Insulated box and refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a constitution which allows a foam thermal insulation material to be more easily filled within a heat insulation box in injecting the foam thermal insulation material into the heat insulation box.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes a heat insulation box 50. The heat insulation box 50 has an inner box 70 and an outer box 60. The inside of the heat insulation box 50 is partitioned by a partition. In the heat insulation box 50, a vacuum heat insulation material 51 is arranged. Within the heat insulation box 50 and the partition, a foam heat insulation material 52 is filled. In a side surface part 50b of the heat insulation box 50, an area in which a thickness T2 of the foam heat insulation material 52 facing the vacuum heat insulation material 51 is less than a thickness T1 of the vacuum heat insulation material 51 is larger than an area in which it is equal to or more than the thickness T1 of the vacuum heat insulation material 51. A thickness of the side surface part 50b of the heat insulation box 50 in an arrangement position of the partition is larger in a back surface side than in an opening side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat-insulating box provided in a refrigerator or the like, and to a refrigerator provided with this heat-insulating box. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to insulate the refrigerator from the surroundings, an insulating box is provided to cover the outer periphery of the storage space. The insulating box is composed of an outer box, an inner box, and an insulating material filled between them. For example, a foam insulating material such as a rigid foam urethane insulating material is used as the insulating material.

[0003] In recent years, it has been proposed to place a vacuum insulator inside an insulated box in order to further improve thermal insulation performance. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator having a vacuum insulator and a foam insulator inside an insulated wall, in which the volume ratio of the vacuum insulator to the total volume of the insulated wall is set to a predetermined value or more. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-183896 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The use of vacuum insulation panels improves the insulation performance and allows the thickness of the insulation box to be reduced. However, as the thickness of the insulation box is reduced, the space within the insulation box through which the foam insulation material flows becomes narrower, making it more difficult for the foam insulation material to flow, which can result in voids (gaps) that are not filled with the foam insulation material after the insulation material has foamed.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that makes it easier to fill the foam insulation material inside the insulation box when injecting the foam insulation material into the insulation box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, an insulated box includes an inner box and an outer box. The insulated box includes a partition that separates the interior of the insulated box, a vacuum insulation material disposed within the insulated box, a foam insulation material filled inside the insulated box and the partition, and at least one injection port disposed on the rear surface of the insulated box for injecting the foam insulation material. In the side portion of the insulated box, the area where the foam insulation material facing the vacuum insulation material is thinner than the area where the foam insulation material is thicker than the vacuum insulation material is thicker, and the thickness of the side portion of the insulated box at the position of the partition is greater on the rear side than on the front side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention, the insulating box can be more easily filled with the foam insulating material when the foam insulating material is injected. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the interior of a heat-insulating box of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are a cross-sectional view and a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the heat-insulating box body taken along line AA in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a heat insulating material is poured into the heat insulating box shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an inner box, a second partition, a vegetable compartment cool air duct, and a water supply pipe of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the inner box and the second partition section of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 8] 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the insulating box shown in FIG. 2 at the position where the second partition section is disposed. [Figure 9] 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of a second partition section of the heat-insulating box shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the insulating box of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment, taken at the position where the second partition section is disposed. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the insulating box of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment, taken at the position where the second partition section is disposed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 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 the components are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0011] First Embodiment (Overall configuration of the refrigerator) First, the overall configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, refrigerator 1 has refrigerator compartment 11 on the upper level, vegetable compartment 12 on the middle level, and freezer compartment 13 on the lower level. Refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with refrigerator compartment door 11a. Vegetable compartment 12 is provided with vegetable compartment door 12a. Freezer compartment 13 is provided with freezer compartment door 13a.

[0013] As described above, refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is divided into an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section, and each storage space is provided. Partitions are provided between each storage space. More specifically, a first partition 54 is provided between upper refrigerator compartment 11 and middle vegetable compartment 12. Furthermore, a second partition (divider) 55 is provided between middle vegetable compartment 12 and lower freezer compartment 13. However, the arrangement of each storage space is not limited to this.

[0014] In this embodiment, the surface on which the door is provided is referred to as the front or front face of the refrigerator. Then, based on the front face, the respective faces of the refrigerator 1 are referred to as the top, side, back, and bottom faces based on the positions where the refrigerator 1 would be when installed in a normal state. Furthermore, the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 when placed on the installation surface is referred to as the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the insulated box 50, etc.). Furthermore, the front-to-back direction when viewed from the front of the refrigerator 1 when placed on the installation surface is referred to as the front-to-back direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the insulated box 50, etc.).

[0015] A refrigeration cycle is provided inside the refrigerator 1. The refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting a compressor 31, a condenser (not shown), an expander (not shown), and a cooler 32 via a refrigerant pipe (refrigerant flow path) through which a refrigerant flows.

