refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can restrain damage to a vacuum heat insulation material, and has high heat insulation performance.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 comprises an outer box 10 made of metal, and a vacuum heat insulation material 30 arranged between the outer box 10 and an inner box 20. The outer box 10 is formed of a metal plate 11 bent so as to comprise a joint part 19 joined to the inner box 20. A tip 12 of the metal plate 11 is provided on a surface orthogonal to the thickness direction of the vacuum heat insulation material 30, and overlaps the vacuum heat insulation material 30 when viewed in the thickness direction. At least a portion of the vacuum heat insulation material 30 is joined to the outer box 10. The vacuum heat insulation material 30 is in contact with a protective member 70 arranged between the tip 12 and the vacuum heat insulation material 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes the refrigerator as follows: "A refrigerator including an outer box, an inner box provided inside the outer box, vacuum insulation provided on the inner wall side of the side of the outer box, and rigid urethane foam insulation filled between the inner box and the vacuum insulation, characterized in that the refrigerator is also provided with: a front flange formed continuously with the front edge of the outer box and bent inward; a back flange formed continuously with the front flange on the back side of the front flange, bent so as to form a fitting recess together with the front flange, and extending in the depth direction of the refrigerator; an inner box flange formed continuously with the front edge of the inner box and bent outward, and engaging with the fitting recess to secure the outer box and the inner box together; and a cushioning material provided between the front side of the vacuum insulation and the back flange." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-029235 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the leading ends of the metal plates that form the outer box are exposed, which means that there is a risk that the leading ends may come into contact with the vacuum insulation material, causing the vacuum insulation material to be damaged. The problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide a refrigerator that can suppress damage to vacuum insulation material and has high insulation performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The refrigerator of the present disclosure includes: A refrigerator, Metal outer box and A vacuum insulation material is disposed between the outer box and the inner box, the outer box is formed of a metal plate that is bent to have a joint that joins with the inner box, The tip of the metal plate is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the vacuum insulation material. The inner surface of the outer box is and overlaps the vacuum insulation material when viewed in the thickness direction, At least a portion of the vacuum insulation material is joined to the outer box, The vacuum heat insulating material abuts against a first protective member disposed between the tip and the vacuum heat insulating material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the fitting portion of the inner box into the outer box. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fitting portion of an inner box to an outer box in a refrigerator according to another embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fitting portion of an inner box to an outer box in a refrigerator according to another embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of the refrigerator, illustrating the location where the protective member is attached. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a top view of a refrigerator according to another embodiment, showing the state in which a protective member is attached. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the protective member shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the protective member shown in FIG. 6 comes into contact with the vacuum heat insulating material. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing how a protective member of another embodiment comes into contact with a vacuum insulator. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a portion where an inner box is fixed to an outer box in a refrigerator according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a portion where an inner box is fixed to an outer box in a refrigerator according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a portion where an inner box is fixed to an outer box in a refrigerator according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a fitting portion of an inner box to an outer box in a refrigerator according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of one embodiment, other embodiments applicable to the one embodiment will also be described as appropriate. The present disclosure is not limited to the one embodiment described below, and different embodiments can be combined with each other or modified as desired without significantly impairing the effects of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the same components will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, components having the same functions will be given the same names. The contents shown are merely schematic, and for convenience of illustration, changes may be made from the actual configuration within the scope of not significantly impairing the effects of the present disclosure, and some components may be omitted or modified between drawings. Furthermore, the same embodiment does not necessarily have to include all of the configurations.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view of a refrigerator 1 according to the present disclosure. The refrigerator 1 has doors 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Door 2 can rotate around a pivot (not shown) provided on the left and right sides of the refrigerator 1, and the refrigerator 1 is a double-door (French door) type. Doors 3, 4, 5, and 6 are drawer-type doors. By opening each of doors 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, storage compartments 8 (such as a refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, quick-freezer compartment, ice maker compartment, and vegetable compartment, which will be described later) formed inside the refrigerator 1 are exposed to the outside.

[0009] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the fitting portion of inner box 20 into outer box 10. FIG. 2 is a view from above of the vicinity of part A in FIG. 1. Part A is the joint between drawer-type doors 3, 4, 5, and 6 (door 5 in the illustrated example) and the front end face of refrigerator 1. Part A is also the fitting portion of inner box 20 into outer box 10. In the example below, the fitting portion on the right side when viewed from the front of refrigerator 1 will be described. However, the following description can be similarly applied to fitting portions on the left, upper, and lower sides when viewed from the front of refrigerator 1.

[0010] The refrigerator 1 includes an outer box 10, an inner box 20, and a vacuum insulation material 30.

[0011] The outer box 10 is a structure made of a metal such as steel. The outer box 10 can also be called a housing. The outer box 10 is a structure that forms the outer shell of the refrigerator 1, such as the left and right side walls 16, the back wall, and the top, and is exposed to the outside. The fitting portion (joint portion) of the outer box 10, particularly the fitting portion with the inner box 20, is formed by bending a metal plate 11 such as a steel plate. The "bent portion" refers to a portion where the extension direction of the metal plate 11 changes direction, and similar descriptions hereinafter have the same meaning unless otherwise specified. The end of the metal plate 11 that forms the outer box 10 includes, for example, a tip 12 of the metal plate 11 and a portion that is somewhat close to the tip 12 in the extension direction of the metal plate 11 when viewed from the tip 12 (e.g., the above-mentioned fitting portion). In the example of the present disclosure, the end of the metal plate 11 is bent to form a recess 13 in the outer box 10 that fits the end 21 of the inner box 20.

