refrigerator

Abstract

This refrigerator comprises: a refrigerator body which has an outer box and an inner box, and in which an internal space is formed between the outer box and the inner box and a wiring hole is formed in one or both of the inner box and the outer box; a vacuum insulation material disposed in the internal space; foamed urethane filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box, and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box; wiring that passes through the wiring hole and is routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space; and a gas venting member that is attached to the wiring and has a structure through which carbon dioxide gas passes, wherein the gas venting member is positioned across the internal space and the outside of the internal space through the wiring hole.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to refrigerators. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to ensure insulation performance in a refrigerator, a vacuum insulation material is placed between an inner box and an outer box that constitute the refrigerator body, and urethane foam is filled in. Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator in which gas vent holes are provided in the inner box and the outer box to release carbon dioxide gas generated when the urethane foam is injected to the outside of the refrigerator body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-42652 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, the diameter of the gas vent hole is set to about 1 mm to allow carbon dioxide gas to escape while preventing leakage of urethane foam to the outside. However, providing a gas vent hole in the inner box can lead to poor appearance of the inner box and may expose the urethane foam through the gas vent hole. In Patent Document 1, the gas vent hole is covered with a sealing member on the side that contacts the urethane foam, but this method leaves the gas vent hole and sealing member visible to the user, resulting in a poor appearance.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and provides a refrigerator that can discharge carbon dioxide gas generated when urethane foam is injected without compromising the design of the refrigerator body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The refrigerator according to the present disclosure comprises a refrigerator body having an outer box and an inner box, an internal space being formed between the outer box and the inner box, and a wiring hole being formed in one or both of the inner box and the outer box, a vacuum insulation material arranged in the internal space, urethane foam filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box, wiring passing through the wiring hole and routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space, a gas venting member attached to the wiring, and a seal attached to the inner box in the internal space, covering the wiring hole and a part of the gas venting member, wherein the gas venting member is It has holes inside that are large enough to let carbon dioxide and air through, but not urethane. The wiring hole is located between the internal space and the outside of the internal space. a refrigerator according to the present disclosure, comprising: a refrigerator body having an outer box and an inner box, an internal space formed between the outer box and the inner box, and a wiring hole formed in one or both of the inner box and the outer box; a heat dissipation pipe provided in the internal space; a vacuum insulation material that is disposed in the internal space and attached to the outer box with the heat dissipation pipe sandwiched between it and the outer box, the vacuum insulation material having a deformed portion that is convex toward the inner box at a position that overlaps with the heat dissipation pipe in a top view; urethane foam filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box; wiring that passes through the wiring hole and is routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space; and a gas venting member that is attached to the wiring and is located across the internal space and the outside of the internal space via the wiring hole; The gas vent member has holes therein large enough to allow carbon dioxide and air to pass through but not allow urethane to pass through, The internal space of the refrigerator body is provided with a target area and a narrowed area adjacent to the target area, in which the distance between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material is smaller than the distance between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material in the target area, and which includes a first area which is the area between the deformation portion and the inner box, and a portion of the gas venting member is provided in the target area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the gas vent member attached to the wiring is located between the interior space and the exterior of the interior space via the wiring hole. Therefore, carbon dioxide gas generated when the urethane foam is injected is discharged from the interior space via the gas vent member. This eliminates the need for a gas vent hole, making it possible to provide a refrigerator that can discharge carbon dioxide gas without compromising the design of the refrigerator body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a front cross-sectional schematic view of a refrigerator body according to embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the refrigerator body according to the first embodiment taken along line AA shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper part of the inner box according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 3 is a rear perspective view of the periphery of the ceiling surface of the inner box according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a diagram showing a mounting portion provided on a ceiling surface of the inner box according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the gas venting member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the refrigerator body according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 7 is a rear perspective view showing a heat radiation pipe and ceiling vacuum insulation material provided on the ceiling surface of the inner box shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner box according to the first embodiment taken along line CC shown in FIG. [Figure 12] 3 is a rear perspective view showing a first area around a ceiling surface portion of the inner box according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner box according to the first embodiment taken along the line BB shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 14] 4 is a diagram showing an outer box hole provided in the outer box according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 15] 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inner box according to the second embodiment taken along the line BB shown in FIG. 6. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be provided only when necessary. The present disclosure may include any combination of possible configurations among those described in the following embodiments. The size relationships between components in the drawings may differ from those in reality. The configurations of components shown throughout the specification are merely examples and are not intended to be limited to the configurations described in the specification. In particular, the combinations of components are not limited to those in the embodiments, and components described in other embodiments may be applied to other embodiments.

[0010] In the following description, terms indicating directions, such as "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," and "rear," are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding, but these terms are for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the embodiments. In the embodiment, terms such as "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," and "rear" are used when refrigerator 100 is viewed from the front.

