Refrigerator door and refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a door of a refrigerator capable of suppressing leakage of a foamed heat insulating material from a joint portion of a glass plate and each of cap members.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes doors such as a refrigerating chamber door 11a. The refrigerating chamber door 11a includes: a glass plate 21 disposed on a front surface; and a plurality of cap members 22, 23a, 23b, 24 respectively disposed on each end side of the glass plate 21. A space 53 in which a foamed heat insulating material exists, is provided inside the refrigerating chamber door 11a. Further, a small space 54 partitioned from the space 53, is provided on a connecting portion of the cap member and another cap member disposed in adjacent to the cap member, and the foamed heat insulating material exists in the small space 54.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerator door and a refrigerator provided with this door.

Background Art

[0002] Refrigerators are provided with doors for opening and closing each storage compartment. In recent years, in order to improve the design of refrigerators, doors formed of glass plates on the front portion have been proposed. For example, in Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a refrigerator door body composed of a colored glass plate 6 having a transparent layer 6a on the front surface and a colored layer 6b on the back surface, an inner plate 2 disposed opposite to the colored glass plate 6, a frame body 7 inserted around the entire circumference of the colored glass plate 6, and a heat insulating material 4 filled with foam in the space formed by the colored glass plate 6, the inner plate 2, and the frame body 7.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When manufacturing a large door, it has been considered to adopt a configuration in which a frame body (also called a cap member) provided on the outer periphery of the glass plate is divided for each of the upper, lower, left, and right edges of the glass plate. This makes it possible to easily mold the resin cap member. However, by dividing the cap member for each edge unit, gaps are likely to be formed at the joint portions between the cap members, and leakage of the foam heat insulating material (foamed urethane) filled into the door from these gaps becomes a problem.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator door capable of suppressing leakage of the foam heat insulating material from the joint portions of the glass plate and each cap member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A door according to one aspect of the present invention is a refrigerator door comprising a glass plate positioned on the front and a plurality of cap members attached to each end edge of the glass plate. Inside the door, there is a space in which foam insulation material exists, and a small space separated from the main space is provided at the connection between the cap members and the cap members positioned adjacent to them, and the foam insulation material exists within this small space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a refrigerator door that can suppress leakage of foamed insulation material from the joints between the glass plate and each cap member, and a refrigerator equipped with this door. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing the configuration of the front of a refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the refrigerator with each door open. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the left refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the right-hand refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator shown. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the back side of the refrigerator door. [Figure 6] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the glass plate, side cap member, and lower cap member that make up the refrigerator door. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing how the upper cap component is attached to the main body of the refrigerator door. [Figure 8] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the refrigerator door with the upper cap member and rear member removed. [Figure 9]Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the inside of the upper cap member that makes up the refrigerator door. [Figure 10] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the upper right corner of the refrigerator door. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the upper right corner of the refrigerator door shown in Figure 3. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the vegetable compartment door of a refrigerator according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the vegetable compartment door with the handle removed. [Figure 14] Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the inside of the handle component that makes up the vegetable compartment door. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them will not be repeated.

[0010] <First Embodiment> (Overall configuration of the refrigerator) First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 shows the exterior view of the refrigerator 1 from the front. Figure 2 shows the exterior view of the refrigerator 1 with each door open.

[0011] The exterior of the refrigerator 1 is mainly composed of an insulated box 90. This insulated box 90 forms the storage space of the refrigerator 1. The storage space formed by the insulated box 90 is divided by multiple horizontally extending partitions into, for example, a refrigerator compartment 11, a vegetable compartment 12, an ice-making compartment 14 and a second freezer compartment 15, and a freezer compartment 13, in order from the top.

[0012] The refrigerator compartment 11 is provided with double-doors 11a and 11b that are divided into left and right and open like a pair of folding doors. The vegetable compartment 12 is provided with a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 12a. The freezer compartment 13 is provided with a drawer-type freezer compartment door 13a. The ice-making compartment 14 is provided with a drawer-type ice-making compartment door 14a. The second freezer compartment 15 is provided with a drawer-type freezer compartment door 15a.