[0016] A control unit (not shown) is also provided inside the refrigerator 1. This control unit controls the operation of the refrigeration cycle. That is, the control unit drives the compressor 31, thereby starting the operation of the refrigeration cycle and causing the refrigerant to circulate through the cycle. As shown in FIG. 1, the compressor 31 is disposed in a machine room 30 provided on the rear side of the bottom of the refrigerator 1.

[0017] The cooler 32 is disposed in a cooling compartment 35 provided on the rear side of the refrigerator 1. In addition to the cooler 32, the cooling compartment 35 is also provided with a cooling fan 33 and other components. The cooling fan 33 is provided to circulate air between the cooling compartment 35 and each storage space. The cooling compartment 35 is in communication with a cold air duct 41. The cold air duct 41 serves as a cold air passageway for supplying the cold air generated in the cooling compartment 35 to the refrigerator compartment 11 and other compartments.

[0018] (Configuration of the insulated box) The refrigerator 1 is provided with an insulating box 50 as an insulating structure for insulating each storage space from the surroundings. FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the insulating box 50 as seen from the front side (frontage 50e side). The insulating box 50 is provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the refrigerator 1. The insulating box 50 is mainly composed of a top surface, side surfaces 50b, a back surface 50c, and a bottom surface. The front side of the insulating box 50 forms an open frontage 50e.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the insulating box body 50 mainly comprises an outer box 60, an inner box 70, a vacuum insulating material 51, a foam insulating material 52, and at least one partition (e.g., a first partition 54 and a second partition 55).

[0020] The outer box 60 forms the outer peripheral surface of the insulated box body 50. The outer box 60 is mainly composed of a top surface, a side surface 60b, a back surface 60c, and a bottom surface (see FIG. 3). The inner box 70 forms the inner peripheral surface of the insulated box body 50. The inner box 70 is mainly composed of a top surface, a side surface 70b, a back surface 70c, and a bottom surface 70d (see FIG. 2). The inner box 70 forms the inner walls of the storage spaces (e.g., the refrigerator compartment 11, the vegetable compartment 12, and the freezer compartment 13) and the rear wall of the cooling compartment 35.

[0021] The interior of the insulated box 50 formed by the inner box 70 is divided into multiple spaces by at least one partition. In this embodiment, two partitions, a first partition 54 and a second partition 55, are provided. The first partition 54 is disposed between the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12. The second partition 55 is disposed between the vegetable compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13.

[0022] A space for arranging the machine room 30 is formed on the rear side of the bottom of the insulated box body 50. The machine room 30 is arranged outside the insulated box body 50 because the temperature inside the machine room 30 rises when the compressor 31 is operated. The machine room 30 is mainly defined by a bottom plate 62 that forms the bottom portion of the outer box 60.

[0023] In this way, the machine compartment 30 and the freezer compartment 13 are isolated by the heat-insulating box body 50. Therefore, the heat generated in the machine compartment 30 can be prevented from flowing into the freezer compartment 13.

[0024] Vacuum insulation material 51 and foam insulation material 52 are provided in the space between outer box 60 and inner box 70. Vacuum insulation material 51, also known as VIP, is a thin sheet-like or plate-like insulation material. Vacuum insulation material 51 is arranged, for example, on the side, top, bottom, and back of refrigerator 1. In FIG. 1, the vacuum insulation material arranged on the bottom of refrigerator 1 is not shown. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, vacuum insulation material 51 is arranged on the outer box 60 side within insulated box body 50.

[0025] The foam insulation material 52 can be formed of, for example, foamed polyurethane (also called rigid urethane foam). The foam insulation material 52 is also filled inside the second partition 55 that separates the vegetable compartment 12, which is a refrigerated storage space, from the freezer compartment 13, which is a freezer storage space. In this embodiment, the inside of the first partition 54 that separates the refrigerator compartment 11 and the vegetable compartment 12, which are both refrigerated storage spaces, is not filled with the foam insulation material 52. An insulation material different from the foam insulation material 52 may be placed inside the first partition 54. In another embodiment, the inside of the first partition 54 may also be filled with the foam insulation material 52.

[0026] The foam insulation material 52 is filled into the insulating box 50 by injecting a liquid urethane foam material (also called the foam insulation material or insulating material) into the insulating box 50 and allowing the material to foam inside the insulating box 50. Injection ports 58 for injecting the insulating material are provided on the rear surface 60c of the outer box 60 (see FIG. 5). In this embodiment, two injection ports 58 are provided near the left end of the rear surface 60c and two injection ports 58 are provided near the right end of the rear surface 60c, for a total of four injection ports 58. However, the number of injection ports 58 is not limited to this.

