refrigerator

Abstract

To provide a refrigerator in which a compressor can be suitably arranged.SOLUTION: A refrigerator comprises a main body for forming storage chambers, and a door for openably closing an opening part of the main body, and is provided with a compressor to be used for cooling of the storage chambers. The storage chambers are provided in the order of a first storage chamber, a second storage chamber, and a third storage chamber from the upper side. At least a portion of the compressor is provided behind the second storage chamber. The main body comprises a front heat insulation wall, an upper heat insulation wall, and a lower heat insulation wall for covering the compressor from the front side, the upper side, and the lower side, and formed of a heat insulation material. The heat insulation effect of the lower heat insulation wall is higher than that of the front heat insulation wall and the upper heat insulation wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a refrigerator.

Background Art

[0002] As refrigerators, those having a compressor at the bottom surface of the main body forming a storage chamber have become mainstream. Insulation is required around the compressor. In the case of a refrigerator with a freezer compartment arranged at the bottom, since the thickness of the heat insulating material between the freezer compartment and the compressor becomes large, the capacity of the freezer compartment becomes small and the volume efficiency decreases. Also, there is a known refrigerator in which storage chambers partitioned by a door are provided in two upper and lower stages, and a compressor is provided at the central portion in the vertical direction behind the storage chambers. However, in recent refrigerators, the storage chambers tend to be divided into three or more stages and further into a plurality, and there is still room for improvement in efficiently arranging the compressor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] <。

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a refrigerator capable of arranging a compressor well.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The refrigerator of this embodiment comprises a main body forming a storage compartment and a door that can be opened and closed to close the opening of the main body, and is equipped with a compressor for cooling the storage compartment. The storage compartment is arranged in the order of a first storage compartment, a second storage compartment, and a third storage compartment from top to bottom, and the first, second, and third storage compartments are separated by different doors. At least a portion of the compressor is located behind the second storage compartment. It has a configuration. It is formed as a compressor assembly in which at least the compressor, condenser, and blower are integrated into one unit. The compressor assembly is provided so as to be attachable to the rear wall of the main body from the rear. It has a structure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] Front view of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1, along the F1-F1 line. [Figure 3] A perspective view of a refrigerator seen from diagonally behind. [Figure 4] An enlarged view of the cooling unit shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Front view of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view of the refrigerator along the F2-F2 line shown in Figure 5. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] (First Embodiment) The refrigerator of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Duplication of these components may be omitted.

[0008] In this specification, left and right are defined based on the direction from which a user standing in front of the refrigerator views the refrigerator. Furthermore, the side of the refrigerator closer to the user standing in front of it is defined as "front," and the side further away is defined as "back." In this specification, "width direction" means the left-right direction as defined above. In this specification, "depth direction" means the front-back direction as defined above. In this specification, "width direction" means the left-right direction as defined above. In this specification, "up-down direction" means the height direction of the refrigerator.

[0009] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 of the embodiment will be described. First, the overall configuration of the refrigerator 1 will be described. However, the refrigerator 1 does not need to have all of the configurations described below, and some configurations may be omitted as appropriate.

[0010] Figure 1 is a front view of refrigerator 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of refrigerator 1 shown in Figure 1 along the line F1-F1. Refrigerator 1 comprises, for example, a main body 10 and a number of doors 20.

[0011] The main body 10 has an upper wall 10a, a lower wall 10b, left and right side walls 10c, 10d, and a rear wall 10e (see Figure 2). The upper wall 10a and lower wall 10b extend horizontally. The left and right side walls 10c, 10d rise upward from the left and right ends of the lower wall 10b and connect to the left and right ends of the upper wall 10a. The left side wall 10c includes a left side wall portion that is exposed to the vegetable compartment 11B (described later) and forms the left side of the vegetable compartment 11B. The right side wall 10d includes a right side wall portion that is exposed to the vegetable compartment 11B and forms the right side of the vegetable compartment 11B. The rear wall 10e rises upward from the rear end of the lower wall 10b and connects to the rear end of the upper wall 10a.

[0012] The main body 10 includes an inner box 10i that forms the inner surface of the main body 10, an outer box 10j located outside the inner box 10i and forming the outer surface of the main body 10, and a foamed insulation material 10k such as foamed urethane provided between the inner box 10i and the outer box 10j (see Figure 2), and has thermal insulation properties. Also, as shown in Figure 2, in the rear wall 10e, plate-shaped vacuum insulation plates 55A and 55B are provided in the thermal insulation space between the inner box 10i and the outer box 10j. The vacuum insulation plates 55A and 55B are located in two places: the rear of the refrigerator compartment 11A and the rear of the freezer compartment. That is, the vacuum insulation plates 55A and 55B, which are provided above and below, are positioned above and below the cooling unit 60, which will be described later.