[0013] As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is divided into a plurality of storage spaces, and a refrigerator compartment 11, a vegetable compartment 12, etc. are provided. However, the arrangement positions of the respective storage spaces are not limited to this. Also, the configuration of the doors provided in each storage space is not limited to the above.

[0014] In the present embodiment, the surface where the door is provided is referred to as the front or the front face of the refrigerator. And, based on the position that exists when the refrigerator 1 is installed in a normal state with the front face as a reference, each face of the refrigerator 1 is defined as the upper face, the side faces, the rear face, and the bottom face. Also, in the state where the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface, the left-right direction (the horizontal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction) when the refrigerator 1 is viewed from the front is referred to as the left-right direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerator compartment door 11a, etc.). Further, in the state where the refrigerator 1 is placed on the installation surface, the up-down direction (the vertical direction perpendicular to the left-right direction) of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as the up-down direction of the refrigerator 1 (or the refrigerator compartment door 11a, etc.). Also, the side located on the left when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as the left side of the refrigerator 1, and the side located on the right when viewed from the front side of the refrigerator 1 is referred to as the right side of the refrigerator 1.

[0015] (Configuration of the Refrigerator Compartment Door) Subsequently, the schematic configuration of the left-right opening and closing doors provided in the refrigerator 1 will be described. The refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with two refrigerator compartment doors 11a and 11b as left-right opening and closing doors. FIG. 3 shows the appearance of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. FIG. 4 shows the appearance of the refrigerator compartment door 11b.

[0016] The refrigerator compartment door 11a is located on the left side of the refrigerator compartment 11 when viewed from the front. A hinge portion 31 is provided at the left end of the refrigerator compartment door 11a. The refrigerator compartment door 11b is located on the right side of the refrigerator compartment 11 when viewed from the front. A hinge portion 31 is provided at the right end of the refrigerator compartment door 11a.

[0017] The refrigerator door 11a mainly comprises a glass plate 21, an upper cap member 22, two side cap members 23a and 23b, a lower cap member 24, a back member 25, and foamed insulation material. Similarly, the refrigerator door 11b mainly comprises a glass plate 21, an upper cap member 22, two side cap members 23a and 23b, a lower cap member 24, a back member 25, and foamed insulation material.

[0018] The refrigerator door 11b can be constructed in the same way as the refrigerator door 11a, except that it has a left-right symmetrical configuration. Therefore, the following explanation will mainly use the refrigerator door 11a as an example.

[0019] Figure 5 shows the configuration of the rear side of the refrigerator door 11a. Figure 6 shows the disassembled state of each cap member that makes up the refrigerator door 11a (i.e., the upper cap member 22, the side cap members 23a and 23b, and the lower cap member 24) and the glass plate 21 attached thereto. Figure 7 shows how the upper cap member 22 is attached to the main body of the refrigerator door 11a.

[0020] The glass plate 21 has a roughly rectangular shape and is positioned on the front of the door. The glass plate 21 forms the front part of the door. Four cap members (specifically, an upper cap member 22, two side cap members 23a and 23b, and a lower cap member 24) are attached to the four edges of the glass plate 21, forming each side of the door.

[0021] Of the four edges of the glass plate 21, three edges other than the upper edge are exposed when viewed from the front. The upper edge of the glass plate 21 is held in place by the holding portion 32 of the upper cap member 22, from one end (for example, the left edge) to the other end (for example, the right edge).

[0022] The upper cap member 22 is formed using a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The upper cap member 22 is attached to the upper edge of the glass plate 21. The upper cap member 22 has a clamping portion 32 and a flange portion 41d on its front side. A hinge portion 31 is also provided near either the left or right end of the upper cap member 22. For example, the upper cap member 22 of the refrigerator door 11a has a hinge portion 31 near the left end when viewed from the front.

[0023] The holding portion 32 extends along the longitudinal direction of the upper cap member 22 from one end (for example, the left end) to the other end (for example, the right end). The holding portion 32 has a recess that opens downward. The entire upper edge of the glass plate 21 is fitted into this recess. As a result, the upper edge of the glass plate 21 is covered by the holding portion 32.