[0012] The recess 13 is formed continuously by bending the metal plate 11, and is a single piece of the metal plate 11. In the illustrated example of the refrigerator 1, the metal plate 11 that forms the right side wall 16 is bent leftward at the front side. The bent metal plate 11 extends to the front side, and comes into contact with the gasket 59 arranged on the inside of the door 5. In other words, the outer box 10 and the gasket 59 abut against each other. The metal plate 11 arranged on the front side has approximately the same size (length) as the gasket 59, and is folded back at the front edge 15, which is the end of the gasket 59 opposite the side wall 16. The folded metal plate 11 extends along the metal plate 11 on the front side, to the inside of the metal plate 11 that forms the side wall 16, and then faces toward the rear side.

[0013] The metal plate 11 facing rearward is bent into a convex shape (mountain shape) on the side of the vacuum insulation material 30, which is disposed between the outer box 10 and the inner box 20. As a result, a bent portion 14 is formed in the bent portion. At the bent portion 14, the metal plate 11 is bent at an acute angle, so that the bent portion 14 protrudes toward the vacuum insulation material 30. However, on the side of the vacuum insulation material 30, which is outside the bent portion 14, the metal plate 11 is bent so as to have an R-shape, i.e., so as not to bend out of the corners. Therefore, the bent portion 14 comes into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30 over a surface having a certain width. This prevents damage to the vacuum insulation material 30 due to contact with the bent portion 14.

[0014] Metal plate 11, whose orientation has been changed by bent portion 14, is further changed near tip 12 of metal plate 11 so as to extend in the left-right direction of refrigerator 1. Recess 13 is then formed between tip 12 and the portion of metal plate 11 that faces tip 12 on the front side of refrigerator 1. In other words, outer box 10 is formed from metal plate 11 that has been bent to form recess 13.

[0015] The metal plate 11 has a flat shape near the tip 12. That is, the flat shape near the tip 12 is not bent, and the tip 12 of the metal plate 11 faces the inner box 20. This reduces the heat capacity near the tip 12, thereby preventing so-called "heat buildup." By preventing heat buildup, heat transfer from the tip 12, which is part of the metal plate 11 forming the outer box 10, to the inner box 20 can be prevented, and heat transfer to the storage chamber 8 formed inside the inner box 20 can be prevented. In particular, the outside of the outer box 10 is at the temperature of the environment in which the refrigerator 1 is placed (e.g., room temperature), which is usually higher than the storage chamber 8. Therefore, heat present in the environment in which the refrigerator 1 is placed can be prevented from being transferred to the storage chamber 8 inside the inner box 20, preventing the storage chamber 8 from unintentionally rising in temperature.

[0016] In addition, the distance from the joint surface (inner surface 17 of side wall 16) between the vacuum insulation material 30 and the outer box 10 to the tip 12 is shorter than the thickness of the vacuum insulation material 30. This allows the tip 12 to be spaced away from the inner box 20, and heat transfer from the tip 12 to the inner box 20 can be suppressed.

[0017] A bent portion 14 exists between the tip 12 and the vacuum insulation material 30. Therefore, although the bent portion 14 may come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30, the tip 12 can be prevented from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. Because the tip 12 is usually sharp, if the tip 12 comes into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30, the vacuum insulation material 30 may be damaged. Furthermore, because the tip 12 is formed by, for example, cutting a metal plate, burrs may remain on the tip 12. Therefore, if the burrs come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30, the burrs may also damage the vacuum insulation material 30. However, since the tip 12 is prevented from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30 as disclosed herein, damage to the vacuum insulation material 30 caused by contact of the tip 12 can be prevented.

[0018] The portion of metal plate 11 that forms recess 13 includes tip 12 of metal plate 11 and bent portion 14 that is located closer to side wall 16 of refrigerator 1 (toward inner surface 17) than tip 12 and that is located on the side of vacuum insulation material 30. The portion of metal plate 11 that forms recess 13 faces tip 12 on the front side of refrigerator 1 and extends in the left-right direction of refrigerator 1. The portion of metal plate 11 that forms recess 13 extends in the front-rear direction of refrigerator 1 and is located on the opposite side to the opening that connects to recess 13 (the opening through which inner box 20 is initially inserted).

[0019] A pipe 7 (e.g., a heat transfer pipe) for a refrigerant that flows through a refrigeration cycle device (not shown) provided in the refrigerator 1 is arranged inside the recess 13. For example, hot gas of the refrigerant flows through the pipe 7, and the pipe 7 can function as a part of a condenser, for example. The pipe 7 is formed on the front side of the refrigerator 1 and is arranged around an opening (not shown) that is closed by the doors 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This allows the area around the opening to be heated by the refrigerant flowing through the pipe 7, and prevents condensation from forming around the opening.

[0020] The inner box 20 is a structure that forms the storage chamber 8 inside the inner box 20. The inner box 20 is made of, for example, resin, and is formed by, for example, injection molding. When a user opens the doors 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the user can see the inner box 20.