[0011] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a front view of refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of refrigerator 100 according to embodiment 1. Note that, although the following description will be given taking a six-door refrigerator 100 as an example, embodiment 1 can also be applied to refrigerators 100 with five or fewer doors, or seven or more doors.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 2, refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment includes refrigerator body 101, which is an insulated box that forms an outer shell. Inside refrigerator body 101, multiple storage compartments are provided, each having an opening on the front surface of refrigerator body 101. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, refrigerator 100 includes refrigeration compartment 1, ice-making compartment 2, small freezer compartment 3, freezer compartment 4, and vegetable compartment 5.

[0013] Refrigerator compartment 1 is located on the top shelf of refrigerator 100, and its front opening is closed by two double doors, a left refrigerator compartment door 6 and a right refrigerator compartment door 7, which can be opened and closed freely. A panel 83 that displays the status of refrigerator 100 is provided on the surface of left refrigerator compartment door 6. Panel 83 is a touch panel that also serves as an input unit and a notification unit. The input unit is an operation switch for setting the temperatures of refrigerator compartment 1, small freezer compartment 3, freezer compartment 4, and vegetable compartment 5, etc. The notification unit displays various information in addition to the temperatures of refrigerator compartment 1, small freezer compartment 3, freezer compartment 4, and vegetable compartment 5, etc.

[0014] Below refrigerator compartment 1, ice making compartment 2, which is opened and closed by ice making compartment door 31, and small freezer compartment 3, which is opened and closed by small freezer compartment door 32, are arranged in parallel. Ice making compartment 2 is configured so that the storage compartment is pulled out toward the user when ice making compartment door 31, which is a drawer door, is pulled out. Small freezer compartment 3 is configured so that the storage compartment is pulled out toward the user when small freezer compartment door 32 is pulled out. Furthermore, vegetable compartment 5 is provided on the lowest level of refrigerator 100, and freezer compartment 4 is provided above vegetable compartment 5. Freezer compartment 4 is provided below ice making compartment 2 and small freezer compartment 3, which are arranged in parallel on the left and right, and above vegetable compartment 5. Freezer compartment 4 is configured so that the storage compartment is pulled out toward the user when freezer compartment door 33 is pulled out. Vegetable compartment 5 is configured so that the storage compartment is pulled out toward the user when vegetable compartment door 34 is pulled out.

[0015] In the first embodiment, the refrigerator compartment 1 is arranged above the ice making compartment 2, the small freezing compartment 3, and the freezing compartment 4, and the vegetable compartment 5 is arranged below them, but the arrangement of the storage compartments of the refrigerator 100 is not limited to this. For example, the positions of the freezer compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5 in the top and bottom of the refrigerator 100 may be reversed. It is sufficient for the refrigerator 100 to have at least one of the refrigerator compartment 1, the ice making compartment 2, the small freezing compartment 3, the freezing compartment 4, and the vegetable compartment 5.

[0016] 2, hinges 82 are provided at the upper left and right corners of the front surface of refrigerator body 101. Hinges 82 support left and right refrigerator compartment doors 6 and 7 so that they can be opened and closed.

[0017] 3 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of refrigerator body 101 according to Embodiment 1. Refrigerator body 101 comprises an inner box 8 and an outer box 9, forming an insulated box with an opening on the front side. Inside refrigerator body 101, refrigerator compartment 1 is divided by partition 10 into ice making compartment 2 and small freezer compartment 3, and ice making compartment 2 is divided by partition 11 into small freezer compartment 3. Inside refrigerator body 101, ice making compartment 2 and small freezer compartment 3 are divided by partition 12 into freezer compartment 4, and freezer compartment 4 is divided by partition 13 into vegetable compartment 5.

[0018] The inner box 8 is composed of a left side surface portion 14a, a right side surface portion 14b, a ceiling surface portion 15, a floor surface portion 16, a back surface portion 30, and inner box corner portions 17. The four inner box corner portions 17 are the corner formed by the left side surface portion 14a and the ceiling surface portion 15, the corner formed by the left side surface portion 14a and the floor surface portion 16, the corner formed by the right side surface portion 14b and the ceiling surface portion 15, or the corner formed by the right side surface portion 14b and the floor surface portion 16.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of refrigerator body 101 according to embodiment 1 taken along line AA in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, an internal space 90 is formed between outer box 9 and inner box 8. Vacuum insulation material 40 is arranged in internal space 90 between inner box 8 and outer box 9. Note that refrigerator body 101 according to embodiment 1 is provided with a plurality of vacuum insulation materials 40, and depending on their locations, they may be described by distinguishing their names, such as ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, rear vacuum insulation material 42, floor vacuum insulation material 43, and side vacuum insulation material 44. As shown in FIG. 3, ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is arranged between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on ceiling surface portion 15. Rear vacuum insulation material 42 is arranged between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on the rear side of refrigerator body 101. Floor vacuum insulation material 43 is arranged between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on floor surface portion 16.