[0024] The side cap members 23a and 23b are formed using resin materials such as ABS, PP, or PS. The side cap member 23a is attached to the hinge side of the glass plate 21. The side cap member 23b is attached to the opposite end of the glass plate 21 from the hinge. For example, in the case of a refrigerator door 11a, the side cap member 23a is attached to the left end of the glass plate 21, and the side cap member 23b is attached to the right end of the glass plate 21.

[0025] The side cap member 23a is provided with a flange portion 41a on its front side. Similarly, the side cap member 23b is provided with a flange portion 41b on its front side. The flange portions 41a and 41b are positioned approximately perpendicular to the main body of the side cap member (see Figure 6). For example, in the case of the refrigerator door 11a, the front side of the flange portion 41a of the side cap member 23a is in contact with the left end of the back of the glass plate 21, and the front side of the flange portion 41b of the side cap member 23b is in contact with the right end of the back of the glass plate 21. As a result, both the left and right edges of the glass plate 21 are exposed when viewed from the front.

[0026] The upper parts of the side cap members 23a and 23b are connection points with the upper cap member 22. The upper ends of the side cap members 23a and 23b are shaped to match the shapes of the left and right ends of the upper cap member 22.

[0027] The lower cap member 24 is formed using a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The lower cap member 24 is attached to the lower edge of the glass plate 21.

[0028] The lower cap member 24 is provided with a flange portion 41c on its front side. The flange portion 41c is positioned approximately perpendicular to the main body of the lower cap member (see Figure 6). For example, in the case of the refrigerator door 11a, the front side of the flange portion 41c of the lower cap member 24 is in contact with the lower end of the back of the glass plate 21. As a result, the lower edge of the glass plate 21 is exposed when viewed from the front.

[0029] The back member 25 is formed using a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The back member 25 is installed to cover the back of the door after the foam insulation material has been dripped into the inside of the door body with the cap members attached to the glass plate 21.

[0030] The foamed insulation material is installed inside the exterior body of the door, which is formed by combining the glass plate 21, each cap member, and the back member 25. The foamed insulation material is formed by filling the interior of the exterior body of the door with a foamed insulation material, such as foamed urethane.

[0031] For example, when assembling the exterior of the refrigerator door 11a, the side cap member 23a and the lower cap member 24 are connected so that the lower end of the side cap member 23a and the left end of the lower cap member 24 come into contact (see Figure 6). Similarly, the side cap member 23b and the lower cap member 24 are connected so that the lower end of the side cap member 23b and the right end of the lower cap member 24 come into contact (see Figure 6).

[0032] Then, the glass plate 21 forming the front of the refrigerator door 11a is positioned so that the back surfaces of its left, right, and lower ends are in contact with the flange portions 41a, 41b, and 41c of each cap member. The glass plate 21 is attached to each cap member with adhesive tape or the like. In this state, the upper cap member 22 is attached to the upper end of the exterior body of the refrigerator door 11a (see Figure 7).

[0033] When attaching the upper cap member 22, the entire upper edge of the glass plate 21 is fitted into the recess of the holding portion 32 located on the front side of the upper cap member 22. At this time, the flange portion 41d located on the back side of the holding portion 32 comes into contact with the back surface of the glass plate 21.

[0034] With the upper cap member 22 attached to the upper end of the outer casing of the refrigerator door 11a shown in Figure 7, foamed insulation material is dripped into the interior of the outer casing (i.e., the space 53 formed on the back side of the glass plate 21). Then, the back member 25 is attached so as to cover the back of the outer casing. The dripped foamed insulation material foams and expands inside the door. As a result, the space 53 inside the refrigerator door 11a is filled with foamed insulation material.

