refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can readily remove dirt and water accumulated in a vegetable chamber.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes: a drawer type storage case 20; and a tray 30 detachably disposed in a bottom surface of the storage case. A recess part is preferably formed in a bottom surface in a front part of the storage case 20. The tray 30 is placed while being fitted to the recess part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technology of refrigerators, and more particularly to the technology of refrigerators having drawer-type storage compartments. [Background technology]

[0002] Refrigerators equipped with drawer-type storage compartments have been known for some time. For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 3-77194 describes a refrigerator equipped with a drawer-type vegetable compartment, a drain hole at the bottom of the vegetable compartment to allow water inside the compartment to pass through, and a detachable water tray attached to the vegetable compartment below the drain hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 3-77194 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a holder for detachably holding the water tray is provided at the bottom of the case, reducing the storage volume of the case. Furthermore, if the water tray is forgotten to be attached to the case, water and debris may fall onto the floor through the holes in the case, reducing convenience. The object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that allows easy removal of debris and water accumulated in the vegetable compartment without reducing the volume of the storage case and sacrificing convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator is provided, the refrigerator including a drawer-type storage case and a removably disposed tray on the bottom of the storage case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, a refrigerator is provided in which garbage, water, etc. accumulated in the vegetable compartment can be easily removed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the vegetable compartment according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vegetable compartment from the side AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the vegetable compartment taken along the line AA in FIG. 2 with the door pulled out. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front upper perspective view showing the inside of the vegetable compartment according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a side perspective view from above showing the inside of the vegetable compartment according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a front upper perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment, with a dust tray in place and a vegetable compartment open; FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a rear-upper perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment, with a dust tray in place and a vegetable compartment open; FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a front-upper perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment, with the vegetable compartment open and the dust tray lifted up. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vegetable compartment with the dust tray placed therein according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the dust tray according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a side view of a dust tray according to a first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the dust tray according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 1 is a top perspective view of a main body case in a state where a dust tray according to a first embodiment is housed therein, and a side cross-sectional view of a front lower part of the main body case. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a dust tray according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a dust tray according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a dust tray according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The names and functions of these components are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated. [First embodiment] <Overall configuration of the refrigerator>

[0009] First, the overall configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 shows the appearance of the refrigerator 1 as seen from the front.

[0010] The exterior of the refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of an insulated box body 50. This insulated box body 50 forms the storage space of the refrigerator 1. The storage space formed by the insulated box body 50 is divided by a plurality of horizontally extending partitions into, for example, from the top down, a refrigerator compartment, a vegetable compartment (a drawer-type storage compartment), an ice-making compartment and a second freezer compartment, and a freezer compartment.

[0011] The refrigerator compartment is provided with left and right divided double-door refrigerator compartment doors 11a and 11b. The vegetable compartment is provided with a pull-out vegetable compartment door 12a. The freezer compartment is provided with a pull-out freezer compartment door 13a. The ice-making compartment is provided with a pull-out ice-making compartment door 14a. The second freezer compartment is provided with a pull-out freezer compartment door 15a.

[0012] As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is divided into a plurality of storage spaces, each of which includes a refrigerator compartment and a vegetable compartment. However, the locations of the storage spaces are not limited to the above. Furthermore, the configuration of the doors provided in each storage space is not limited to the above.

[0013] In this embodiment, the surface on which the door is provided is referred to as the front or front surface of the refrigerator. Based on the front surface, the surfaces of the refrigerator 1 are referred to as the top, side, back, and bottom surfaces based on their positions when the refrigerator 1 is installed in a normal state. The left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the vegetable compartment, etc.) refers to the left-right direction (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) when the refrigerator 1 is placed on an installation surface and viewed from behind the refrigerator 1 toward the front. The up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the vegetable compartment, etc.) refers to the vertical direction (the vertical direction perpendicular to the left-right direction) when the refrigerator 1 is placed on an installation surface. The left side of the refrigerator 1 as viewed from the back side is referred to as the left side of the refrigerator 1, and the right side of the refrigerator 1 as viewed from the back side is referred to as the right side of the refrigerator 1.

