refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator that can improve preservability in a storage container without impairing easy take-out of stored objects.SOLUTION: A refrigerator 1 includes: a refrigerator body 2 including a storage room 10; a storage container 60 stored in the storage room 10 so as to be capable of being drawn out forward; and a moisture permeable member 100 including a moisture permeable sheet 101. The moisture permeable member 100 is installed in the refrigerator body 2 so as to partition a space S that is higher than the storage container 60 into front and rear spaces on a front side from a rear wall 60c of the storage container 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to refrigerators.

Background Art

[0002] Drying is known as a factor that deteriorates stored items such as food stored in a refrigerator. Therefore, refrigerators are known that can suppress the drying of stored items and maintain freshness by keeping the inside of a storage container provided in a storage compartment at high humidity (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a refrigerator, in consideration of the arrangement and usability of the storage container in the refrigerator, an opening for taking out stored items is provided on the upper surface of the storage container, and the upper opening may be opened and closed by a lid that moves along the upper surface of the storage container. However, in order to take out the stored items from the storage container, an opening and closing operation of the lid is required, which impairs the ease of taking out.

[0005] Further, if the upper opening of the storage container is left open, it becomes easier to take out the stored items from the storage container. However, the air (wind) circulating in the storage compartment easily enters the storage container, and the stored items are likely to dry, which may impair the storage property.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that can improve the storage property in a storage container without impairing the ease of taking out stored items.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] One embodiment of a refrigerator includes a refrigerator body having a storage compartment, a storage container housed in the storage compartment so as to be pullable forward, and a moisture-permeable member having a moisture-permeable sheet. and rear moisture-permeable member The moisture-permeable member is provided on the refrigerator body in front of the rear wall of the storage container and above the storage container, so as to divide the space into front and rear sections. The rear moisture-permeable member is provided to partition the space behind the moisture-permeable member and above the storage container from front to back. It is something that exists. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Cross-sectional view of a refrigerator according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1: Enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator. [Figure 3] Horizontal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 1 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator with the vegetable compartment door open. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows a horizontal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator with the vegetable compartment door open. [Figure 6] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator in modification example 1. [Figure 7] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator in modification example 2. [Figure 8] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator with the vegetable compartment door open, as in modification example 2. [Figure 9] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator in modification example 3. [Figure 10] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator with the vegetable compartment door open, as in modification example 3. [Figure 11] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator in modification example 4. [Figure 12] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the refrigerator with the vegetable compartment door open, as in modification example 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are illustrative and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto. The following embodiments can be carried out in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The following embodiments and their variations are included in the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0010] In the following explanation, left-right, front-back, and up-down directions refer to the directions when viewing the refrigerator from the front, with the left-right direction corresponding to the width of the refrigerator. Also, unless otherwise specified, right, left, up, down, front, back, far, back, and front refer to the position or side of the refrigerator when viewed from the front, and for the refrigerator door, it refers to the position or side when the door is closed and viewed from the front.

[0011] (1) Configuration of Refrigerator 1 As shown in Figure 1, the refrigerator 1 according to this embodiment comprises a refrigerator body 2 consisting of an insulated box that opens to the front. The refrigerator body 2 is composed of an outer box made of steel plate, an inner box made of synthetic resin, an insulating material such as vacuum insulating material or foamed insulating material provided in the insulating space formed between the outer box and the inner box, and insulating partition walls 3 and 4 that divide the storage space inside the inner box into upper and lower sections.

[0012] The space above the insulated partition wall 3 is a storage room cooled to a refrigeration temperature range (for example, 1-4°C), and its interior is further divided vertically by a partition wall 4. A refrigerator compartment 10 is provided above partition wall 4, and a vegetable compartment 12 is provided below partition wall 4. In other words, the upper surface of partition wall 4 forms the bottom surface that partitions the lower side of the refrigerator compartment 10, and the lower surface of partition wall 4 forms the ceiling surface that partitions the upper side of the vegetable compartment 12. A connecting passage 4a is provided at the rear of partition wall 4, linking the refrigerator compartment 10 and the vegetable compartment 12.

[0013] A rotatable refrigerator door 11 pivotally supported by a hinge is provided at the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 10. The front opening of the vegetable compartment 12 is closed by a drawer-type vegetable compartment door 13. A pair of left and right support frames for holding the storage container 50 are fixed to the inner side of the vegetable compartment door 13 inside the cabinet, and the storage container 50 is configured to be pulled out of the cabinet together with the door opening operation.