[0020] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper part of inner box 8 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 5 shows the upper part of inner box 8 as viewed obliquely from below. Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of the periphery of ceiling surface portion 15 of inner box 8 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing mounting portion 27 provided on ceiling surface portion 15 of inner box 8 according to embodiment 1.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, refrigerator body 101 is provided with interior light 18 on ceiling surface 15 of inner box 8. Of the upper and lower surfaces of ceiling surface 15 of inner box 8, the lower surface, i.e., the surface exposed inside inner box 8, is referred to as surface 15a. Interior light 18 is attached to surface 15a. Interior light 18 has a bottom plate (not shown) and a cover portion 49 attached to the bottom plate so as to form a space between the bottom plate and cover portion 49. A board 46 shown in FIG. 7 is housed between the bottom plate and cover portion 49. Cover portion 49 protrudes into the interior of inner box 8. As shown in FIG. 7, interior light 18 has, for example, a rectangular board 46. Board 46 is attached to ceiling surface 15 with the longitudinal direction of board 46 aligned with the left-right direction of inner box 8. One surface of board 46, i.e., the surface facing the interior of inner box 8, is provided with a plurality of interior light LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 47 spaced apart from one another.

[0022] 6 and 7, mounting portion 27 for interior light 18 has a convex shape in which part of ceiling surface 15 of inner box 8 protrudes upward. Mounting portion 27 inside inner box 8 is recessed to correspond to this convex shape, and substrate 46 is housed in the recessed area. Mounting portion 27 in this embodiment is arranged so that the longitudinal direction coincides with the left-right direction.

[0023] Wiring 20 connects board 46 to a control board (not shown) that controls the operation of refrigerator 100. Wiring 20 is provided on back surface 15b of ceiling surface portion 15. Here, back surface 15b is the surface opposite to front surface 15a of ceiling surface portion 15, and is part of the outer surface of inner box 8. Wiring 20 passes through wiring hole 24 provided in mounting portion 27 and extends inside the refrigerator. Wiring 20 extends on the refrigerator compartment 1 side, below the surface where wiring hole 24 is provided in mounting portion 27. Terminal 23 is connected to the end of wiring 20. Terminal 23 is located below mounting portion 27 and is connected to board 46.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 7, a connection terminal 48 is provided on the substrate 46. The connection terminal 48 is provided on the surface of the substrate 46 opposite to the surface on which the LEDs 47 are provided. A terminal 23 of the wiring 20 is connected to the connection terminal 48. A control substrate (not shown) supplies power to the LEDs 47 via the wiring 20. The wiring 20 passes through a wiring hole 24 and is arranged to straddle the inside and outside of the inner box 8.

[0025] Cover portion 49 is fixed to mounting portion 27 with screws (not shown). As shown in Fig. 6, mounting portion 27, having longitudinal directions on the left and right, is provided in front of the center in the depth direction of ceiling surface portion 15 of inner box 8. The arrangement of interior light 18 and mounting portion 27 is not limited to this. Here, an example has been given in which interior light 18 is provided on ceiling surface portion 15, but interior light 18 may also be provided on left side surface portion 14a, right side surface portion 14b, floor surface portion 16, or back surface portion 30 of inner box 8.

[0026] Wiring 20 located on back surface 15b of ceiling surface portion 15 of inner box 8 is arranged along inner box corners 17 from the back side of inner box 8 to near the center in the front-to-rear direction of inner box 8 (see FIG. 6). Wiring 20 heads toward board 46 of interior light 18. Wiring 80 branches off from a portion of wiring 20. Wiring 80 is connected to panel 83 provided inside the refrigerator door via hinge 82 (see FIG. 2).

[0027] A gas vent member 21 having a structure that allows carbon dioxide gas to pass through is attached to the portion of the wiring 20 that is located in the wiring hole 24 and its periphery.

[0028] Gas venting member 21 is wrapped around wiring 20 from a part of wiring 20 protruding into the storage compartment of refrigerator body 101, through wiring hole 24, to a part inside refrigerator body 101 where a gas lock is expected to occur. Note that, although wiring 20 is for interior light 18 in the first embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and wiring 20 may be wiring 20 for a purpose other than interior light 18.

[0029] As an example, the gas venting member 21 is an ether-based soft urethane foam. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the gas venting member 21 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of an area D shown in FIG. 13, which will be described later, as an example. The gas venting member 21 has holes 25 therein large enough to allow carbon dioxide gas and air to pass through but not urethane. Carbon dioxide gas generated during urethane foaming flows from the back surface 15b (see FIG. 6) of the inner box 8 through the holes 25 in the gas venting member 21, through the wiring hole 24 formed in the inner box 8, and into the inside of the inner box 8 (refrigerating compartment 1). As an example, the gas venting member 21 has 35 or more air bubbles, which are the holes 25, along a 25-mm straight line. The gas venting member 21 is a sponge-like member. This structure allows carbon dioxide gas generated during urethane foaming in the refrigerator body 101 and the air inside the refrigerator body 101 to be released to the outside of the inner box 8.

[0030] The gas venting member 21 is a sheet-like member having a predetermined thickness, one side of which is an adhesive surface, and is attached to the wiring 20 by folding it over and sandwiching the wiring 20 inside. Alternatively, the gas venting member 21 is a tape-like member having a predetermined thickness, one side of which is an adhesive surface, and is attached by being wrapped around the wiring 20. Furthermore, the shape of the gas venting member 21 is not limited to this, and it may be tubular. The tubular gas venting member 21 has an opening for the wiring formed in the center of the tube. The gas venting member 21 may be attached around the wiring 20 by inserting the wiring 20 into the opening.