[0021] The inner box 20 fits into a recess 13 formed in the outer box 10. An end 21 (edge) of the inner box 20 fits into the recess 13. The end 21 has a bent shape. The end 21 is positioned in the recess 13 so as to fit into the gap between the pipe 7 and the tip 12. The end 21 has a shape slightly larger than the entrance of the recess 13. Therefore, when the inner box 20 is fitted into the recess 13 by inserting the end 21 into the recess 13, the end 22 of the resin member (resin plate) constituting the inner box 20 is inserted into the gap between the pipe 7 and the tip 12, and the end 21 is pushed in as is, causing the bent portion 14 to function like a leaf spring. As a result, the gap between the tip 12 and the pipe 7 widens slightly, and the bent portion of the inner box 20 fits into the gap between the pipe 7 and the tip 12. At the same time, the end 22 of the inner box 20 is positioned outward of the pipe 7. Furthermore, in the bent portion, on the side opposite to the side where outer box 10 and inner box 20 abut or nearly abut, end 21 comes into contact with, for example, a circular pipe 7. Furthermore, tip 22 of inner box 20 abuts against metal plate 11 of outer box 10. This also generates frictional forces, and inner box 20 is fixed to outer box 10.

[0022] The inner box 20 abuts or nearly abuts between the tip 12 and the bent portion 14 of the metal plate 11 inside the recess 13. In the illustrated example, the bent portion of the end 21 of the inner box 20 abuts against the inner wall surface of the metal plate 11 between the tip 12 and the bent portion 14. This abutment generates friction between the outer box 10 and the inner box 20, and the inner box 20 can be firmly fixed to the outer box 10 by this frictional force.

[0023] However, this is not limited to abutment, and may be approximate abutment. The term "approximate abutment" as used herein refers to, for example, a case where the design is to abut but the abutment is not achieved due to tolerances, or a case where the design is to abut but the abutment is unintentionally released (i.e., disengaged) due to, for example, the injection pressure during the injection of the urethane foam described below, and the urethane solidifies in the released state. The term "approximate abutment" can include a case where the inner box 20 does not abut, but even in the case where the inner box 20 does not abut, as described above, the inner box 20 is fixed to the outer box 10 by, for example, abutting (contacting) the inner box 20 and the piping 7.

[0024] The vacuum heat insulating material 30 is a heat insulating material disposed adjacent to the recess 13. Here, the vacuum heat insulating material 30 will be described.

[0025] The vacuum insulation material 30 is composed of a core material, an outer covering material that encases the core material, and an adsorbent material that adsorbs internal gases and gases that invade from the outside. The core material is, for example, inorganic glass wool made of glass. Materials such as short fibers and long fibers are used as glass wool, but the material is not particularly limited to these. The adsorbent material is capable of adsorbing internal gases and external gases, and examples of such materials include quicklime and synthetic zeolite. The outer covering material encases the core material and maintains the interior in a reduced pressure state (a so-called vacuum state). In other words, the outer covering material forms the exterior of the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0026] A suitable outer covering material is a laminate film that has gas barrier properties and can be heat-sealed. A suitable laminate film has a four-layer structure consisting of a surface protection layer, a first gas barrier layer, a second gas barrier layer, and a heat-sealed layer.

[0027] As the surface protective layer, it is preferable to use a resin film that acts as a protective material and has low moisture absorption.

[0028] The first gas barrier layer is preferably a resin film with a metal vapor deposition layer provided thereon. The second gas barrier layer is preferably a resin film with high oxygen barrier properties with a metal vapor deposition layer provided thereon. The first and second gas barrier layers are preferably formed by bonding the two resin films together so that the metal vapor deposition layers face each other.

[0029] As with the surface protective layer, it is preferable to use a resin film with low moisture absorption for the heat-sealing layer.

[0030] Specifically, the surface protective layer is preferably a biaxially oriented resin film such as polypropylene, polyamide, or polyethylene terephthalate. The first gas barrier layer is preferably a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film with aluminum vapor deposition. The second gas barrier layer is preferably a biaxially oriented ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin film with aluminum vapor deposition, or a biaxially oriented polyvinyl alcohol resin film or aluminum foil. The heat-sealing layer is preferably a resin film such as unoriented polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0031] As described above, the vacuum insulation material 30 is disposed between the outer box 10 and the inner box 20. However, an additional insulation material, for example, urethane foam (not shown) foamed on site, is disposed between the outer box 10 and the inner box 20. The urethane foam is also disposed inside the recess 13. Therefore, an insulation layer 40 consisting of the vacuum insulation material 30 and urethane foam is disposed between the outer box 10 and the inner box 20. An insulation layer 40 (urethane foam) is also disposed between the tip 12 and the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0032] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the fitting portion of the inner box 20 into the outer box 10 of a refrigerator 1 according to another embodiment. In the example of FIG. 3, the metal plate 11 is bent near the leading end 12 in a direction away from the vacuum insulation material 30. This bending forms a bent portion 121. A portion of the metal plate 11 is disposed between the leading end 12 and the vacuum insulation material 30. The portion of the metal plate 11 that is disposed is the metal plate 11 that is disposed between the bent portion 121 near the leading end 12 and the bent portion 14. As described above, when the inner box 20 is fitted into the recess 13, the bent portion 14 functions like a leaf spring, causing the leading end 12 to tilt toward the vacuum insulation material 30. Therefore, by disposing the inner box 20 in this manner, even if the leading end 12 tilts toward the vacuum insulation material 30, the bent portion 121 may come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30, but the leading end 12 can be prevented from contacting the vacuum insulation material 30, thereby preventing damage to the vacuum insulation material 30. In addition, in the vicinity of the tip 12, the metal plate 11 is bent to the side opposite to the vacuum heat insulating material 30, so that the distance between the tip 12 and the vacuum heat insulating material 30 can be secured.