[0014] The storage container 50 includes a lower container 51 and a storage container 60 provided above it. A space S is formed above the storage container 60. The space S is a space formed above the storage container 60 and below the lower surface of the partition wall 4 that constitutes the ceiling surface of the vegetable compartment 12 in order to pull the storage container 60 out of the vegetable compartment 12 to the outside of the cabinet. It is a gap that spreads in the front-rear and left-right directions with a vertical interval of about 30 to 60 mm, for example. A moisture permeable member 100 is provided in this space S so as to partition the space S front and back.

[0015] The specific configurations of the storage container 50 and the moisture permeable member 100 provided in the vegetable compartment 12 will be described in detail later.

[0016] In the space below the heat insulating partition wall 3, an ice making compartment (not shown) equipped with an automatic ice maker and a first freezer compartment 16 are provided side by side on the left and right, and a second freezer compartment 18 is provided below them via a partition plate 5. The ice making compartment, the first freezer compartment 16, and the second freezer compartment 18 are all cooled to a freezing temperature range (for example, -17°C or lower).

[0017] The openings of the ice making compartment, the first freezer compartment 16, and the second freezer compartment 18 are closed by drawer-type doors 17, 19, similar to the vegetable compartment 12. Storage containers 20, 21 are held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back side of each door 17, 19, and the storage containers 20, 21 are configured to be pulled out of the cabinet together with the door opening operation of the doors 17, 19.

[0018] At the rear of the refrigerator compartment 10 and the vegetable compartment 12, there is a refrigerator cooler compartment 24 separated front to back by an evaporator cover 23, a duct 25 connecting the refrigerator compartment 10 and the refrigerator cooler compartment 24, and a return duct 26 connecting the refrigerator compartment 10 or the vegetable compartment 12 to the refrigerator cooler compartment 24. The refrigerator cooler compartment 24 houses a refrigerator cooler 30 and a refrigerator fan 31.

[0019] The air (cold air) from the refrigerator cooler compartment 24, cooled by the refrigerator cooler 30, is supplied to the refrigerator compartment 10 via the duct 25 by the refrigerator fan 31.

[0020] A portion of the air that flows through the refrigerator compartment 10 flows into the return duct 26 through the intake port 27 located at the rear of the partition wall 4 and returns to the refrigerator cooler compartment 24, while the remaining air flows into the vegetable compartment 12 through the connecting passage 4a located at the rear of the partition wall 4. The connecting passage 4a is a cold air supply unit that supplies cold air to the storage compartment that houses the storage containers 60, and supplies cold air to a position behind the storage containers 60 and the moisture-permeable members 100. The air that flows through the vegetable compartment 12 returns to the refrigerator cooler compartment 24 through the return duct 26.

[0021] At the rear of the ice-making compartment, the first freezing compartment 16, and the second freezing compartment 18, there is a refrigeration cooler compartment 33 separated front to back by an evaporator cover 32, a duct 34 connecting the ice-making compartment, the first freezing compartment 16, and the second freezing compartment 18 to the refrigeration cooler compartment 33, and a return duct 37 connecting the second freezing compartment 18 to the refrigeration cooler compartment 33. The refrigeration cooler compartment 33 houses a refrigeration cooler 35 and a refrigeration fan 36. The air in the refrigeration cooler compartment 33 cooled by the refrigeration cooler 35 is supplied to the ice-making compartment, the first freezing compartment 16, and the second freezing compartment 18 via the duct 34 by the refrigeration fan 36.

[0022] The refrigerator 30 and the refrigerator 35, together with the compressor 38 and condenser (not shown) housed in the machine room 39, constitute a refrigeration cycle. In the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 38 is supplied to either the refrigerator 30 or the refrigerator 35 by a switching valve (not shown), thereby cooling the refrigerator 30 and the refrigerator 35 to a predetermined temperature.

[0023] (2) Storage container 50 As shown in Figure 2, the storage container 50 provided in the vegetable compartment 12 has a two-tiered structure consisting of a lower container 51 that extends almost the entire width of the vegetable compartment 12 and a storage container 60 provided above the lower container 51.

