refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator capable of preventing deterioration of appearance even when a plate-shaped heat insulation material is built in.SOLUTION: A heat insulation casing of a refrigerator 10 includes an outer case, an inner case and a heat insulation material 17 disposed between the outer case and the inner case. The heat insulation material 17 includes: a side surface plate-shaped heat insulation material 22 bonded to an inner side surface of the outer case via a bonding material layer 30; and a filled heat insulation material 23 filled in a space between the outer case and the inner case. A refrigeration cycle includes a refrigerant pipe 38 through which a cooling medium for cooling flows and that is disposed along the inner surface of the outer case. A spacer 36 is disposed between any of the filled heat insulation material 23, the side surface plate-shaped heat insulation material 22, a lateral direction extending part 382 and the outer case.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator provided with a plate-shaped heat insulating material as a heat insulating material.

Background Art

[0002] In a general refrigerator, a storage chamber is formed inside a heat-insulating box body, and a front opening of this storage chamber is closably closed with a heat-insulating door. The heat-insulating box body is composed of an outer box made of a steel plate, an inner box made of a synthetic resin plate disposed inside the outer box, and a heat-insulating material filled between the outer box and the inner box.

[0003] Generally, urethane foam is adopted as the heat-insulating material filled in the heat-insulating box body of the refrigerator. However, in order to cope with further energy saving of the refrigerator, a heat-insulating material having higher heat insulation than urethane foam is preferable.

[0004] Therefore, in some cases, a plate-shaped heat-insulating material, for example, a vacuum heat-insulating material, is adopted as the heat-insulating material built into the heat-insulating box body. The vacuum heat-insulating material is obtained by vacuum-packaging a fibrous inorganic material such as glass wool, and has a heat-insulating effect more than ten times that of urethane foam. With such a configuration, the storage chamber and the outside can be well insulated by the vacuum heat-insulating material, and the energy required for the cooling operation of the refrigerator can be reduced.

[0005] Referring to FIG. 10, the configuration of a refrigerator 100 employing a vacuum heat-insulating material will be described. FIG. 10A is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the refrigerator 100, and FIGS. 10B and 10C are enlarged cross-sectional views.

[0006] Referring to FIG. 10A, the refrigerator 100 has an outer box 101 and an inner box 102, and a storage chamber 107 is formed inside the inner box 102. Between the outer box 101 and the inner box 102, a foam heat-insulating material 103 and a plate-shaped heat-insulating material 104 are disposed as heat-insulating materials. The plate-shaped heat-insulating material 104 is attached to the inner surface of the outer box 101. A pipe 106 through which a refrigerant flows is disposed on the inner surface of the outer box 101. <00​Referring to Figure 10B, an adhesive layer 105 is formed on the left main surface of the plate-shaped insulation material 104. The plate-shaped insulation material 104 is attached to the outer box 101 by the adhesive layer 105. In this way, the plate-shaped insulation material 104 can be fixed in a predetermined position on the outer box 101 during the manufacturing process of the refrigerator 100. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the plate-shaped insulation material 104 from detaching from the outer box 101 during the stage of transporting the outer box 101 inside the factory. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4111096 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] However, the aforementioned refrigerator had room for improvement in terms of protecting its appearance.

[0010] Specifically, referring to Figure 10C, after a certain amount of time has passed since the manufacture of the refrigerator 100, the foamed insulation material 103 shrinks. In particular, if the refrigerator 100 is stored in a low-temperature atmosphere, the amount of shrinkage of the foamed insulation material 103 increases. When this happens, the plate-shaped insulation material 104, the adhesive layer 105, and the outer casing 101 deform in accordance with the shrinkage of the foamed insulation material 103. Furthermore, because the pipe 106 is present between the plate-shaped insulation material 104 and the outer casing 101, the outer casing 101 deforms according to the shape of the pipe 106. As a result, the shape of the pipe 106 protrudes on the surface of the outer casing 101 like ribs, which degrades the appearance of the refrigerator 100 and results in a defective product.