[0013] The main body 10 is provided with a plurality of storage compartments 11. The plurality of storage compartments 11 include, for example, a refrigerator compartment 11A (first storage compartment), a chilled compartment 11Aa (first storage compartment), a vegetable compartment 11B (second storage compartment), an ice-making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment 11D, and a main freezer compartment 11E. The refrigerator compartment 11A is cooled to a refrigerator temperature range of, for example, approximately 2°C to 6°C. The chilled compartment 11Aa is cooled to a chilled temperature range of, for example, approximately -1°C to +1°C. The vegetable compartment 11B is cooled to a vegetable compartment temperature range of, for example, approximately 3°C to 7°C. The ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, and the main freezer compartment 11E are a freezer compartment (third storage compartment) and are cooled to a freezing temperature range of, for example, approximately -20°C to -18°C.

[0014] In this embodiment, a refrigerator compartment 11A is located in the upper space, a vegetable compartment 11B is located below the refrigerator compartment 11A, an ice-making compartment 11C and a small freezer compartment 11D are located below the vegetable compartment 11B, and a main freezer compartment 11E is located below the ice-making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D. However, the arrangement of the storage compartments 11 is not limited to the above example. The main body 10 has openings on the front side of each storage compartment 11 that allow food to be put in and taken out of each storage compartment 11. The vegetable compartment 11B is an example of a storage compartment. The refrigerator compartment 11A, the vegetable compartment 11B, and the freezer compartments (small freezer compartment 11D, main freezer compartment 11E) of the storage compartment 11 are each separated by an insulating wall, and each compartment is provided with a different door 20. In other words, the refrigerator compartment 11A, the vegetable compartment 11B, and the freezer compartment (small freezer compartment 11D, main freezer compartment 11E) are each separated by different doors 20 (refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa, 20Ab, vegetable compartment door 20B, ice maker door 20C, small freezer compartment door 20D, and main freezer compartment door 20E, which will be described later).

[0015] The chilled compartment 11Aa is located in a section at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment 11A. The chilled compartment 11Aa is an example of a "special storage compartment." In this specification, a "special storage compartment" is a storage compartment with a temperature range lower than that of the refrigerator compartment and higher than that of the freezer compartment. The "special storage compartment" is not limited to the chilled compartment 11Aa, but may also be a partial freezing compartment cooled to a partial freezing temperature range (approximately -4°C to -2°C). Therefore, in the following description, "chilled compartment 11Aa" may be read as "special storage compartment" or "partial freezing compartment."

[0016] The main body 10 has a first partition portion 15 and a second partition portion 16 (see FIG. 2). The first partition portion 15 and the second partition portion 16 are partition walls, for example, each extending substantially in the horizontal direction. The first partition portion 15 is located between the refrigerator compartment 11A and the chilled compartment 11Aa and the vegetable compartment 11B, and partitions between the refrigerator compartment 11A and the chilled compartment 11Aa and the vegetable compartment 11B. For example, the first partition portion 15 is a partition wall having no heat insulation property. The first partition portion 15 may be provided integrally with the main body 10, or may be provided separately from the main body 10 and attached inside the main body 10. The first partition portion 15 has ventilation holes for guiding cold air passing through the refrigerator compartment 11A or the chilled compartment 11Aa to the vegetable compartment 11B. On the other hand, the second partition portion 16 is located between the vegetable compartment 11B and the ice making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D, and partitions between the vegetable compartment 11B and the ice making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D. The second partition portion 16 is provided integrally with the main body 10, for example, and has heat insulation property.

[0017] The first partition portion 15 and the second partition portion 16 are made of a molded heat insulating material such as bead method polystyrene foam (EPS), but may be manufactured by pouring a foamed heat insulating material such as urethane into the outer shell of the partition portion during the manufacture of the refrigerator 1.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of storage compartments 11 are closable by a plurality of doors 20. The plurality of doors 20 include, for example, left and right refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa and 20Ab for closing the opening of the refrigerator compartment 11A, a vegetable compartment door 20B for closing the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B, an ice making compartment door 20C for closing the opening of the ice making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment door 20D for closing the opening of the small freezer compartment 11D, and a main freezer compartment door 20E for closing the opening of the main freezer compartment 11E. The left and right refrigerator compartment doors 20Aa and 20Ab constitute, for example, French doors (butterfly doors). Each of the vegetable compartment door 20B, the ice making compartment door 20C, the small freezer compartment door 20D, and the main freezer compartment door 20E is a drawer door that can be pulled out to the front side of the refrigerator 1.