[0024] The lower container 51 is a box-shaped container with a bottom, enclosed by a front wall, a rear wall, and left and right side walls, and stored items are loaded and unloaded from an upper opening that opens upwards. The lower container 51 is held by a pair of left and right support frames fixed to the back side of the vegetable compartment door 13, and is configured to be pulled out of the compartment when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened.

[0025] The lower container 51 is provided with front and rear partitions 52 that protrude upward from the inner bottom surface. These front and rear partitions 52 are provided so as to connect the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls of the lower container 51, with the lower front container 53 formed in front of the front and rear partitions 52 and the lower rear container 54 formed behind them.

[0026] The front side of the upper opening 54a of the lower rear container 54 is covered by the storage container 60 when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed (with the storage container 50 stored inside the vegetable compartment 12), as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The rear side of the upper opening 54a of the lower rear container 54 is covered by the lower container moisture-permeable member 56 to which a moisture-permeable sheet 55 is attached.

[0027] The lower container moisture-permeable member 56 comprises a moisture-permeable sheet 55 and a holder 57 for holding the moisture-permeable sheet 55.

[0028] The breathable sheet 55 is a breathable waterproof sheet made by laminating, for example, a polyester long-fiber nonwoven fabric with a polyethylene porous film. It possesses stable waterproofing, breathability, and wind (cold air) resistance. The polyester long-fiber nonwoven fabric is the base material for arranging the polyethylene porous film. The breathable sheet 55 has multiple pores, for example, with diameters of 0.5 μm to 3 μm. It allows water vapor particles smaller than 0.0004 μm to pass through, but prevents water molecules larger than 0.5 μm to 3 μm from passing through. Therefore, the breathable sheet 55 possesses both breathability and waterproofing properties.

[0029] The moisture-permeable sheet 55 is provided on the retainer 57 so as to close the opening 57a provided in the retainer 57. The retainer 57 is attached to the lower container 51 so as to close the rear side of the upper opening 54a of the lower rear container 54.

[0030] When the retainer 57 is attached to the lower container 51, the upper opening 54a of the lower rear container 54 is closed by the moisture-permeable sheet 55 through the opening 57a of the retainer 57, thereby restricting the direct entry of air (wind) flowing outside the lower rear container 54.

[0031] In the lower rear container 54 described above, when opening the upper opening 54a, the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened and the lower container 51 is pulled out of the compartment. Then, the locking portion 62a of the lower leg portion 62 (described later) and the protrusion 51a of the lower container 51 are released, and the storage container 60 is slid backward relative to the lower container 51 to open the upper opening 54a. Note that the upper opening of the lower front container 53 is open and not covered by the storage container 60, regardless of whether the vegetable compartment door 13 is open or closed.

[0032] The storage container 60, located above the lower container 51, is positioned below the partition wall 4 with a gap between them. The storage container 60 is a box-shaped container with a bottom, enclosed by a front wall 60b, a rear wall 60c, and left and right side walls, and stored items are loaded and unloaded from an upper opening 60a that opens upwards. In this embodiment, the storage depth of the storage container 60 is shallower than that of the lower container 51.

[0033] Upper legs 61 and lower legs 62 protrude outward in the width direction from the outside of the left and right side walls of the storage container 60.

[0034] The upper legs 61 are provided on the front and rear of the left and right side walls of the storage container 60, respectively. The upper legs 61 are placed on inner box rails 28 provided on the left and right inner walls of the vegetable compartment 12 and slide along these rails in the front-to-back direction, thereby supporting the upper part of the storage container 60 so that it can move in the front-to-back direction.

[0035] The lower legs 62 are located below the upper legs 61 and at the bottom of the storage container 60, and are provided at the front and rear of the left and right side walls of the storage container 60, respectively. The lower legs 62 are placed on the upper ends of the left and right side walls of the lower container 51 and slide along them in the front-to-back direction, thereby supporting the lower part of the storage container 60 so that it can move in the front-to-back direction.

[0036] A locking portion 62a that recesses upward is formed on the lower surface of the lower leg portion 62 located at the front. When the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the entire storage container 60 is located above the lower container 51, and the protrusion 51a of the lower container 51 fits into the locking portion 62a provided on the lower leg portion 62, locking the storage container 60 to the lower container 51 in the front-rear direction.