[0035] A gasket 51 is attached to the rear member 25 of the refrigerator compartment door 11a (see Figure 5). The gasket 51 is positioned along the outer circumference of the rear member 25. The refrigerator compartment doors 11a and 11b are double doors. Therefore, a portion of the gasket 51 provided on the back of the door extends to the open end sides of each refrigerator compartment door 11a and 11b (i.e., the right side of refrigerator compartment door 11a and the left side of refrigerator compartment door 11b). As a result, when both refrigerator compartment doors 11a and 11b are closed, the gaskets on the sides of the doors face each other and come into close contact, thereby improving the airtightness inside the refrigerator compartment 11.

[0036] (Regarding the small space inside the refrigerator door) As described above, a space 53 (see Figure 8) filled with foam insulation material is provided inside the exterior of the refrigerator door 11a. Furthermore, in addition to space 53, there are two small spaces 54 inside the refrigerator door 11a. The configuration of these small spaces 54 will be described below.

[0037] Figure 8 shows the upper portion of the refrigerator door 11a with the upper cap member 22 and the rear member 25 removed. Figure 9 shows the internal structure of the upper cap member 22 that constitutes the refrigerator door 11a.

[0038] The small spaces 54 are formed at the connection point between a cap member and another cap member positioned adjacent to it (i.e., the joint between the two cap members). Specifically, one small space 54 is formed at the connection point between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap member 23a positioned adjacent to the left end of the upper cap member 22. Another small space 54 is formed at the connection point between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap member 23b positioned adjacent to the right end of the upper cap member 22.

[0039] Furthermore, an additional small space 54 may be provided at the connection between the lower cap member 24 and the side cap members 23a and 23b, which are positioned adjacent to the left and right ends of the lower cap member 24.

[0040] The small space 54 is separated from space 53 by a wall. The wall forming the small space 54 is formed, for example, from a part of the upper cap member 22 and a part of the side cap member 23a or 23b. This small space 54 functions as a space that absorbs foam insulation material.

[0041] The foamed insulation material injected into the interior of the refrigerator door 11a expands as it foams within the space 53, reaching the small space 54 located at the corner of the refrigerator door 11a. A portion of the expanded foamed insulation material then flows into the small space 54 through the gap in the wall that partitions the small space 54, becoming foamed insulation material 27 within the small space 54. By providing the small space 54 at the connection between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap member 23a or 23b, leakage of the foamed insulation material filling the interior of the refrigerator door 11a from the connection between the two members can be suppressed compared to a configuration where the space 53 directly faces the connection between the two members.

[0042] Furthermore, the foamed insulation material 27 within the small space 54 is bonded to a portion of the side cap member 23a or 23b that forms the wall of the small space 54. This increases the rigidity of the corner portion of the refrigerator door 11a.

[0043] Furthermore, it is preferable that a portion of the wall forming the small space 54 has a double-wall structure in which the wall on the upper cap member 22 side and the wall on the side cap member 23a or 23b side overlap. This makes it possible to create a configuration in which the foamed insulation material in space 53 is less likely to flow into the small space 54. As a result, it is possible to more reliably suppress the leakage of the foamed insulation material filled in space 53 from the gap at the connection between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap member 23a or 23b.

[0044] Figures 10 and 11 show the configuration of the small space 54 provided in the left refrigerator door 11a. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the interior of the upper right corner of the refrigerator door 11a where the connection between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap member 23b is located. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken from the front side of the upper right corner of the refrigerator door 11a where the connection between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap member 23b is located, by cutting with a plane parallel to the surface of the glass plate 21.

[0045] For example, the small space 54 on the upper left side when viewed from the front of the refrigerator door 11a has a double-wall structure on the side. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the wall on the right side of the small space 54 when viewed from the front has a double-wall structure consisting of wall 54a, which is part of the main body of the side cap member 23b, and rib 54b that extends in the front-rear direction along the lower surface of the upper cap member 22. The wall on the left side of the small space 54 when viewed from the front has a double-wall structure consisting of rib 54c of the side cap member 23b that extends approximately parallel to wall 54a, and rib 54d of the upper cap member 22 that extends approximately parallel to rib 54b.