[0019] Here, the vegetable compartment door 20B will be described in detail. The vegetable compartment door 20B includes, for example, a door body 21 and a rail member (not shown). The door body 21 is located outside the main body 10 and faces the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B from the front side of the refrigerator 1. The door body 21 has an outer shape larger than the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B and can open and close the opening of the vegetable compartment 11B. At the upper end of the door body 21, a handle for the user to grasp when opening the vegetable compartment door 20B is provided. The rail member is attached to the inner surface (rear surface) of the door body 21 and extends rearward from the door body 21. The rail member 22 is supported by rail receiving portions provided on the left side wall portion and the right side wall portion of the main body 10. Thereby, the vegetable compartment door 20B is slidable in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1 with respect to the main body 10.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 1 includes, for example, a plurality of shelves 30, a plurality of containers 40, a flow path forming component 50, a cooling unit 60, and a control board yet="">17.

[0021] The plurality of shelves 30 are arranged in the refrigerating compartment 11A.

[0022] The plurality of containers 40 include the first and second chilled compartment containers 41 and 42 housed in the chilled compartment 11Aa, the first and second vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44 housed in the vegetable compartment 11B, an ice-making compartment container (not shown) housed in the ice-making compartment 11C, a small freezer compartment container 46 housed in the small freezer compartment 11D, and the first and second main freezer compartment containers 47 and yet="">48 housed in the main freezer compartment 11E.

[0023] First, the first and second chilled compartment containers 41 and 42 will be described. The first chilled compartment container 41 is the container located on the lower side among the two-stage chilled compartment containers 41 and 42. The second chilled compartment container 42 is the container located on the upper side among the two-stage chilled compartment containers 41 and 42. The second chilled compartment container 42 is located above the first chilled compartment container 41. The first and second chilled compartment containers 41 and 42 can each be independently pulled forward. Note that only one chilled compartment container may be arranged in the chilled compartment 11Aa.

[0024] Next, the first and second vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44 will be described. The first vegetable compartment container 43 is the lower of the two-tiered vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44. The first vegetable compartment container 43 is supported by the vegetable compartment door 20B and can be pulled out to the front of the refrigerator 1 together with the vegetable compartment door 20B. The front end 43a of the first vegetable compartment container 43 is located near the door body 21 of the vegetable compartment door 20B. On the other hand, the rear end 43b of the first vegetable compartment container 43 is located near the rear wall 10e of the main body 10 when the first vegetable compartment container 43 is housed in the vegetable compartment 11B.

[0025] The second vegetable compartment container 44 is the upper of the two-tiered vegetable compartment containers 43 and 44. The second vegetable compartment container 44 is positioned above the first vegetable compartment container 43. The dimensions of the second vegetable compartment container 44 in the front-to-back direction of the refrigerator 1 are smaller than the dimensions of the first vegetable compartment container 43 in the same direction.

[0026] The flow path forming component 50 includes a refrigeration duct 51 and a freezing duct 52. The refrigeration duct 51 is provided in the refrigeration compartments 11A and 11B within the main body 10 and extends vertically along the rear wall 10e. The refrigeration duct 51 forms a first duct space D1, which is a passage for cold air, near the rear wall 10e of the main body 10. In this specification, "duct" is not limited to cylindrical components and may include components that cooperate with other components (e.g., the rear wall 10e of the main body 10) to define at least a portion of the passage for cold air. For example, the refrigeration duct 51 in this embodiment is a plate-shaped cover member attached to the rear wall 10e of the main body 10 and forms the first duct space D1 between itself and the rear wall 10e of the main body 10.

[0027] The refrigeration duct 51 has a cold air outlet 51a and a cold air return port 51b. The cold air outlet 51a supplies cold air cooled by a refrigeration heat exchanger (not shown) to the space of the refrigerator compartment 11A and the chilled compartment 11Aa. The cold air return port 51b opens to the vegetable compartment 11B and guides the cold air, which has been warmed by passing through the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B, toward the first duct space D1.

[0028] The refrigeration duct 51 is preferably formed from an insulator with a thickness of 1 mm or more that can ensure basic insulation. Specifically, the material of the refrigeration duct 51 can be, for example, a resin such as polypropylene (PP) or ABS.