[0037] When the vegetable compartment door 13 shown in Figure 1 is opened from a closed state and the lower container 51 is pulled out of the compartment, the storage container 60 is pulled out of the compartment along with the lower container 51 because the locking portion 62a of the lower leg portion 62 is locked with the protrusion 51a of the lower container 51 (see Figure 4).

[0038] Furthermore, when the lower container 51 moves backward as the vegetable compartment door 13 closes, if the protrusion 51a of the lower container 51 is engaged with the locking portion 62a of the lower leg portion 62, the storage container 60 also moves backward together with the lower container 51 and is stored inside the compartment. If the front lower leg portion 62 is positioned behind the protrusion 51a of the lower container 51 (i.e., the storage container 60 slides backward relative to the lower container 51), the protrusion 51a of the lower container 51 will engage with the locking portion 62a of the lower leg portion 62 as the lower container 51 moves backward as the door closes, and then the storage container 60 also moves backward together with the lower container 51 and is stored inside the compartment.

[0039] (3) Moisture-permeable member 100 As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the moisture-permeable member 100 comprises a moisture-permeable sheet 101 and a holder 102. The length of the moisture-permeable member 100 in the left-right direction is the same as or longer than the upper opening 60a of the storage container 60. When the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed and the storage container 50 is stored inside the vegetable compartment 12, the moisture-permeable member 100 is installed so as to protrude from the ceiling surface of the vegetable compartment 12 into the space S in front of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60, and divides the space S into front and back sections. The moisture-permeable member 100 is fixed to the partition wall 4 and does not move even when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened or closed.

[0040] Specifically, the moisture-permeable sheet 101, like the moisture-permeable sheet 55 provided in the lower container moisture-permeable member 56, is made of a sheet material that combines both moisture permeability and waterproofing. For example, it is a moisture-permeable waterproof sheet laminated with a polyester long-fiber nonwoven fabric and a polyethylene porous film, and has stable waterproofing, moisture permeability, and wind (cold air) blocking functions. This polyester long-fiber nonwoven fabric is a base material for arranging the polyethylene porous film. This moisture-permeable sheet 101 has multiple pores, for example, multiple pores with a diameter of 0.5 μm to 3 μm, and allows water vapor particles of 0.0004 μm or less to pass through, but does not allow water molecules larger than 0.5 μm to 3 μm to pass through.

[0041] The holder 102 holds the moisture-permeable sheet 101 so as to close the opening 102a provided in the holder 102. It protrudes from the ceiling surface of the vegetable compartment 12 into the space S and is fixed to the partition wall 4. In this embodiment, the holder 102 holds the moisture-permeable sheet 101 so that the flat portion of the moisture-permeable sheet 101 faces in the front-to-back direction, and the moisture-permeable sheet 101 divides the space S front-to-back through the opening 102a of the holder 102.

[0042] Furthermore, in order to prevent the storage container 60 from coming into contact with the moisture-permeable member 100 when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened and closed, a gap of, for example, 10 to 30 mm is provided between the lower end of the moisture-permeable member 100 and the upper end of the storage container 60.

[0043] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the moisture-permeable member 100 is located in front of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed and the storage container 50 is stored inside the vegetable compartment 12. Preferably, when the storage container 50 is stored inside the vegetable compartment 12, at least a portion of the moisture-permeable member 100 is located above or in front of the front wall 60b of the storage container 60. Note that the moisture-permeable member 100 only needs to be provided in the space S, and it is not necessary for the moisture-permeable member 100 to be located above the storage container 60 when the storage container 50 is stored inside the vegetable compartment 12.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, it is preferable that the moisture-permeable member 100 is positioned at the same location in the front-to-back direction as the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened and the lower container 51 of the storage container 50 is pulled out of the compartment. Note that the moisture-permeable member 100 being positioned at the same location in the front-to-back direction as the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 includes not only the case where the moisture-permeable member 100 overlaps with the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 when viewed from above, but also the case where the displacement in the front-to-back direction is 50 mm or less.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, even when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened and the lower container 51 of the storage container 50 is pulled out of the compartment, the moisture-permeable member 100 may be provided such that at least a portion of the moisture-permeable member 56 of the lower container is located behind the moisture-permeable member 100.