[0033] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a fitting portion of inner box 20 into outer box 10 in refrigerator 1 of another embodiment. In the example of Fig. 4, the vicinity of tip 12 of metal plate 11 has a flat plate shape.

[0034] Tip 12 is positioned closer to side wall 16 of outer box 10 (outside refrigerator 1) than flange surface F of outer box 10 in the thickness direction of vacuum insulation material 30 (the left-right length of refrigerator 1). Flange surface F of outer box 10 is a surface that passes front edge 15 of outer box 10 (the portion where metal plate 11 is folded back at the front) and extends in the front-to-rear direction of refrigerator 1. Protective member 50, which will be described later, is also positioned closer to side wall 16 of outer box 10 than flange surface F.

[0035] The distance L1 from the tip 12 to the vacuum insulation material 30 is shorter than the distance L2 from the tip 12 to the side wall 16 of the outer box 10. This allows the tip 12 to be closer to the vacuum insulation material 30. Therefore, the insulating effect of the vacuum insulation material 30 can be utilized to suppress heat transfer from the tip 12 to the inner box 20. Furthermore, the tip 12 is positioned closer to the side wall 16 than the side surface 31 of the vacuum insulation material 30 facing the inner box 20. Therefore, the tip 12 can be separated from the inner box 20, and the insulating effect of the insulating layer 40 (particularly urethane foam) can be utilized to suppress heat transfer from the tip 12 to the inner box 20.

[0036] The outer box 10, vacuum insulation material 30, and metal plate 11 are arranged in the following order from the inner box 20 toward the side wall 16 of the outer box 10: flange surface F of the outer box 10, side surface 31 of the vacuum insulation material 30 facing the inner box 20, and the portion of the metal plate 11 closest to the inner box 20, such as the tip 12. In this manner, the portion of the metal plate 11 closest to the inner box 20 (such as the tip 12) can be sufficiently separated from the inner box 20, thereby suppressing heat transfer to the inner box 20. The flange surface F is a surface that passes through the front edge 15 of the outer box 10 and extends in the front-to-rear direction of the refrigerator 1. Furthermore, surface 36 faces the outer surface 25 of the inner box 20.

[0037] A protective member 50 is provided on the tip 12 of the metal plate 11. The protective member 50 is a member that prevents the tip 12 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. In other words, the protective member 50 is a member that protects the vacuum insulation material 30. By providing the protective member 50, even if the metal plate 11 including the tip 12 is temporarily tilted toward the vacuum insulation material 30 as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 4 when the inner box 20 is fitted into the recess 13, it is possible to prevent the tip 12 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0038] Although the drawing number is skipped, even when the protective member 50 is not provided at the tip 12 as in Fig. 13, the heat insulating effect of the vacuum insulation material 30 can be utilized to suppress heat transfer from the tip 12 to the inner box 20, as in the embodiment in Fig. 4. Furthermore, since the protective member 50 is not required, the number of parts is reduced, which simplifies assembly and reduces costs.

[0039] The specific shape of the protective member 50 is not particularly limited, as long as it is a shape that can cover the tip 12, in addition to the shapes shown in Figures 6 to 9 described below. In the example shown in Figure 4, the protective member 50 has a cylindrical shape with a portion cut out in the circumferential direction. The protective member 50 can be attached to the tip 12 by inserting (inserting) the tip 12 into the cut-out portion.

[0040] It is preferable that the contact portion of the protective member 50 with the vacuum insulation material 30 (the portion that may come into contact) has a surface (flat or curved). That is, it is preferable that the protective member 50 has a contact surface 51 (for example, a flat or curved surface) that is the surface that comes into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30 when the protective member 50 and the vacuum insulation material 30 come into contact. This allows the surfaces to come into contact with each other, sufficiently preventing damage to the vacuum insulation material 30 caused by the protective member 50. That is, the contact pressure at the contact surface can be made lower than the puncture strength of, for example, the outer packaging material of the vacuum insulation material 30. Note that contact between the surfaces can be achieved by designing the protective member 50 so that the contact portion does not have corners, or by chamfering contact portions that originally had corners.

[0041] In this way, it is preferable that the contact surface 51 of the protective member 50, which is the contact portion when the protective member 50 comes into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30, has a contact area larger than the contact area of ​​the contact portion when the tip 12 is assumed to come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0042] The material of the protective member 50 is preferably a material with lower thermal conductivity than the metal plate 11 (e.g., steel plate) that constitutes the outer box 10. For example, by using a urethane foam insulating material, the same as the constituent material of the insulating layer 40, heat transfer to the inner box 20 can be suppressed. When the protective member 50 is made of urethane foam, for example, a molded product that has been foam-molded into the shape of the protective member 50 using another mold can be used. By using such a molded product, both protection and insulation can be achieved.

[0043] The protective member 50 may be made of resin. There are no particular limitations on the resin that can be used, but examples include polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, ABS resin (a copolymer of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), and PVC resin (polyvinyl chloride). Furthermore, the protective member 50 may be made of a hot melt adhesive, foam melt, mirror mat, elastic material, etc.

[0044] FIG. 5 is a side view of the refrigerator 1, illustrating the location where the protective member 50 is attached. In FIG. 5, for simplicity of illustration, part of the portion of the outer casing 10 that is exposed to the outside of the refrigerator 1 is not shown. As described above, the protective member 50 is attached to the leading end 12 of the outer casing 10. However, the protective member 50 may be disposed on the entire leading end 12 adjacent to the vacuum insulation material 30, or may be disposed on only a portion of the leading end 12.

