment door 70 and upper freezer compartment door 80.

[0021] A pair of left and right support frames that hold storage containers 11a, 13a, and 14a are fixed to the inside of each of the vegetable compartment door 60, ice compartment door 70, upper freezer compartment door 80, and lower freezer compartment door 90, and are configured so that storage containers 11a, 13a, and 14a are each pulled out of the compartment when the doors are opened.

[0022] A first cooler chamber 20 and a first flow path 21 are formed at the rear of the refrigerating space (refrigerating chamber 10 and vegetable chamber 11). A first cooler 22 and a first fan 23 are provided in the first cooler chamber 20, and the first fan 23 introduces the air in the first cooler chamber 20 cooled by the first cooler 22 into the first flow path 21.

[0023] First flow path 21 is provided in the space sandwiched between the back plate of inner box 4 and a plate-shaped flow path forming member. When cold air cooled by first cooler 22 is introduced into first cooler chamber 20 by the rotation of first blower 23, it flows from below to above and is blown out into refrigerator compartment 10 from outlet 24. The cold air blown out into refrigerator compartment 10 circulates through refrigerator compartment 10 and vegetable compartment 11, and then is sucked into first cooler chamber 20 from inlet 25 and cooled again by first cooler 22.

[0024] Further, at the rear of the freezer space (ice-making compartment, upper freezer compartment 13, and lower freezer compartment 14), there is provided a second cooler compartment 28 that houses a second cooler 26 and a second fan 27 that circulates the cool air generated in the second cooler 26. The cool air generated in the second cooler 26 is blown out into the freezer space from an outlet 29 formed on the rear surface of the freezer space, circulates through the freezer space, and is then sucked into the second cooler 26 from an inlet 30 formed on the lower rear surface of the freezer space, where it is cooled again.

[0025] A machine room 31 is provided at the lower rear of the refrigerator 1. A compressor 32, a condenser (not shown), etc. are housed in the machine room 31. The compressor 32, the condenser, the first cooler 22, the second cooler 26, etc. constitute a cooling mechanism called a refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 32 flows alternately through the first cooler 22 and the second cooler 26, and when the refrigerant flows, cold air is generated in each cooler.

[0026] A control board 8 that controls the refrigerator 1 is provided on the upper back surface of the refrigerator body 2. The control board 8 controls the overall operation of the refrigerator 1 by controlling the rotation speeds of the first fan 23 and the second fan 27, the operating frequency of the compressor 32, the door open / close detection device 100, etc., based on detection signals input from sensors and an operation panel (not shown) and a control program pre-stored in memory.

[0027] (2) Configuration of vegetable compartment door 60 Next, we will explain the configuration of vegetable compartment door 60 that closes the front opening of vegetable compartment 11. Although refrigerator compartment door 50, ice compartment door 70, upper freezer compartment door 80, and lower freezer compartment door 90 differ in size and shape, they share a basic configuration. Therefore, only vegetable compartment door 60 will be explained here, and detailed explanations of the other refrigerator doors 50, 70, 80, and 90 will be omitted.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the vegetable compartment door 60 has, in order from the front side (outside the refrigerator 1), a door front panel 61, a support frame 62, a heat insulating material 63, a door rear panel 64, and a sealing member 65.

[0029] The door front panel 61 comprises a transparent glass plate that forms the outer surface of the vegetable compartment door 60. In this embodiment, a case where the door front panel 61 comprises a glass plate is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the door front panel 61 may be a rigid plate-like body of a predetermined thickness. The door front panel 61 may be a translucent, insulating, or glossy plate-like body, and may be a resin plate or a non-metal plate other than a glass plate. Furthermore, the door front panel 61 may have a coloring layer on the back side of the rigid plate-like body to color it, impart a metallic luster, or impart a pattern as needed.

[0030] 3 to 6, the support frame 62 is a rectangular frame-shaped member that connects the peripheral edges of the door front panel 61 and the door rear panel 64, and inside thereof is formed a heat insulating space S in which heat insulating material 63 is disposed. The support frame 62 has an upper surface portion 62a, a lower surface portion 62b, a left side surface portion 62c, and a right side surface portion 62d that form the peripheral surface of the vegetable compartment door 60, and the upper surface portion 62a, the lower surface portion 62b, the left side surface portion 62c, and the right side surface portion 62d are made of a member that is integrally molded, and have an integral structure that is continuously connected without breaks in the circumferential direction.