[0011] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its objective is to provide a refrigerator that can prevent deterioration of its appearance even when a plate-shaped insulating material is incorporated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulated box, a storage chamber formed inside the insulated box, and a refrigeration cycle for cooling the storage chamber, wherein the insulated box has an outer box, an inner box, and an insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box, wherein the insulating material has a plate-shaped insulating material bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via an adhesive layer, and a filling insulating material filled in the space between the outer box and the inner box, wherein the refrigeration cycle has a refrigerant pipe through which a cooling refrigerant flows and which is disposed along the outer box, wherein the refrigerant pipe has a longitudinally extending portion and a transversely extending portion, a spacer is disposed between the plate-shaped insulating material and the outer box, the spacer is generally sheet-shaped and is disposed to cover both the longitudinally extending portion and the transversely extending portion of the refrigerant pipe, and the adhesive layer is disposed between the spacer and the plate-shaped insulating material. The peripheral portion of the plate-shaped insulation material is bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via the adhesive layer, and the spacer is placed between the portion surrounded by the peripheral portion of the plate-shaped insulation material and the inner surface of the outer box. It is characterized by the following: A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulated box, a storage chamber formed inside the insulated box, and a refrigeration cycle for cooling the storage chamber, wherein the insulated box has an outer box, an inner box, and an insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box, wherein the insulating material has a plate-shaped insulating material bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via an adhesive layer, and a filling insulating material filled in the space between the outer box and the inner box, wherein the refrigeration cycle has a refrigerant pipe through which a cooling refrigerant flows and which is disposed along the outer box, wherein the refrigerant pipe has a longitudinally extending portion and a transversely extending portion, and a spacer is placed between the plate-shaped insulating material and the filling insulating material, wherein the spacer as a whole is in the form of a sheet and is disposed to cover both the longitudinally extending portion and the transversely extending portion of the refrigerant pipe. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the refrigerator of the present invention, by arranging spacers, even if the insulation material shrinks after the refrigerator is manufactured, the outer casing will not deform significantly due to this shrinkage. Therefore, deformation of the outer casing along the shape of the refrigerant pipes can be suppressed, and a deterioration in the appearance of the refrigerator can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0024] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] A perspective view showing an outer case of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] An exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an outer case of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] An exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an outer case of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] An enlarged side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6A] An exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an outer case of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6B] A side view showing the configuration of an outer case of a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] An enlarged side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] An exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an outer case of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8B] A side view showing the configuration of an outer case of a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] An enlarged side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10A] An upper cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the background art. [Figure 10B] An enlarged upper cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the background art. [Figure 10C] An enlarged upper cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the background art.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the vertical direction indicates the height direction of the refrigerator 10, the left-right direction indicates the width direction of the refrigerator 10, and the front-back direction indicates the depth direction of the refrigerator 10. In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the same reference numeral will be used for the same component in principle, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0026] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator 10. The refrigerator 10 has a refrigerator compartment 12 and a freezer compartment 13 formed inside an insulated box 11. The front opening of the refrigerator compartment 12 is closed by an insulated door 34, and the front opening of the freezer compartment 13 is closed by an insulated door 35. The insulated doors 34 and 35 are, for example, revolving doors whose right end is rotatably connected to the insulated box 11. Pull-out doors may also be used as the insulated doors 34 and 35.

[0027] Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10. As shown in Figure 2, a cooling chamber 27 is partitioned behind the freezer compartment 13, and an evaporator 26 is housed in the cooling chamber 27. A machine room 14 is partitioned at the bottom rear of the insulated box 11, and a compressor 29 is housed in the machine room 14. The evaporator 26 and compressor 29 are connected to an expansion means and a condenser (not shown), forming a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. Here, each component constituting the refrigeration cycle is interconnected by refrigerant pipes 38, which will be described later. The refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle flows through the refrigerant pipes 38. The refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13 are partitioned by an insulated partition wall 33. The insulated partition wall 33 has the same insulation structure as the insulated box 11.

[0028] A blower 28 is installed at the top of the cooling chamber 27, and the blower 28 blows the air inside the cooling chamber 27, cooled by the evaporator 26, to the refrigerator chamber 12 and the freezer chamber 13. A damper 19 is provided in the air passage to the refrigerator chamber 12. A control device (not shown) detects the internal temperature sensor of the refrigerator chamber (not shown) and controls the opening and closing of the damper 19. This adjusts the flow rate of cold air to the refrigerator chamber 12 and maintains a constant internal temperature in the refrigerator chamber 12. Therefore, the refrigerator chamber 12 is cooled to the refrigeration temperature range, and the freezer chamber 13 is cooled to the freezing temperature range. The cold air that has cooled the refrigerator chamber 12 and the freezer chamber 13 returns to the cooling chamber 27. In Figure 2, the flow of cold air is indicated by arrows. A defrost heater 20 is installed below the evaporator 26 to melt the frost that has formed on the evaporator 26.