[0031] The thickness of the gas venting member 21 is, for example, 2 mm to 10 mm. If the thickness of the gas venting member 21 is thicker than 10 mm, the gas venting member 21 will be compressed in a first region 52 between the inner box 8 and a deformed portion 51 (see FIG. 11 ) of the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, which will be described later. The first region 52 is a region in the internal space 90 where the distance between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 40 (the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 in FIG. 11 ) is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. For example, in FIG. 11 , the distance between the inner box 8, the vacuum insulation material 40, and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 in the first region 52 is equal to or less than 3 mm. The second region 53 is a region where the gap between the mounting portion 27 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is narrow. The gas venting member 21 will be compressed in the second region 53. This reduces the gas venting effect of the gas venting member 21. If the thickness of the gas venting member 21 is thinner than 2 mm, the number of gas venting holes 25 will be small, and a sufficient gas venting effect will not be obtained.

[0032] The thickness of the gas venting member 21 corresponds to the thickness before the gas venting member 21 is attached to the wiring 20, and corresponds to the thickness of the gas venting member 21 around the wiring 20 when the gas venting member 21 is attached to the wiring 20 and there is no compression of the gas venting member 21 by the surrounding structure.

[0033] 9 is a rear view of refrigerator body 101 according to embodiment 1. Side vacuum insulation materials 44 are provided between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on left side surface portion 14a and between inner box 8 and outer box 9 on right side surface portion 14b. Ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, rear vacuum insulation material 42, floor vacuum insulation material 43, and side vacuum insulation material 44 are attached to outer box 9 from the inside.

[0034] In the process of filling urethane foam 60 into refrigerator body 101, refrigerator body 101 is laid down with front surface 101a (see FIG. 6) where the opening for the storage compartment is formed facing downward. Then, liquid urethane foam material is filled through four filling ports 45a, 45b, 45c, and 45d formed in back surface 35 of outer box 9.

[0035] The liquid urethane foam material is filled into the flow path between the inner box 8 and the outer box 9 while foaming, by mixing and reacting an isocyanate component with a premix component consisting of a polyol, a foaming agent, a catalyst, and a blowing agent.

[0036] The gel time, which is the time it takes for the urethane foam 60 to harden after being injected, is less than 25 seconds. The foaming ratio at the time the gel time is reached is set to about 80%. This ensures the fluidity required for filling, while completing hardening by the time filling is complete, making it less likely for leakage to occur from gaps in the product.

[0037] In order to allow the urethane foam 60 to be fully filled inside the refrigerator body 101, it is desirable to ensure that the dimension between the inner box 8 and the vacuum heat insulating material 40 is 3 mm or more as a flow path for the urethane foam 60.

[0038] The urethane foam material flows through the gaps between the inner box 8 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, the back vacuum insulation material 42, the floor vacuum insulation material 43 and the side vacuum insulation material 44 and fills the gap between the inner box 8 and the outer box 9.

[0039] Fig. 10 is a rear perspective view showing the heat dissipation pipe 50 and ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 provided on the ceiling surface portion 15 of the inner box 8 shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC shown in Fig. 10 of the inner box 8 according to embodiment 1. Specifically, Fig. 11 schematically shows a cross-section taken along the straight line indicated by arrow C shown in Fig. 10, as viewed in the direction of arrow C. Fig. 12 is a rear perspective view showing a first region 52 around the ceiling surface portion 15 of the inner box 8 according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 12, the dashed line indicates the first region 52.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 10 , ceiling vacuum insulation 41 is disposed on top of ceiling surface 15 of inner box 8. Heat dissipation pipe 50 is disposed in a rectangular shape on top of ceiling vacuum insulation 41. In the refrigeration cycle of refrigerator 100, the compressor compresses the incoming refrigerant to form high-temperature vapor. The high-temperature vapor is sent to the condenser. The condenser condenses the high-temperature vapor to liquefy it. The liquefied refrigerant dissipates heat through heat dissipation pipe 50 in refrigerator body 101, has its boiling point lowered through an expansion valve, and is then guided to the cooler, which serves as an evaporator. In the cooler, the refrigerant evaporates and removes the heat of vaporization from the air surrounding the cooler. The refrigerant that leaves the cooler returns to the compressor.