[0031] A door front panel mounting wall 62e that protrudes inward like a flange is provided on the front side of the inner periphery of the support frame 62. The rear surface of the door front panel 61 is adhesively fixed to the front surface of the door front panel mounting wall 62e via an adhesive member such as double-sided adhesive tape.

[0032] A door rear plate mounting wall 62f that protrudes inward like a flange is provided on the rear side of the inner periphery of the support frame 62. The door rear plate mounting wall 62f is provided around the entire inner periphery of the support frame 62 excluding a magnet storage section 62g, which will be described later. The front surface of the door rear plate 64 is adhesively fixed to the rear surface of the door rear plate mounting wall 62f via an adhesive member such as double-sided adhesive tape.

[0033] A downwardly recessed handle 66 is provided on the front side of the upper surface 62a of the support frame 62. The handle 66 is a recess into which the user's fingers engage when pulling out the vegetable compartment door 60, and has a groove shape extending along the width of the refrigerator.

[0034] A decorative member 67 is provided on the upper edge of the front side of the handle 66. The decorative member 67 is shaped to sandwich the upper end of the handle 66 from the front and rear. The part of the decorative member 67 that covers the front side of the handle 66 is placed on the outer edge of the door front panel 61, and the front surface is, for example, hot stamped with a silver luster, or has a metallized film or the like attached.

[0035] A magnet storage section 62g is provided behind the handle 66. The magnet storage section 62g is a recessed portion that is recessed upward and provided on the insulating space S side (lower side) of the upper surface 62a of the support frame 62. A magnet 102 that constitutes the door opening / closing detection device 100 is stored inside the magnet storage section 62g. The magnet 102 is fixed to the magnet storage section 62g of the support frame 62 by a magnet fixing device 120.

[0036] 6, the magnet storage portion 62g forms a notched opening 62i that divides the door rear panel mounting wall 62f provided on the rear side of the inner periphery of the support frame 62. In other words, the door rear panel mounting wall 62f is divided by the notched opening 62i at a position that overlaps vertically with the magnet storage portion 62g.

[0037] The upper surface 62a of the support frame 62 has a protruding portion 62a1 that protrudes rearward at the center in the width direction (see FIG. 4). A rear end wall 62h that protrudes downward is provided at the rear end of the protruding portion 62a1. The rear end wall 62h protrudes downward from the upper surface 62a by a shorter amount than the door rear panel mounting wall 62f. The rear end wall 62h is positioned rearward of the door rear panel mounting wall 62f and closes the rear side of the magnet storage section 62g. In addition, the rear end wall 62h has a window portion 62h1 that penetrates the rear end wall 62h from the front to the rear on the rear side of the magnet storage section 62g, so that the magnets 102 stored in the magnet storage section 62g can be seen from behind through the window portion 62h1.

[0038] The heat insulating material 63 is made of a heat insulating material such as a vacuum heat insulating material or a foam heat insulating material such as urethane foam, and is arranged in the heat insulating space S partitioned by the door front panel 61, the support frame 62, and the door rear panel 64. The heat insulating material 63 may be either a vacuum heat insulating material or a foam heat insulating material, or may be a combination of a vacuum heat insulating material and a foam heat insulating material.

[0039] The rear door plate 64 is made by molding synthetic resin into a predetermined flat plate shape, and its upper, lower, left, and right peripheral edges are bonded to a rear door plate mounting wall 62f provided on the support frame 62 and to the rear surface of the fitting portion 122 of the magnet fixture 120. As a result, the rear door plate 64 is provided at a distance behind the front door plate 61, and forms a heat insulating space S between it and the front door plate 61.

[0040] An attachment portion 64a is provided on the peripheral edge of the door rear panel 64 at a position facing the peripheral edge of the front opening of the vegetable compartment 11. A sealing member 65 called a gasket is attached to this attachment portion 64a to seal the gap between the vegetable compartment door 60 and the inside of the vegetable compartment 11.

[0041] (3) Magnet Fixture 120 As shown in Figures 6 to 9, the magnet fixing device 120 is a separate member from the support frame 62, and is made of a synthetic resin such as ABS resin, and includes a base 121, a fitting portion 122, a contact portion 123, a fixing portion 124, and a holding portion 125.

[0042] The base 121 is disposed on the heat insulating space S side of the magnet storage unit 62g, and forms a space between the base 121 and the magnet storage unit 62g to store the magnet 102. The upper surface of the base 121 is provided with a restricting portion 121a that fits into a restricting shape portion 102a provided on the magnet 102, and a stopper 121b that abuts against the tip of the magnet 102. The restricting portion 121a fits into the restricting shape portion 102a only when the magnet 102 is arranged in a predetermined orientation, allowing the magnet 102 to be attached to the upper surface of the base 121 so that the magnetic poles of the magnet 102 are arranged in the predetermined orientation. The stopper 121b restricts forward movement of the magnet 102 so that the magnet 102 attached to the base 121 remains in close proximity to the rear end wall 62h of the support frame 62.