[0046] Furthermore, the walls forming the upper and lower sides of the small space 54 are single-layered. Specifically, as shown in Figure 11, the wall located on the upper side of the small space 54 is formed by wall 54e, which is part of the main body of the upper cap member 22. The wall located on the lower side of the small space 54 is formed by wall 54f, which is part of the side cap member 23b.

[0047] For example, by forming a double wall with ribs extending in opposite directions, such as a double wall structure with ribs 54c and rib 54d, the path through which the foamed insulation material in space 53 flows into the small space 54 can be made meandering, making it difficult for the foamed insulation material to flow into the small space 54. Similarly, by having a double wall structure for the wall forming the outside of the small space 54, such as a double wall of wall 54a and rib 54b, the effect of suppressing leakage of foamed insulation material from the connection between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap member 23b can be enhanced.

[0048] Furthermore, as the foam insulation material that has flowed between the ribs 54c and ribs 54d, and into the small space 54, hardens, the ribs 54c of the side cap member 23b are bonded to the upper cap member 22 by being sandwiched from both the left and right sides. In other words, the bonding area of ​​the ribs 54c of the side cap member 23b is increased, thereby increasing the rigidity between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap member 23b.

[0049] Furthermore, multiple protrusions 54g are formed on the upper cap member 22 (specifically, on the inside of the rib 54c) that forms the small space 54 (see Figure 9, etc.). These protrusions 54g allow the rib 54d of the upper cap member 22 to come close to the rib 54c of the side cap member 23b when the upper cap member 22 is fitted onto the side cap member 23a. Therefore, the double structure of rib 54d and rib 54c can be formed more reliably.

[0050] Furthermore, it is preferable that the small space 54 is located outside the area where the packing 51 is placed when viewed from the front. For example, in the example shown in Figure 10, the small space 54 is located above the upper end portion 51a of the packing 51. This makes it possible to suppress the exposure of the small space 54 portion.

[0051] In the example shown in Figure 10, the entire area of ​​the small space 54 is located outside the outer edge of the packing 51. However, in another example, at least a portion of the small space 54 may be located outside the area where the packing 51 is placed. In this case, it is preferable that the small space 54 is located outside the fitting groove for the packing 51 provided in the back member 25. This makes it difficult for cold air from inside the refrigerator compartment 11 to be transmitted to the small space 54, thereby suppressing condensation in the small space 54.

[0052] (Summary of the first embodiment) As described above, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with openable and closable refrigerator doors 11a and 11b in the refrigerator compartment 11. The refrigerator doors 11a and 11b are equipped with a glass plate 21 positioned on the front and a plurality of cap members (i.e., an upper cap member 22, side cap members 23a and 23b, and a lower cap member 24) attached to each end edge of the glass plate 21. Inside the refrigerator door 11a, there is a space 53 in which foamed insulation material 27 exists.

[0053] A small space 54, separated from the main space 53, is provided at the connection point between the upper cap member 22 and the side cap members 23a and 23b, which are positioned adjacent to the upper cap member 22. Foamed insulation material is present within this small space 54. The wall forming the small space 54 is formed from a part of the upper cap member 22 and a part of either the side cap member 23a or 23b.

[0054] A small space 54, separate from the main space 53, is provided in the gap between the two cap members at the corners of the refrigerator doors 11a and 11b. This allows the foamed insulation material, which foams and expands within the main space 53, to flow into the small space 54 before it flows out to the outside. In other words, this small space 54 functions as a space that absorbs the foamed insulation material.

[0055] With this configuration, compared to a configuration where the space 53 directly faces the connection point of both cap members, leakage of the foamed insulation material filled inside the refrigerator door 11a from the connection point of both cap members can be suppressed. Therefore, refrigerator doors 11a and 11b can be obtained that can suppress leakage of the foamed insulation material from the joint between the glass plate 21 and each cap member.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one upper end of the glass plate 21 to which the upper cap member 22 is attached is embraced from one end to the other by the embracing portion 32 of the upper cap member 22. On the other hand, the other ends of the glass plate 21 are exposed.