[0041] 11, the heat dissipation pipe 50 is attached to the inner surface of the outer box 9 and is disposed in the internal space 90 between the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 and the outer box 9. To ensure space for the heat dissipation pipe 50, the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 has a recess 41a formed on the upper surface below the heat dissipation pipe 50 and a deformed portion 51 that is convex downward, i.e., convex toward the inner box 8.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 11 , the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is attached to the outer box 9 with the heat dissipation pipe 50 sandwiched between it and the outer box 9 at the deformation portion 51. The deformation portion 51 of the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 and the inner box 8 form a first region 52, which is a narrowed region where the distance between the inner box 8 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less along the arrangement of the heat dissipation pipe 50 and is narrower than the surrounding area. As shown in FIG. 12 , in this embodiment, the first region 52 is a region that combines regions 52a and 52b. Region 52a is formed directly below the heat dissipation pipe 50 (see FIG. 10 ) that is arranged in a rectangular shape on the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41. Region 52b is formed directly below the heat dissipation pipe 50 (see FIG. 10 ) that is arranged to extend from the rectangular heat dissipation pipe 50 toward the side vacuum insulation material 44. In FIG. 11 , the first region 52 is the region between the deformation portion 51 and the inner box 8 within the interior space 90. The first region 52 may be arranged along a straight line, a continuous straight line, a curved line, or a shape formed by a combination of two or more of these. The region inside the first region 52 is indicated by a dashed line in Figure 11 as an inner region 60a.

[0043] Furthermore, the ceiling surface portion 15 of the inner box 8 is provided with the mounting portion 27 described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. As shown in FIG. 11, the mounting portion 27 is formed by the ceiling surface portion 15, which is part of the plate surface constituting the inner box 8, having a protruding shape that is concave toward the interior of the inner box 8 and convex toward the outer box 9. In other words, the mounting portion 27 is provided so as to narrow the length between the inner box 8 and the outer box 9 in the interior space 90. The second region 53 is a narrowed region formed in the ceiling surface portion 15 by the mounting portion 27 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41, where the distance between the inner box 8 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less, which is narrower than the surrounding area. The second region 53 is located inside the rectangular first region 52, i.e., the inner region 60a, and is a region where the distance between the inner box 8 and the ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less, which is narrower than the surrounding area.

[0044] In this manner, ceiling surface portion 15 is formed with first region 52, in which the gap between inner box 8 and ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less, and second region 53, which is surrounded by first region 52 and in which the gap between inner box 8 and ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 is 3 mm or less. When liquid urethane foam material is injected into refrigerator body 101 through injection ports 45a, 45b, 45c, and 45d, the urethane concentrate flows between ceiling vacuum insulation material 41 and inner box 8. In first region 52, the space through which the urethane concentrate flows is narrow, so the flow of urethane foam 60 is suppressed when the urethane concentrate passes through first region 52. In this embodiment, urethane foam 60 flows from the back surface to the front surface of refrigerator body 101, but the flow of urethane foam 60 is suppressed in front of first region 52.

[0045] Therefore, only a limited amount of urethane reaches the inside of the rectangular first region 52. Therefore, at the periphery of the inner region 60a of the first region 52, the generated carbon dioxide gas and air are less likely to be pushed out of the refrigerator by the foamed urethane 60 than at the outside of the first region 52, and gas locks are more likely to occur due to voids formed when carbon dioxide gas and air accumulate. In addition to the interior surrounded by the first region 52, gas locks are also more likely to occur due to voids in the region where the dimension between the inner box 8 and the vacuum insulation material 40 is 3 mm or less.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the presence of second region 53 inside rectangular first region 52 further limits the amount of urethane foam 60 that reaches second region 53 and peripheral region 60b. In FIG. 11 , a portion of inner region 60a, a peripheral region of second region 53 between first region 52 and second region 53 in the direction of travel of urethane foam 60, is indicated by a dashed line as peripheral region 60b. Liquid urethane foam 60 injected from the rear side of refrigerator body 101 flows toward the front, but the second region 53, which is a narrowed region, is present in the direction of travel of urethane foam 60 within inner region 60a beyond first region 52. Therefore, urethane foam 60 is less likely to flow beyond second region 53, and is less likely to reach the rear of second region 53, which is on the near side of second region 53 in the direction of travel of urethane foam 60. Furthermore, in addition to the urethane foam 60 flowing from the back side to the front side, the vicinity of the left and right ends of the second region 53 is easily reached by the urethane foam 60 flowing from the left and right sides of the first region 52. The urethane foam 60 from the left and right sides of the first region 52 is less likely to reach the left and right central parts of the second region 53. For this reason, it can be said that the urethane foam 60 is particularly less likely to reach the left and right central parts of the refrigerator body 101 in the peripheral region 60b. As a result, the generated carbon dioxide gas and air are not pushed out of the refrigerator by the urethane foam 60, and a gas lock is likely to occur.

[0047] The areas where voids are likely to occur are summarized as follows: 1. In the direction of travel of the urethane foam 60, the area beyond the narrowed area where the dimension between the inner box 8 or outer box 9 and the vacuum insulation material 40 is 3 mm or less 2. When the narrowed area is a shape that "surrounds" something, regardless of whether it is a circle, a rectangle, or other shape, the enclosed area 3. In the direction of travel of the urethane foam as it is being filled, if there is a second narrowed area beyond the first narrowed area where the dimension between the inner box 8 or outer box 9 and the vacuum insulation material 40 is 3 mm or less, the area just before the second narrowed area

[0048] Regions 1 and 2 where voids are likely to occur correspond to inner region 60a in this embodiment, and region 3 where voids are likely to occur corresponds to peripheral region 60b in this embodiment. In this embodiment, rectangular first region 52 is used as an example of the narrowed region. If, instead of first region 52, a long or point-like narrowed region extending transversely to the traveling direction of urethane foam 60 is provided, for example, the area beyond this narrowed region becomes region 1 where voids are likely to occur.