[0027] Figure 2 shows the insulating box 50 when a urethane foam material is being injected into the insulating box 50. When injecting the urethane foam material into the insulating box 50, only the second partition 55 is attached to the interior of the insulating box 50, as shown in Figure 2. As a result, when the foam insulating material is injected through the injection port 58, the foam insulating material 52 is also filled into the interior of the second partition 55 through the urethane inlet ports 68a and 68b (see Figure 6, etc.) provided between the inner box 70 and the second partition 55.

[0028] (Regarding the thickness of the side walls of the insulated box and the thickness of the vacuum insulation material) In recent refrigerators, there is a demand for thinner side walls of the heat-insulating box 50 in order to ensure a larger interior space, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, the walls of each surface (for example, the side surface portion 50b) of the heat-insulating box 50 are made thinner.

[0029] Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the configuration inside the side wall of the heat-insulating box 50. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the heat-insulating box 50 taken along line AA in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 also shows an enlarged view of a portion of the heat-insulating box 50 (the portion surrounded by a dashed line frame).

[0030] The average thickness of the side portion 50b of the insulating box 50 according to this embodiment is, for example, 25 mm or more and 35 mm or less. In the side portion 50b of the insulating box 50, the area where the thickness T2 of the foam insulating material 52 facing the vacuum insulating material 51 is less than the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulating material 51 is more than the area where the thickness T2 is equal to or greater than the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulating material 51.

[0031] The thickness T1 of the vacuum insulation material 51 arranged on the side surface portion 50b is substantially constant over the entire area of ​​one vacuum insulation material. In one example, the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulation material 51 is set to 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less, preferably 15 mm or more and 25 mm or less.

[0032] On the other hand, the thickness T2 of the foam insulation material 52 on the side surface portion 50b varies depending on the external shape of the insulated box body 50 (particularly the shape of the inner box 70). As described above, in the side surface portion 50b of the insulated box body 50, the thickness T1 is greater than the thickness T2 in most, at least half or more, of the area where the vacuum insulation material 51 is present. Therefore, the thickness T2 of the foam insulation material 52 in most of the area where the vacuum insulation material 51 is present on the side surface portion 50b is set to, for example, 5 mm or more and 15 mm or less, preferably 8 mm or more and 13 mm or less.

[0033] In one example, the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulation material 51 can be approximately twice the thickness T2 of the foam insulation material 52. In this way, by increasing the proportion of the vacuum insulation material 51 in the side surface portion 50b, the thickness of the side surface portion 50b as a whole can be made smaller.

[0034] The thickness of the vacuum insulation material arranged on the surfaces other than the side surface 50b of the insulating box 50 (i.e., the top surface, the back surface 50c, and the bottom surface) may be the same as or different from the thickness T1. Furthermore, the thickness of the foam insulation material 52 on the surfaces other than the side surface 50b of the insulating box 50 (i.e., the top surface, the back surface 50c, and the bottom surface) may be greater than or equal to the thickness of the vacuum insulation material 51 arranged on those surfaces.

[0035] For example, in the rear portion 50c, the thickness of the foam insulation 52 disposed in the rear portion 50c may be equal to or greater than the thickness of the vacuum insulation 51 disposed in the rear portion 50c. The rear portion tends to house refrigeration cycle piping and electrical wiring connected to the cooler 32, and in order to secure these piping and wiring and ensure thermal insulation, it is preferable that the foam insulation 52 disposed in the rear portion 50c have a certain thickness or greater. Furthermore, the rear portion 50c is often the last portion to be filled with the foam insulation 52, and it is thought that the insulating material has hardened more than in other portions. However, by increasing the thickness of the foam insulation 52 disposed in the rear portion 50c, it becomes easier to ensure the fluidity of the insulating material.

[0036] (Method of manufacturing a heat-insulating box) Next, a description will be given of a manufacturing method of the heat insulating box 50. Fig. 5 shows how the heat insulating material is poured into the heat insulating box 50.

[0037] First, components such as vacuum insulation material 51 and heat dissipation pipes (not shown) are attached to predetermined positions on the inner surface of each surface (specifically, the top surface, side surface 60b, and back surface 60c) of outer box 60. Also, components such as an internal electrical unit and various wiring are attached to predetermined positions on inner box 70.

[0038] Next, each surface of the outer box 60 is attached so as to cover the outer periphery of the inner box 70. In this way, the outer shape of the heat-insulating box body 50 is formed.