[0043] The fitting portion 122 is provided to protrude downward from the heat insulating space S side (lower side) of the base 121. The fitting portion 122 fits into a notched opening 62i provided in the door rear panel mounting wall 62f of the support frame 62 to close the notched opening 62i. When the fitting portion 122 fits into the notched opening 62i, the rear surface of the fitting portion 122 is provided on the same plane as the rear surface of the door rear panel mounting wall 62f, and the front surface of the door rear panel 64 is adhesively fixed together with the rear surface of the door rear panel mounting wall 62f.

[0044] The abutment portions 123 are connected to the insulation space S side (front side) of both widthwise ends of the fitting portion 122 via step portions 126, and are provided along the insulation space S side of the door rear panel mounting wall 62f. When the fitting portion 122 is fitted into the notched opening 62i, the abutment portions 123 abut against the insulation space S side of the door rear panel mounting wall 62f.

[0045] The fixing portions 124 are provided on both sides of the base 121 in the width direction, and face the upper surface 62a of the support frame 62 on both sides of the magnet storage portion 62g in the width direction. Recesses 127 are provided in the fixing portions 124. Protrusions 62a2 protruding downward from the upper surface 62a of the support frame 62 are inserted into these recesses 127. The recesses 127 have an opening diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the protrusions 62a2, and the protrusions 62a2 are inserted into the recesses 127 in a press-fit state. The diameter of the protrusions 62a2 at their tip ends is smaller than the opening diameter of the recesses 127, and the diameter gradually increases from the tip end toward the upper surface 62a side (base side), so that the diameter of the recesses 127 on the upper surface 62a side is larger than the opening diameter.

[0046] A tapered portion 127a whose diameter gradually widens as it approaches the open end is provided at the upper open end of the recess 127. The tapered portion 127a guides the protrusion 62a2 into the recess 127, making it easy to insert the protrusion 62a2 into the recess 127.

[0047] The holding portion 125 protrudes upward from the base portion 121 and engages with the upper surface of the magnet 102 attached to the base portion 121, thereby detachably holding the magnet 102 attached to the base portion 121.

[0048] To attach the magnet 102 to the magnet storage section 62g of the support frame 62 using the magnet fixture 120, the magnet 102 is placed on the upper surface of the base 121 with the magnet 102 facing in a predetermined direction so that the restricting shape portion 102a provided on the magnet 102 fits into the restricting portion 121a, and the magnet 102 is held between the holding portion 125 and the base 121. Then, the protrusion 62b2 provided on the upper surface 62a of the support frame 62 is press-fitted into the recess 127 of the magnet fixture 120 holding the magnet 102. As a result, the magnet fixture 120 is fixed to the upper surface 62a of the support frame 62, and the magnet 102 is attached between the magnet storage section 62g and the base 121.

[0049] When the magnet fixing device 120 is fixed to the upper surface portion 62a of the support frame 62 in this manner, as shown in Figure 8, the fitting portion 122 of the magnet fixing device 120 fits into the cutout opening 62i provided in the door rear panel mounting wall 62f, closing the cutout opening 62i, and the abutment portion 123 comes into surface contact with the side of the door rear panel mounting wall 62f on the side of the insulation space S, closing the cutout opening 62i to prevent the foam insulation material and the like from leaking out of the insulation space S to the outside.

[0050] The overlap length in the width direction between the abutting portion 123 and the door rear panel mounting wall 62f is preferably 5 mm or more, more preferably 10 mm or more, in order to ensure sealing performance that can withstand the foaming pressure of the foam insulation. Also, in order to improve the workability of attaching the magnet fastener 120 to the support frame 62, the overlap length in the width direction between the abutting portion 123 and the door rear panel mounting wall 62f is preferably 20 mm or less.

[0051] (4) Effects In the present embodiment as described above, the support frame 62 that forms the peripheral surface of the vegetable compartment door 60 is provided as a single component in which the upper surface portion 62a, the lower surface portion 62b, the left side surface portion 62c, and the right side surface portion 62d are integrally molded into a frame shape. Therefore, the number of components can be reduced compared to when the upper surface portion 62a, the lower surface portion 62b, the left side surface portion 62c, and the right side surface portion 62d are formed from separate components, and steps and gaps caused by joining components to each other do not occur on the peripheral surface of the vegetable compartment door 60, thereby improving the exterior design.