[0049] Therefore, in the first embodiment, in order to eliminate voids, i.e., accumulations of air and carbon dioxide gas, in the inner region 60a and the peripheral region 60b, gas venting members 21 are arranged in the inner region 60a and the peripheral region 60b, which are the target regions for void elimination. The arrangement of the gas venting members 21 will be specifically described. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6. Specifically, FIG. 13 schematically shows a cross-section taken along the line indicated by arrow B in FIG. 6, as viewed in the direction of arrow B. As shown in FIG. 13, a portion of the gas venting members 21 attached to the wiring 20 is positioned in the wiring hole 24. Furthermore, the gas venting members 21 are arranged on both sides of the wiring hole 24 in the penetration direction of the wiring hole 24, i.e., so as to straddle the internal space 90 and its exterior.

[0050] 13, the gas venting member 21 is arranged to overlap the left and right central portions of the periphery of the mounting portion 27 behind the mounting portion 27, and the gas venting member 21 is arranged to overlap the inner region 60a of the first region 52 and the peripheral region 60b behind the second region 53, where voids are likely to occur. In this way, the air and carbon dioxide in the inner region 60a and the peripheral region 60b flow out of the internal space 90 through the gas venting member 21.

[0051] That is, wiring hole 24, which is a hole for passing wiring 20, is used as a gas vent hole. Wiring hole 24 is covered by substrate 46 and cover part 49 and is hidden from the storage compartment side of the refrigerator, so the user does not feel that the design is impaired. Wiring hole 24 may be located in a place other than the center of the left and right of mounting part 27, as long as it is located in a place where inner box 8 side is covered by a member such as cover part 49.

[0052] Furthermore, after wiring 20 and gas vent member 21 are passed through wiring hole 24, seal 22 for preventing urethane leakage is attached to inner box 8 so as to cover wiring hole 24 and gas vent member 21 in internal space 90. Seal 22 prevents urethane from passing through wiring hole 24 and leaking into the storage compartment of inner box 8 during urethane foaming. Seal 22 does not cover all of gas vent member 21, but covers only a portion of gas vent member 21. In this manner, gas vent member 21 is blocked by seal 22, leaving voids 25, thereby preventing a decrease in the gas venting effect. Although a plastic film is used for seal 22, if it has voids 25 that allow carbon dioxide gas to pass through, this is even more preferable because it allows carbon dioxide gas to more easily escape to the outside of refrigerator body 101.

[0053] In this way, wiring hole 24 can also be used as a gas vent hole. Therefore, even in a location where it is not desirable to form a gas vent hole, if wiring hole 24 is provided nearby, carbon dioxide gas generated inside refrigerator body 101 can be released to the outside of the body through gas vent member 21 wrapped around that wiring 20. As a result, it is possible to prevent urethane from being left unfilled due to carbon dioxide voids. Here, a location where it is not desirable to form a gas vent hole is a location visible to the user and where no additional parts are planned to be installed.

[0054] In the first embodiment, wiring hole 24 for wiring 20 is provided in refrigerator body 101, and venting member 21 is provided on wiring 20 passing through wiring hole 24, from the outside of internal space 90, i.e., the inside of inner box 8, to a target area where a gas lock is expected to occur. Gas venting member 21 has holes 25, which are a gas venting structure, through which carbon dioxide gas passes inside.

[0055] Therefore, even in areas where it is difficult to provide a vent hole in inner box 8 of refrigerator body 101 due to concerns about reducing design, carbon dioxide gas generated during urethane foaming and air present before foaming can be released through the vent structure. This reduces the generation of voids due to gas in refrigerator body 101 and the void volume, and reduces the amount of unfilled urethane foam 60 in refrigerator body 101. As a result, refrigerator body 101 with high insulation performance and box strength is obtained, and refrigerator 100 with excellent insulation performance can be manufactured.

[0056] One method of wrapping the gas venting member 21 around the wiring 20 is to place the wiring 20 in the longitudinal direction in the center of the rectangular seal 22, and then fold the seal 22 with the wiring 20 in between and adhere both ends. Another method is to wrap the gas venting member 21, which is about 10 mm wide, around the wiring 20. The gas venting member 21 does not necessarily have to be attached to the wiring 20 so as to cover the entire outer periphery of the wiring 20; it is sufficient if the gas venting member 21 is attached to the wiring 20 so that one end of the gas venting member 21 is on the storage chamber side and a part of the other end overlaps with the area where gas locking occurs.

[0057] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing outer case hole 81 provided in outer case 9 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 14, outer case hole 81 is provided in area 82a covered by hinge 82 (see Fig. 2) provided on the upper left front surface of refrigerator body 101.

[0058] Wiring 80 branches off from wiring 20 on inner box corner 17 (see FIG. 3) formed by ceiling surface 15 and side surface of inner box 8. Wiring 80 passes through outer box hole 81 provided in area 82a of outer box 9 that is covered by hinge 82, and extends from the inside of outer box 9 to the space outside the cabinet.