[0029] The insulated box 11 consists of an outer box 15 made of steel plates that form the outer shape of the refrigerator 10, an inner box 16 made of a box-shaped synthetic resin plate formed inside the outer box 15, and an insulating material 17 disposed between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16.

[0030] The insulation material 17 comprises an insulation material 17 bonded to the inner surface of the outer box 15 via an adhesive layer 30 (described later), and a filling insulation material 23 filled in the space between the outer box 15 and the inner box 16. The rear panel-shaped insulation material 25 is made by housing an aggregate of glass or other fibers in a bag and creating a vacuum inside the bag. For the filling insulation material 23, foamed urethane is used, for example. By using the rear panel-shaped insulation material 25, which has an extremely high insulation effect, as part of the insulation material 17, the refrigerator compartment 12 and freezer compartment 13 can be well insulated from the outside atmosphere, and the power consumption of the refrigerator 10 can be reduced. Here, the rear panel-shaped insulation material 25 is also called a vacuum insulation material.

[0031] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the outer casing 15 of the refrigerator 10. The outer casing 15 is made by bending a thin steel plate with a thickness of about 0.5 mm, and has an outer casing rear panel 151 (see Figure 2), outer casing side panels 152 extending forward from the left and right ends of the outer casing rear panel 151, and an outer casing top panel 153 extending forward from the upper end of the outer casing rear panel 151.

[0032] A side panel-shaped insulation material 22 is attached to the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152. The side panel-shaped insulation material 22 covers most of the outer box side panel 152, except for the lower rear end portion. In this way, the storage chamber formed on the inside of the outer box 15 can be effectively kept warm by the insulating effect of the side panel-shaped insulation material 22. The side panel-shaped insulation material 22 is attached to the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152 by an adhesive layer 30, which will be described later. The configuration of the side panel-shaped insulation material 22 is the same as that of the rear panel-shaped insulation material 25 described above.

[0033] An upper panel-shaped insulation material 24 is attached to the lower side of the upper panel 153 of the outer box. The structure of the upper panel-shaped insulation material 24 is the same as that of the rear panel-shaped insulation material 25 described above.

[0034] The refrigerant pipe 38 is formed in a meandering manner along the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152. Here, most of the refrigerant pipe 38 is hidden and not visible due to the side panel-shaped insulation material 22. The refrigerant, which has become hot due to compression by the compressor 29 mentioned above, flows through the refrigerant pipe 38. The refrigerant pipe 38 is also called a crest pipe.

[0035] Figure 4A is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the outer casing 15 of the refrigerator 10. Figure 4B is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the outer casing 15 of the refrigerator 10.

[0036] The refrigerant pipe 38 is arranged along the inner surface of the outer box side panel 152, which is part of the outer box 15. The refrigerant pipe 38 has a vertically extending portion 381 and a horizontally extending portion 382. The vertically extending portion 381 extends substantially vertically along the up-down direction. The horizontally extending portion 382 extends substantially horizontally along the front-back direction.

[0037] The refrigerator 10 of this embodiment has a spacer 36 to mitigate the deformation of the outer box side panel 152 described above. The spacer 36 is positioned on the left side of the side panel-shaped insulation material 22. That is, the spacer 36 is positioned between the side panel-shaped insulation material 22 and the aforementioned filling insulation material 23. Here, a large portion of the left side surface of the side panel-shaped insulation material 22 is covered by the spacer 36. Although not shown here, the outer edge of the spacer 36 is adhered to the side panel-shaped insulation material 22 with adhesive tape or the like. The spacer 36 can be made of any sheet-like material, such as a synthetic resin film like a PE (polyethylene) sheet or paper. In addition, almost the entire right side surface of the side panel-shaped insulation material 22 is adhered to the outer box side panel 152 via an adhesive layer 30, which is not shown here. The spacer 36 weakens the adhesion between the side panel-shaped insulation material 22 and the filling insulation material 23, suppressing local deformation of the outer box side panel 152 due to the shrinkage of the filling insulation material 23.