[0046] (4) Effects In the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment described above, the moisture-permeable member 100 divides the space S front to back in front of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60. As a result, the cold air supplied to the vegetable compartment 12 from the connecting passage 4a of the partition wall 4 does not easily flow into the space S, and even if the storage container 60 is open upwards, cold air does not easily flow into the storage container 60 stored in the vegetable compartment 12. This makes it less likely for the cold air supplied to the vegetable compartment 12 to come into contact with the stored items in the storage container 60, thereby suppressing drying of the stored items due to the cold air and improving the shelf life of the stored items.

[0047] In this embodiment, since the moisture-permeable member 100 that partitions the space S front to back is provided with a moisture-permeable sheet 101 having holes through which water vapor particles can pass, even if the humidity inside the storage container 60 stored in the vegetable compartment 12 increases due to a drop in temperature inside the storage container 60, water vapor molecules can be discharged to the outside of the storage container 60, and condensation inside the storage container 60 can also be prevented.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened, the storage container 60 is pulled out of the compartment along with the lower container 51, and the air inside the storage container 60 is replaced with the air outside the compartment. However, much of the air behind the moisture-permeable member 100 remains inside the compartment even when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened, as it is blocked by the storage container 50 and the moisture-permeable member 100. When the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed, the air that remained behind the storage container 50 and the moisture-permeable member 100 flows into the storage container 60 through the upper opening 60a of the storage container 60, quickly cooling the inside of the storage container 60 and maintaining an appropriate humidity level.

[0049] (5) Example of change Examples of modifications to the above embodiment are described below. Any one of the following examples of modifications may be applied to the above embodiment, or two or more of the following examples may be applied in combination. Furthermore, various other modifications are possible besides those described below.

[0050] (Example of change 1) In the embodiment described above, a moisture-permeable member 100 is provided in front of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 to divide the space S into front and rear sections. However, as shown in Figure 6, in addition to the moisture-permeable member 100, a first rear moisture-permeable member 110 may be provided on the partition wall 4, and the space S may be divided into front and rear sections behind the moisture-permeable member 100 by the first rear moisture-permeable member 110.

[0051] Specifically, the first rear moisture-permeable member 110, like the moisture-permeable member 100, comprises a moisture-permeable sheet 111 and a holder 112, and its length in the left-right direction is the same as or longer than the upper opening 60a of the storage container 60.

[0052] The moisture-permeable sheet 111, like the moisture-permeable sheet 101 provided on the moisture-permeable member 100, is made of a sheet material that possesses both moisture permeability and waterproofing properties. The holder 112 holds the moisture-permeable sheet 111 so as to close the opening 112a provided in the holder 112, and is fixed to the partition wall 4 so as to protrude from the ceiling surface of the vegetable compartment 12 into the space S. In this modified example, the holder 112 holds the moisture-permeable sheet 111 so that the flat portion of the moisture-permeable sheet 111 faces in the front-to-back direction, and the moisture-permeable sheet 111 divides the space S front-to-back through the opening 112a of the holder 112.

[0053] The first rear moisture-permeable member 110 is located behind the moisture-permeable member 100 and in front of the passage 4a of the partition wall 4, projecting from the ceiling surface of the vegetable compartment 12 into the space S. The first rear moisture-permeable member 110 is fixed to the partition wall 4 and does not move even when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened or closed.

[0054] The first rear moisture-permeable member 110 may be located in front of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60, or behind the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60, or it may be in the same position as the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 in the front-rear direction when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed and the storage container 50 is stored inside the vegetable compartment 12.

[0055] In this modified example, since the rear of the space S is closed by the first rear moisture-permeable member 110, even if the storage container 60 is open upwards, cold air is less likely to flow into the storage container 60 stored in the vegetable compartment 12. As a result, the cold air supplied to the vegetable compartment 12 is less likely to come into contact with the stored items in the storage container 60, thereby suppressing drying of the stored items due to the cold air and improving the shelf life of the stored items.

[0056] Furthermore, in this modified example, since the moisture-permeable members 100 and the first rear moisture-permeable member 110 are provided with moisture-permeable sheets 101 and 111, even if the humidity inside the storage container 60 becomes high, water vapor molecules can be discharged to the outside of the storage container 60, and condensation inside the storage container 60 can also be prevented.

[0057] Furthermore, in this modified example, when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened, the storage container 60 is pulled out of the compartment, and the air inside the storage container 60 is replaced with the air outside the compartment. However, when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed, the air that remained behind the storage container 50 and the moisture-permeable member 100 flows into the storage container 60 through the upper opening 60a of the storage container 60, quickly cooling the inside of the storage container 60 and maintaining an appropriate humidity level.