[0059] The wiring 80 passes through the inside of the left refrigerator door 6 via hinge 82 and is connected to a panel 83 of the left refrigerator door 6 and to a heater (not shown) installed inside the rotating partition installed between the left refrigerator door 6 and the right refrigerator door 7, thereby supplying power.

[0060] Wiring 80 is provided with gas venting member 21 and seal 22 (not shown). Gas venting member 21 is provided from the exterior space side through outer case hole 81 to a target area inside refrigerator body 101 that is near first area 52 and second area 53. In other words, gas venting member 21 provided on wiring 80 is located across internal space 90 and the outside of internal space 90 through outer case hole 81, which is a wiring hole provided in outer case 9. Carbon dioxide gas generated in internal space 90 passes through gas venting member 21 located in outer case hole 81, and flows out from internal space 90 to the outside of refrigerator body 101.

[0061] As described above, according to refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, gas vent member 21 attached to wiring 20 or wiring 80 is positioned across the inside and outside of wiring hole 24. Therefore, carbon dioxide gas generated when urethane foam 60 is injected is discharged from internal space 90 through gas vent member 21. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a gas vent hole, and refrigerator 100 can be provided that can discharge carbon dioxide gas without compromising the design of refrigerator body 101.

[0062] Furthermore, a portion of gas vent member 21 is provided in inner region 60a and peripheral region 60b, which are the target regions. Therefore, refrigerator 100 can be provided that suppresses gas lock caused by carbon dioxide gas generated inside a location that is difficult to drill a hole in terms of design, and suppresses a decrease in insulation performance due to the generation of an unfilled region of refrigerator body 101 with urethane.

[0063] According to refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, internal space 90 is provided with seal 22 that covers wiring hole 24 and is attached to inner box 8. Seal 22 covers a portion of gas vent member 21. Therefore, seal 22 prevents urethane from passing through wiring hole 24 and leaking into the storage compartment side of inner box 8 during urethane foaming.

[0064] Embodiment 2 In the second embodiment, as compared to the first embodiment, the thickness of the gas venting member 21 around the wiring 20 differs between the connection terminal 48 side and the other side. In the first embodiment, the gas venting member 21 is wrapped around the wiring 20 with a substantially uniform thickness. In this configuration, if the outer periphery of the end of the gas venting member 21 provided around the wiring 20 is larger than the opening of the wiring hole 24, the end of the gas venting member 21 will collide with the wiring hole 24 when the wiring 20 is inserted through the wiring hole 24. This may make it difficult to pass the wiring 20 through the wiring hole 24.

[0065] In order to eliminate such assembly problems, in the second embodiment, when winding the gas venting member 21 around the wiring 20, the thickness of the gas venting member 21 is made thinner at the tip of the gas venting member 21 than at other parts. Here, the thickness of the gas venting member 21 refers to the thickness in the direction along the diameter of the wiring 20.

[0066] Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of inner box 8 according to embodiment 2 taken along line BB shown in Fig. 6. Specifically, Fig. 15 schematically shows a cross-section taken along the straight line indicated by arrow B shown in Fig. 6, as viewed in the direction of arrow B. As shown in Fig. 15, of gas venting member 21 wrapped around wiring 20, the thickness of portion 21b of gas venting member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 is defined as T2. The thickness of portion 21a inside inner box 8 of refrigerator body 101, i.e., outside internal space 90, is defined as T1. Thickness T2 is thicker than thickness T1.

[0067] Desirably, the cross-sectional area of ​​portion 21b of gas venting member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 is equal to or larger than the opening area of ​​wiring hole 24. The cross-sectional area of ​​wiring hole 24 and the cross-sectional area of ​​portion 21a of gas venting member 21 on the outside, that is, inside inner box 8 of refrigerator body 101, are equal to or smaller than the opening area of ​​wiring hole 24. Other configurations are the same as those in Fig. 13 .

[0068] With this configuration, when passing wiring 20 from the internal space 90 side through wiring hole 24, portion 21a of gas venting member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 can be smoothly passed through wiring hole 24. Furthermore, portion 21b of gas venting member 21 in internal space 90 abuts against wiring hole 24, and the length of wiring 20 to be drawn out from wiring hole 24 is determined, so that attachment of wiring 20 to inner box 8 becomes easy.

[0069] Furthermore, the thickness and shape of portion 21b of gas vent member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 can be freely set as long as internal holes 25 are not crushed by second region 53 (see FIG. 11 ) formed in the gap between inner box 8 and ceiling vacuum insulation material 41. For example, portion 21b of gas vent member 21 in internal space 90 of refrigerator body 101 may be shaped like a flat plate that extends along inner box 8 with wiring 20 in between. This can improve the ability to guide carbon dioxide gas to the outside of the refrigerator when urethane foaming occurs.