[0057] With the above configuration, the three edges of the glass plate 21, excluding the upper edge that is embraced by the upper cap member 22, are left exposed and not covered by resin members such as the cap member. This makes the presence of the glass located on the front of the door more prominent and improves the design. In addition, since the entire edge of one end of the glass plate 21 is embraced by the embracing part 32, the stability of the glass plate 21 located on the front of the door can be improved.

[0058] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, a configuration in which a small space 54 is provided in the left-opening doors (i.e., refrigerator compartment doors 11a and 11b) of the refrigerator 1 was described as an example. However, the doors of the refrigerator according to the present invention are not limited to left-opening doors. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a drawer-type door will be described as an example.

[0059] Figure 12 shows the appearance of the vegetable compartment door 12a, which is one of the pull-out doors provided in the refrigerator 1. The vegetable compartment door 12a mainly comprises a glass plate 21, a handle member 122, two side cap members 23a and 23b, a lower cap member 24, and foam insulation material. Except for the handle member 122, the configuration is generally the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0060] Figure 13 shows the upper portion of the vegetable compartment door 12a with the handle member 122 removed. Figure 14 shows the inside of the handle member 122 that makes up the vegetable compartment door 12a.

[0061] The handle member 122 is formed using a resin material such as ABS, PP, or PS. The handle member 122 is attached to the upper edge of the glass plate 21. The handle member 122 has a handle portion 131 and a gripping portion 32 on its front side.

[0062] The gripping portion 32 extends along the longitudinal direction of the handle member 122 from one end (for example, the left end) to the other end (for example, the right end). The gripping portion 32 has a recess that opens downward. The entire upper edge of the glass plate 21 is fitted into this recess. As a result, the upper edge of the glass plate 21 is covered by the gripping portion 32.

[0063] Inside the exterior of the vegetable compartment door 12a, there is a space 53 filled with foamed insulation material (see Figure 13). In addition, inside the vegetable compartment door 12a, there are two small spaces 54 separate from space 53. The small space 54 on the left when viewed from the front is located at the connection point between the handle member 122 and the side cap member 23a (the joint between the two members). The small space 54 on the right when viewed from the front is located at the connection point between the handle member 122 and the side cap member 23b (the joint between the two members).

[0064] The small space 54 is separated from space 53 by a wall. The wall forming the small space 54 is made up of a part of the handle member 122 (e.g., rib 54b, rib 54d, etc.) and a part of the side cap member 23a or 23b (e.g., wall 54a, rib 54c, etc.) (see Figures 13 and 14).

[0065] This small space 54 functions as a space for absorbing the foamed insulation material. By providing such a small space 54, compared to a configuration in which the space 53 directly faces the connection between the handle member 122 and the side cap member 23a or 23b, leakage of the foamed insulation material filled inside the vegetable compartment door 12a from the connection between the two members can be suppressed.

[0066] Furthermore, the foamed insulation material within the small space 54 is bonded to a portion of the side cap member 23a or 23b that forms the wall of the small space 54. This increases the rigidity of the vegetable compartment door 12a.

[0067] Furthermore, it is preferable that a portion of the wall forming the small space 54 has a double-wall structure in which the wall on the handle member 122 side and the wall on the side of the side cap member 23a or 23b side overlap. This makes it possible to more reliably suppress the leakage of the foamed insulation material that has flowed into the small space 54 from the gap at the connection between the handle member and the cap member.

[0068] The same configuration as that of the vegetable compartment door 12a can be applied to other pull-out doors in refrigerator 1.

[0069] (summary) A refrigerator door (for example, a refrigerator compartment door 11a, a refrigerator compartment door 11b, a vegetable compartment door 12a) according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a glass plate (for example, a glass plate 21) positioned on the front and a plurality of cap members (for example, an upper cap member 22 or a handle member 122, side cap members 23a and 23b, and a lower cap member 24) attached to each end edge of the glass plate. Inside the door, there is a space (for example, space 53) in which foamed insulation material (for example, foamed insulation material 27) exists, and at the connection between the cap member (for example, an upper cap member 22 or a handle member 122) and the cap member (for example, side cap members 23a and 23b) positioned adjacent to this cap member, there is a small space (for example, small space 54) separated from the space (for example, space 53), and the foamed insulation material (for example, foamed insulation material 27) exists within the small space.