[0058] (Example of change 2) In the embodiment described above, a moisture-permeable member 100 is provided in front of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 to divide the space S into front and rear sections. However, as shown in Figure 7, in addition to the moisture-permeable member 100, a second rear moisture-permeable member 120 may be provided on the storage container 60, and the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 may divide the space S into front and rear sections behind the moisture-permeable member 100.

[0059] Specifically, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120, like the moisture-permeable member 100, comprises a moisture-permeable sheet 121 and a retainer 122, and its length in the left-right direction is the same as or longer than the upper opening 60a of the storage container 60.

[0060] The moisture-permeable sheet 121, like the moisture-permeable sheet 101 provided on the moisture-permeable member 100, is made of a sheet material that possesses both moisture permeability and waterproofing properties. The retainer 122 is fixed to the storage container 60 such that a part of it protrudes from the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 into the space S.

[0061] The retainer 122 has an opening 122a located above the rear wall 60c, and holds the moisture-permeable sheet 121 so as to close this opening 122a. In this modified example, the retainer 122 holds the moisture-permeable sheet 121 so that its planar portion faces the front-to-back direction, and the moisture-permeable sheet 121 divides the space S front-to-back through the opening 122a of the retainer 122.

[0062] The second rear moisture-permeable member 120 is located behind the moisture-permeable member 100 and in front of the passage 4a of the partition wall 4, and is provided to protrude from the storage container 60 into the space S. The amount by which the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 protrudes upward from the storage container 60 is set such that a part of the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 overlaps with the moisture-permeable member 100 in the front-rear direction (that is, when viewed from the front, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 overlaps with the lower end of the moisture-permeable member 100).

[0063] The second rear moisture-permeable member 120 may be fixed to the front side, the rear side, or the upper end of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60, or it may be fixed to the rear ends of the left and right side walls of the storage container 60.

[0064] Since the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 is fixed to the storage container 60, when the storage container 60 moves in the front-to-back direction due to opening and closing the vegetable compartment door 13, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 also moves in the front-to-back direction along with the storage container 60. As shown in Figure 8, when the storage container 60 moves forward, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 moves forward and approaches the moisture-permeable member 100, and when the storage container 60 reaches the position where it is pulled out to the furthest forward, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 is positioned near the rear of the moisture-permeable member 100, closing the vertical gap formed between the upper end of the storage container 60 and the lower end of the moisture-permeable member 100.

[0065] In this modified example, with the storage container 50 stored inside the vegetable compartment 12, the rear of the space S is closed by the second rear moisture-permeable member 120. Therefore, even if the storage container 60 is open upwards, cold air is less likely to flow into the storage container 60 stored inside the vegetable compartment 12. As a result, the cold air supplied to the vegetable compartment 12 is less likely to come into contact with the stored items in the storage container 60, which suppresses drying of the stored items due to the cold air and improves the shelf life of the stored items.

[0066] Furthermore, in this modified example, since the moisture-permeable members 100 and 121 are provided on the moisture-permeable member 100 and the second rear moisture-permeable member 120, even if the humidity inside the storage container 60 becomes high, water vapor molecules can be discharged to the outside of the storage container 60, and condensation inside the storage container 60 can also be prevented.

[0067] Furthermore, in this modified example, when the vegetable compartment door 13 is opened and the storage container 60 is pulled out of the compartment, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 closes the vertical gap formed between the upper end of the storage container 60 and the lower end of the moisture-permeable member 100. As a result, air behind the storage container 50 and the moisture-permeable member 100 is less likely to flow out of the compartment through the gap between the upper end of the storage container 60 and the lower end of the moisture-permeable member 100. Therefore, when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed, the air that was remaining behind the moisture-permeable member 100 flows into the storage container 60 through the upper opening 60a of the storage container 60, quickly cooling the inside of the storage container 60 and maintaining an appropriate humidity level.

[0068] In this modified example, the case where the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 is positioned near the rear of the moisture-permeable member 100 when the storage container 60 is pulled out to its furthest forward position was described, but the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 may also be positioned in front of the moisture-permeable member 100.