[0029] The refrigeration duct 52 is provided in the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E within the main body 10 and extends vertically along the rear wall 10e. The refrigeration duct 52 forms a second duct space D2, which is a passage through which cold air E flows, near the rear wall 10e of the main body 10. The refrigeration duct 52 has a cold air outlet 52a and a cold air return port 52b. The cold air outlet 52a opens into the ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, or the main freezer compartment 11E and supplies cold air E cooled by the refrigeration cooler 64 (described later) to the ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, or the main freezer compartment 11E. The cold air return port 52b opens at the bottom of the main freezer compartment 11E and guides the cold air, which has been warmed by passing through one or more of the ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, and the main freezer compartment 11E, into the duct space D2.

[0030] The cooling unit 60 (compressor assembly) is located at the rear of the vegetable compartment 11B, and the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 61 is supplied to the first duct space D1 and the second duct space D2, and is used in a cooling cycle to cool the refrigerator compartment 11A, the vegetable compartment 11B, the ice-making compartment 11C, the small freezer compartment 11D, and the main freezer compartment 11E.

[0031] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the refrigerator 1 from the rear at an angle, showing the state in which the cooling unit 60 is assembled. As shown in Figure 3, the cooling unit 60 includes, for example, a compressor 61, a condenser 62, and a cooling fan 63 (blower). Specifically, the compressor 61 is located behind the vegetable compartment 11B. The compressor 61 is located in a position within the storage compartment 11 that is lower in temperature range than the refrigerator compartment 11A, lower than the chilled compartment 11Aa which is higher in temperature range than the freezer compartment 11C, and higher than the refrigerator compartment 11A (see Figure 2).

[0032] The cooling unit 60 is provided with a plate-shaped support plate 67 that extends in the width direction. A compressor 61, a condenser 62, and a cooling fan 63 are integrally assembled on the upper surface of the support plate 67. The cooling unit 60 is assembled to a storage section 10h that has an opening on the rear side, at the rear of the vegetable compartment 11B on the rear wall 10e. In other words, the cooling unit 60 is provided so that it can be easily assembled to the storage section 10h from the rear.

[0033] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the cooling unit 60 shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the rear wall 10e covers the compressor 61 from the front, top, and bottom, and has a front insulation wall 101, an upper insulation wall 102, and a lower insulation wall 103 which are filled with foamed insulation material 56 (first insulation material) such as foamed urethane. The front insulation wall 101, the upper insulation wall 102, and the lower insulation wall 103 form a U-shaped housing section 10h with an opening on the rear side when viewed from the width direction.

[0034] The front insulation wall 101, the upper insulation wall 102, and the lower insulation wall 103 may be a single unit or separate. The height of the lower surface 103a of the lower insulation wall 103 is approximately the same as the height of the lower surface 16a of the second partition 16. The second partition 16 extends forward from the front part 103b of the lower insulation wall 103 (and / or the lower part of the front insulation wall 101). In this embodiment, the second partition 16 and the lower insulation wall 103 are provided separately, but the lower insulation wall 103 may be part of the second partition 16. The height of the lower surface 103a of the lower insulation wall 103 does not need to be approximately the same as the height of the lower surface 16a of the second partition 16; for example, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the second partition 16 extends from a position higher than the lower surface 103a of the lower insulation wall 103 (for example, the front part 101a of the front insulation wall 101). In this case, the lower surface 16a of the second partition 16 will be higher than the lower surface 103a of the lower insulation wall 103. Thus, it is preferable to have a configuration in which the partition 16 and at least a part of any of the front insulation wall 101, upper insulation wall 102, and lower insulation wall 103 overlap front to back.

[0035] The lower insulation wall 103 has a higher insulation effect than the front insulation wall 101 and the upper insulation wall 102. As shown in Figure 4, the thickness t3 of the foamed insulation material 56C forming the lower insulation wall 103 is greater than the thickness t1 of the foamed insulation material 56A forming the front insulation wall 101 and the thickness t2 of the foamed insulation material 56B forming the upper insulation wall 102. In addition, the insulation coefficient of the foamed insulation material 56C of the lower insulation wall 103 is greater than the insulation coefficient of the second partition section 16 between the vegetable compartment 11B and the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E.