[0014] <Vegetable compartment configuration> Next, the detailed configuration of the vegetable compartment 12 provided in the refrigerator 1 will be described. Fig. 2 shows the appearance of the vegetable compartment 12 as seen from the front. Fig. 3 shows the internal configuration of the vegetable compartment 12. Fig. 3 shows the cross-sectional configuration of the vegetable compartment 12 taken along line AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows the side configuration of the vegetable compartment 12. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing the interior of the vegetable compartment 12. Figs. 3 and 5 show the vegetable compartment door 12a in a closed state or in a state where the vegetable compartment door 12a has been pulled forward. Figs. 4 and 6 show the state where only the upper case 80 has been pushed into the interior of the refrigerator after the vegetable compartment door 12a has been pulled forward.

[0015] The vegetable compartment 12 mainly includes a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 12a, a main body case 20, a case support portion 21, an upper case 80, and the like.

[0016] The vegetable compartment door 12a is arranged at the front of the vegetable compartment 12 and is configured to be able to be pulled out towards the front.

[0017] The main body case 20 is disposed on the back surface of the vegetable compartment door 12a. More specifically, the main body case 20 is supported by a case support part 21 attached to the back surface of the vegetable compartment door 12a.

[0018] Case support part 21 is formed of a rigid material such as metal. Case support part 21 is attached to the back surface of vegetable compartment door 12a and extends in the front-to-rear direction along the side of refrigerator 1. In this embodiment, two case support parts 21 are provided, one attached near the left end of the back surface of vegetable compartment door 12a and the other attached near the right end of the back surface of vegetable compartment door 12a.

[0019] A movable roller (sliding portion) 22 is provided at the rear end of the case support portion 21. When the vegetable compartment door 12a is housed inside the refrigerator 1, the movable roller 22 abuts against a rail (not shown) formed on the inner wall of the insulating box body 50. When the vegetable compartment door 12a is pulled out from the refrigerator 1, the movable roller 22 slides on the rail while abutting against the bottom surface of the rail.

[0020] With the above configuration, when vegetable compartment door 12a is pulled out toward the front to open door 12a, main body case 20 supported by case support portion 21 is also pulled out along with door 12a, as shown in Fig. 6 etc. This allows the user to take out items stored in main body case 20 of vegetable compartment 12. In this way, vegetable compartment 12, which is an example of a drawer-type storage compartment, is mainly formed by drawer-type door 12a and main body case 20.

[0021] The upper case 80 is disposed on the upper side of the vegetable compartment 12. The upper case 80 has a generally rectangular box shape when viewed from above. When viewed from above, the upper case 80 has a size (plan area) that is approximately two-thirds the size (plan area) of the upper part of the main body case 20 (see FIG. 5). In other words, when the vegetable compartment door 12a is closed, the upper case 80 covers the upper central to rear part of the main body case 20.

[0022] The upper case 80 can be used, for example, as a fruit case for storing fruits, etc. The upper case 80 may have two storage spaces divided into left and right as shown in Fig. 5, etc.

[0023] In this embodiment, upper case 80 is placed on main case 20 and is configured to move in conjunction with main case 20. That is, Figures 4 and 6 show a state in which only upper case 80 is pushed into the refrigerator after vegetable compartment door 12a has been pulled forward. More specifically, a sliding section 82 on which sliding section 81 of upper case 80 slides is provided at the upper end of the rear of main case 20, and upper case 80 is configured to be movable back and forth by sliding section 81 between sliding section 82 of main case 20 and a second rail formed on the inner wall of insulated box 50.