[0070] In a refrigerator door (for example, refrigerator compartment door 11a, refrigerator compartment door 11b, vegetable compartment door 12a) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, the wall (for example, wall 54a, rib 54b, rib 54c, rib 54d, wall 54e, wall 54f) of the small space (for example, small space 54) may be formed from a part of the cap member (for example, upper cap member 22 or handle member 122) and a part of the cap member (for example, side cap members 23a and 23b) arranged adjacent to this cap member.

[0071] In the refrigerator door (for example, refrigerator compartment door 11a, refrigerator compartment door 11b, vegetable compartment door 12a) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, a part of the wall of the small space (for example, small space 54) may have a double wall structure (for example, a double wall structure of wall 54a and rib 54b, a double wall structure of rib 54c and rib 54d).

[0072] In a refrigerator door (for example, a refrigerator compartment door 11a, a refrigerator compartment door 11b, and a vegetable compartment door 12a) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, a gasket (for example, a gasket 51) is arranged along the outer circumference of the rear part of the door (for example, a rear member 25), and at least a portion of the small space (for example, a small space 54) may be located outside the area where the gasket is arranged when viewed from the front.

[0073] In a refrigerator door (for example, a refrigerator compartment door 11a, a refrigerator compartment door 11b, or a vegetable compartment door 12a) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, the upper edge of the glass plate (for example, the glass plate 21) is held from one end to the other by the holding portion (for example, the holding portion 32) of the cap member (for example, the upper cap member 22 or the handle member 122), and the edges of the glass plate other than the upper edge may be left exposed.

[0074] A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention (for example, refrigerator 1) is equipped with a door according to any aspect of the present invention described above (for example, a refrigerator compartment door 11a, a refrigerator compartment door 11b, a vegetable compartment door 12a).

[0075] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. Configurations obtained by combining the configurations of the different embodiments described herein are also included in the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1: Refrigerator 11: Refrigerator 11a: Refrigerator door 11b: Refrigerator door 12: Vegetable compartment 12a: Vegetable compartment door (refrigerator door) 21: Glass plate 22: Upper cap member (cap member) 23a: Side cap member (cap member) 23b: Side cap member (cap member) 24: Lower cap member (cap member) 25: Rear component 27: Foamed insulation 31: Handle part 32: The part that holds onto things 51: Packing 53: (The space inside the door) 54: Small space (inside the door) 54a: Wall 54b: Rib 54c: Rib 54d: Rib 54e: Wall 54f: wall 122: Handle component (cap component)

Claims

1. It's the door of the refrigerator, The glass panel positioned on the front, A plurality of cap members are attached to each end edge of the glass plate. Equipped with, Inside the aforementioned door, there is a space where foamed insulation material is present. The plurality of cap members include side cap members and upper cap members positioned adjacent to the side cap members, and a small space separated from the main space is provided at the connection between the side cap members and the upper cap members. The small space is surrounded by a first wall formed in the side cap member that constitutes one side of the door, a second wall erected from the first wall inward of the door, and a first rib erected from the second wall and extending substantially parallel to the first wall. The upper cap member has a third wall forming another side of the door, and a plurality of second ribs erected from the third wall inward of the door. The outermost second rib among the plurality of second ribs is inserted between the first wall and the first rib such that it overlaps with the first wall to form a double wall. A door containing the aforementioned foam insulation material is located within the aforementioned small space.

2. The door according to claim 1, wherein the upper cap member has a projection that is erected in a direction approaching the first rib from a second rib located further outward.

3. A gasket is positioned along the outer circumference of the back of the aforementioned door. At least a portion of the aforementioned small space is located outside the packing placement area when viewed from the front. The door according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The upper edge of the glass plate is held from one end to the other by the holding portion of the upper cap member. The edges of the glass plate other than the upper edge are exposed. A door according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A refrigerator having a door as described in any one of claims 1 to 4.

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