[0036] Furthermore, the thickness t3 of the foamed insulation material 56 of the lower insulation wall 103 is greater than the thickness t4 of the foamed insulation material 57 (first insulation material) provided in the second partition 16. Also, the thermal insulation ratio of the foamed insulation material 56C of the lower insulation wall 103 is greater than the thermal insulation ratio of the second partition 16. In this embodiment, the thickness and thermal insulation effect are proportional, but this is not the only way to go. In short, as described above, it is sufficient that the thermal insulation effect of the lower insulation wall 103 is higher than that of the front insulation wall 101 and the upper insulation wall 102. For example, even if the thickness t3 of the lower insulation wall 103 is the same as or thinner than the thickness t1 of the front insulation wall 101 and the thickness t2 of the upper insulation wall 102, it is sufficient that the thermal insulation effect of the lower insulation wall 103 is higher than that of the front insulation wall 101 and the upper insulation wall 102.

[0037] At least the front insulation wall 101 does not have vacuum insulation material. Furthermore, the upper insulation wall 102 and the lower insulation wall 103 also do not have vacuum insulation material. However, vacuum insulation material (second insulation material) may be provided in any of the front insulation wall 101, upper insulation wall 102, or lower insulation wall 103. Here, "vacuum insulation material" is also called VIP (Vacuum Insulation Panel) and is an insulation material that includes, for example, an outer packaging material forming a bag, and a core material sealed and housed within the outer packaging material under reduced pressure. The core material is, for example, a fibrous material such as glass wool, or a porous material such as foam. Furthermore, instead of vacuum insulation material, it is also possible to use a specific insulation material (second insulation material) containing one or more of aerogel, xerogel, or cryogel.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, a refrigeration cooler 64 and a cooling fan 66 are located at the rear of the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E, below the compressor 61. The refrigeration cooler 64 is located in the second duct space D2. The refrigeration cooler 64 is supplied with refrigerant compressed by the compressor 61, and cools the cold air flowing through the second duct space D2. When the cooling fan 66 is driven, the cold air cooled by the refrigeration cooler 64 is supplied to the freezer compartments (ice-making compartment 11C, small freezer compartment 11D, and main freezer compartment 11E) from the cold air outlet 52a. In addition, an evaporation tray 65 is provided at the lower rear of the refrigerator 1.

[0039] The control board 17 shown in Figure 1 comprehensively controls the entire refrigerator 1. For example, the control board 17 controls the operation of the cooling unit 60 and the compressor based on the detection results of temperature sensors (not shown) provided in the multiple storage compartments 11. It is preferable to place the control board 17 in a location where moisture can be avoided. In this embodiment, it is located on the rear outer casing 10j above the refrigerator compartment 11A.

[0040] Next, the operation and function of refrigerator 1 will be described.

[0041] According to this embodiment of the refrigerator 1, it comprises a main body 10 that forms a storage compartment 11, a door 20 that can be opened and closed to close the opening of the main body 10, and a compressor 61 used for cooling the storage compartment 11. The storage compartment 11 is arranged from top to bottom in the order of a refrigerator compartment 11A, a vegetable compartment 11B, and freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E. The refrigerator compartment 11A, the vegetable compartment 11B, and the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E are each separated by different doors 20. At least a part of the compressor 61 is located behind the vegetable compartment 11B.

[0042] Generally, the temperature difference between the refrigerator compartment and the machine room containing the compressor is smaller than the temperature difference between the freezer compartment and the machine room. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 61 located behind the vegetable compartment 11B vaporizes as it passes through the cooler, lowering the temperature of the cooler and cooling the air in the first duct space D1 and the second duct space D2. The cold air passing through the first duct D1 cools the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B. At this time, the cold air passing through the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B flows in contact with the insulating wall (front insulating wall 101, upper insulating wall 102, lower insulating wall 103) covering the compressor 61. The cold air passing through the second duct D2 cools the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E. At this time, the cold air passing through the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E flows without directly contacting the insulated walls (front insulated wall 101, upper insulated wall 102, lower insulated wall 103) covering the compressor 61.

[0043] Thus, in a refrigerator 1 equipped with three storage compartments 11 in the vertical direction (refrigerator compartment 11A, vegetable compartment 11B, and freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E from top to bottom), the compressor 61 is positioned behind the vegetable compartment 11B (second storage compartment) located in the vertical center. This allows the insulation thickness of the insulating walls around the compressor 61 (front insulating wall 101, upper insulating wall 102, and lower insulating wall 103) to be reduced. As a result, the reduction in capacity of the storage compartment located in front of the compressor 61 (vegetable compartment 11B) can be kept to a minimum, and the capacity efficiency of the lower storage compartments (in this case, freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E) that do not have a compressor 61 behind the main body 10 can be greatly increased. In this embodiment, the lowest storage compartment (freezer compartment) of the three storage compartments arranged in the vertical direction can be used effectively.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the compressor 61 is positioned behind the vegetable compartment 11B, which is located in the vertical center of the main body 10. This suppresses the raising of the center of gravity, while easily increasing the capacity of the lowest storage compartment 11 (in this case, the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E). Therefore, in the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the center of gravity of the refrigerator from becoming too high, as would be the case if the compressor 61 were located on the ceiling of the refrigerator, thereby reducing the possibility of the refrigerator tipping over.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main body 10 covers the compressor 61 from the front, top, and bottom, and has a front insulation wall 101, an upper insulation wall 102, and a lower insulation wall 103 formed of foamed insulation material 56. The lower insulation wall 103 has a higher insulation effect than the front insulation wall 101 and the upper insulation wall 102.