[0045] When the protective member 50 is disposed only partially, it is preferable that the protective member 50 be provided at least on the tip 12 of the metal plate 11 that is closest in distance to the vacuum insulation material 30. This is because, when manufacturing the vacuum insulation material 30, the excess outer covering material from the core material is folded back, and the end where this folded back portion overlaps is likely to be the largest. By arranging the protective member 50 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the tip 12, which is closest in distance and most likely to come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30, from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. Furthermore, because the metal plate 11 hardly shrinks and is also difficult to bend, protecting the closest tip 12 also prevents the other tips 12 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0046] Furthermore, when provided only in a portion, for example, multiple protective members 50 may be provided at equal intervals. In the illustrated example, three protective members 50 are provided at equal intervals on the side wall of the refrigerator 1 at the top, the center in the vertical direction, and the bottom. Also, since partitions are provided between each storage compartment 8 (room) of the refrigerator 1 to separate the compartments, protective members 50 can be placed in locations that avoid these partitions. Furthermore, protective members 50 may be placed on all of the ends 12 adjacent to the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0047] 6 is a top view of a refrigerator 1 according to another embodiment, showing a state in which a protective member 50 is attached. The protective member 50 shown in FIG. 6 has a different shape from the protective member 50 shown in FIG. 4 above.

[0048] Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the protective member 50 shown in Fig. 6. The protective member 50 in Fig. 7 is formed of a flexible material (e.g., an elastic body) such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The protective member 50 has a gap 52 into which the tip 12 is inserted, a flat portion 53, and a curved portion 54. The flat portion 53 and the curved portion 54 are connected by a connection portion 55 located near the tip 12 (Fig. 6). The curved portion 54 has a contact surface 51 as described above at a portion that comes into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0049] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how the protective member 50 shown in FIG. 6 comes into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. When the protective member 50 is bent and widened to insert the metal plate 11 through the gap 52, the inner wall surface 531 of the flat portion 53 comes into contact with the metal plate 11. This allows the metal plate 11 to support the protective member 50. In particular, frictional force is generated between the inner wall surface 531 and the metal plate 11, allowing for relatively strong support. Furthermore, when the metal plate 11 is inserted all the way, the tip 12 is positioned near the connection portion 55 inside the protective member 50. Meanwhile, a space (gap) is formed between the metal plate 11 and the inner wall surface 541 of the curved portion 54, which is positioned on the opposite side of the flat portion 53 of the inserted metal plate 11.

[0050] As described above, when the inner box 20 is inserted into the recess 13, the bent portion 14, which functions as a leaf spring, can bring the tip 12 close to the vacuum insulation material 30. In some cases, the protective member 50 may come into contact with the side surface 31 of the vacuum insulation material 30 (the surface facing the protective member 50). Therefore, the contact surface 51 is formed by a surface as described above. This allows the contact area, which is the size of the contact portion, to be increased, and damage to the vacuum insulation material 30 can be suppressed. The surface that forms the contact surface 51 may be curved or flat as described above, but in the example shown, it is curved.

[0051] Figure 9 is a diagram showing how a protective member 50 of another embodiment comes into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. As described above, the contact surface 51 provided on the protective member 50 is preferably a surface, but the contact surface 51 may also be a corner. In other words, if the pressure of the protective member 50 at the contact surface 51 is less than that which would damage the vacuum insulation material 30, the vacuum insulation material 30 will not be damaged. Qualitatively speaking, the vacuum insulation material 30 will not be damaged if the protective member 50 only slightly touches the vacuum insulation material 30. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 9, the contact surface 51 is a corner of the protective member 50.

[0052] In the example of FIG. 9 , the protective member 50 has a flat portion 56 instead of the curved portion 54. The flat portion 56 is connected to the flat portion 53 at a connecting portion 55. The flat portion 56 has a flat portion 57 that is connected at a right angle to the upper end of the flat portion 53, and a flat portion 58 that is connected to the flat portion 57 at the end of the flat portion 57 on the side of the vacuum insulation material 30. The flat portion 58 faces the flat portion 53 when the metal plate 11 is not inserted. The distance between the flat portion 53 and the flat portion 58 is approximately the same as the thickness of the metal plate 11. Even when the protective member 50 has such a shape, damage to the vacuum insulation material 30 due to contact of the tip 12 with the vacuum insulation material 30 can be suppressed.

[0053] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the portion where the inner box 20 is fixed to the outer box 10 in a refrigerator 1 of another embodiment. In the embodiments shown in Fig. 10 and Figs. 11 and 12 described later, damage to the vacuum insulation material 30 due to contact of the leading end 12 with the vacuum insulation material 30 is also suppressed. However, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the inner box 20 is fixed to the inner surface 17 of the outer box 10 by bonding using, for example, an adhesive. Furthermore, the inner box 20 is fitted inside the front edge 15 of the outer box 10, and therefore the inner box 20 is fitted to the outer box 10.

[0054] The vacuum insulation material 30 is disposed between the outer box 10 and the inner box 20 as described above. At least a portion of the vacuum insulation material 30 is bonded to the outer box 10. In the illustrated example, the entire surface 32 of the vacuum insulation material 30 on the side wall 16 side is bonded (adhered) to the metal plate 11 by an adhesive layer 60. The adhesive layer 60 is bonded to the inner surface 17 of the metal plate 11 that forms the side wall 16 portion of the outer box 10. The adhesive layer 60 can be formed, for example, by applying heated hot melt adhesive to the metal plate 11, arranging the vacuum insulation material 30 so that it adheres to the hot melt adhesive, and then solidifying it (by cooling naturally, for example). A hot melt adhesive is an adhesive that is solid at room temperature but becomes liquid when heated.