[0070] The embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. The embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 refrigerator compartment, 2 ice making compartment, 3 small freezer compartment, 4 freezer compartment, 5 vegetable compartment, 6 left refrigerator compartment door, 7 right refrigerator compartment door, 8 inner box, 9 outer box, 10 partition, 11 partition, 12 partition, 13 partition, 14a left side surface, 14b right side surface, 15 ceiling surface, 15a surface, 15b back surface, 16 floor surface, 17 inner box corner, 18 interior light, 20 wiring, 21 gas vent member, 21a external part, 21b internal space part, 22 seal, 23 terminal, 24 wiring hole, 25 hole, 27 mounting part, 30 rear part, 31 ice making compartment door, 32 small freezer compartment door, 33 freezer compartment door, 34 vegetable compartment door, 35 rear part, 40 Vacuum insulation material, 41 ceiling vacuum insulation material, 41a recess in vacuum insulation material, 42 rear vacuum insulation material, 43 floor vacuum insulation material, 44 side vacuum insulation material, 45a, 45b, 45c, 45d inlet, 46 circuit board, 47 LED, 48 connection terminal, 49 cover part, 50 heat dissipation pipe, 51 deformation part of vacuum insulation material, 52 first area, 52a area, 52b area, 53 second area, 60 urethane foam, 60a inner area, 60b periphery, 80 wiring, 81 hole for outer box, 82 hinge, 82a area, 83 panel, 90 internal space, 100 refrigerator, 101 refrigerator body, 101a front part, T1, T2 thickness.

Claims

1. a refrigerator main body having an outer box and an inner box, an internal space being formed between the outer box and the inner box, and a wiring hole being formed in one or both of the inner box and the outer box; A vacuum insulation material disposed in the internal space; Urethane foam filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box; Wiring that passes through the wiring hole and is routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space; a gas venting member attached to the wiring; a seal attached to the inner box, the seal covering the wiring hole and a portion of the gas vent member in the internal space; Equipped with The gas vent member has holes therein large enough to allow carbon dioxide gas and air to pass through but not urethane, and is located between the internal space and the outside of the internal space via the wiring hole. refrigerator.

2. a refrigerator main body having an outer box and an inner box, an internal space being formed between the outer box and the inner box, and a wiring hole being formed in one or both of the inner box and the outer box; a heat dissipation pipe provided in the internal space; a vacuum insulation material disposed in the internal space, attached to the outer box with the heat dissipation pipe sandwiched between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material, and having a deformed portion that is convex toward the inner box at a position that overlaps with the heat dissipation pipe when viewed from above; Urethane foam filled between the vacuum insulation material and the outer box and between the vacuum insulation material and the inner box; Wiring that passes through the wiring hole and is routed from the internal space to the outside of the internal space; a gas venting member attached to the wiring and positioned across the interior space and the exterior of the interior space through the wiring hole; Equipped with The gas vent member has holes therein large enough to allow carbon dioxide and air to pass through but not allow urethane to pass through, The internal space of the refrigerator body includes: The target area; a narrowed region including a first region adjacent to the target region, the first region being a region between the deformation portion and the inner box, the narrowed region being a region where the gap between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material is smaller than the gap between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material in the target region; A part of the gas venting member is provided in the target area. refrigerator.

3. The internal space of the refrigerator body includes: The target area; a narrowed region is provided adjacent to the target region, in which a gap between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material is smaller than a gap between the inner box or the outer box and the vacuum insulation material in the target region; A part of the gas venting member is provided in the target area. The refrigerator according to claim 1.

4. a heat dissipation pipe provided in the internal space, The vacuum insulation material is attached to the outer box with the heat dissipation pipe sandwiched between the outer box and the vacuum insulation material, and has a deformed portion that is convex toward the inner box at a position that overlaps with the heat dissipation pipe when the vacuum insulation material is viewed from above, The narrowed region includes a first region that is a region between the deformation portion and the inner box. The refrigerator according to claim 3.

5. When viewed from above, the first region is arranged along a straight line, a continuous straight line, a curved line, or a shape formed by a combination of two or more of these, The inner box on the inside of the first region has a shape that is concave toward the inside of the inner box and convex toward the outer box, and an attachment portion is formed to which a member is attached inside the inner box, the narrowed region includes a second region that is a region between the attachment portion and the vacuum insulation material, A portion of the gas venting member is provided between the first region and the second region of the target region and on the periphery of the second region. The refrigerator according to claim 2 or 4.

6. A substrate provided inside the inner box and equipped with an LED for an interior light; a cover portion that covers the LED inside the inner box; Equipped with the cover portion is attached to the mounting portion with the substrate sandwiched between the cover portion and the mounting portion, the wiring hole is formed in the mounting portion, the wiring connected to the substrate is inserted through the wiring hole formed in the mounting portion; The wiring hole is covered by the substrate and the cover portion. The refrigerator according to claim 5.

7. The thickness of the gas venting member in the internal space is greater than the thickness of the gas venting member outside the internal space. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The gas venting member is an ether-based soft urethane foam having a plurality of pores. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. a storage compartment having an opening on a front surface of the refrigerator body is provided inside the refrigerator body, The outside of the internal space is the external space or the storage room. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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