[0052] When the support frame 62 having an integral structure as in this embodiment is formed using a mold, the mold is moved inward of the support frame 62 to perform demolding, so it is not possible to form a shape that supports the underside of the magnet 102 on the underside of the upper surface portion 62a of the support frame 62 integrally with the support frame 62. In this embodiment, the magnet fixture 120 is a separate member from the support frame 62, so the upper surface portion 62a, lower surface portion 62b, left side surface portion 62c, and right side surface portion 62d of the support frame 62 are formed integrally, and a magnet can be attached to the magnet storage portion 62g. Furthermore, because the magnet fixture 120 is attached to the insulating space S side of the support frame 62 and is not visible from outside the support frame 62, even if it is a separate member from the support frame 62, it does not affect the external design.

[0053] In this embodiment, the magnet fixing device 120 has a holding portion 125 at the base 121 that holds the magnet 102, so that when the magnet fixing device 120 is attached to the support frame 62, the magnet 102 does not come off the magnet fixing device 120, resulting in excellent attachment workability.

[0054] In this embodiment, the magnet fixing device 120 has a recess 127 into which the protrusion 62a2 provided on the support frame 62 is press-fitted, so that the magnet fixing device 120 can be fixed to the support frame 62 by pressing the protrusion 62a2 into the recess 127.

[0055] Moreover, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the convex portion 62a2 protruding downward from the upper surface portion 62a of the support frame 62 with a shape that extends in the front-rear or left-right directions, such as a claw shape, in order to fix the magnet fixing device 120 to the support frame 62. Therefore, when molding the support frame 62 using a mold, the convex portion 62a2 can be formed integrally with the upper surface portion 62a, the lower surface portion 62b, the left side surface portion 62c, and the right side surface portion 62d.

[0056] In this embodiment, since the magnet fixture 120 has the fitting portion 122 and the abutting portion 123 as described above, the cutout opening 62i created by the formation of the magnet storage portion 62g can be closed to prevent leakage of foam insulation material, etc. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the abutting portion 123 is provided on the door rear panel mounting wall 62f on the side of the insulation space S, when the insulation space S is filled with foam insulation material, a force is generated by the foaming pressure of the foam insulation material to press the abutting portion 123 against the door rear panel mounting wall 62f, thereby achieving high sealing performance.

[0057] In this embodiment, the door rear panel 64 side (rear side) of the fitting portion 122 is provided on the same plane as the door rear panel mounting wall 62f, so the door rear panel 64 can be easily adhesively fixed to the fitting portion 122 and the door rear panel mounting wall 62f.

[0058] In this embodiment, the magnet fixing device 120 is provided with a restricting portion 121a that restricts the direction in which the magnet 102 is attached to the magnet fixing device 120 to one side, so that the magnet 102 can be attached to the magnet fixing device 120 without making a mistake in the orientation of the magnet 102.

[0059] In this embodiment, a window portion 62h1 that opens into the magnet storage portion 62g is provided in the rear end wall 62h, so that after the magnet fixing device 120 is fixed to the support frame 62, it can be visually confirmed that the magnet 102 is stored in the magnet storage portion 62g.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the magnet 102 is fixed to the upper surface portion 62a, but a magnet storage portion may be provided on the lower surface portion 62b, the left side surface portion 62c, or the right side surface portion 62d, and the magnet may be fixed between the magnet storage portion and the magnet fixing device.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the support frame 62 is provided as a single component in which the upper surface portion 62a, the lower surface portion 62b, the left side surface portion 62c, and the right side surface portion 62d are integrally molded into a frame shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the magnet 102 is fixed to the upper surface portion 62a, the upper surface portion 62a, the left side surface portion 62c, and the right side surface portion 62d may be integrally molded as a member and the lower surface portion 62b may be combined with this member to form the frame-shaped support frame 62, or the upper surface portion 62a and the left side surface portion 62c may be integrally molded as a member and the left side surface portion 62c and the right side surface portion 62d may be combined with this member to form the frame-shaped support frame 62. For example, a member may be formed in which multiple surface portions, including a surface portion for fixing the magnet 102, are integrally molded and other surface portions may be combined with this member to form the frame-shaped support frame 62. Even in such a case, as in the above-described embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced, and the magnet 102 can be fixed to the support frame 62 without affecting the external design. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1...refrigerator, 2...refrigerator body, 10...refrigerator compartment, 11...vegetable compartment, 13...upper freezer compartment, 14...lower freezer compartment, 50...refrigerator compartment door, 60...vegetable compartment door, 61...door front panel, 62...support frame, 62a...upper surface, 62a1...protrusion, 62a2...convex portion, 62b...lower surface, 62c...left surface, 62d...right surface, 62e...door front panel mounting wall, 62f...door rear panel mounting wall, 62g...magnet storage section, 62h...rear end wall, 62i...notched opening, 63...heat insulating material, 64...door rear panel, 65...sealing member, 66...handle portion, 67...decorative member, 70...ice making compartment door, 80...upper freezer compartment door, 90...lower freezer compartment door, 100...door opening / closing detection device, 102...magnet, 110...detection portion, 120...magnet fixing device, 121...base portion, 121a...regulating portion, 122...fitting portion, 123...abutting portion, 124...fixing portion, 125...holding portion, 126...step portion, 127...recess, 127a...tapered portion