[0038] Referring to Figure 4B, a groove 31 is formed by recessing the right side surface of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22. The shape of the groove 31 corresponds to the refrigerant pipe 38. Therefore, when the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is attached to the outer box side panel 152, the refrigerant pipe 38 is housed in the groove 31. This configuration also prevents the outer box side panel 152 from partially deforming to conform to the shape of the refrigerant pipe 38. Here, the right side surface of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 can also be a flat surface in which no groove 31 is formed.

[0039] Figure 5 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 10. Here, from the right side, which is the inside in the width direction, the filling insulation material 23, spacer 36, side plate-shaped insulation material 22, adhesive layer 30, lateral extension portion 382, ​​and outer box side plate 152 are shown. Here, in the portion where the lateral extension portion 382, ​​which is part of the refrigerant pipe 38, is installed, a spacer 36 is placed between the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 and the filling insulation material 23.

[0040] Because of the interposition of the spacer 36, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 and the filling insulation material 23 are not in close contact. As a result, even if the filling insulation material 23 shrinks significantly after the foaming and filling of the filling insulation material 23 is completed during the manufacturing process of the refrigerator 10, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22, the adhesive layer 30, and the outer box side plate 152 will not deform significantly. Therefore, deformation of the outer box side plate 152 in accordance with the shape of the lateral extension portion 382 is suppressed. The adhesive layer 30 is made of a thermoplastic resin that melts when heated, and is also called a hot melt adhesive.

[0041] If the outer box side panel 152 deforms to conform to the shape of the laterally extending portion 382, ​​it is likely to negatively affect the aesthetic appeal perceived by the user. Therefore, by placing a spacer 36 in this area, deformation of the outer box side panel 152 in accordance with the shape of the laterally extending portion 382 can be suppressed, and the deterioration of aesthetic appeal can be effectively prevented.

[0042] Figure 6A is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the outer casing 15 of the refrigerator 10 in a different configuration. Figure 6B is a side view showing the configuration of the outer casing 15 of the refrigerator 10.

[0043] Referring to Figure 6A, a spacer 36 is placed between the side panel-shaped insulation material 22 and the outer box side panel 152. That is, from left to right, the side panel-shaped insulation material 22, spacer 36, refrigerant pipe 38, and outer box side panel 152 are arranged in that order.

[0044] As shown in Figure 6B, the spacer 36 is positioned inward from the outer edge of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22. This allows the peripheral portion of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 to be firmly attached to the outer box side panel 152 via an adhesive layer 30 (not shown here). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 from detaching from the outer box side panel 152 during the manufacturing process. The spacer 36 is also positioned to cover the area where the laterally extending portion 382 is placed. In this case, it is also possible to cover all of the laterally extending portion 382 with the spacer 36.

[0045] In this way, the visually conspicuous lateral extension portion 382 can be prevented from protruding to the outside. In addition, two spacers 36 are placed between the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 and the outer box side panel 152. In this way, only the portion where the lateral extension portion 382 is placed is covered with spacers 36, and the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 can be firmly attached to the outer box side panel 152 in other areas.

[0046] Figure 7 is an enlarged lateral cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator 10 according to another configuration. Here, the filling insulation material 23, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22, the adhesive layer 30, the spacer 36, the laterally extending portion 382, ​​and the outer box side panel 152 are arranged from the right side, which is the inner side in the width direction. The spacer 36 is placed between the adhesive layer 30 and the outer box side panel 152, so that the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 and the outer box side panel 152 do not come into close contact. As a result, even if the filling insulation material 23 shrinks after filling, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 will show a large amount of deformation, but the amount of deformation of the outer box side panel 152 will be small. Therefore, deformation of the outer box side panel 152 along the shape of the laterally extending portion 382 is suppressed.

[0047] Figure 8A is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the outer casing 15 of the refrigerator 10 in a further configuration. Figure 8B is a side view showing the configuration of the outer casing 15 of the refrigerator 10 in a further configuration.

[0048] Referring to Figure 8A, a spacer 36 is placed between the refrigerant pipe 38 and the outer casing side panel 152. The other configurations are the same as those shown in Figure 7A. The spacer 36 is also attached to the inner surface of the outer casing side panel 152 before the refrigerant pipe 38 is installed on the outer casing side panel 152.

[0049] Referring to Figure 8B, the refrigerant pipe 38 is formed to cover the portion where the laterally extending portion 382 is located. The spacer 36 can also be placed only in the portion corresponding to the user's line of sight. In this way, the adverse effect of the refrigerant pipe 38 on the appearance can be reduced only in the portion where the deformation of the outer casing side panel 152 is noticeable.