[0069] (Example of change 3) In the above-described embodiment, a moisture-permeable member 100 is provided in front of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 to divide the space S into front and rear sections. However, as shown in Figure 9, in addition to the moisture-permeable member 100, a first rear moisture-permeable member 110 similar to that in Modified Example 1 may be provided on the partition wall 4, and a second rear moisture-permeable member 120 similar to that in Modified Example 2 may be provided on the storage container 60, and the space S behind the moisture-permeable member 100 may be divided into front and rear sections by the first rear moisture-permeable member 110 and the second rear moisture-permeable member 120.

[0070] The first rear moisture-permeable member 110 is located behind the moisture-permeable member 100 and in front of the passage 4a of the partition wall 4, and is provided on the partition wall 4 so as to be located near the rear of the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed and the storage container 50 is stored inside the vegetable compartment 12. The lower end of the first rear moisture-permeable member 110 is positioned above the upper end of the storage container 60, for example, at a gap of about 10 to 30 mm.

[0071] The second rear moisture-permeable member 120 is located behind the moisture-permeable member 100 and in front of the passage 4a of the partition wall 4, and is positioned near the front of the first rear moisture-permeable member 110 when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed and the storage container 50 is stored inside the vegetable compartment 12, and is provided to protrude from the storage container 60 into the space S. The amount by which the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 protrudes upward from the storage container 60 is set so that a part of the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 overlaps with the moisture-permeable member 100 and the first rear moisture-permeable member 110 in the front-rear direction (that is, when viewed from the front, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 overlaps with the lower ends of the moisture-permeable member 100 and the first rear moisture-permeable member 110).

[0072] In this modified example, with the storage container 50 stored in the vegetable compartment 12, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 is located near the front of the first rear moisture-permeable member 110, and the rear of the space S is closed by the first rear moisture-permeable member 110 and the second rear moisture-permeable member 120. Therefore, even if the storage container 60 is open upwards, cold air is less likely to flow into the storage container 60 stored in the vegetable compartment 12. As a result, the cold air supplied to the vegetable compartment 12 is less likely to hit the stored items in the storage container 60, and drying of the stored items due to the cold air can be suppressed.

[0073] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, when the storage container 60 moves forward, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 moves forward and approaches the moisture-permeable member 100. When the storage container 60 reaches its furthest forward position, the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 is positioned near the rear of the moisture-permeable member 100, and closes the vertical gap formed between the upper end of the storage container 60 and the lower end of the moisture-permeable member 100. As a result, air behind the storage container 50 and the moisture-permeable member 100 is less likely to flow out of the storage container through the gap between the upper end of the storage container 60 and the lower end of the moisture-permeable member 100. Therefore, when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed, the air that was remaining behind the moisture-permeable member 100 flows into the storage container 60 through the upper opening 60a, quickly cooling the inside of the storage container 60 and maintaining an appropriate humidity level.

[0074] Furthermore, in this modified example, since the moisture-permeable sheets 101, 111, and 121 are provided on the moisture-permeable member 100, the first rear moisture-permeable member 110, and the second rear moisture-permeable member 120, even if the humidity inside the storage container 60 becomes high, water vapor molecules can be discharged to the outside of the storage container 60, and condensation inside the storage container 60 can also be prevented.

[0075] In this modified example, the case where the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 is positioned near the rear of the moisture-permeable member 100 when the storage container 60 is pulled out to its furthest forward position was described, but the second rear moisture-permeable member 120 may also be positioned in front of the moisture-permeable member 100.

[0076] (Example of change 4) In the embodiment described above, the holder 102 constituting the moisture-permeable member 100 holds the moisture-permeable sheet 101 so that the flat portion of the moisture-permeable sheet 101 faces in the front-to-back direction, and the moisture-permeable member 100 is provided so that the moisture-permeable sheet 101 divides the space S in the front-to-back direction. However, as shown in Figure 11, the holder 142 may hold the moisture-permeable sheet 141 so that the flat portion of the moisture-permeable sheet 141 faces in the up-to-down direction, and the moisture-permeable member 140 may be provided so that the moisture-permeable sheet 141 divides the space S in the up-to-down direction.