[0055] The tip 12 of the metal plate 11 is provided on the inner surface 17, which is a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the vacuum insulation material 30 (the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1). However, since the tip 12 and the inner surface 17 are different parts, the tip 12 can also be said to be provided in the vicinity of the inner surface 17, directly adjacent to the inner surface 17 and directly facing the inner surface 17. At the same time, the tip 12 overlaps the vacuum insulation material 30 when viewed in the thickness direction of the vacuum insulation material 30. Therefore, a portion of the metal plate 11 including the tip 12 is disposed between the vacuum insulation material 30 and the portion of the metal plate 11 that forms the side wall 16. The adhesive layer 60 is also formed so as to cover a portion of the metal plate 11 including the tip 12.

[0056] The adhesive layer 60 is a protective member 70 (first protective member) that protects the vacuum insulation material 30. The protective member 70, which is the adhesive layer 60, is disposed between the tip 12 and the vacuum insulation material 30. The vacuum insulation material 30 then abuts (adheres, joins) against the protective member 70. As described above, the tip 12 is formed by cutting a metal plate. Therefore, burrs may remain on the tip 12 due to the cutting process. Therefore, by providing the adhesive layer 60 so as to cover the tip 12, it is possible to prevent burrs from coming into contact with the surface 32 of the vacuum insulation material 30. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the vacuum insulation material 30 caused by contact of the tip 12 (especially any burrs that may remain) with the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0057] If the thickness of the adhesive layer 60 (the length in the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1) is greater than the thickness of the metal plate 11, the tip 12 can be buried in the adhesive layer 60. This makes it difficult for burrs that may be present at the tip 12 to come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. However, even if the thickness of the adhesive layer 60 is less than the thickness of the metal plate 11, by providing the adhesive layer 60 so as to cover the tip 12, it is possible to make it difficult for burrs that may be present at the tip 12 to come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. In other words, because burrs are usually smaller than the thickness of the metal plate 11, covering the tip 12 with the adhesive layer 60 makes it difficult for the burrs to come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0058] The protective member 70 is arranged so as to cover at least the side of the tip 12 of the metal plate 11 where the vacuum insulation material 30 is arranged. As described above, the protective member 70 is an adhesive that bonds the vacuum insulation material 30 to the outer box 10. In this way, it is possible to prevent the vacuum insulation material 30 from being affected by burrs that may be present at the tip 12 when bonding the vacuum insulation material 30 to the outer box 10. This reduces the effort required to deal with burrs.

[0059] The outer box 10 is formed from a metal plate 11 that is bent to have a joint 19 for joining to the inner box 20. The joint 19 is formed on the metal plate 11 that is located behind the metal plate 11 that is exposed to the outside on the front side of the refrigerator 1. At the joint 19, the metal plate 11 and an end 23 that connects to the front end 22 of the inner box 20 are joined (adhered) with an adhesive layer 61. The end 23 is formed in a flat plate shape. The adhesive layer 61 can be formed, for example, by applying heated hot melt adhesive to the joint 19 (metal plate 11), positioning the inner box 20 so that it adheres to the hot melt adhesive, and then allowing it to harden. The positioning can be achieved by inserting the end 23 of the inner box 20 into a gap 80 (gap) formed between the front edge 15 of the outer box 10 and the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0060] In this manner, the front edge 18 of the metal plate 11 of the refrigerator 1 is adhered to the inner box 20 (particularly, the front end 23 of the inner box 20). By adhering at this position, the inner box 20 can be fixed to the outer box 10.

[0061] A gap 80 is formed between the outer box 10 and a side surface 31 of the vacuum insulation material 30, which is the surface facing the front of the refrigerator 1. The end portion 23 of the inner box 20 is inserted into the gap 80. The side surface 31 is the surface that is located near the tip 12 (on the tip 12 side) among the surfaces that make up the vacuum insulation material 30, and is the surface that faces the end portion 23 of the inner box 20 when the inner box 20 is installed. However, as will be described in detail later, a protective member 62 may be placed between the side surface 31 and the end portion 23. By forming the gap 80, the end portion 23 of the inner box 20 can be inserted into the gap 80, and the inner box 20 can be joined.

[0062] As described above, the inner box 20 is fixed by applying, for example, a hot melt adhesive to the outer box 10 and inserting the end portion 23 into the gap 80. The size of the vacuum insulation material 30 is such that it is arranged up to the front edge 15 of the outer box 10 to enhance the insulating effect, and therefore the size of the gap 80 (the length in the front-to-rear direction of the refrigerator 1) is small. For this reason, when the inner box 20 is inserted into the gap 80, the end portion 23 may come into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0063] Therefore, to protect the vacuum insulation material 30, a protective member 62 (second protective member) is provided that covers at least the corners 33 of the vacuum insulation material 30 that form the opening of the gap 80, among the side surfaces 31 that are the surfaces of the vacuum insulation material 30 that define the gap 80. This prevents the end portion 23 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30 when the end portion 23 is inserted into the gap 80, thereby preventing damage to the vacuum insulation material 30. In particular, when the end portion 23 is inserted into a narrow gap 80, the end portion 23 is most likely to come into contact with the corners 33 of the vacuum insulation material 30. Therefore, by covering at least the corners 33, damage to the vacuum insulation material 30 near the corners 33 can be prevented.