[0050] Figure 9 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator 10 according to another configuration. Here, the filling insulation material 23, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22, the adhesive layer 30, the laterally extending portion 382, ​​the spacer 36, and the outer box side panel 152 are arranged from the right side, which is the inner side in the width direction. The spacer 36 is interposed between the outer box side panel 152 and the side plate-shaped insulation material 22, so that the outer box side panel 152 and the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 do not come into close contact at the location where the laterally extending portion 382 is placed.

[0051] Therefore, when the insulation material 23 shrinks after filling, the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 and the spacer 36 deform in accordance with the shrinkage, but the outer box side plate 152 does not deform significantly. Thus, the shape of the laterally extending portion 382 is prevented from protruding to the outside.

[0052] According to this embodiment, the following main effects can be achieved.

[0053] According to the present invention, for example, by arranging the spacer 36 as shown in Figure 5, even if the filling insulation material 23 shrinks after the refrigerator 10 is manufactured, the outer box side panel 152 will not deform due to that shrinkage. Therefore, deformation of the outer box 15 along the shape of the refrigerant pipe 38 can be suppressed, and the deterioration of the appearance of the refrigerator 10 can be prevented. Furthermore, since deformation of the outer box side panel 152 due to the refrigerant pipe 38 can be suppressed without making a major change to the shape of the side panel insulation material 22 itself, the heat insulation performance of the side panel insulation material 22 is not impaired, and the power consumption of the refrigerator 10 is not adversely affected.

[0054] Furthermore, referring to Figure 5, the spacer 36 allows the insulation material 17 and the outer box side panel 152 to be separated, so even if the filling insulation material 23 shrinks, the effect of that shrinkage can be prevented from affecting the side of the outer box 15 and the refrigerant pipe 38.

[0055] Referring to Figure 7, the spacer 36, which is positioned inward in the width direction from the laterally extending portion 382, ​​allows the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 and the inner surface of the outer box 15 to be separated. Therefore, even if the filling insulation material 23 shrinks, the effect of that shrinkage on the side of the outer box 15 and the refrigerant pipe 38 can be suppressed.

[0056] Referring to Figure 9, the spacer 36, positioned outside the widthwise direction of the laterally extending portion 382, ​​allows the laterally extending portion 382 to be separated from the inner surface of the outer box 15. Therefore, even if the filling insulation material 23 shrinks, the effect of that shrinkage on the side of the outer box 15 and the refrigerant pipe 38 can be suppressed.

[0057] Referring to Figure 6B, the peripheral portion of the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 is bonded to the inner surface of the outer box 15 via the adhesive layer 30, thereby firmly bonding the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 to the outer box 15. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the side plate-shaped insulation material 22 from detaching from the outer box 15 when the outer box 15 is transported during the manufacturing process.