[0077] In the breathable member 140 illustrated in Figure 11, the holder 142 comprises a hanging portion 142b that hangs downward from the partition wall 4, and a mounting portion 142c that bends from the lower end of the hanging portion 142b and extends rearward. The mounting portion 142c is provided with an opening 142a that is closed by the breathable sheet 141. The holder 142 consists of an L-shaped cross-section member whose length in the left-right direction is the same as or longer than the upper opening 60a of the storage container 60. The opening 142a is provided so as to penetrate the mounting portion 142c in the vertical direction and is closed by the breathable sheet 141.

[0078] In this modified example, as shown in Figure 11, the mounting portion 142c is provided horizontally, and the moisture-permeable sheet 141 is held by the holder 142 so that the flat portion of the moisture-permeable sheet 141 faces vertically. However, the mounting portion 142c may be provided so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, and the flat portion of the moisture-permeable sheet 141 may be provided so as to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

[0079] As shown in Figure 11, when the vegetable compartment door 13 is closed and the storage container 50 is stored inside the vegetable compartment 12, at least a portion of the opening 142a of the moisture-permeable member 140 is located in front of the front wall 60b of the storage container 60, and the rear of the mounting portion 142c faces the upper end of the front wall 60b of the storage container 60 with a gap in the vertical direction. Also, as shown in Figure 12, when the storage container 60 is pulled forward, the rear of the mounting portion 142c faces the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 vertically.

[0080] In this modified example, the rearward-extending mounting portion 142c is positioned to face the front wall 60b and rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 vertically. Therefore, even if the storage container 60 is not fully pulled forward, the moisture-permeable member 140 and the rear wall 60c of the storage container 60 face each other vertically, making it difficult for air behind the storage container 50 and the moisture-permeable member 100 to flow out of the storage container 60 from above.

[0081] (Example of change 5) In the embodiment described above, the case in which the storage container 60 is a container provided on the upper side of a storage container 50 which is composed of two upper and lower containers was explained. However, the storage container 60 may be a single container that is not divided into upper and lower sections, or the uppermost container of a container with three or more sections may be the storage container 60. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1...Refrigerator, 2...Refrigerator body, 4...Partition wall, 4a...Connecting passage, 10...Refrigerator compartment, 11...Refrigerator compartment door, 12...Vegetable compartment, 13...Vegetable compartment door, 50...Storage container, 51...Lower container, 60...Storage container, 60a...Upper opening, 60b...Front wall, 60c...Rear wall, 100...Moisture-permeable member, 101...Moisture-permeable sheet, 102...Holder, 102a...Opening, 110...Moisture-permeable member, 111...Moisture-permeable sheet, 112...Holder, 112a...Opening, 120...Moisture-permeable member, 121...Moisture-permeable sheet, 122...Holder, 122a...Opening, 140...Moisture-permeable member, 141...Moisture-permeable sheet, 142...Holder, 142a...Opening, 142b...Dangling part, 142c...Mounting part

Claims

1. A refrigerator unit having a storage compartment, A storage container stored in the storage chamber that can be pulled out forward, It comprises a moisture-permeable member having a moisture-permeable sheet and a rear moisture-permeable member, The moisture-permeable member is provided on the refrigerator body so as to divide the space above the storage container from front to back, in front of the rear wall of the storage container. A refrigerator in which the rear moisture-permeable member is provided to partition the space above the storage container from front to back, behind the moisture-permeable member.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rear moisture-permeable member is provided in the refrigerator body.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the rear moisture-permeable member is provided in the storage container.

4. It comprises a moisture-permeable sheet, a first rear moisture-permeable member and a second rear moisture-permeable member that partition the space behind the moisture-permeable member and above the storage container into front and rear sections, The first rear moisture-permeable member is provided on the refrigerator body, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the second rear moisture-permeable member is provided in the storage container.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein when the storage container moves forward, the rear moisture-permeable member approaches the moisture-permeable member, and the rear moisture-permeable member closes the vertical gap formed between the storage container and the moisture-permeable member.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 4, wherein when the storage container is placed in the storage chamber, the second rear moisture-permeable member approaches the first rear moisture-permeable member, and the second rear moisture-permeable member closes the vertical gap formed between the storage container and the first rear moisture-permeable member.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 4 or 6, wherein when the storage container is pulled forward, the second rear moisture-permeable member approaches the moisture-permeable member, and the second rear moisture-permeable member closes the vertical gap formed between the storage container and the moisture-permeable member.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein when the storage container moves forward, the rear moisture-permeable member is positioned in front of the moisture-permeable member.

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