[0039] Thereafter, with the back portion 50c of the insulating box 50 facing up, liquid foam insulating material (for example, urethane foam material) is injected through the injection port 58 formed in the back portion 60c of the outer box 60. At this time, an injection nozzle 91 of an insulating material injection device is inserted into the injection port 58 (see FIG. 5). The foam insulating material discharged from the injection nozzle 91 into the insulating box 50 foams in sequence from the front side (front opening 50e side) to the back side in the space between the outer box 60 and the inner box 70, filling the space while increasing in volume. The foamed insulating material then hardens.

[0040] In other words, when insulating material is injected through each injection port 58 with the back portion 60c of the insulated box body 50 facing up, the insulating material flows down due to gravity through the side portions 50b and top portion of the insulated box body 50 toward the front portion 50e located at the bottom.

[0041] As described above, in this embodiment, the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulation material 51 is greater than the thickness T2 of the foam insulation material over most of the area of ​​the side surface 50b of the insulating box 50. As the thickness of the side wall of the insulating box 50 becomes thinner, the space within the side wall through which the insulating material flows becomes narrower, making it more difficult for the insulating material to flow. When the vacuum insulation material 51 is provided inside the insulating box 50, the flow space for the insulating material becomes even narrower. This increases the possibility of voids (gaps) occurring within the insulating box 50 that are not filled with the foam insulation material after the injected insulating material has foamed.

[0042] For example, if the liquid foaming insulation material hits a wall surface inside the insulated box 50 when being injected, it may start to foam partially at that point, and this partially foamed area may become an obstacle when the insulation material is later filled while foaming from the front side of the insulated box 50, causing the filling to be uneven. Specifically, where the second partition 55 is located, there is an obstacle (for example, narrow portions 59a and 59b) that may hinder the flow of the foaming insulation material.

[0043] (Configuration of partition placement location of insulated box) Therefore, in this embodiment, a measure is taken to promote the inflow of the foamed insulating material into the location where the second partition section 55 of the insulating box 50 is disposed. The following describes this measure.

[0044] 6 and 7 show the inner box 70 with the second partition 55 attached. FIG. 6 shows the inner box 70 with the crisper cool air duct member 43 and water supply pipe 67 attached to it, which are to be placed in the crisper 12. FIG. 7 shows the inner box 70 with the crisper cool air duct member 43 and water supply pipe 67 removed. FIG. 8 shows a schematic horizontal cross section of the crisper 12 of the insulated box 50 as viewed from above. FIG. 8 also shows an enlarged view of a portion of the insulated box 50 (the portion surrounded by a dashed line frame). The vacuum insulation material 51 is not shown in the overall cross-sectional view of FIG. 9. The interior of the second partition 55 is shown.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 6, a crisper cool air duct member 43 is disposed on the back of crisper 12. A cool air duct 41 is formed inside crisper cool air duct member 43. Cool air duct 41 communicates with cooling compartment 35 and serves as a cool air passage for supplying cool air generated in cooling compartment 35 to refrigerator compartment 11.

[0046] Crisper cool air duct member 43 is attached so as to fit along bank portion 43a formed on upper surface portion 55a of second partition portion 55. Bank portion 43a is formed to protrude from upper surface portion 55a, and its interior is filled with foam insulation material 52. Providing such bank portion 43a improves the insulation between cold air duct 41 inside crisper cool air duct member 43 and crisper 12.

[0047] A water supply pipe 67 is arranged on the back of vegetable compartment 12, supplying water from a water tank (not shown) arranged in refrigerator compartment 11 to an ice maker arranged in freezer compartment 13. In this embodiment, water supply pipe 67 is arranged on the left side of vegetable compartment cold air duct member 43 when viewed from the front. Water supply pipe 67 is attached to water supply pipe installation portion 67A formed on upper surface portion 55a of second partition portion 55. Water supply pipe installation portion 67A is formed to rise from upper surface portion 55a, and foam insulation material 52 is filled inside.

[0048] A cold air return port 47 is formed on the rear side of the vegetable compartment 12 opposite the water supply pipe 67 (see FIG. 8). The return port 47 is connected to the cooling compartment 35, and returns the cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 11 and vegetable compartment 12 to the cooling compartment 35. In this embodiment, the return port 47 is located on the right side of the vegetable compartment cold air duct member 43 when viewed from the front.

[0049] As described above, structures such as the crisper cool air duct member 43, the water supply pipe 67, and the return port 47 are present on the back surface of the second partition 55. These structures can become obstacles that may impede the flow of the foam insulation. For example, between the bank 43a and the water supply pipe installation section 67A, there is a narrow portion 59a that is close to each other (see FIG. 9, etc.). Furthermore, between the bank 43a and the return port 47, there is a narrow portion 59b that is close to each other (see FIG. 8).