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising a refrigerator body having an opening formed on a front surface thereof, a door provided in the opening, and a door opening / closing detection device that detects opening and closing of the door, the door opening / closing detection device includes a magnet provided on the door, and a detection unit provided on the refrigerator body and detecting opening / closing of the door using the magnet, The door includes a door front plate provided on the outside of the storage compartment, a door rear plate provided behind the door front plate, a frame-shaped support frame connecting peripheral portions of the door front plate and the door rear plate, a heat insulating material provided in a heat insulating space defined between the door front plate and the door rear plate, and a magnet fixing device that fixes the magnet to the support frame, the support frame has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a left side surface portion, and a right side surface portion, the magnet fixing device is attached to any one of the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, the left side surface portion, and the right side surface portion to fix the magnet, and the support frame is made of a member in which a plurality of surface portions including the surface portion to which the magnet is fixed are integrally molded, A refrigerator in which the magnet fixing device is formed as a separate member from the support frame, The support frame includes a door rear panel mounting wall that contacts the peripheral edge of the door rear panel, and a cutout opening that cuts out the door rear panel mounting wall to divide it, The magnet fixture is attached to the support frame by engagement between a recess and a protrusion, and the protrusion is thicker at its base than at its tip, and is thicker at the base than the recess, When the magnet fixing device is attached to the support frame, the fitting portion fits into the notched opening, the door rear panel side of the fitting portion is provided on an extension of the door rear panel mounting wall, and the magnet fixing device is fixed to the support frame.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the recessed portion and the protruding portion are provided on both sides of the magnet.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the magnet fixture removably holds the magnet.

4. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the magnet fixing device includes an abutment portion that is provided adjacent to the fitting portion and abuts against the insulating space side of the door rear panel mounting wall.

5. The magnet has a restriction shape portion, the magnet fixing device has a restricting portion that fits into the restricting shape portion, The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the restricting shape portion and the restricting portion restrict an attachment posture of the magnet with respect to the magnet fixing device so that magnetic poles are arranged in a predetermined direction.

6. A refrigerator body having an opening formed on the front surface, a door provided in the opening, and a door opening / closing detection device that detects opening and closing of the door, the door opening / closing detection device includes a magnet provided on the door, and a detection unit provided on the refrigerator body and detecting opening / closing of the door using the magnet, The door includes a door front plate provided on the outside of the storage compartment, a door rear plate provided behind the door front plate, a frame-shaped support frame connecting peripheral portions of the door front plate and the door rear plate, a heat insulating material provided in a heat insulating space defined between the door front plate and the door rear plate, and a magnet fixing device that fixes the magnet to the support frame, the support frame has an upper surface portion, a lower surface portion, a left side surface portion, and a right side surface portion, the magnet fixing device is attached to any one of the upper surface portion, the lower surface portion, the left side surface portion, and the right side surface portion to fix the magnet, and the support frame is made of a member in which a plurality of surface portions including the surface portion to which the magnet is fixed are integrally molded, In a manufacturing method of a refrigerator, the magnet fixing device is configured as a separate member from the support frame, The support frame includes a door rear panel mounting wall that contacts the peripheral edge of the door rear panel, and a cutout opening that cuts out the door rear panel mounting wall to divide it, The magnet fixture is attached to the support frame by engagement between a recess and a protrusion, and the protrusion is thicker at its base than at its tip, and is thicker at the base than the recess, when the magnet fixing device is attached to the support frame, the fitting portion fits into the notched opening, the door rear panel side of the fitting portion is provided on an extension of the door rear panel mounting wall, and the magnet fixing device is fixed to the support frame.

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