[0064] In the example of the present disclosure, the protective member 62 includes flat protective portions 621, 622. The protective portion 621 is a member that extends from the corner 33 along the surface 34 of the vacuum insulation material 30 that extends in the front-to-rear direction of the refrigerator 1. The protective portion 622 is a member that extends from the corner 33 along the side surface 31 of the vacuum insulation material 30 that extends in the left-to-right direction of the refrigerator 1. The protective portions 621 and 622 are joined near the corner 33 so as to follow the side surface 31 and surface (top surface) of the vacuum insulation material 30. The protective portion 621 faces the member 24 of the inner box 20 that is exposed to the storage chamber 8. The protective portion 622 faces the end portion 23 of the inner box 20.

[0065] The constituent material of the protective member 62 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can prevent the end portion 23 from coming into direct contact with the vacuum insulation material 30. Examples of constituent materials include adhesive tapes such as double-sided tape and single-sided tape, hot melt adhesives, urethane, and resin materials.

[0066] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the portion where inner box 20 is fixed to outer box 10 in refrigerator 1 of another embodiment. In the example of FIG. 11, protective member 70 is pipe 7 arranged near tip 12 of metal plate 11. As described above, pipe 7 is a pipe for refrigerant that flows through a refrigeration cycle (not shown) provided in refrigerator 1. Pipe 7 is provided between the vicinity of tip 12 and vacuum insulation material 30. This makes it possible to prevent damage to vacuum insulation material 30 caused by burrs on tip 12.

[0067] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a portion where the inner box 20 is fixed to the outer box 10 in a refrigerator 1 of another embodiment. In the example of FIG. 12, multiple pipes 7 are arranged along the side wall 16. The vacuum insulation material 30 has a bent structure (stepped shape) to avoid the pipes 7. Specifically, the vacuum insulation material 30 has an inclined surface 35 that is bent from the adhesive layer 60 toward the tip 12 of the metal plate 11 so as to leave a space 81 with respect to the outer box 10. The adhesive layer 60 is the adhesive portion between the vacuum insulation material 30 and the side wall 16 of the outer box 10. The pipes 7 are provided in the space 81 so as to abut against the vacuum insulation material 30. This structure also makes it possible to prevent the tip 12 from coming into contact with the vacuum insulation material 30.

[0068] 12, a plurality of pipes 7 are provided. In the space 81, one pipe 7 is provided near the inclined surface 35. In the space 81, one pipe 7 is provided near the tip 12. The one pipe 7 provided near the tip 12 also functions as a protective member 70.

[0069] Space 81 may or may not be filled with urethane foam. Refrigerator 1 may also be provided with a vent pipe (not shown) that communicates with space 81. The vent pipe is a pipe that connects space 81 (the space between outer box 10 and inner box 20) with the outside of refrigerator 1. By providing the vent pipe, the pressure in the space between outer box 10 and inner box 20 can be made the same as the external pressure, and deformation of the structures of refrigerator 1, such as outer box 10 and inner box 20, due to gas remaining in space 81 can be suppressed.

[0070] The present disclosure encompasses the following technical ideas 1 and 2.

[0071] [Technical thought 1] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the inner box abuts against the metal plate between a bent portion adjacent to the leading edge of the metal plate and another bent portion on the opposite side of the leading edge of the metal plate as viewed from the bent portion (FIG. 8). Therefore, the leading edge of the metal plate is positioned on the opposite side from the side that abuts against the inner box. This means that the leading edge of the metal plate may come into contact with the vacuum insulation material, potentially damaging the vacuum insulation material. The problem that Technical Idea 1 aims to solve is to provide a refrigerator with high insulation performance that can suppress damage to the vacuum insulation material.

[0072] [Appendix 1-1] A refrigerator, Metal outer box and an inner box that fits into a recess formed in the outer box; a vacuum insulation material disposed adjacent to the recess between the outer box and the inner box, the outer box is formed of a metal plate bent to form the recess, The portion of the metal plate that forms the recess is a tip of the metal plate; a bent portion that is disposed closer to the side wall of the refrigerator than the tip and is disposed on the vacuum insulation material side; Equipped with The inner box abuts or substantially abuts between the tip of the metal plate and the bent portion inside the recess. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-2] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-1, The metal plate is bent in a direction away from the vacuum insulation material near the tip thereof, A part of the metal plate is disposed between the tip and the vacuum heat insulating material. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-3] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-1, The tip is disposed closer to the side wall of the outer box than the flange surface of the outer box in the thickness direction of the vacuum insulation material, An insulating layer is disposed between the tip and the vacuum insulating material, The distance from the tip to the vacuum insulation material is shorter than the distance from the tip to the side wall of the outer box. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-4] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-1, The outer box, the vacuum insulation material, and the metal plate are arranged in the following order from the inner box toward the side wall of the outer box: the flange surface of the outer box, the surface of the vacuum insulation material facing the inner box, and the portion of the metal plate closest to the inner box. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-5] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-1, The metal plate has a flat shape near the tip. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-6] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-1, A protective member is provided at the tip of the metal plate. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-7] A refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-6, The protective member is a member that prevents the tip from coming into contact with the vacuum heat insulating material. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-8] A refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-6, The protective member is provided at least at the tip of the metal plate where the distance between the tip of the metal plate and the vacuum heat insulating material is shortest. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-9] A refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-6, The protective member has a contact area at a contact portion between the protective member and the vacuum heat insulating material that is larger than the contact area of ​​the contact portion when the tip is assumed to be in contact with the vacuum heat insulating material. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 1-10] A refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 1-6, The protective member has a surface that comes into contact with the vacuum heat insulating material when the protective member and the vacuum heat insulating material come into contact with each other. A refrigerator characterized by:

[0073] [Technical thought 2] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the leading ends of the metal plates that form the outer box are exposed, which means that there is a risk that the leading ends may come into contact with the vacuum insulation material, causing the vacuum insulation material to be damaged. The problem that Technical Concept 2 aims to solve is to provide a refrigerator with high insulation performance that can suppress damage to the vacuum insulation material.