[0024] The main body case 20 has a box-like shape. The main body case 20 mainly has a front surface 20a, left and right side surface portions 20b, a rear surface 20c, a main bottom surface portion (rear bottom surface portion) 20d, and a front groove portion 25. The names of these parts of the main body case 20 are determined based on the positions of the main body case 20 when it is housed inside the refrigerator 1.

[0025] The inner wall (front inner wall) of the front surface portion 20a has a wave-shaped shape 24. This wave-shaped shape 24 is an uneven shape with multiple curved recesses in succession. The width (width in the left-right direction) of each curved recess can be determined according to the size of, for example, a beverage bottle (specifically, a 2-liter PET bottle, a 1.8L bottle, etc.) or a leafy vegetable (specifically, spinach, Chinese cabbage, Japanese mustard spinach, etc.). Specifically, the width of each curved recess can be within a range of, for example, 7 cm to 20 cm.

[0026] 3 and other figures, the upper side of front surface 20a is slightly inclined toward the front. In line with this inclination, the upper side of the inner wall of front surface 20a, which has wave-shaped configuration 24, is also inclined toward the front. As a result, the upper side of an item placed in the front side of main body case 20 is inclined toward the front, making it easy to take out the item placed in the front side of main body case 20.

[0027] The upper side of the rear surface 20c of the main body case 20 is inclined backward. When the vegetable compartment door 12a is closed, the upper end of the rear surface 20c is located at approximately the same position as the rear surface of the upper case 80 (see FIG. 3).

[0028] The bottom surface of the main case 20 is mainly formed by a main bottom surface portion 20d and a front groove portion 25. The main bottom surface portion 20d forms the majority of the bottom surface (e.g., approximately 60% or more of the rear side of the bottom surface) of the main case 20. The front groove portion 25 is located on the front side of the main bottom surface portion 20d, and its front end portion is connected to the front surface portion 20a.

[0029] A step 26 is provided between the front groove portion 25 and the main bottom surface portion 20d, so that the inside of the main case 20 can be simply divided into sections with the step 26 as a boundary.

[0030] 3, the front groove 25 is inclined downward toward the front, while the main bottom surface 20d extends substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction.

[0031] Because the front groove portion 25 is inclined downward toward the front, items to be placed on the front side of the main body case 20 can be placed by leaning them against the front side (i.e., the front inner wall portion having the wave-shaped shape 24).

[0032] 3 and 5, when the vegetable compartment door 12a is closed, the front surface 80a of the upper case 80 is positioned behind the front surface 20a of the main body case 20, with a gap between it and the inner wall portion having the corrugated shape 24 of the front surface 20a. As a result, the upper case 80 is not present in the upper portion of the front side of the main body case 20 formed by the front groove portion 25 and the front surface 20a, leaving the upper side of the case open. Therefore, taller items can be stored in the front side of the main body case 20 compared to the rear side of the main body case 20. <Dust removal structure>

[0033] In particular, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, dust tray 30 is configured to be able to be placed so as to fit into front groove 25 of main body case 20. As shown in Figure 9, dust tray 30 can be removed from main body case 20 with dust, moisture, etc., on it. In other words, a user can place peels, dust, etc. in crisper compartment 12 on the top surface of dust tray 30 and then remove dust tray 30 itself, thereby easily discharging the peels, dust, etc. outside crisper compartment 12.

[0034] The configurations of the main body case 20 and the dust tray 30 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0035] The dust tray 30 is configured in a shape that can be accommodated in the front groove 25. That is, the dust tray 30 is formed in a flat, generally rectangular shape in a plan view. The dust tray 30 has walls that rise upward around its periphery to match the inner walls of the front groove 25 of the main body case 20. In other words, the dust tray 30 has a recessed inner portion, and dust, water, etc. are collected in the central portion.

[0036] More specifically, when the dust tray 30 is placed in the front groove 25, the front end rises upward to form a front wall 30F. The front surface of the front wall 30F is formed in a wave shape so that it matches the wave shape 24 of the main body case 20. The upper end of the front wall 30F is formed with a contact shape 30S that protrudes forward and contacts the rear surface of the front wall of the main body case 20.