[0058] Referring to Figure 6B, if the outer casing 15 deforms along the refrigerant pipe 38 at the location where the lateral extension 382 of the refrigerant pipe 38 is positioned, the appearance will be significantly degraded. Here, deformation of the outer casing 15 at such locations can be suppressed by providing a spacer 36.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other. The inventions that can be understood from the embodiments described above, along with their effects, are described below. The refrigerator of the present invention comprises an insulated box, a storage chamber formed inside the insulated box, and a refrigeration cycle for cooling the storage chamber. The insulated box comprises an outer box, an inner box, and an insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box. The insulating material comprises a plate-shaped insulating material bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via an adhesive layer, and a filling insulating material filled in the space between the outer box and the inner box. The refrigeration cycle comprises a refrigerant pipe through which a cooling refrigerant flows and which is arranged along the outer box. The refrigerator is characterized by arranging a spacer between any of the filling insulating material, the plate-shaped insulating material, the refrigerant pipe, and the outer box. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, by arranging a spacer, even if the filling insulating material shrinks after the refrigerator is manufactured, the outer box will not deform significantly due to the shrinkage. Therefore, deformation of the outer box along the shape of the refrigerant pipe is suppressed, and a deterioration in the appearance of the refrigerator can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer is characterized by being placed between the plate-shaped insulation material and the filling insulation material. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer makes the plate-shaped insulation material and the filling insulation material separable, so even if the filling insulation material shrinks, the effect of that shrinkage on the sides of the outer casing and the refrigerant pipes can be suppressed. Furthermore, the refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in that the spacer is placed between the plate-shaped insulating material and the outer box. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer makes it possible to separate the plate-shaped insulating material from the inner surface of the outer box, so that even if the filling insulating material shrinks, the effect of that shrinkage on the side of the outer box and the refrigerant pipe can be suppressed. Furthermore, the refrigerator of the present invention is characterized in that the spacer is placed between the refrigerant pipe and the outer casing. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the spacer makes it possible to separate the refrigerant pipe from the inner surface of the outer casing, so that even if the filling insulation material shrinks, the effect of that shrinkage on the side surface of the outer casing and the refrigerant pipe can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the peripheral portion of the plate-shaped insulation material is bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via the adhesive layer, and the spacer is positioned between the portion of the plate-shaped insulation material surrounded by the peripheral portion and the inner surface of the outer box. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the peripheral portion of the plate-shaped insulation material is bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via the adhesive layer, thereby firmly bonding the plate-shaped insulation material to the outer box. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the plate-shaped insulation material from detaching from the outer box when the outer box is transported during the manufacturing process. Furthermore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the refrigerant pipe has a lateral extension portion that extends along the horizontal direction, and the spacer is positioned in the region where the lateral extension portion is located. According to the refrigerator of the present invention, if the outer casing deforms along the refrigerant pipe at the location where the lateral extension portion of the refrigerant pipe is located, the appearance will be significantly degraded. Here, deformation of the outer casing at such locations can be suppressed by providing a spacer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10 Refrigerator 11 Insulated box 12 Refrigerator 13 Freezer 14 Machine room 15 Outer box 151 Outer box rear plate 152 Outer box side panel 153 Outer box top plate 16 Inner box 17. Insulation 19 Damper 20 Defrost heater 22 Side panel-shaped insulation material 23. Insulation material 24. Top-mounted plate-shaped insulation material 25 Rear panel-shaped insulation material 26 Evaporator 27 Cooling room 28 Blower 29 Compressor 30 Adhesive layer 31 Groove 33 Insulated partition wall 34 Insulated Doors 35 Insulated Doors 36 Spacers 38 Refrigerant pipes 381 Longitudinal extension 382 Lateral extension 100 Refrigerator 101 Outer box 102 Inner box 103 Foamed insulation 104. Plate-shaped insulation material 105 Adhesive layer 106 pipes 107 Storage Room

Claims

1. Insulated box body, A storage chamber formed inside the aforementioned insulated box, The system comprises a refrigeration cycle for cooling the aforementioned storage chamber, The aforementioned insulated box comprises an outer box, an inner box, and an insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box. The aforementioned insulation material comprises a plate-shaped insulation material bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via an adhesive layer, and a filling insulation material that fills the space between the outer box and the inner box. The refrigeration cycle has refrigerant pipes through which a cooling refrigerant flows, and which are arranged along the outer casing. The refrigerant pipe has a portion extending in the vertical direction and a portion extending in the horizontal direction. A spacer is placed between the plate-shaped insulation material and the outer box. The spacer, as a whole, is in the form of a sheet and is arranged to cover both the longitudinally extending portion and the transversely extending portion of the refrigerant pipe. The adhesive layer is placed between the spacer and the plate-shaped insulating material. The peripheral portion of the plate-shaped insulation material is bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via the adhesive layer. A refrigerator characterized in that the spacer is placed between the portion of the plate-shaped insulating material surrounded by the peripheral portion and the inner surface of the outer box.

2. Insulated box body, A storage chamber formed inside the aforementioned insulated box, The system comprises a refrigeration cycle for cooling the aforementioned storage chamber, The aforementioned insulated box comprises an outer box, an inner box, and an insulating material disposed between the outer box and the inner box. The aforementioned insulation material comprises a plate-shaped insulation material bonded to the inner surface of the outer box via an adhesive layer, and a filling insulation material that fills the space between the outer box and the inner box. The refrigeration cycle has refrigerant pipes through which a cooling refrigerant flows, and which are arranged along the outer casing. The refrigerant pipe has a portion extending in the vertical direction and a portion extending in the horizontal direction. A spacer is placed between the plate-shaped insulation material and the filling insulation material. The refrigerator is characterized in that the spacer as a whole is in the form of a sheet and is arranged to cover both the longitudinally extending portion and the transversely extending portion of the refrigerant pipe.

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