[0050] The presence of these narrow portions 59a and 59b creates areas within second partition 55 where the inflow of insulating material is restricted when the foam insulating material is filled in. This can result in the occurrence of voids (gaps) that are not filled with the foam insulating material, for example, in bank portion 43a.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the side surface portion 50b of the insulating box 50 at the position of the second partition portion 55 is set so that the thickness on the back side is greater than the thickness on the front side. Specifically, a step portion 56 is provided between the back side and the front side of the side surface portion 50b of the insulating box 50 at the position of the second partition portion 55 (see FIG. 8). The step portion 56 is provided on the side surface portion 70b of the inner box 70.

[0052] As a result, the thickness T3 on the back side of the side surface 50b at the position where the second partition 55 is arranged is greater than the thickness T4 on the front side. In one example, the thickness T3 is set to be 30 mm or more and 55 mm or less, preferably 35 mm or more and 45 mm or less, and the thickness T4 is set to be 15 mm or more and 45 mm or less, preferably 25 mm or more and 35 mm or less.

[0053] When thicknesses T3 and T4 are set as described above, thickness T2 of foam insulation 52 on the front side of step 56 can be, for example, 5 mm or more and 15 mm or less (preferably, 8 mm or more and 13 mm or less). In contrast, thickness T2a (see FIG. 8) of foam insulation 52 on the rear side of step 56 can be, for example, 10 mm or more and 35 mm or less (preferably, 15 mm or more and 25 mm or less).

[0054] This provides a configuration that makes it easier to fill the inside of the insulating box with the foamed insulating material when injecting the foamed insulating material into the insulating box 50. More specifically, it is possible to promote the flow of the foamed insulating material into the back portion of the second partition 55.

[0055] In this embodiment, of the multiple urethane inlets provided between the inner box 70 and the second partition 55, the urethane inlet 68b located on the back side is larger in size, which further promotes the flow of the foamed insulating material into the back portion of the second partition 55.

[0056] If the urethane inlet 68a located on the front side were opened too wide, a large amount of foam insulation material would flow into the second partition 55 when the foam insulation material being filled from the front side (front side) had low viscosity. This could delay the filling of the side sections of the foam insulation material. The viscosity of the foam insulation material would increase as it flows along the thinner side sections, potentially reducing its fluidity. Therefore, the opening of the urethane inlet 68a located on the front side is made small to facilitate the filling of the side sections with the foam insulation material. Meanwhile, to prevent insufficient filling of the second partition 55 with foam insulation material, the size of the urethane inlet 68b located on the rear side is made large to allow even highly viscous foam insulation material to easily enter the second partition 55. In particular, if narrow portions 59a and 59b are present on the rear side of the second partition 55, foam insulation material injected directly from the rear side is more likely to fill the areas around the narrow portions 59a and 59b than foam insulation material gradually filled from the front side. Therefore, increasing the size of the urethane inlet 68b located on the back side is effective for filling the second partition portion 55 with foam insulating material.

[0057] The urethane inlet 68b may be provided on the rear side of the stepped portion 56. This allows an increase in the amount of foam insulation that directly enters the urethane inlet 68b. Furthermore, if the urethane inlet 68b is provided near the injection port 58, a portion of the injected concentrate of the foam insulation can be injected directly into the second partition portion 55, thereby further improving the filling of the foam insulation inside the second partition portion 55.

[0058] In this embodiment, an outlet 44 for cold air from the refrigerator compartment 11 to the vegetable compartment 12 is disposed above the water supply pipe installation section 67A (i.e., on the left side when viewed from the front). A return port 47 is disposed below the opposite side of the outlet 44 (i.e., on the right side when viewed from the front) (see FIG. 8). Therefore, cold air flows in the vegetable compartment 12 in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 8.

[0059] This allows the cold air that flows into the vegetable compartment 12 from the outlet 44 to be supplied toward the narrow width portion 59a. Therefore, by flowing the cold air into the narrow width portion 59a of the second partition 55, where unfilled portions (voids) of the foam insulation are relatively likely to be formed, the air is less likely to stagnate, making it possible to prevent condensation. Similarly, by flowing the cold air near the narrow width portion 59b, the air is less likely to stagnate, making it possible to prevent condensation.

[0060] (Summary of the first embodiment) As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment includes an insulated box 50. The insulated box 50 has an inner box 70 and an outer box 60. The interior of the insulated box 50 is divided by partitions such as a first partition 54 and a second partition 55. A vacuum insulating material 51 is disposed on the outer box side of the insulated box 50. The interiors of the insulated box 50 and the second partition 55 are filled with foam insulating material 52. At least one injection port 58 for injecting foam insulating material is provided on the back surface of the insulated box 50.

[0061] In the side portion 50b of the insulating box 50, in most, at least half or more, of the area where the vacuum insulation material 51 is present, the thickness T1 of the vacuum insulation material 51 is greater than the thickness T2 of the foam insulation material 52. Furthermore, the thickness of the side portion 50b of the insulating box 50 at the position where the second partition 55 is arranged is greater on the back side than on the front side (i.e., T3>T4).