[0037] When the dust tray 30 is placed in the front groove 25, the left end thereof rises, forming a left wall 30L. The left wall 30L is formed so that its left surface contacts the left surface of the main body case 20. More specifically, the upper end of the left wall 30L is formed with a contact shape 30S that protrudes leftward and contacts the inner surface of the left wall of the main body case 20.

[0038] When the dust tray 30 is placed in the front groove 25, the right end portion thereof rises, forming a right wall 30R. The right wall 30R is formed so that its right surface contacts the right surface of the main body case 20. More specifically, the upper end portion of the right wall 30R is formed with a contact shape 30S that protrudes to the right and contacts the inner surface of the right wall of the main body case 20.

[0039] When the dust tray 30 is placed in the front groove 25, the rear end portion thereof rises to form the rear wall 30B. More specifically, the upper end portion of the rear wall 30B is formed with a rearwardly protruding stop portion 30S for contacting the step 26 of the main body case 20.

[0040] In particular, in the present embodiment, the rear wall 30B of the dust tray 30 is formed so that its upper end 30Z is lower than the main bottom surface 20d of the main body case 20 in a side view. More specifically, the upper end 30Z of the rear portion and rear wall 30B is configured to be lower than the upper end 30T of the front and central portion of the dust tray 30. This causes the upper end 30Z of the rear wall 30B of the dust tray 30 to be lower than the main bottom surface 20d and the curved surface 26X at the upper end of the step 26. As a result, dirt and water accumulated on the main bottom surface 20d can be smoothly swept into the dust tray 30 with a brush or the like. Furthermore, even when the dust tray 30 is placed on the front groove portion 25, at least the upper portion of the step 26 is exposed between the upper end portion 30Z of the dust tray 30 and the main bottom surface portion 20d, so that stored items such as plastic bottles and vegetables placed on the dust tray 30 can be prevented from falling over or moving backward.

[0041] In the dust tray 30 according to this embodiment, the central portion 30C is higher than the surrounding area in a plan view. In other words, the dust tray 30 has grooves 30Y formed in the peripheral area in a plan view that are lower than the central portion 30C. This makes it easier for dirt and water in the dust tray 30 to fall into the grooves 30Y. As a result, the dirt and water are less likely to adhere to plastic bottles or vegetables placed above the dust tray 30, and are also less likely to return to the main bottom portion 20d or the central portion 30C.

[0042] More specifically, in this embodiment, since the front groove 25 of the main body case 20 is inclined downward toward the front, the dust tray 30 is also disposed in a state inclined downward toward the front. This makes it easier for dirt and water in the dust tray 30 to fall into the groove 30Y on the front wall 30F side, and as a result, the dirt and water are less likely to return to the rear of the main body case 20.

[0043] In this embodiment, a finger hook 30X is formed in the front-to-rear center of the left wall 30L of the dust tray 30. The finger hook 30X is a generally U-shaped notch in a plan view, with its periphery rising upward. This allows a user to hook their finger on the finger hook 30X and lift the dust tray 30 upward, even when dust or water has accumulated in the dust tray 30 (see FIG. 9 ). The user can then empty the dust and water from the dust tray 30 to the outside of the vegetable compartment 12. In this way, in this embodiment, the user can easily remove dust and water accumulated in the main body case 20 by using the dust tray 30.

[0044] The wave-shaped shape 24 on the front surface 20a of the main body case 20 has an area 24H (see FIG. 10) where the wave-shaped shape is not formed, at least on the side edge on the side where the finger hook 30X is located, and the finger hook 30X is located behind a position 30H (see FIG. 11) that faces this area in the front-rear direction. This allows a stored item placed along the wave-shaped shape 24 to be placed away from the side edge on the side where the finger hook 30X is located. This makes the finger hook 30X easily visible from above even when a stored item is placed, improving convenience.