[0046] The storage chamber below the lower insulated wall is prone to heat buildup from the compressor. In this embodiment, by increasing the insulation effect of the lower insulated wall 103 that is in contact with the refrigeration temperature zone below the compressor 61, heat from the compressor 61 is less likely to be transferred to the refrigeration chambers 11C, 11D, and 11E, thereby eliminating the problem of heat buildup in the refrigeration chambers 11C, 11D, and 11E.

[0047] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the thickness of the lower insulation wall 103 is greater than that of the front insulation wall 101 and the upper insulation wall 102.

[0048] In this case, by making the thickness of the lower insulation wall 103, which is in contact with the refrigeration temperature zone below the compressor 61, larger than that of the front insulation wall 101 and the upper insulation wall 102, the heat from the compressor 61 is less likely to be transferred to the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E, thereby eliminating the problem of heat accumulating in the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E.

[0049] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the thickness of the lower insulation wall 103 is greater than the thickness t4 of the second partition 16 formed by foamed insulation material 57 between the vegetable compartment 11B and the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E.

[0050] In this case, by increasing only the thickness t3 of the foamed insulation material 56C of the lower insulation wall 103 that is in contact with the freezing temperature zone below the compressor 61, the insulation effect for the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E can be achieved. On the other hand, the thickness t4 of the foamed insulation material 57 of the second partition section 16, which is not in direct contact with the compressor 61, can be made thinner than the lower insulation wall 103, allowing it to be installed without significantly reducing the capacity of the refrigerator compartment 11A and the vegetable compartment 11B. Furthermore, by increasing the thickness t3 of the lower insulation wall 103 on the lower side of the compressor 61, rigidity capable of supporting the large weight of the compressor 61 can be ensured, and vibrations of the compressor 61 can be sufficiently absorbed. In addition, since the lower insulation wall 103 is thicker than the first partition section 15, when filling the foamed insulation material during manufacturing, the foamed insulation material can easily flow from the back of the refrigerator 1 through the thicker lower insulation wall 103 to the first partition section 15 side, ensuring reliable filling.

[0051] For example, when filling a partition with foamed insulation while ensuring upper and lower cold air passages, the following method can be employed. That is, when manufacturing the second partition 16 by filling it with foamed insulation such as polyurethane foam, a filling section is provided in the gap between the second partition 16 and the lower insulation wall 103 during filling. This filling section connects the second partition 16 and the lower insulation wall 103 and connects them with the foamed polyurethane being filled, and a cylindrical member is provided to form a cold air passage connecting the upper and lower chambers of the second partition 16. By pouring the foamed polyurethane into the second partition 16 through the filling section while passing it through the lower insulation wall 103, the second partition 16 and the filling section can be manufactured using foamed polyurethane, and a cold air passage can also be secured by providing the cylindrical member, ensuring the flow of cold air from the bottom to the top (towards the refrigerator compartment 11A) of the partition 16.

[0052] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the insulation material is provided with at least one of a foamed urethane insulation material and a second insulation material (vacuum insulation material or specific insulation material) which has higher insulation properties than the foamed urethane insulation material. For example, according to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the front insulation wall 101 may be provided with a vacuum insulation material or a specific insulation material, which is the second insulation material.

[0053] In this case, during manufacturing, the upper insulation wall 102 and the lower insulation wall 103 can be filled with foamed insulation material from the back of the refrigerator 1.

[0054] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, foamed insulation material is provided in the upper insulation wall 102 and the lower insulation wall 103.

[0055] In this case, during manufacturing, foam insulation material can be filled into the upper insulation wall 102 and the lower insulation wall 103 from the back of the refrigerator 1.

[0056] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, at least a compressor 61, a condenser 62, and a cooling fan 63 are formed as a single integrated cooling unit 60. The cooling unit 60 is provided so as to be attachable from the rear to the rear wall 10e of the main body 10.