[0062] The above configuration makes it easier to fill the inside of the insulating box with the foamed insulating material when injecting the foamed insulating material into the insulating box 50. More specifically, it is possible to promote the flow of the foamed insulating material into the back portion of the second partition 55.

[0063] As described above, the insulating box 50 according to this embodiment can be configured to allow the foam insulating material to flow more easily inside the insulating box when it is injected. This makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the side surfaces of the insulating box 50 and reduce the possibility of areas inside the insulating box 50 not being filled with the foam insulating material.

[0064] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 10 shows the configuration of a heat-insulating body 50 provided in a refrigerator 1 according to the second embodiment. The following description will focus on the configuration that differs from the first embodiment.

[0065] 10 is a diagram schematically showing a horizontal cross section of the insulating box body 50 at the position where the second partition section 55 is disposed. In FIG. 10, the vacuum insulating material 51 is not shown.

[0066] As in the first embodiment, the insulating box body 50 mainly comprises an outer box 60, an inner box 70, a vacuum insulation material 51, a foam insulation material 52, and at least one partition section (e.g., a first partition section 54 and a second partition section 55).

[0067] 10, crisper cool air duct member 43 is disposed on the back surface of crisper 12. Crisper cool air duct member 43 is attached so as to follow bank portion 43a formed on upper surface portion 55a of second partition portion 55.

[0068] In addition, a water supply pipe 67 is arranged on the back surface of vegetable compartment 12, supplying water from a water tank (not shown) arranged in refrigerator compartment 11 to an ice maker arranged in freezer compartment 13. In this embodiment, water supply pipe 67 is arranged on the left side of vegetable compartment cold air duct member 43 when viewed from the front. Water supply pipe 67 is attached to water supply pipe installation portion 67A formed on upper surface portion 55a of second partition portion 55.

[0069] A cold air return port 47 is formed on the opposite side of the water supply pipe 67 on the back of the vegetable compartment 12. The return port 47 is connected to the cooling compartment 35 and returns the cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 11 and vegetable compartment 12 to the cooling compartment 35. In this embodiment, the return port 47 is located on the right side of the vegetable compartment cold air duct member 43 when viewed from the front.

[0070] As described above, structures such as the crisper cool air duct member 43, the water supply pipe 67, and the return port 47 are present on the back surface of the second partition 55. These structures can become obstacles that may impede the flow of the foam insulation. For example, a narrow portion 59a is present between the bank 43a and the water supply pipe installation portion 67A, where the distance between them is small. Furthermore, a narrow portion 59b is present between the bank 43a and the return port 47, where the distance between them is small (see FIG. 10).

[0071] The presence of these narrow portions 59a and 59b creates areas within second partition 55 where the inflow of insulating material is restricted when the foam insulating material is filled in. This can result in the occurrence of voids (gaps) that are not filled with the foam insulating material, for example, in bank portion 43a.

[0072] Therefore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the side surface portion 50b of the heat-insulating box 50 at the position where the second partition portion 55 is arranged is set so that the thickness on the rear side is greater than that on the front side.

[0073] Specifically, a step 56 is provided between the back side and the front side of the right side 50b of the heat-insulating box 50 at the position where the second partition 55 is arranged. As a result, the thickness T3 of the back side of the right side 50b at the position where the second partition 55 is arranged is greater than the thickness T4 of the front side. This configuration is the same as the configuration of the heat-insulating box 50 according to the first embodiment.

[0074] In addition to the above configuration, in this embodiment, an inclined wall 156 is provided on the back side of the left side surface 150b of the insulated box 50. The inclined wall 156 forms part of the side surface 170b of the inner box 70, and is inclined in a direction that gradually increases the thickness of the side surface 150b of the insulated box 50 from the front side toward the back side. As a result, at the position where the second partition 55 is disposed, the thickness T13 on the back side of the side surface 150b is greater than the thickness T4 on the front side.

[0075] The above configuration makes it easier to fill the inside of the insulating box with the foamed insulating material when injecting the foamed insulating material into the insulating box 50. More specifically, it is possible to promote the flow of the foamed insulating material into the back portion of the second partition 55.

[0076] In this embodiment, an inclined wall portion 156 is provided on the side surface portion 150b on the side where the water supply pipe installation portion 67A is located, which facilitates the flow of the foamed insulating material into narrow portions (e.g., narrow portion 59a) present in the vicinity of the water supply pipe installation portion 67A.