[0074] [Appendix 2-1] A refrigerator, Metal outer box and A vacuum insulation material is disposed between the outer box and the inner box, the outer box is formed of a metal plate that is bent to have a joint that joins with the inner box, The tip of the metal plate is provided on a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the vacuum insulation material and overlaps the vacuum insulation material when viewed in the thickness direction, At least a portion of the vacuum insulation material is joined to the outer box, The vacuum insulation material abuts against a first protective member disposed between the tip and the vacuum insulation material. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 2-2] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 2-1, The metal plate has a front edge that is bonded to the inner box. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 2-3] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 2-1, The first protective member is arranged to cover at least the end of the metal plate on the side where the vacuum heat insulating material is arranged, and is an adhesive that bonds the vacuum heat insulating material to the outer box. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 2-4] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 2-1, The first protective member is disposed near the tip of the metal plate and is a pipe for a refrigerant flowing through a refrigeration cycle provided in the refrigerator. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 2-5] The refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 2-1, A gap is formed between the surface of the vacuum heat insulating material on the front side of the refrigerator and the outer box. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 2-6] A refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 2-5, an end of the inner box is inserted into the gap; A second protective member is provided to cover at least a corner of the vacuum heat insulating material that defines the gap, the corner forming the opening of the gap. A refrigerator characterized by: [Appendix 2-7] A refrigerator according to Supplementary Note 2-5, The vacuum heat insulating material has an inclined surface that is bent so as to have a space with respect to the outer box from the adhesive portion between the vacuum heat insulating material and the side wall of the outer box toward the tip side of the metal plate, In the space, a piping for a refrigerant flowing through a refrigeration cycle provided in the refrigerator is provided in contact with the vacuum heat insulating material. A refrigerator characterized by: [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 refrigerator 10 outer box 11 Metal plate 12 Tip 121 Bent section 13 Recess 14 Bending section 15 Anterior margin 16 side wall 17 Inner 18 Edge 19 Joint 2 doors 20 Inner box 21 End 22 Tip 23 End 24 Components 25 sides 3 doors 30 Vacuum insulation material 31 Side 32 sides 33 angle 34 sides 35 Slope 4 doors 40 Insulation Layer 5 doors 50 Protective material 51 Contact surface 52 Gap 53 Plane part 54 Curved part 55 Connection 56 Plane section 57 Plane part 58 Plane section 59 Gasket 6 doors 60 Adhesive layer 61 Adhesive layer 62 Protective member (second protective member) 621 Protection Department 622 Protection Department 7 Piping 70 protective member (first protective member) 8. Storage Room 80 void 81 Space F flange surface L1 distance L2 distance

Claims

1. It is a refrigerator, Metal outer box and A vacuum insulation material is disposed between the outer box and the inner box, the outer box is formed of a metal plate that is bent to have a joint that joins with the inner box, The tip of the metal plate is provided on the inner surface of the outer box, which is a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the vacuum insulation material, and overlaps the vacuum insulation material when viewed in the thickness direction, At least a portion of the vacuum insulation material is joined to the outer box, The vacuum insulation material abuts against a first protective member disposed between the tip and the vacuum insulation material. A refrigerator characterized by:

2. A refrigerator according to claim 1, The metal plate has a front edge that is bonded to the inner box. A refrigerator characterized by the following features.

3. A refrigerator according to claim 1, The first protective member is disposed so as to cover at least the end of the metal plate on the side where the vacuum heat insulating material is disposed, and is an adhesive that bonds the vacuum heat insulating material to the outer box. A refrigerator characterized by the following features.

4. A refrigerator according to claim 1, The first protective member is disposed near the tip of the metal plate and is a pipe for a refrigerant flowing through a refrigeration cycle provided in the refrigerator. A refrigerator characterized by the following features.

5. A refrigerator according to claim 1, A gap is formed between the surface of the vacuum heat insulating material on the front side of the refrigerator and the outer box. A refrigerator characterized by the following features.

6. A refrigerator according to claim 5, an end of the inner box is inserted into the gap; A second protective member is provided to cover at least a corner of the vacuum insulation material that defines the gap, the corner forming the opening of the gap, of the surface of the vacuum insulation material that defines the gap. A refrigerator characterized by the following features.

7. A refrigerator according to claim 5, The vacuum heat insulating material has an inclined surface that is bent so as to have a space with respect to the outer box from the adhesive portion between the vacuum heat insulating material and the side wall of the outer box toward the tip side of the metal plate, In the space, a piping for a refrigerant flowing through a refrigeration cycle provided in the refrigerator is provided as the first protection member in contact with the vacuum heat insulating material. A refrigerator characterized by the following features.

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