[0057] In this case, since the compressor 61 and other components installed in the refrigerator 1 require pipe welding, as in this embodiment, the compressor 61, condenser 62, and cooling fan 63 are pre-assembled into a single unit, thereby reducing on-line installation and welding work and improving work efficiency.

[0058] According to the refrigerator 1 of this embodiment, the compressor 61 is located in the storage compartment 11 at a lower temperature than the refrigerator compartment 11A, lower than the chilled compartment 11Aa (which has a higher temperature than the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E), and higher than the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E.

[0059] In this case, a vegetable compartment 11B can be placed between the refrigerator compartment 11A, which is equipped with a chilled compartment 11Aa, and the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, and 11E, and a compressor 61 can be placed behind the vegetable compartment 11B. In other words, this is suitable when a relatively small-capacity vegetable compartment 11B is provided, as in this embodiment.

[0060] Furthermore, this design is also applicable to refrigerators in which a freezer compartment is located below the refrigerator compartment 11A as a storage compartment situated in the vertical center, and a vegetable compartment is located below the freezer compartment. In this case, the compressor 61 can be placed at the back of the freezer compartment. In other words, it is suitable for cases where a relatively small-capacity freezer compartment is provided.

[0061] According to at least one embodiment described above, it is possible to provide a refrigerator in which the compressor can be well positioned.

[0062] (Second Embodiment) Figure 5 is a front view showing a refrigerator 1A according to the second embodiment. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the refrigerator 1A shown in Figure 1 along the line F2-F2. The storage compartment 11 of the refrigerator 1A according to the second embodiment includes a refrigerator compartment 11A which contains a chiller compartment 11Aa and a vegetable compartment 11B, a first freezer compartment (ice maker compartment 11C, small freezer compartment 11D) located below the refrigerator compartment 11A and in the vertical center of the rear of the main body 10, and a second freezer compartment (medium freezer compartment 11F, main freezer compartment 11E) located below the first freezer compartment. The vegetable compartment 11B is located below the refrigerator compartment 11A. The medium freezer compartment 11F is located between the ice maker compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D and the main freezer compartment 11F. The first partition 18 is located between the refrigerator compartment 11A and the ice maker compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D. The second partition 19 is located between the ice-making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D and the medium freezer compartment 11F.

[0063] As shown in Figure 6, the cooling unit 60, equipped with a compressor 61, is located behind the ice-making compartment 11C and the small freezer compartment 11D. The compressor 61 is housed in a compartment 10h surrounded by a front insulation wall 101, an upper insulation wall 102, and a lower insulation wall 103. The thickness t2 of the foam insulation material 56B of the upper insulation wall 102 is smaller than the thicknesses t1 and t3 of the foam insulation materials 56A and 56C of the front insulation wall 101 and the lower insulation wall 103.

[0064] Therefore, by reducing the thickness of the foamed insulation material 56B of the upper insulation wall 102 that is in contact with the refrigeration temperature zone above the compressor 61, it is possible to achieve insulation effects for the freezer compartments 11C, 11D, 11E, and 11F without significantly reducing the capacity of the refrigerator compartment 11A. In addition, by increasing the thickness of the lower insulation wall 103 on the lower side of the compressor 61, it is possible to ensure rigidity that can support the large weight of the compressor 61 and to sufficiently absorb vibrations of the compressor 61.

[0065] The second partition section 19 is a separate component from the front insulation wall 101, the upper insulation wall 102, and the lower insulation wall 103. Therefore, the second partition section 19 can be made into a highly insulating structure using only the vacuum insulation material 58 (second insulation material), or a combination of the vacuum insulation material and the foamed insulation material.