[0077] Furthermore, on the side where water supply pipe installation section 67A is located (the left side in this embodiment), water supply pipe 67 and crisper cool air duct member 43 are located adjacent to each other, making the left rear side of crisper 12 an area that is difficult to use as a storage area. By providing inclined wall section 156 in this area, it is possible to promote the flow of foam insulation material into side section 150b and narrow section 59a without significantly reducing the storage capacity of crisper 12.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, the right side surface 50b when viewed from the front has a step portion 56, and the left side surface 150b when viewed from the front has an inclined wall portion 156. However, in another embodiment, the side surfaces on both the left and right sides of the insulating box 50 may have an inclined wall portion 156. Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, the left side surface of the insulating box 50 may have a step portion 56, and the right side surface may have an inclined wall portion 156.

[0079] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 11 shows the configuration of a heat-insulating body 50 provided in a refrigerator 1 according to the third embodiment. The following description will focus on the configuration that differs from the first embodiment.

[0080] 11 is a diagram schematically showing a horizontal cross section of the insulating box 50 at the position where the second partition 55 is disposed. In FIG. 11, the vacuum insulating material 51 is not shown.

[0081] As in the first embodiment, the insulating box body 50 mainly comprises an outer box 60, an inner box 70, a vacuum insulation material 51, a foam insulation material 52, and at least one partition section (e.g., a first partition section 54 and a second partition section 55).

[0082] 11, crisper cool air duct member 43 is disposed on the back surface of crisper 12. Crisper cool air duct member 43 is attached so as to fit along bank portion 43a formed on upper surface portion 55a of second partition portion 55.

[0083] In addition, a water supply pipe 67 is arranged on the back surface of vegetable compartment 12, supplying water from a water tank (not shown) arranged in refrigerator compartment 11 to an ice maker arranged in freezer compartment 13. In this embodiment, water supply pipe 67 is arranged on the left side of vegetable compartment cold air duct member 43 when viewed from the front. Water supply pipe 67 is attached to water supply pipe installation portion 67A formed on upper surface portion 55a of second partition portion 55.

[0084] A cold air return port 47 is formed on the opposite side of the water supply pipe 67 on the back of the vegetable compartment 12. The return port 47 is connected to the cooling compartment 35 and returns the cold air that has passed through the refrigerator compartment 11 and vegetable compartment 12 to the cooling compartment 35. In this embodiment, the return port 47 is located on the right side of the vegetable compartment cold air duct member 43 when viewed from the front.

[0085] As described above, structures such as the crisper cool air duct member 43, the water supply pipe 67, and the return port 47 are present on the back surface of the second partition 55. These structures can become obstacles that may impede the flow of the foam insulation. For example, a narrow portion 59a is present between the bank 43a and the water supply pipe installation portion 67A, where the distance between them is small. Furthermore, a narrow portion 59b is present between the bank 43a and the return port 47, where the distance between them is small (see FIG. 11).

[0086] The presence of these narrow portions 59a and 59b creates areas within second partition 55 where the inflow of insulating material is restricted when the foam insulating material is filled in. This can result in the occurrence of voids (gaps) that are not filled with the foam insulating material, for example, in bank portion 43a.

[0087] Therefore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the side surface portion 50b of the heat-insulating box 50 at the position where the second partition portion 55 is arranged is set so that the thickness on the rear side is greater than that on the front side.

[0088] Specifically, a step 56 is provided between the back side and the front side of the right side 50b of the heat-insulating box 50 at the position where the second partition 55 is arranged. As a result, the thickness T3 of the back side of the right side 50b at the position where the second partition 55 is arranged is greater than the thickness T4 of the front side. This configuration is the same as the configuration of the heat-insulating box 50 according to the first embodiment.

[0089] In addition to the above configuration, in this embodiment, the inner wall of the left side surface portion 250b of the insulated box 50 is inclined so that the width of the side surface portion 250b increases from the front side toward the rear side. That is, the left side surface portion 270b of the inner box 70 is inclined in a direction that gradually increases the thickness of the side surface portion 150b of the insulated box 50 from the front side toward the rear side. As a result, at the position where the second partition 55 is disposed, the thickness T23 on the rear side of the side surface portion 250b is greater than the thickness T24 on the front side.

[0090] The above configuration makes it easier to fill the inside of the insulating box with the foamed insulating material when injecting the foamed insulating material into the insulating box 50. More specifically, it is possible to promote the flow of the foamed insulating material into the back portion of the second partition 55.

[0091] In this embodiment, the wall of inner box 70 on side surface 250b on the side where water supply pipe installation section 67A is located is inclined so that the width of side surface 250b increases from the front side toward the rear side, thereby facilitating the flow of foamed insulating material into narrow portions (e.g., narrow portion 59a) present near water supply pipe installation section 67A.