[0045] In this embodiment, downward protrusions 30W, 30W... are formed on the underside 30V of the dust tray 30, and the dust tray 30 is placed in the front groove portion 25 by the protrusions 30W, 30W... abutting against the upper surface of the front groove portion 25. [Second embodiment]

[0046] In the above embodiment, the finger hook 30X is formed on the left wall 30L of the dust tray 30. However, the finger hook 30X may be formed in the center of the front and rear of the right wall 30R of the dust tray 30. [Third embodiment]

[0047] 15, finger hooks 30X, 30X may be formed in the front-to-back center of the right wall 30R and the front-to-back center of the left wall 30L of the dust tray 30. This allows the user to lift the dust tray 30 more easily while keeping it horizontal. [Fourth embodiment]

[0048] 16, finger hooks 30XB, 30XB may be formed at the front end of the right wall 30R and the front end of the left wall 30L of the dust tray 30. That is, a corner of the right front end of the dust tray 30 may be cut out, or a corner of the left front end of the dust tray 30 may be cut out, to form gaps for inserting fingers. [Fifth embodiment]

[0049] Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 17, a grip portion 30XC may be formed on the dust tray 30. In this embodiment, a rib is formed facing upward as the grip portion 30XC on a part of the front wall 30F of the dust tray 30. This allows a user to lift the dust tray 30 while keeping it horizontal by pinching the grip portion 30XC. Note that the position of the grip portion 30XC is not limited to the front wall 30F. [Sixth embodiment]

[0050] In the above embodiment, the vegetable compartment 12 is given as an example of a drawer-type storage compartment, but the drawer-type storage compartment is not limited to a vegetable compartment. In another embodiment of the present invention, the drawer-type storage compartment may be, for example, a freezer compartment, a chilled compartment, or the like. [summary]

[0051] In the above embodiment, a refrigerator is provided, which includes a drawer-type storage case and a tray removably disposed on the bottom surface of the storage case.

[0052] Preferably, a recess is formed in the bottom surface of the front part of the storage case, and the tray is placed by fitting into the recess.

[0053] Preferably, the upper end of the rear end of the tray disposed in the recess is configured to be lower than the center of the bottom surface of the storage case.

[0054] Preferably, a finger grip is formed at the end of the tray.

[0055] Preferably, the tray has a side surface formed with a shape adapted to contact the opposing wall surface of the storage case.

[0056] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. Furthermore, configurations obtained by combining the configurations of different embodiments described in this specification are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1: Refrigerator 11a: Refrigerator door 12: Vegetable compartment 12a: Vegetable compartment door 13a: Freezer door 14a: Ice maker door 15a: Freezer door 20: Main unit case 20a: Front part 20b: Side part 20c: Rear part 20d: Main bottom part 21: Case support part 22: Moving roller 24:Wave shape 25: Front groove 26: Step 26X: Curved surface 30: Dust tray 30C: Central part 30F: Front wall 30B: Back wall 30L: Left wall 30R: Right wall 30S: Contact shape 30T: Upper end 30V: Bottom 30W: Protrusion 30X: Finger rest 30XB: Finger rest 30XC: Knob part 30Y:Groove 30Z: Upper rear end 50: Insulated box 80: Upper case 80a: Front part 81: Sliding part

Claims

1. A drawer-type storage case and a tray that is removably disposed by fitting into a recess formed on the bottom surface of the storage case across the entire width direction, A finger hook is formed at an end of the tray in the width direction, The inner wall of the front surface of the storage case is provided with an uneven shape along the width direction, The recessed and projected shape is not formed in an area that overlaps with the finger grip portion in a front view.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein the finger grip portion is formed by cutting out an end of the tray.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein an upper end of a rear end of the tray disposed in the recess is lower than a center of a bottom surface of the storage case.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 1 , wherein a side surface of the tray is formed with a shape that abuts against an opposing wall surface of the storage case.

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