[0066] While embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These 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. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0067] In the embodiment described above, the rear wall 10e of the main body 10 has a front insulation wall 101, an upper insulation wall 102, and a lower insulation wall 103 that cover the compressor 61 from the front, top, and bottom, and have foamed insulation material 56 inside. However, the shape and configuration of the compressor 61 housing 10h are not limited to this. Also, in this embodiment, the thickness of the foamed insulation material 56C of the lower insulation wall 103 is set to be greater than the thickness of the foamed insulation materials 56A and 56C of the front insulation wall 101 and the upper insulation wall 102, but the thickness is not limited to this dimension. Furthermore, the thickness of the foamed insulation material 56C of the lower insulation wall 103 is not limited to being greater than the thickness of the foamed insulation material 57 provided in the first partition 15 between the vegetable compartment 11A and the freezer compartment.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a cooling unit 64 is provided below the compressor 61, but a configuration in which cooling units are provided above and below the compressor 61 is also possible.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a cooling unit 60 is formed as a compressor assembly by integrally combining the compressor 61, condenser 62, and cooling fan 63 (blower), but the invention is not limited to unitizing the compressor 61 in this way.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the storage compartment 11 located in front of the compressor 61, which is provided in the vertical center of the rear of the main body 10, is a vegetable compartment 11B, and in the second embodiment, it is an ice-making compartment 11C and a small freezer compartment 11D. However, it is not limited to these storage compartments 11, and for example, the compressor 61 may be located at the lower rear of a refrigerator compartment 11A which is equipped only with a chilled compartment 11Aa.

[0071] Furthermore, the configuration and partitioning of the refrigerator's storage compartment are not limited to this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1, 1A...Refrigerator, 10...Main body, 10e...Rear wall, 10h...Storage area, 11...Storage room, 11A...Refrigerator room (Storage room, 1st storage room), 11Aa...Chilled room (1st storage room), 11B...Vegetable room (Storage room, 2nd storage room), 11C...Ice-making room (Storage room, 3rd storage room), 11D...Small freezer room (Storage room, 3rd storage room), 11E...Main freezer room (Storage room, 3rd storage room), 11F...Medium freezer room (Storage room) ), 15...First partition section, 16...Second partition section, 101...Front insulation wall, 102...Upper insulation wall, 103...Lower insulation wall, 20...Door, 56, 56A~56C...Foam insulation material (First insulation material), 57...Foam insulation material (Second insulation material), 58...Vacuum insulation material (Second insulation material), 60...Cooling unit (compressor assembly), 61...Compressor, 62...Condenser, 63...Cooling fan (blower), 64...Refrigeration cooler.

Claims

1. A refrigerator comprising a main body forming a storage compartment, a door that can be opened and closed to close the opening of the main body, and a compressor used for cooling the storage compartment, The storage chambers are arranged in the order of the first storage chamber, the second storage chamber, and the third storage chamber from top to bottom. The first storage room, the second storage room, and the third storage room are each separated by different doors. At least a portion of the compressor is located behind the second storage chamber, At least the compressor, condenser, and blower are formed as a compressor assembly, The compressor assembly is provided in a refrigerator that can be attached to the rear wall of the main body from the rear.

2. The main body covers the compressor from the front, top, and bottom, and has a front insulating wall, an upper insulating wall, and a lower insulating wall formed of insulating material. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the lower insulating wall has a higher insulating effect than the front insulating wall and the upper insulating wall.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the lower insulating wall is greater than that of the front insulating wall and the upper insulating wall.

4. The second storage chamber is located below the first storage chamber and is cooled to a refrigerated temperature range. The third storage chamber is located below the second storage chamber and is cooled to a freezing temperature range that is lower than the refrigeration temperature range. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the lower insulating wall is greater than the thickness of the partition formed by the insulating material between the second storage chamber and the third storage chamber.

5. The second storage chamber is located below the first storage chamber and is cooled to a refrigerated temperature range. The third storage chamber is located below the second storage chamber and is cooled to a freezing temperature range that is lower than the refrigeration temperature range. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the upper insulating wall is smaller than the thickness of the front insulating wall and the lower insulating wall.

6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the partition between the second storage chamber and the third storage chamber is a separate component from the front insulating wall, the upper insulating wall, and the lower insulating wall.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the partition between the second storage chamber and the third storage chamber and at least a portion of any of the front insulating wall, the upper insulating wall, and the lower insulating wall overlap front to back.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the partition and at least a portion of the lower insulating wall overlap front to back.

9. The main body covers the compressor from the front, top and bottom, and has a front insulating wall, an upper insulating wall, and a lower insulating wall formed of insulating material, The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the thermal insulation material is provided with at least one of a first thermal insulation material made of foamed thermal insulation material and a second thermal insulation material having higher thermal insulation properties than the first thermal insulation material.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, wherein the front insulating wall is provided with the second insulating material.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the upper insulating wall and the lower insulating wall are provided with the first insulating material.

12. The third storage chamber consists of a freezing temperature zone. The aforementioned first storage room is, The refrigerator compartment has a low temperature range, The system includes a special storage room with a lower temperature range than the aforementioned refrigerated room and a higher temperature range than the aforementioned third storage room, The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the compressor is located at a lower position than the special storage chamber and at a higher position than the third storage chamber.

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