[0092] In the above-described embodiment, the right side surface 50b when viewed from the front has a step portion 56, and the left side surface 250b when viewed from the front has an inclined side surface 270b. However, in another embodiment, both the left and right side surfaces of the insulated box 50 may have inclined side surfaces 270b. Furthermore, in yet another embodiment, the left side surface of the insulated box 50 may have a step portion 56, and the right side surface may have an inclined side surface 270b.

[0093] (summary) An insulating box (e.g., insulating box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention has an inner box (e.g., inner box 70) and an outer box (e.g., outer box 60). This insulating box includes a partition (e.g., second partition 55) that separates the interior of the insulating box, a vacuum insulating material (e.g., vacuum insulating material 51) disposed within the insulating box, a foam insulating material (e.g., foam insulating material 52) filled inside the insulating box and the partition, and at least one injection port (e.g., injection port 58) disposed on the back surface of the insulating box for injecting material for the foam insulating material. In the side portion (e.g., side portion 50b) of the insulated box, there are more areas where the thickness (e.g., thickness T2) of the foam insulation material facing the vacuum insulation material is less than the thickness (e.g., thickness T1) of the vacuum insulation material than there are areas where the thickness (e.g., thickness T1) of the vacuum insulation material is greater, and the thickness of the side portion of the insulated box at the partition placement position is greater on the back side than on the front side (i.e., T3 > T4).

[0094] In the insulated box (e.g., insulated box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, a step (e.g., step portion 56) may be provided between the back side and the front side on the side portion of the insulated box at the position where the partition (e.g., second partition portion 55) is arranged.

[0095] In the insulated box (e.g., insulated box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, a narrow width portion (e.g., narrow width portion 59) that suppresses the flow of the foam insulation material may be present on the back side of the partition (e.g., second partition portion 55).

[0096] In the insulated box (e.g., insulated box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, a plurality of openings (e.g., urethane inlet ports 68a, 68b) through which the foam insulation material and the material pass are provided between the partition (e.g., second partition port 55) and the side portion (e.g., side portion 50b) of the insulated box, and the opening (e.g., urethane inlet port 68b) located on the rear side may be larger than the other openings (e.g., urethane inlet port 68a).

[0097] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a refrigerator (for example, refrigerator 1). This refrigerator includes an insulating box (for example, insulating box 50) according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0098] 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 the different embodiments described in this specification are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1: Refrigerator 41: Cool air duct 43: Vegetable compartment cold air duct parts 43a: (Vegetable compartment cold air duct component) bank part 44: Cold air outlet (from refrigerator compartment to vegetable compartment) 47: Return entrance 50: Insulated box 50b: Side portion (of the heat-insulating box) 50c: Rear part (of the insulated box) 51: Vacuum insulation material 52: Foam insulation 54: First partition 55: Second partition (partition) 56: Step 58: Inlet 59: Narrow section 60: Outer box 67: Water supply pipe 67A: Water supply pipe installation section 68a: Urethane inlet (opening) 68b: Urethane inlet (opening) 70: Inner box 70b: Side part (of inner box) 70c: (inner box) back 150b: Side portion (of the heat-insulating box) 156: Inclined wall section 170b: Side part (of inner box) 250b: Side part (of the heat-insulating box) 270b: Side part (of inner box) T1: Thickness of the vacuum insulation material on the side of the insulation box T2: Thickness of foam insulation on the side of the insulated box T3: Thickness of the side of the insulated box on the rear side of the partition placement position T4: Thickness of the side of the insulated box at the frontage side of the partition placement position

Claims

1. A heat-insulating box having an inner box and an outer box, A partition that divides the inside of the heat-insulating box; A vacuum insulation material disposed in the insulation box; A foam insulation material filled inside the insulation box and the partition; At least one injection port disposed on the rear surface of the insulating box for injecting the foam insulating material; Equipped with In the side portion of the insulating box, the area where the thickness of the foam insulation material facing the vacuum insulation material is less than the thickness of the vacuum insulation material is more than the area where the thickness is equal to or greater than the thickness of the vacuum insulation material, a step is provided between the rear side and the front side of the side surface of the heat-insulating box at the position where the partition is arranged, and the thickness of the side surface of the heat-insulating box at the position where the partition is arranged is greater on the rear side than on the front side, An opening through which the foam insulation material and the material pass is provided between the partition and the side surface of the insulation box, The opening is disposed on the rear side of the step. Insulated box.

2. a plurality of the openings are provided between the partition and the side surface of the heat-insulating box, The opening located on the rear side is larger than the other openings. The heat-insulating box according to claim 1 .

3. The insulated box according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a narrow portion for restricting the flow of the foam insulation material is provided on the rear side of the partition.

4. A refrigerator comprising the heat-insulating box according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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